Bought my '99 CLK320 about 2 months ago and my "friend" recently took great pleasure in pointing out a rust bubble on the wing. I hopped on the old interweb to search for quick fixes and stumbled across the many threads here regarding the apparently poor corrosion resistance of Mercedes in recent years.
The car does not have FMBSH (first few years only) and was not bought from a main dealer. It is due a B Service now and I was wondering what to do. I have not yet owned it six months, it is already 8 years old and it is due a B Service. Closer inspection shows all four wheelarches are going, pin-pricks are coming through on the sills, it's starting under the front grill and the usual bubbling on the bootlid near the handle is present. I read on some posts that if the car was registered between November '98 and mid '04 then it was covered by Mobilolife for 30 years, but then I also read somewhere that it was only 8 years. Can anyone please clarify?
I understand that it needs to be serviced by MB to get Mobilolife activated for 18 months. Is this right? Is that continuous FMBSH? Does anyone actually know? I get the impression that even MB don't know.
What I'm thinking is:
1. Get the car B Serviced (I'll do that anyway)
2. Get the car back (probably without them mentioning the rust, but gladly taking the £££ for the service)
3. Go back a week later saying that they didn't pick up on the rust in the B Service and I believe it's covered under Mobilolife due to the date it was first registered and the fact that it has been serviced recently by a MB dealer.
What do you think will happen?
a) Car booked in no questions asked with a courtesy S65
b) A lot of head-scratching and bickering ensues before they finally agree to submit a corrosion claim which takes a few weeks to go through and I become a "goodwill" success story
c) A lot of head-scratching and bickering ensues before they finally agree to submit a corrosion claim which takes a few weeks to go through and I get told to buy some wet and dry
d) They tell me to come back when I've owned it for six months
e) They give me a dustpan and brush to clean up the orange dust I've left on their forecourt where my car used to be and laugh me off the premises
Personally, I reckon d followed by c, but hopefully b. I guess a is not going to happen, but I don't think I can rule out e...
The car does not have FMBSH (first few years only) and was not bought from a main dealer. It is due a B Service now and I was wondering what to do. I have not yet owned it six months, it is already 8 years old and it is due a B Service. Closer inspection shows all four wheelarches are going, pin-pricks are coming through on the sills, it's starting under the front grill and the usual bubbling on the bootlid near the handle is present. I read on some posts that if the car was registered between November '98 and mid '04 then it was covered by Mobilolife for 30 years, but then I also read somewhere that it was only 8 years. Can anyone please clarify?
I understand that it needs to be serviced by MB to get Mobilolife activated for 18 months. Is this right? Is that continuous FMBSH? Does anyone actually know? I get the impression that even MB don't know.
What I'm thinking is:
1. Get the car B Serviced (I'll do that anyway)
2. Get the car back (probably without them mentioning the rust, but gladly taking the £££ for the service)
3. Go back a week later saying that they didn't pick up on the rust in the B Service and I believe it's covered under Mobilolife due to the date it was first registered and the fact that it has been serviced recently by a MB dealer.
What do you think will happen?
a) Car booked in no questions asked with a courtesy S65
b) A lot of head-scratching and bickering ensues before they finally agree to submit a corrosion claim which takes a few weeks to go through and I become a "goodwill" success story
c) A lot of head-scratching and bickering ensues before they finally agree to submit a corrosion claim which takes a few weeks to go through and I get told to buy some wet and dry
d) They tell me to come back when I've owned it for six months
e) They give me a dustpan and brush to clean up the orange dust I've left on their forecourt where my car used to be and laugh me off the premises
Personally, I reckon d followed by c, but hopefully b. I guess a is not going to happen, but I don't think I can rule out e...