Mercedes w210 E430 (no titivating allowed)
Discussion
MB Newcastle did an 'A' service, fitted new rear discs and pads, fitted the air con compressor and gassed up the system for £490. Not a cheap week. However, it is indeed good to be in a cool car. The diagnostic function in the air con control unit tells me that the evaporator temperature is running as low as 2 deg C. The refrigerant pressure is generally in double figures, too.
Here it is in their workshop. It has also been well washed and vacuumed, saving me a job.
Here it is in their workshop. It has also been well washed and vacuumed, saving me a job.
It was all going so well. Ten minutes before setting out for Bath, I noticed this oddity on the offside rear disc (through the wheel spokes). It appeared that the pad was not in full contact with the disc.
I jacked the car up and took the wheel off. The outboard pad was not secured in the calliper by the retaining pins. It was rather under the retaining pins. Pretty shocking basic safety. It only took five minutes to fix but without flattering myself, I suspect 99% of motorists would not have noticed and 99.9% would not have been able to fix it.
I've dropped them a line with pictures and they were straight back. What can you do? All's well that ends well and all that but that is a schoolboy error that even I wouldn't make and brake safety is a boot as important as it gets.
I jacked the car up and took the wheel off. The outboard pad was not secured in the calliper by the retaining pins. It was rather under the retaining pins. Pretty shocking basic safety. It only took five minutes to fix but without flattering myself, I suspect 99% of motorists would not have noticed and 99.9% would not have been able to fix it.
I've dropped them a line with pictures and they were straight back. What can you do? All's well that ends well and all that but that is a schoolboy error that even I wouldn't make and brake safety is a boot as important as it gets.
The 210 in Bath! Unfortunately I noticed the driver's side side light had packed in. That can wait until we get home. This afternoon I drove us up from Bath to Stoke-on-Trent (where I had to get out to do some work here tomorrow). The traffic is insane and part of the M6 was closed. We rejoined an empty motorway after the closure; confident that all police cars would be at the cause of the closure, I was able to "make up time". It is a great long distance car. My wife is presently driving car and boys back to Northumberland; I quite envy her the high speed run through the Lune Valley to Tebay services.
r129sl said:
The outboard pad was not secured in the calliper by the retaining pins.
Good spot! 
r129sl said:
I've dropped them a line with pictures and they were straight back. What can you do?
I hope there was a grovelling apology and an offer of some sort of future discount?Although I would be very dubious of going back somewhere that can't get that sort of bread and butter stuff correct.
r129sl said:
They've just been on the phone and have been very square about things. They are doing the service and alignment on my 129 FOC. Can't say fairer than that. I wasn't after anything at all: I simply figured they would want to know so they could tighten things up if necessary.
Apart from the fact it was a clip, there is a pun there somewhere 
xeny said:
r129sl said:
, the missing-in-action outside temperature gauge.
Excuse my potential ignorance, but isn't this typically fed by an engine management sensor, so if the sensor isn't reporting the engine management will run with sub optimal limp mode values?Air con is playing up again. The main dealer reckons it is a bad pressure sensor: replacement scheduled for tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
I put a set of Michelin CrossClimates on it a couple of weeks ago. £460. They feel pretty good but make a hissing noise when leaning on them in corners. Also, I managed to stand on the sat nav disc while taking pictures out of the sun roof. I bought two copy discs (£20 each) which did not work before giving up and buying a pukka one for £70. Worked straight away. A lesson to us.
I put a set of Michelin CrossClimates on it a couple of weeks ago. £460. They feel pretty good but make a hissing noise when leaning on them in corners. Also, I managed to stand on the sat nav disc while taking pictures out of the sun roof. I bought two copy discs (£20 each) which did not work before giving up and buying a pukka one for £70. Worked straight away. A lesson to us.
r129sl said:
Also, I managed to stand on the sat nav disc while taking pictures out of the sun roof. I bought two copy discs (£20 each) which did not work before giving up and buying a pukka one for £70. Worked straight away. A lesson to us.
Exactement - don't stand on your own stuff!CharlesdeGaulle said:
r129sl said:
Also, I managed to stand on the sat nav disc while taking pictures out of the sun roof. I bought two copy discs (£20 each) which did not work before giving up and buying a pukka one for £70. Worked straight away. A lesson to us.
Exactement - don't stand on your own stuff!
r129sl said:
Air con is playing up again. The main dealer reckons it is a bad pressure sensor: replacement scheduled for tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
I put a set of Michelin CrossClimates on it a couple of weeks ago. £460. They feel pretty good but make a hissing noise when leaning on them in corners. Also, I managed to stand on the sat nav disc while taking pictures out of the sun roof. I bought two copy discs (£20 each) which did not work before giving up and buying a pukka one for £70. Worked straight away. A lesson to us.
Do you have a link for the £70 disc [presume its UK?]I put a set of Michelin CrossClimates on it a couple of weeks ago. £460. They feel pretty good but make a hissing noise when leaning on them in corners. Also, I managed to stand on the sat nav disc while taking pictures out of the sun roof. I bought two copy discs (£20 each) which did not work before giving up and buying a pukka one for £70. Worked straight away. A lesson to us.
harrycovert said:
Do you have a link for the £70 disc [presume its UK?]
https://www.navmapstore.com/product/1242/TeleAtlas_Maps_2013_2014_UK_and_Ireland_for_Blaupunkt_TravelPilot_DXI've bought Germany and Benelux from these people last year and they delivered in about 3 days. There is a chap on German eBay selling a complete set of MB discs, also 2013/14, for £120.
I used the car to go to Carlisle and back today, under pressure of time in both directions, and it was a very satisfying companion, loping along the Military Road at an indecent pace. It was a really good buy this car. Not classic, not stylish, and certainly not perfect, but cheap, fast, comfortable, effective, a real delight to own. Cost per mile over 26,000miles, excluding purchase, is 32.9p. Add in the purchase price and assume it is worthless, and the cost rises to 44.5p per mile. I might get new wings and have it, er, titivated...
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