Good indies in NW London

[azaman]

Hello all,

Does anyone know of any good MB Indie's in the NW London area?

My C180 Coupe has a rather loud rattle behind the dash at about 1200 rpm and it is driving me insane. So much so that I want to have it sorted but can't stomach the bill MB would come up with.

 

[Sp!ke]

I cant say that I can recommend one in North West London.

In West London (Richmond) there's Colin Ferns that I've had satisfactory experiences of.

Tracking down a dashboard rattle could take a while to trace and could also become an expensive hobby if the tech doesnt know his onions.

 

[whitenemesis]

Dash rattles are documented in WIS, so MB would should have a fairly good idea on the cure

 

[Roger Jones]

Mercstar in Harrow have been around for some time and continue to get good reports.

Half an hour up the M1 (and very near junction 10) is Harpenden Motors in Luton:

Harpenden Auto Services :: Your local independent Mercedes Benz and BMW Service Centre

I haven't used them yet, but wouldn't hesitate, and I have seen no bad reports. They were founded a few years ago by the former service manager of Pinneys, MB main dealers in Harpenden. They are within easy walking distance of Luton railway station for the return journey. Rates tend to be cheaper in Luton.

 

[azaman]

Dash rattles are documented in WIS, so MB would should have a fairly good idea on the cure

Any idea if there is anything on my rattle in WIS? Its hard to explain (maybe I need to post a youtube vid). When in gear at low speeds, at around 1200 rpm when the engine is at the peak point for vibration I get a loud rumble/rattle that sounds like its comming from the top vent. Sound is similar to 2 bits of hard plastic vibrating against each other.

I have removed the entire centre console - can still hear the rattle.

Removed the top vent and tray underneath it - can still hear the rattle.

Tried raising the dash a little by losening the side bolts and tightening with the dash raised - can still hear the rattle.

I've also tried pushing and pulling all over the dash with no difference to noise

Maybe its worth finding out how much Collindale MB quote before I try an indie. If they have fixed similar issue before may not be that expensive (lol)

 

[Roger Jones]

An MB dealer will charge you £125 an hour or thereabouts. An indie will charge you half that or less.

 

[bpsorrel]

I had a very annoying rattle problem with my wifes Sport Coupe which I managed to cure myself. It was a knocking/rattle that sounded like the Panoramic roof rattling and I tried WD40 all over the place, I removed the blind and refitted - still rattling - then I discovered the cause! The parcel shelf was rattling against the plastic "resting" places on each side! I simply stuck two rubber strips under the parcel shelf where it met the plastic and rattle gone! The point being rattles aren't always from where you think!!
Maybe worth checking areas under the dash that aren't directly where you think the rattle is coming from?

 

[azaman]

I had a very annoying rattle problem with my wifes Sport Coupe which I managed to cure myself. It was a knocking/rattle that sounded like the Panoramic roof rattling and I tried WD40 all over the place, I removed the blind and refitted - still rattling - then I discovered the cause! The parcel shelf was rattling against the plastic "resting" places on each side! I simply stuck two rubber strips under the parcel shelf where it met the plastic and rattle gone! The point being rattles aren't always from where you think!!
Maybe worth checking areas under the dash that aren't directly where you think the rattle is coming from?

Already cushioned my rear parcel shelf with draft excluding tape

I do agree that where a rattle sounds like it is coming from is not always where it is actually occurring. As my rattle can only be replicated while the car is in gear at higher revs than idle it is quite tricky to track it down. If I had the luxury of a rolling road I could leave it on that with the wheel turning while trying to track the noise.

 

[bpsorrel]

What about the bass speaker in the centre? Could this be slightly un-seated? Worth a look maybe?..

 

[azaman]

What about the bass speaker in the centre? Could this be slightly un-seated? Worth a look maybe?..

My car has standard audio setup so no central speaker under the grill.

 

[hitenhirani]

Where abouts in North London are you?

Try Premier Service in South Ruislip.