I'm a lot tech, does that count? Probably not. I see and hear about some of the problems, but I don't know much more than that. I don't really have any experience with transmissions besides changing fluid. SoCal's directions are probably pretty close.

 

Thanks, but I was not asking for a general course as I am an experienced wrench.

I put the car on a lift after to check thier work (and verify the trans was out) and I can tell the driveshaft was *not* removed at the rear and was left in the car. This does not leave a lot of room to get the trans out (which it was - the bellhousing bolts show telltale witness marks) so I was wondering if they may have dropped the front subframe cradle assy instead.

Many of the normal things you mentioned were not done in this case (there are a lot of heat shields sound deadening things in the way of removing the driveshaft/exhaust and they don't look like they were removed.

Any MB techs out there who can enlighten me?
Does this car use a dualmass flywheel?

Would be much appreciated. TIA

 

I disagree. There is A BIG DIFFERENCE. When the car is assembled at the factory, there is an order that the components are assembled in, and there's a carefully controlled process that's followed putting it together- and this includes torqing the bolts down in the proper sequence and with tools much more accurate than what the dealer has at his disposal. If its a spec with an pretorq and an angle on it, that can make all the difference in the world. Also, the skill of the mechanic doing the work is often a variable that's not in your favor...at some shops the 'dirty' work goes to the lowest senior tech...which means your car is used his training prop. Obviously, given the problems he's experiencing, something was botched or overlooked.

I strongly recommend you tour a car factory in your area sometimes. If you don't have any experience in manufacturing I doubt youre going to understand the differences in the quality of the assembly. Some items can be installed/fixed at the dealer with no noticeable difference...plenty of others cannot.


Never ever would I allow the dealer to perform such a serious repair on such a new vehicle. That's just BS.

A friend had his new IS300 back at the dealer because the hood didn't fit right. They took the hood off the car, and in the process bent up the hood and scratched the front fenders...and then told him that he'd have to drive the car that way for a couple of weeks until the could get him into the body shop and have the hood straightened and both panels painted!!!! The car had 27 miles on it!!! He demanded they give him a new car, or the fender and hood off of another new IS300 in the lot.

He got the new car, and the dealer kisses his *** everytime he's in there now.

 

oh so true!!!!