Had my 2008 C320 CDI since Oct last year I am the 2nd owner and it has just gone through 40'000 miles from new. Used my jack to remove my drivers side rear wheel yesterday, even used a piece of wood underneath it to ensure it was secure. Just as I was removing my wheel the jack failed and collapsed. has anyone else had this happen and is there anything I can do.. Thanks in advance.
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geraldrobins
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Sorry cant help.
Hope you suffered no injury to yourself or car.
Hope you suffered no injury to yourself or car.
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I'd be concerned that the piece of wood might have prevented the jack from sitting correctly under the car / against the ground.
Did the jack itself break?
photos please...
Did the jack itself break?
photos please...
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How did you get your wheel back on again?
Best advice I was given was always to remove the spare and place it under the sill before raising the car. Once the car's on-jack remove the road wheel and place under the car too. Remove and replace r/w with spare. Etc. The point being to always have something under the car so that if the jack does collapse there's space to get a second jack underneath it.
mercedescl500
Active Member
In my experience always use a hydraulic trolley jack or keep an Axle Stand handy. I personally would not put a wheel under the car because its not very strong when lying face down or up. Axle stand is the best way forward. Never leave the car supported only by a Jack.
brucemillar
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I had a BMW X5. Jacked that up at the rear using the BMW supplied jack in the boot toolkit. Then watched as the jack slowly and gracefully buckled under the car, lowering it gently onto the spare wheel (as above I had placed under the car). Took the jack back to BMW who said you must have abused the jack?
I think that the modern jack is made to the very minimum standard required to actually hold the weight of the car. The slightest variant from perfect jacking and it will fail.
Some good advice above about placing wheels under the car and getting a good quality hydraulic jack. I suspect if you took your back to MB you get the same as I got from BMW, basically blaming you.
Not to be over dramatic. People get killed or seriously injured jacking up cars. There is an entire thread on here about exactly that. It is to be considered that the jack WILL fail and not that it might not fail.
I think that the modern jack is made to the very minimum standard required to actually hold the weight of the car. The slightest variant from perfect jacking and it will fail.
Some good advice above about placing wheels under the car and getting a good quality hydraulic jack. I suspect if you took your back to MB you get the same as I got from BMW, basically blaming you.
Not to be over dramatic. People get killed or seriously injured jacking up cars. There is an entire thread on here about exactly that. It is to be considered that the jack WILL fail and not that it might not fail.
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grober
MB Master
There's always an airbag jack
Inflatable Car Jack from Conrad.com
It's what the emergency services use- good for uneven ground and for those of limited physical ability.
Inflatable Car Jack from Conrad.com
It's what the emergency services use- good for uneven ground and for those of limited physical ability.
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I don't think using hydraulic jack or inflatable one makes a difference safety-wise, i.e. the safety precautions are the same, in either case the only safety 'upgrade' is axle stands.
I do use hydraulic jack for maintenance because it is more convenient, but I don't carry it in the car with me, for a flat tyre I use the standard MB-supplied jack.
And I use the spare wheel under the car as others do, but at the same time I also ensure that I never have a limb under the vehicle (unless secured by axle stands).
I do use hydraulic jack for maintenance because it is more convenient, but I don't carry it in the car with me, for a flat tyre I use the standard MB-supplied jack.
And I use the spare wheel under the car as others do, but at the same time I also ensure that I never have a limb under the vehicle (unless secured by axle stands).
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The standard emergency jack that's supplied with current Mercedes-Benz cars is very rigid and if used properly, very secure.
My suspicion is that a) the OP hadn't chocked the wheel at the opposite corner to stop the car rolling (there's even a decent chock supplied in the toolkit), and/or b) the wood under the jack slipped or was deformed allowing the jack to collapse.
The only time I'd consider using anything under the jack to spread the load is if the car was on grass or some other soft surface and in those circumstances it would only be as a last resort if I really couldn't move the car to more secure ground.
My suspicion is that a) the OP hadn't chocked the wheel at the opposite corner to stop the car rolling (there's even a decent chock supplied in the toolkit), and/or b) the wood under the jack slipped or was deformed allowing the jack to collapse.
The only time I'd consider using anything under the jack to spread the load is if the car was on grass or some other soft surface and in those circumstances it would only be as a last resort if I really couldn't move the car to more secure ground.
mercedescl500
Active Member
Might be of some help. Pics of a failed Jack. http://www.mbca.org/forum/jack-failure
Follow MB's instructions; car on all four wheels, on level ground. Push the jack strut all the way into the hole in the car; it has to be in 100%. Wind the jack till it reaches the ground and ensure it's vertical when viewed from the side of the car. As the car's lifted the jack will move the vertical in the longitudinal plane too. The same jacks lift E and S class cars so having one fail on a 1,400kg W202 would seem unusual?
reason42
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Putting wood under the jack for me is not a good idea. The wood could split, the jack sink into it or slip.
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That's nothing like the jack that comes with the W204 (or W212, etc.).
renault12ts
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Calling OP, come in OP...we have questions!!
