w211 Juddering at 1200 revs

[BlackC55]

The build date is the important one.

 

[television]

The build date is the important one.

I had the VIN up to last night, but my PM box keeps filling up and I emptied some of it

 

[glojo]

I think I may have the bulletin. I will do dome digging.

JOHN. Send me your chassis number via PM and I will tell you your build date.

Hi thanks for the very kind offer but,
The official order date for our vehicle was the 23rd September 2003, the build date was January 2004, and the delivery was the first week of February 2004. It just fitted into the official date for nano paintwork.

John

Edit
Totally agree about the build date. That is the real nitty gritty question

 

[television]

Hi thanks for the very kind offer but,
The official order date for our vehicle was the 23rd September 2003, the build date was January 2004, and the delivery was the first week of February 2004. It just fitted into the official date for nano paintwork.

John

Edit
Totally agree about the build date. That is the real nitty gritty question

John, is there any way that you could get someone to look at the top of the oil cooler by the side of the rad to see if there is a white circle sticker on it

Thanks

 

[glojo]

John, is there any way that you could get someone to look at the top of the oil cooler by the side of the rad to see if there is a white circle sticker on it

Thanks

Is there any point?
We are perfectly happy with our car and it has none of the problems described by the complainant. I am interested because it is possible our vehicles were built with one month, but that needs to be confirmed by the answering of my nosey questions

Truth be known I haven't got over the week-end GTG yet and I don't relish the thought of going out to the car.
Regards
John

 

[lexon]

I think your advice has been spot on and very accurate, this thread raises more questions than it does answers?

You allege this is a known problem and yes it is for older 211's. Can you please tell us the bulletin you are referring to that suggests this fault applies to this specific vehicle?

Question Time
Good morning Lexon,
We are all totally on your side regarding this issue but you have raised a few questions that have been niggling me.

Was this a brand new vehicle?

Did you order it through your local Mercedes-Benz Main Dealer?

What is the paint colour code? It can be found on the B-pillar and will be three numbers possibly preceded by a letter.

When did you order the car and was it built for you OR did the dealer have it in stock?

Did YOU ask for a Service Plus Warranty?

Sorry for all the questions but I'm an inquisitive old devil.

Good luck resolving this issue,

Regards
John

I called at the dealers this morning to have a chat with them about the situation. The car was built in February 2004. I bought it new from a main dealer in March 2004.

The paint colour is 744 Silver metallic (naturally )

The dealer had the car in stock. They had had the exact spec I wanted but I had the kids built in booster seats thrown in.....

I have had so many warranty issues with the car that I can attach as a document. Suffice to say there are in excess of 40 warranty issues that have necessitated the car being off the road for in excess of three months in the three years I've owned it. For this reason MB offered me an additional years warranty through the dealer to restore my faith.....

Last summer I noticed a juddering on returning from my summer holiday towing our caravan (No comments please!!) the dealer thought it was engine related and chnaged the air and fuel filter. Slight improvement but not brilliant but you live with it.

This summer we used the caravan again for the first time and it was evident when i pulled off the motorway in France. Booked into the dealers on my return and here we are....The symptoms vary according to temperature and as known rev range.

It turns out the glycol reading is 3. This means replace the radiator and torque convertor. i enquired about the gearbox but am informed MB decide the course of action based on the reading.

Now as for the warranty......The MB cover is for "sudden mechanical failure".....as the leak in the radiator to the oil in the torque convertor is a gradual thing!!! its not covered.....nor is the £156 charge for doing the glycol test......

The car has had full MB service from day1. Can't say i have an issue with the dealer but with the manufacturer.....but my holiday this weekend seems to be fading in the distance.....

 

[panason1c]

.....The MB cover is for "sudden mechanical failure".....as the leak in the radiator to the oil in the torque convertor is a gradual thing!!! its not covered.....nor is the £156 charge for doing the glycol test......

Hmmmm.........So if your gearbox 'suddenly' catastrophically failed whilst towing your caravan this weekend i guess you would get a new replacement gearbox fitted under warranty?.........

..think about it........

 

[glojo]

The paint colour is 744 Silver metallic (naturally )

The dealer had the car in stock. They had had the exact spec I wanted but I had the kids built in booster seats thrown in.....

Hi Lexon,
Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to answer my questions. I am no expert on these things but I am always curious. The reason I asked for the build date AND the colour code is to help me get a picture of when your car was built.

Please look on this as more of a question rather than a statement of fact.

Your colour code is wrong for a car built after December 2003? (This should be regarded as more of a query)

ALL E-class 211 vehicles EXCEPT 4Matics built after this date will have a letter 'C' before the number ie C353

Have you checked to make sure there is not this letter?

Suffice it to say I am curious.

The warranty that we all recommend is Service Plus. There is NO doubt in my mind that this issue would be covered. No doubt whatsoever.

If you are right about the colour coding then I would be taking this issue very seriously as something is not right? (question)

It could be that someone with more knowledge than myself will disagree and I will then be better informed but until then I'm happy with the December statement and am aware of a number of E-class that have the nano paintwork with an October 2003 build date, but December is the official date line.

Regards
John

 

[lexon]

Hi Lexon,
Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to answer my questions. I am no expert on these things but I am always curious. The reason I asked for the build date AND the colour code is to help me get a picture of when your car was built.

Please look on this as more of a question rather than a statement of fact.

Your colour code is wrong for a car built after December 2003? (This should be regarded as more of a query)

ALL E-class 211 vehicles EXCEPT 4Matics built after this date will have a letter 'C' before the number ie C353

Have you checked to make sure there is not this letter?

Suffice it to say I am curious.

The warranty that we all recommend is Service Plus. There is NO doubt in my mind that this issue would be covered. No doubt whatsoever.

If you are right about the colour coding then I would be taking this issue very seriously as something is not right? (question)

It could be that someone with more knowledge than myself will disagree and I will then be better informed but until then I'm happy with the December statement and am aware of a number of E-class that have the nano paintwork with an October 2003 build date, but December is the official date line.

Regards
John

Thanks for your help in this. I'm concerned that the build date may not match what I bought. The original order from the dealer states build date as Feb 04. The Vin link shows it as an 04 model. I ordered it from the dealer and they had the spec I wanted coming off the production line. i don't have the handbook with me at its in the car but the colour code is 744. i can't see a letter next to it on any of the order paperwork though.

I guess it could have been built before Dec03 but I don't think MB would have had it hanging around since September which is the valeo cut off date? or could they???

I've had a call from the dealere to say that between MB and the MB warranty people they will cover the full cost of repairs.....I will have to pay the £156 glycol test!!!

What a shame they couldn't just put their hands in the air in the first place....We now don't know if the car will be ready for this Friday.....and that throws the weekend into doubt...Contrast that with this...

I had a puncture one lunchtime on Christmas eve....Phoned the dealer as the prospect of an emergency tyre for a weeks or driving filled me with dread. straight to the dealer who stopped what they were doing and within 20 minutes had me on the road....That's the kind of service you tell your friends and what I remember and what i would like to think we associate the MB brand with....

Thanks for all your help....got to check a colleagues w211 now as his is 2003!!

 

[glojo]

Hi Lexon,
If you open the driver's door and look at the base of the 'B' pillar you will see the colour code numbers.

I'm hoping it will have a 'C' in front of the numbers.

Good luck,
John

 

[crockers]

And what reason are they giving for not paying for the test? That is ridiculous. How can they judge what is wrong without the test? If you hadnt had it the gearbox would have failed...So you are paying to save them money...........HMMmm just how does THAT work??

 

[crockers]

Now as for the warranty......The MB cover is for "sudden mechanical failure"......

So the tip here is --If you have a MB warranty DO NOT REPORT ANY NOISES ...wait until the car comes to a complete halt and everything has seized..


STUPID STUPID STUPID............what planet do they live on


Yes I am bl**dy angry reading that...

 

[glojo]

There is no way I can criticise Service Plus which is a genuine Mercedes-Benz warranty, however this one sounds and I can only say this on what I have read here, but what I have read this sounds weird. Without the test there would have been no indication, without the indication there would have been no cure. For you to pay for the test seems strange but what do the terms and conditions of the warranty say? All this is a side issue though and contrary to what is being said by some, this problem should only apply to vehicle with a build date PRIOR to September 2003 (09/2003)

I have asked for others to post the bulletins they are referring to regarding 211's built in 2004 but I will show you mine if you will show me yours!

 

[television]

Is there any point?
We are perfectly happy with our car and it has none of the problems described by the complainant. I am interested because it is possible our vehicles were built with one month, but that needs to be confirmed by the answering of my nosey questions

Truth be known I haven't got over the week-end GTG yet and I don't relish the thought of going out to the car.
Regards
John

My only reason for asking was to see if there is anyway of identifying cars that have the new radiator fitted.
Many people ask,"am I OK", as it stands now there is no way that I can advise anyone that they are OK, is it a modifies radiator that has leaked.

 

[glojo]

My only reason for asking was to see if there is anyway of identifying cars that have the new radiator fitted.
Many people ask,"am I OK", as it stands now there is no way that I can advise anyone that they are OK, is it a modifies radiator that has leaked.

A very fair point but Mercedes-Benz are emphatic this only applies to cars built before 09/2003. I'll print off the document that highlights the brand of radiator and then try to translate it into 'she-male' talk.

Lexon,
Are you convinced about the build date of your car?

Regards
John

Edit
Could it be that these radiators might not be fitted to cars built after 09/2003??

 

[television]

I have every piece of info on this matter, sadly I cant post it

 

[lexon]

I bought the car New from MB of Nottingham. The car is with the dealers (not them) so I don't have access to it or the documents other than the original paperwork whcih is where the build date is quoted. I can't see Valeo on the radiator so I believe the car must have been built after 30.09.03

I sent a pm with the vin info.

 

[lexon]

The indication of the fault was the juddering and I mean severe juddering like clutch slip on a manual car. Yes they did the test but expected to see what they did i.e water in the system 3%.

So what happens now is that with luck the parts arrive tomorrow and 14 hrslater it should be on the road again.....hopefully. Its also had a service to an E+ one so could be an interesting bill....

Once again thanks for the help. When I get the car back I will check the B Pillar.

Checked a colleagues 211 today and his car is two weeks younger than mine so doiesn't have the valeo radiator but also has only done 37k miles and should have no reason for a fault.

 

[lexon]

Hi Lexon,
If you open the driver's door and look at the base of the 'B' pillar you will see the colour code numbers.

I'm hoping it will have a 'C' in front of the numbers.

Good luck,
John

Got the car back and checked the colour code. The code is C744.

Sadly the car appears to be leaking fluid as the rear of the car is covered with a residue sucked up as I've driven along. Its back to the dealers first thing in the morning. Must admit the difference in driving tghe car is noticeable. Much smooother gearchange and none of the judering i previously had.

 

[glojo]

Got the car back and checked the colour code. The code is C744.

The service bulletin that highlights this problem does not apply to your car as the code you have kindly supplied indicates your car was indeed built AFTER the specified period? I am NOT doubting what your saying I am simply suggesting your car falls outside the specified time period. It's just as well you did not go into the dealership with all guns blazing, saying how there is a recall out for this known problem. Yes there is a service bulletin, but it is very specific regarding what vehicles it applies to. Well done for handling it how you did, and well done to Mercedes for rectifying the fault.

Your car should not have developed this embarrassing fault but I wonder how many manufacturers would have said, "Tough. It's outside of the warranty, pay up." Oh and I don't blame you for taking the car back because of the leaking fluid.

Good luck and thanks for the update,

Regards
John