I think the garage burst the threads on my head .....

[Danny DeVito]

I think...Pay for the parts, lucky to get that from me even. They made sheet of ur car and will cost you far more now to get repaired, i even think they should pay for the other garage. But thats unlikely, lucky them to get u and not me. I would pay them nothing ! Hope ur cars going well bye

p.s. what was the part ??

 

[jonnyboy]

Part only imho. You say that theyve served you well for years, fair enough. I don't expect a customer to pay me to make mistakes.......new or existing customer.

 

[macabethiel]

I work at a main MB dealership and bolts breaking off are not always due to cowboy mechanics.

We have broken bolts from time to time and the MD injectors are swines to get out on cars less than a year old.

If we break a bolt we call on a mobile engineering firm to come in and sort it out if its out of warranty - its that common.

Just bad luck by the sound of it.

 

[Tony Russell]

This wasn't a broken bolt.
The operative refitted the original stretch bolt, then overtightened it, thereby stripping the threads on the head.

Then tried to make things right by running it on low idle for ages to "make it carbon up".

Going back this afternoon to try and reach an agreement on the price.

 

[flango]

From a Indy point of view if any of my guys had done this to your car (which they wouldn't have) I would not be expected to be paid anything they made a right royal F**k Up in the first place. I would take it on the chin as a business and give the mechanic a right royal b*llocking. Loyalty works both ways, if they were loyal to you as a customer they wouldn't be charging you anything at all only apologising and trying to make good their mistake.

 

[Tony Russell]

Small town!

Paid General Garage Man for the parts tonight, and shook hands and walked away.

The other option was the pain of going through the small claims court and perhaps losing and all that.

Having done law at yooooney and then deciding on a more honest way of living, I decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

I have my integrity. That's worth more. Despite the financial ouch.

After the whole episode, I thoroughly, and completely commend Merparts in Port Glasgow for getting me out of the hole.
To be honest, had I not been in school with Paul, I don't think he'd have touched their f'ck up.

It's cost me about £1800 all in for a job that Merparts would have charged me ~£500 to put right in the first place.

I went for the cheaper hourly rate which, in retrospect, was the more expensive path by far. And nearly fatal.

OK. You can argue I am soft as sh.t.
I would agree.
This time.

Thanks to all for you advice and comments.

Children, if you have a Mercedes, go and see a competent independent.
They are more expensive that generals on an hourly basis, but they are faster, therefore cheaper, and they do the job right.

Do as I say, not as I did.

 

[trapperjohn]

Thank you for your honesty and the feedback during this saga. Now you can build on the future and "move on" as they say.
Good Luck buddy.

 

[Danny DeVito]

Holy cow ! 1800 !! What did Merparts have to do ? I still don't think i'd go merc delaer here. It's about €75 an hour. Happy days at least u sorted

 

[Vlad]

Euro 75.....try £130 an hour at Mercedes Reading!!

 

[Tony Russell]

Holy cow ! 1800 !! What did Merparts have to do ? I still don't think i'd go merc delaer here. It's about €75 an hour. Happy days at least u sorted

That's £1800 all in, ie the first garage, the visit back to pay for parts that they destroyed anyway, and then the put right bill, and the cost of hire cars and other miscellaneous pharting about.

Merparts were actuallly the best value of all when you weigh up all the stuff they did, the bits that went in, and the positive outcome.

What did they do ?

• Cleaned the seats properly, and were able to inspect with a funky wee camera doofer,
• Tested the injectors, replacing one of the "new" ones that was facked already.
• Fitted genuine bits which were, surprisingly, not that much more expensive than the OEM bits,
• Cleaned, re-tapped and heli-coiled the clamp bolty into head thing,
• Replaced the injector clamp ie, clamp costs relatively buttons and we've come this far - no sense in ignoring what might also be faulty,
• Replaced exhaust clamps that I knew were on their last legs anyway,
• Tested extensively, not least of all by taking it for a good drive up hills,
• Oil and filter change with the correct oil, thereby fixing the smoky exhaust issue (I know - it was that simple),
• Kept me up to date constantly so that I had a warm and comfortable feeling that I was in control - whether I was or not.

Anyway, several weeks later and the thing is running very well.

Thoroughly recommend Merparts.

 

[Tony Russell]

Oh, and I owe Franey a tenner. Since I only got my bag of bits back yesterday, along with his envelope and address label, it'll be on it's way tomorrow.