Dieselman
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Did you pay on credit card, if so just have the value returned as the supplied goods are not suitable and you weren't able to check before purchase.
Locking wheelnut key snapped!
- Thread starter JonathanC250
- Start date
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JonathanC250
Active Member
No, unfortunately not.
They never told me that they had to special order the part in, they just told me it wasnt in stock. They didnt ask me to pay for it before ordering it, but as I couldnt get down there in time to pick it up due to work, I asked a collegue to pick it up for me so I gave them the money and when I tried it, its completely wrong.
They definately live up to their name as STEALERS!!
I've got a few more names that spring to mind
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JonathanC250
Active Member
This is good practice, this is what we used to do when i worked for Fairfield BMW parts.
Seems the lazy arrogant pr!cks at Mercedes Benz of Southend cant be bothered to follow the procedure.
Dieselman
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Give them one more chance to rectify the problem then phone Mercedes Customer Care Dept on 00800 17777777
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JonathanC250
Active Member
An update on this!
I did get the right key in the end from Mercedes, and they did take the wrong one back, was a hassle but got there in the end!
On Sunday just gone, I tried again and the key has twisted
So the front wheels have definately been overtightened!
(When I got my new front tyres in july, wheels havent been off since!)
I confirmed my thought by removing the 2 locking bolts from the rear wheels before trying the fronts, and the rears came out nice and easy.
The fronts on the other hand, still stuck solid.
Has anyone tried using a socket one size too small and force it on to the locking bolt, with any success with mercedes locking bolts?
I also tried the locking nut remover thing halfords sell and its too big to go into the alloy recess to reach the bolt!
Thanks for the advice and help so far
I did get the right key in the end from Mercedes, and they did take the wrong one back, was a hassle but got there in the end!
On Sunday just gone, I tried again and the key has twisted
So the front wheels have definately been overtightened!
(When I got my new front tyres in july, wheels havent been off since!)
I confirmed my thought by removing the 2 locking bolts from the rear wheels before trying the fronts, and the rears came out nice and easy.
The fronts on the other hand, still stuck solid.
Has anyone tried using a socket one size too small and force it on to the locking bolt, with any success with mercedes locking bolts?
I also tried the locking nut remover thing halfords sell and its too big to go into the alloy recess to reach the bolt!
Thanks for the advice and help so far
Did you try loosening, then re-tightening right up the four normal bolts first? That's what I would do to try and relieve some of the clamping force on the one locking bolt.
It torqued up that high, it should be *just* possible to release it with persuasion IMHO.
Will
It torqued up that high, it should be *just* possible to release it with persuasion IMHO.
Will
scottishv8owner
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- E63 AMG
Locking nuts are the devils work.
I ended up taking my previous car to an independent that had a special set of tools to remove them. Cost me 50 quid!
You might be lucky hammering on an undersized socket, I've also heard of someone welding a nut on the top and then unscrewing that, but I think you'd be better leaving to someone who has the correct tools to avoid damaging your alloy as it sounds like its on pretty tight.....
I ended up taking my previous car to an independent that had a special set of tools to remove them. Cost me 50 quid!
You might be lucky hammering on an undersized socket, I've also heard of someone welding a nut on the top and then unscrewing that, but I think you'd be better leaving to someone who has the correct tools to avoid damaging your alloy as it sounds like its on pretty tight.....
Aletank
MB Enthusiast
Take your car to a local tyre fitters, Independant better than a big chain.
I had a similar problem with a Audi, the tyre fitters charged £5 a wheel to get them off.
I found when I was trying to get them off with the wheel wrench, I was putting a downward pressure on the wrench and the wrench was slipping off as the pressure is on a angle.
The trye fitters used the air gun which shocks it and is a even all round pressure.
I had a similar problem with a Audi, the tyre fitters charged £5 a wheel to get them off.
I found when I was trying to get them off with the wheel wrench, I was putting a downward pressure on the wrench and the wrench was slipping off as the pressure is on a angle.
The trye fitters used the air gun which shocks it and is a even all round pressure.
spike60
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Not everyone has access to them but Snap On do a range of fluted sockets intended for rounded off nuts etc, sort of an external easi-out We have some at work and their usual use is taking locking wheelnuts off, I've not seen them beaten so far.
When I needed a wheel nut key for my BMW I took car, log book, handbook etc and ordered one. When I collected and it was wrong one they apologised and the next day the correct one was dropped at my house 20 miles away. Sounds like better service.
When I needed a wheel nut key for my BMW I took car, log book, handbook etc and ordered one. When I collected and it was wrong one they apologised and the next day the correct one was dropped at my house 20 miles away. Sounds like better service.
DITTRICH
MB Enthusiast
Any independent tire outfit will able to remove seized locking wheel nuts.
Firstly, the bloke will take chisel and hammer the twisting bit until it locks solid with the rest of the bolt. Then he will fit on (maybe with a mallet) an appropriate socket and with as much leverage as he can muster using one of those very long handles, undo the bolt. It looks scary whilst it is being done but it works. If you are concerned for your alloys get the dealership to do it during a service (and pay for the priviledge).
Firstly, the bloke will take chisel and hammer the twisting bit until it locks solid with the rest of the bolt. Then he will fit on (maybe with a mallet) an appropriate socket and with as much leverage as he can muster using one of those very long handles, undo the bolt. It looks scary whilst it is being done but it works. If you are concerned for your alloys get the dealership to do it during a service (and pay for the priviledge).
Benzster
Active Member
Golly, selfishly I hope it never happens to me.
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JonathanC250
Active Member
FINALLY GOT THE FRONT ONES OFF!! My Dad and I finally managed to get the front locking nuts out of the wheels, was a mission but got there in the end!
Ended up buying one of the locking wheel nut remover tools from Halfords, which is too fat to fit into the recess in the AMG bolt holes, Grinding the socket till it fitted, put the socket on the offending locking nuts and turning anti-clockwise as well as hitting it with a hammer untill it had bitten, then while still hitting it with a hammer used a long breaker bar, and crack. . . it came out!! Then repeated this for the other one!
Thank god thats over!
Thanks for everyones advice, all the tyre shops and similar outfits I tried were not interested.
If I do replace with new locking nuts I will be removing them, when having tyres fitted in the future!
MercMadBen
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- Sep 10, 2012
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- E320cdi
Alloy Wheel locking nut
Ive gone through 4 keys in 12 months and dealer refuses to give me a refund and tells me i can NOT claim under sale of goods or warranty of parts.
I read through some of your previous threads and have contacted the MB customer care line explaining the circumstances (00800 17777777)
I will let you know how i get on (locking nuts crossed!)
Has anyone else had locking nut keys break in last 12 months?
Ben
Ive gone through 4 keys in 12 months and dealer refuses to give me a refund and tells me i can NOT claim under sale of goods or warranty of parts.
I read through some of your previous threads and have contacted the MB customer care line explaining the circumstances (00800 17777777)
I will let you know how i get on (locking nuts crossed!)
Has anyone else had locking nut keys break in last 12 months?
Ben
I had a similar incident recently with my locking wheel nuts. I had a puncture and the 'key' was not to be found anywhere in the car which annoyed me somewhat as I had only had the car a few weeks. More fool me for not double checking it was in the boot when I bought the car 
The AA came out and managed to release the locking nut by chiselling it off and thankfully didn't damage the wheels. I then went straight to my local dealers and they produced 2 sets of 30 master keys, I found the one to match my set and promptly removed the remaining locking nuts and replaced them with standard wheel bolts.
My feeling is that although Alloy wheels are desirable, the potential theft of these is not as great as it was 20 years ago.....nowadays, they'll just take the entire car instead!!
The dealer never charged me anything for it other than 4 standard bolts at £3 each
The AA came out and managed to release the locking nut by chiselling it off and thankfully didn't damage the wheels. I then went straight to my local dealers and they produced 2 sets of 30 master keys, I found the one to match my set and promptly removed the remaining locking nuts and replaced them with standard wheel bolts.
My feeling is that although Alloy wheels are desirable, the potential theft of these is not as great as it was 20 years ago.....nowadays, they'll just take the entire car instead!!
The dealer never charged me anything for it other than 4 standard bolts at £3 each
Just bought a key today from Robinsons Cambridge as I had managed to lose mine - £21
Tazz666
Active Member
These master keys are not actually master keys,what you will find is that nearly all motor manufacturers use the same company for there locking wheel nuts.
every manufacturer is allocated 30 to 40 key designes the mercedes have 30 of one set of designes and Vauxhall for instance have another set of 30 designes.
so what the dealer does is open 30 sets of locking wheel nuts untill they come across a matching key, so basically there not a master key it is just another another set of locking wheel nuts that share the same key number so there is alot of mercedes owners who own the same key as each other,I only know because I used to work for a couple of dealerships and it was the same supplier for the different brand of cars
every manufacturer is allocated 30 to 40 key designes the mercedes have 30 of one set of designes and Vauxhall for instance have another set of 30 designes.
so what the dealer does is open 30 sets of locking wheel nuts untill they come across a matching key, so basically there not a master key it is just another another set of locking wheel nuts that share the same key number so there is alot of mercedes owners who own the same key as each other,I only know because I used to work for a couple of dealerships and it was the same supplier for the different brand of cars
Glad you got them out.
Now invest in a torque wrench to save all this hassle in future.
I always re-torque the wheel nuts on every car I buy. I just know some garages and previous owners are too lazy to use a torque wrench.
Hammering a small socket on the lock nut will only work if the lock nuts have been recently removed or tightened with a torque wrench. My brother lost his key in the past and we used the same method with no problems as the lock nuts have been recently removed.
Now invest in a torque wrench to save all this hassle in future.
I always re-torque the wheel nuts on every car I buy. I just know some garages and previous owners are too lazy to use a torque wrench.
Hammering a small socket on the lock nut will only work if the lock nuts have been recently removed or tightened with a torque wrench. My brother lost his key in the past and we used the same method with no problems as the lock nuts have been recently removed.
