Stop start surprise failure

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Alf Barnet

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Jul 25, 2015
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212
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S212
Just a heads up on three things:

1) Had a starter motor failure on 2 year old 23k E250, stop start the culprit, no UK stock so ultimately 2 weeks in a hire car.
2) If your buying an W213 A) it’s a large C class, not an E class, (W211 owners will probably explode!) and B) if the 51k 16 plate one I was loaned is anything to go buy will be (potentially) clocked in huge numbers - negligible wear anywhere.
3) Mercedes assist/Mobilio in a race to the bottom. Hopeless. £30 limit on roadside assist now, so effectively no roadside repairs, just forward to dealership.
 
Just a heads up on three things:

1) Had a starter motor failure on 2 year old 23k E250, stop start the culprit, no UK stock so ultimately 2 weeks in a hire car.
2) If your buying an W213 A) it’s a large C class, not an E class, (W211 owners will probably explode!) and B) if the 51k 16 plate one I was loaned is anything to go buy will be (potentially) clocked in huge numbers - negligible wear anywhere.
3) Mercedes assist/Mobilio in a race to the bottom. Hopeless. £30 limit on roadside assist now, so effectively no roadside repairs, just forward to dealership.

How do you know stop start was the culprit? It could be a variety of factors surely. I don't recall any posts with this issue over the past few years.
 
What a strange rant.

The new E Class is a large C Class. Yep, always has been.

It is wearing really well so expect them all to be clocked. Ummm, OK?!

Mobilio has always been shite imho (more so if you are out of warranty) agree there. Last place I want my out of warranty Mercedes taking is to Mercedes where they just randomly swap parts over and bill me.
 
Wow! Thanks for the advance warning. I had no idea Mobilio had such a bad reputation. I thought this was a plus point of having full dealer service history. Anyway, I'm out of my service plan now so next year it's indie plus internet search for breakdown cover.
 
Have to completely disagree about Mobilo.

Used them several times over the years and found them to be excellent.
 
Wow! Thanks for the advance warning. I had no idea Mobilio had such a bad reputation. I thought this was a plus point of having full dealer service history. Anyway, I'm out of my service plan now so next year it's indie plus internet search for breakdown cover.

Many people love the service.
Personally I get the same from Green Flag free with my bank account and they will repair when needed and take me to where ever I want to be taken.
 
How do you know stop start was the culprit? It could be a variety of factors surely. I don't recall any posts with this issue over the past few years.

Just what the MB assist engineer and dealership reported really. Extra multiple use of the starter over a non stop start vehicle. I have one of s handful of Petrol E’s so yes your not likely to come across many similar cases (or petrol E class).
 
Have to completely disagree about Mobilo.

Used them several times over the years and found them to be excellent.

Yep so have I. Different set up these days. Not so good verging on useless.
 
What a strange rant.

The new E Class is a large C Class. Yep, always has been.

It is wearing really well so expect them all to be clocked. Ummm, OK?!

Mobilio has always been shite imho (more so if you are out of warranty) agree there. Last place I want my out of warranty Mercedes taking is to Mercedes where they just randomly swap parts over and bill me.

OK you got me it’s a rant!

So 24 hours without a vehicle, 30+ chasing calls, and then I got given a taxi V class (full stickers TFL legal too) for a week because Europecar has “no” automatics within the M25 (really). Then I off hired it myself and rehired the W213. Maybe previous experiences had spoiled me?

Just no ownership of the problem or any reassurances. The customer did the work chasing a failure that shouldn’t have occurred. MB Assist didn’t give a hoot! Shame really to evaporate an excellent set up.
 
Yep so have I. Different set up these days. Not so good verging on useless.
In what way?

Used them when I destroyed a tyre on the missus’ A Class not long ago and they were great.

They even lent me a space saver while I had the tyre replaced and came and picked it up a week later.
 
Just what the MB assist engineer and dealership reported really. Extra multiple use of the starter over a non stop start vehicle. I have one of s handful of Petrol E’s so yes your not likely to come across many similar cases (or petrol E class).
Wonder if the starter motors are rated differently from petrol to diesel --turning over a diesel with its greater compression ratio is going to take a higher rated starter motor perhaps.
There's something in my mind about a world wide starter motor recall on some models.
Maybe this?
Global recall of 1m Mercedes cars 'could include 75,000 in UK'

Mercedes-Benz to recall up to 75,000 UK cars over fire risk | Autocar
 
Just what the MB assist engineer and dealership reported really. Extra multiple use of the starter over a non stop start vehicle. I have one of s handful of Petrol E’s so yes your not likely to come across many similar cases (or petrol E class).
Of course nowadays they wont investigate why it failed just replace it. Maybe its peculiar to your model as there are petrol versions of other Mercedes cars and many diesels but not necessarily with the same starter of course.
I hope they source a spare for you soon.
 
To update this car back to health - only off the road for two weeks too. I’d had the fire risk recall carried out last year, so something is amiss. I’d guess the starter motors are not up to the job is the simplest reason.

With hire vehicles (one was £125 a day plus vat, and I had that a week) and parts and labour plus recovery it was a £2000-2500 fix in the end. I’m still running the existing two batteries the car was built with, I hope they haven’t been unduly strained either.

Still waiting for an apology for poor service, I won’t hold my breath there.
 

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