Genuine Parts

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CRASH67

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Aug 23, 2010
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234
HI guys so what your veiw on genuine and factor parts?
 
Prefer genuine but some pattern parts are acceptable.

For example, I would always get a Bosch MAF or MB supplied springs. But a good quality air/oil filter would be acceptable to me.

Think it's a lot down to cost and personal choice
 
Autocar reporting a lot of imitation 'genuine' parts being sold around the UK at the moment, so I'd check how trustworthy the seller is first.
 
Or because of the recession , the manufacturers have fed Autocar that line to put people off of buying them from anywhere other than the stealership ? ;)
 
If I can get genuine then I would, if not then pattern is fine. Sometimes genuine parts can fail.

If buying brake pads and some other service parts then yes I would use pattern parts.

A lot of the times we are just paying for a mercedes box. IMO
 
Genuine parts are reasonable value IMHO, especially now as some factors service wear and tear parts are priced just below mercedes prices. Its strange how non genuine parts are percieved good value when some can perform considerably less well than the genuine Mercedes product. Im bias though because im fortunate enough to see some of the comparable testing of the Mercedes Products against "OE equipment manufactures" and "pattern parts"
However in this day an age i would honestly say 80% of mercedes cars on the road dont have genuine service items installed, who can blame them in this financial climate? Its all down to personal budget i guess, I personally think factor and pattern parts are under engineered. When i had a VW golf 81 w reg i had 3 sets of non gen points all of which failed within 20 or 30 miles, only when i bought the genuine VW part did it last and last and it was only £1.20 more than the cheap ones. Another example.. W124 pattern wings they look like the original, but look through the threads... lots of mentions saying they dont fit right.
Ive had the same experience again with non genuine water filters, thought id save a few quid but after fitting the first one it leaked and didnt filter like the genuine jobby. waist of blood money!!
Again you pay your money and you takes your choice! Every one knows the quality its just some dont like paying for it or cant afford to. The day i cant afford to buy genuine is the day i will sell it.
 
Well i work a dealer and the fight to keep customer from factor parts is hard even more so when you can buy the parts from MB with Bosh etc stamped on the part you would think a factor could supply a equal part.

But on friday i found this wasnt a the case,
I work with a dealer and was lucky enough to go on a corse where we could finally directly compare genuine and factor parts not just from looks but actully had them taken apar or cut open etc and differences is shocking.
and despite the higher costs of Mercedes Parts I would happly say for the support and quality you can get from genuine over the factor ITS well worth it.

where as before i dont think i could say that with out a doubt in my mind
 
I think there are three types.

MB Original Parts
OEM Parts made by approved MB suppliers (eg. Bosch, ATE, Pagid etc.)
Pattern parts made by other companies

I would happily use parts from the first two but not the third unless it was something cosmetic and not mechanical.
 
I think there are three types.

MB Original Parts
OEM Parts made by approved MB suppliers (eg. Bosch, ATE, Pagid etc.)
Pattern parts made by other companies

I would happily use parts from the first two but not the third unless it was something cosmetic and not mechanical.
Sadly thats not the case the "OEM" from like of Bosh may not to be the latest Spec. when Mercedes spec a part that is sent to say bosch they produce it, but when Mercedes devolpe the design for any reason then send the spec to bosch again who produce it for mercedes but Bosch still make the first spec for the facotrs etc etc so the bosch part may still not be up to scratch.

The reason i asked the question was just to get a feel from general public opinion,
 
So, my 7yo W220 is still being constantly redesigned ?

Do I therefore have a guarantee from a dealer (and backed with proof) that the part that I get is as such or is it just dusted off from the back shelves with a sense of relief from the parts dept ?

Can I also add that it seems that MB might be using subtle techniques in their training to 'sell the brand' to all employees. Maybe at your next session you could ask them why all their excellence at parts vetting and creation was forgotten in their rust-prevention process ?
 
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well obviosuly as model gets older i guess the develpment slows/stops BUT quality can still differ, ie a fuel Filter from Mercedes it made to the specs or mercedes, yet a bosch fiter maybe made from generic parts
We looked at a bosch fuel filter as avaible via factoers and a Mercedes Bosch one and they worlds apart in design etc and back up offered, the warranty given by mercedes far exceeds what you would get out side of mercedes.
 
We looked at a bosch fuel filter as avaible via factoers and a Mercedes Bosch one and they worlds apart in design etc and back up offered, the warranty given by mercedes far exceeds what you would get out side of mercedes.

Please supply details of the Bosch filter and I will buy one and an also an MB one.

I'll then slice both open down the middle and take piccies.

The warranty aspect is totally open to debate.
 
unfortunatly we werent given exact details of the fitlers i vaguely saw the part number of the MB Mid Feb Mercedes are delivering us a Pack which will contain various opened up parts inc filters and starters etc etc then il be able to supply the info you require,
as for the warranty on MB parts is very good (on vanss 2 years free if done by a MB workshop and if a failing part causes damage to other parts they can also be replaced under warranty.
 
A number of years ago , MB revised the design of screw-on oil filters as used in W124 and similar models - the new filter being about half the capacity of the old one .

Most people regarded this with a certain amount of suspicion . You could still , however , go to ECP or GSF and get the 'old' filter - which a lot of us preferred to do .

Ditto with brake parts - I have always preferred ATE discs and pads - if I go to ECP and buy those , I know what I'm getting ; go to Merc and I don't know what's in the box ( could be ATE , Pagid , Textar ..... ? ) .

Sometimes price is a concern - other times not so . Certain things are only available from MB , sometimes I have a choice and I will decide on the merits of the individual item . In some cases the dealership will actually be cheaper than the factor for certain parts ( grille insert for a W124 was an example ) , and sometimes NOS can carry pretty good discounts ( water pump for a 190E bought for £78 , which was cheaper than ECP wanted for their 'alternative' part ) , so it always pays to compare . On the other hand a thermostat for my W126 was £13 from ECP against £31 from the dealer just recently .

Price most certainly was a factor when I got the stainless steel exhaust system fabricated for my W126 recently - at half the price of the original system , with the bonus that it won't need replaced again .

I would seldom buy anything other than genuine or at least OEM parts , although I do remember buying pattern indicator lenses for a W123 which were vastly cheaper than the others and only had to fit ( which they did ) , not performing a particularly critical function .

I consider every case on its merits , and sometimes end up buying secondhand parts ( or complete cars to break ) , depending on what is involved .
 
well obviosuly as model gets older i guess the develpment slows/stops BUT quality can still differ, ie a fuel Filter from Mercedes it made to the specs or mercedes, yet a bosch fiter maybe made from generic parts
We looked at a bosch fuel filter as avaible via factoers and a Mercedes Bosch one and they worlds apart in design etc and back up offered, the warranty given by mercedes far exceeds what you would get out side of mercedes.

Personally I find that really hard to believe. MB do not deisgn filters - they buy filters in to a certain spec - same with lots of parts like electrric motors etc. If the part has a Bosch p/n on it and an equivalent MB p/n then those two items will be the same quality.
I think you may have been misled by whoever gave you the course - it wasn't a MB course by any chance was it? :rolleyes: :)
 
It is certainly the same with Bilstein or Sachs/Boge springs or shock absorbers : look up the parts catalogues and they will cross reference against MB part numbers .
 
A number of years ago , MB revised the design of screw-on oil filters as used in W124 and similar models - the new filter being about half the capacity of the old one .

Land Rover did the same their oil filter for the 200Tdi diesel. I was suspicious, and bought Crosland thereafter....
 

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