Buying advice

[Justintyme]

I think that too but the majority of people won't be able to access and who selling the car will have any interested in finding that out...

Scary really.

If such a mileage log was indeed in existence, then it would have to be accessible by someone... Mercedes Main Dealers, via the central computer? But all this assumes that such a log actually exists in the first place? Perhaps some of the Forum members who are very familiar with the Electronics in the Mercedes could give an opinion on how many places the Mileage is stored, an which location's?

 

[markjay]

Well I am sure that one of the members who own a STAR will be able to confirm... said that, the answer may differ from model to model.

 

[classiccarzone]

Hi Mark, That's the first I have heard of this Book... can you tell me a bit more about it? How to access it? I presume that it's individual to each car? A digital version of the old stamped service booklet?

This is where you go to log on to the digital Service record.

http://tools.mercedes-benz.co.uk/cu...er/TradePartner_Digital_Service.pdf?owda=misc

 

[Brandon007]

There is concern with many car buyers over the accuracy of the mileage being displayed on odometers we are working with an IT company which is piloting our data and a new plugin dongle that highlights different readings from all the independent ecu’s in the car to show up probable clocking. The results appear to show major issues with many auction entry’s. anyone interested in seeing some shocking data on cars which are missing on provenance checks? You may want to sit down to view.

 

[classiccarzone]

For the last mercedes I bought I viewed the Mercedes Digital record. I cross referenced this with the MOT record and read the ECU recorded mileage through Icarsoft MB2. I also had information from the NMR.

 

[John]

If such a mileage log was indeed in existence, then it would have to be accessible by someone... Mercedes Main Dealers, via the central computer? But all this assumes that such a log actually exists in the first place? Perhaps some of the Forum members who are very familiar with the Electronics in the Mercedes could give an opinion on how many places the Mileage is stored, an which location's?

I just wonder if any trader getting in a car would bother to check anything other than odometer, MOTs were applicable and services.

If they didn't, certainly the average punter wouldn't be checking anything else.

Even with MOTs, with the above in mind, there is scope to scrub off huge mileages over time.

My own view on this is whilst you are clearly being ripped off in such cases, modern cars are much more capable of higher mileages so if it is in good condition and has been serviced, it's perhaps not a disaster if you end up with one.

 

[leef44]

I once took a courtesy car while getting my car serviced at Olly's.
When I parked up at a supermarket and got out I was asked by a passer-by if I was still at work and whether I could take him to the train station.
I thought, well this is obviously a courtesy car from all the signage on the bodywork, why did he think I was a taxi?
I turned round to look at the car and read "Prestige Car Service"...aaah

 

[markjay]

When I had the black W203.... the local car wash used to give me 'taxi discount' even though I never asked for it...

 

[Justintyme]

I just wonder if any trader getting in a car would bother to check anything other than odometer, MOTs were applicable and services.

If they didn't, certainly the average punter wouldn't be checking anything else.

Even with MOTs, with the above in mind, there is scope to scrub off huge mileages over time.

My own view on this is whilst you are clearly being ripped off in such cases, modern cars are much more capable of higher mileages so if it is in good condition and has been serviced, it's perhaps not a disaster if you end up with one.

Yes John... you are right in what you say about traders etc. checking out their cars, they don't dig very deep. But for me, assuming that the mileage is correct and the service history is genuine... Thats it. Let the car do what it was designed to do. But you will have to do your own digging. There was a time when the clocks were mechanical ( as in clockwork ) and they could be clocked, then came the digital age...everyone thought that would be the end of "Clocking".... how wrong they were. So for now, all you can do is basic due diligence...Still, if you can confirm the mileage and service history, you should be good to go.

 

[classiccarzone]

Most garages are now cooperating with the scheme to record a cars mileage every time it enters the garage.

BMW record the mileage in a number of places, including the key.
They also place a sticker over the two chips, if the sticker is broken somebody has fiddled.; These EPROM chips are designed to record in one direction only thus preventing mileage correction sharks from reducing the mileage.

But those in the know replace the chip with a new one-readily available on Ebay- and then up the mileage from zero to what ever they want.

There is a window in the eprom and if an ultra violet light is shone through the window it will erase the EPROM.

That is why, for instance, you should never remove the sticker from the eprom in your computer.
There will always be someone out there to hack a system, so the manual recording is the only accurate way.

 

[Petrol Pete]

When I had the black W203.... the local car wash used to give me 'taxi discount' even though I never asked for it...

That explains why the bloke at the end of my street who drives a brand new black E class has never been seen washing it but it never has a speck of dirt on it !!

Mystery solved

 

[brucemillar]

That explains why the bloke at the end of my street who drives a brand new black E class has never been seen washing it but it never has a speck of dirt on it !!

Mystery solved

Many moons ago while a young lad, I was employed by Digital Equipment Corp. - DEC

My company estate car at that time, was sign written along both sides with the words;

TERMINAL SERVICES.

I didn’t make many friends in that job.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[John]

Yes John... you are right in what you say about traders etc. checking out their cars, they don't dig very deep. But for me, assuming that the mileage is correct and the service history is genuine... Thats it. Let the car do what it was designed to do. But you will have to do your own digging. There was a time when the clocks were mechanical ( as in clockwork ) and they could be clocked, then came the digital age...everyone thought that would be the end of "Clocking".... how wrong they were. So for now, all you can do is basic due diligence...Still, if you can confirm the mileage and service history, you should be good to go.

I don't think I'd care too much if I ended up getting caught out by car like that. It's not like cars only last 100,000 like they did in the 80s and before - although the cars I tend to go for have V8s and not too many of those are taxis!

Yes mechanical clocking was arguably harder - sometimes you could see the mechanical digits did not line up.

It's the old adage isn't it... anything man can make, man can break.

 

[Brandon007]

Everyone to their own thing... Some cars do get declared at point of owner change and the motor industry are happy to devalue these cars by 17% to 24% that's as much as £3600 on a £15k car. Now that's a little earner for someone who is quite happy Not to declare it's past!
It's also well believed in the motor trade that an extaxi is far more likely to have It's mileage adjusted than a privately owned vehicle, even after researching of private hire drivers which we carried out they all agree that to make a living you need to do 25/40k mls a year so an extaxi with 10k a year? really?

However there is legislation.
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
(3) In paragraph (1) “material information” means—
(a)the information which the average consumer needs, according to the context, to take an informed transactional decision

See recent case Nov 2018:
Huge fine for car dealership which misled customer | Middlesbrough Council

Buyer beware! Surely not when you're spending in access of £44k on a car at a main agent? or even £3000 at an Independent dealer?
That's why you pay a premium at a garage for peice of mind.