Ok so here's the story.
My car started hesitating and making this 1 second pause when it was shifting,like a shift delay,then the CEL then the hesitation and rough idle.
I take the car in to PENSKE in San Diego,and while im there i tell them about my window ratte,and the clicking noise that is coming from the rear of the car.
When from dead stop,accelerating you would hear a few short clicks,also on downshift at high rpm,it would do the clicking sound.

So here's where the problem starts.
The make me agree to the Estimate,which is aprox.300$.Im thinking that's ok,the Car is still certified,so everything should be covered.
Two days later,i recive a phone call saying,that they've spent over 4 hrs.on trying to locate the problem,and they were not successfull,so he is telling me that they can either continue or they can stop and im stuck with the 200$ bill???I told them that des not sound right why am i paying for something they could not even find out what it is.So he says that they could continue and when they find the problem,if it is covered under CPO im not liable for anything,and if not,then im stuck with what???another few hrs of estimating plus,the labor on fixing the problem and price of the part???
So something that could have cost 100$ to replace will cost me 1000$ because it took them so long to figure out what it is??

Is this how dealers conduct business?
On top of that they charge me 190$ to replace a screw that was lose on the window regulator.

I have told them that i will take my care somewhere else,and try to diagnose the problem,and if they do it in a shorter time,i will come back tothem and ask them to split the bill with me.
I have also advised them that,i will have to call MBNA and file a complaint about all this.It just does not seem correct for me the client to pay someone 200$ on something that was never resolved?I mean how do i know they even tried to do something about it?4-5 hrs he said they spent searching for it,and these are Master technicians???
I aksed him to do a search in the National Data Base about the clicking noise,i mean my car can not be the only MBZ in the history of the making that had this problem.

Guys a little help and advise would be greatly apreciated.

Thank You!!!

Btw,the CEL and hesitation was the MAS.Do you think my Green Filters had something to do with it?

 

Just sounds like a typical dealer.. : (

anyway, I own a restaurant and we have dumb waiter(food elevator) and I see some wears on cable so I called contractor and told them it needs to be replaced... but they said. they HAVE TO come out first and determin the problem.. so they showed up and said exactly what i said, and charged me $350...

next time, they came back to replace and he worked for 1hrs and told me he forgot to bring the RIGHT tool.. so they have to reschedule... it costed me another $350 for nothing..

and 3days later they came back and replaced in 2hrs...

Many people in the US make money like this... this is how stupid shops are...

 

Dealers suck! I think the green filters clogged up the MAS. I just use the factory filter.

 

I see.
The Service Advisor called me a few minutes after typing this,and said:
I will be more then happy to check it out tomorrow for a few hours without charging anything more,and see if we can determine what the problem is.And if the Problem is covered under warranty,then you pay nothing.If it's not then you just pay the 200$ and at least you know what is up and if you want to replace it.
Hmmm so basicaly im still owe them 200$(but now im hoping they find what it is and can actually charge the CPO)
amazing!!!

 

I know that CPO coverage changes from year to year, but in my contract, in the explicitly covered items section, item 18 was the "Body" section. In that section it says "window regulator". If your coverage is worded as mine, then it sounds like your dealer is saying the "regulator" is covered, but the screws that hold it in place are not. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If I was paying for the repair, it would make even less sense. At that point, I'd call MBUSA and ask them to explain that to me.

 

Looks like they're trying to cover their diagnostic costs. Instead of dropping the car off, ask the SA or mechanic to ride with you and see if you can duplicate the problems.

If the dealer can't charge that labor time to the warranty, you'll end up eating it.

 

The problem is,they did hear the clicking sound i described coming from the rear of car,they were able to duplicate it,they just don't know where it is coming from!So he says they even started replacing parts to see if it helps,and of course it did not(also how does that work?they take a part out,that they assume may be the cause and if it's not they take it out and put the old one back in???)so basically theres like 4 mechanics over there tryiong to find out what it is.
I even said let me just take the car,you guys wont be able to find it,if you were not able to do it within the first 4-5 hrs.He said no,he's affraid it might be something that is serious,so they want to find it....what BS.

 

Tell them you want a tech with more than 3 months experience!

 

lol
Yeah maybe i should have done that ha?!
daaanmn guys,as im typing this there's an Earthquake.....!!!gotta go!

 

You okay??

 

Yeah Bro Thanx...
One never gets used to it,you know...

 

Weeeeeee that earthquake was fun
I had to brace my server rack cause thats what a server admin is supposed to do!


Get a print out of what your warranty covers so you don't get stiffed.

 

Good Man!protecting your server first!How bout,wife,brother,sister,mother father,children,cats,dogs,goldfish???

 

My car is still under warranty but just for a peice of secuity i would take it too my indy in Culver City, that takes care of my other 2 benzes. Just for check ups for my indy. Dealers do the absolute minium when it comes to service. If its not part of the service schedule, they overlook it most of the time unless you strictly point it out.
Study whats covered in your warranty for sure.

 

I live in CC.
Where's your shop at?

 

Its on washington east where washington place and blvd meet on washington blvd. Its called Marina motor works hes got good ppl there.
Word of caution hes a perfectionist hes not a big fan of modded cars he makes fun of my 190e which if find funny cause hes a race car driver with a heavly modded cars. he charges 90 an hour hes an old german geezer that puts a screw driver to his ear and listens to vibrations and tells me whats wrong. Impressed me too many times he would never stiff anyone. Hes reasonable hes helped me when i was pinching for money. I found this guy from a mb collector thats been to every MB shop in LA.

If you go tell him Joseph with the black 190e drug dealer lookin car sent you

 

lol

 

So,they changed the MAS.
And the clicking noise was aparently a rear axle problem.
Also i have made them aware of the fact that my window was rattling,they fixed it and said it was a screw lose on the window motor regulator.

So when i tought my problems were done with,he informs me that they will cover the axle,but they won't cover the window fix....

I had my Girl go pick up the car,because she is in San Diego and i'am in LA.
I told her over the phone,to ask the SA to explain to her why we need to pay out of pocket,when this is a mechanical part and should be covered under the CPO.
He tried to explain and then said he will be right back!He disapeared and did not return!!!
I told her to go and ask for the Service Manager or GM(so funny how suddenly none of them was to be found,and the receptionist was the one trying to save their reputation,and she actually argued with my GF for a while,before she refunded the 179$!
Aparently she recived a call...???(from who??)and she refunded the money,or maybe she is the owner and can make that decision all on her own.

Amazing how the dealerships function!
So it is safe to say that you should avoid MERCEDES BENZ OF SAN DIEGO/PENSKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP!

Sad,really.
People do not belive when i tell them,treat me right and i will be back!That they should allways count on repeat business and referals,because that is the only business that can actually guarantee you a safe way of making money.But People rather just make a qucik buck,and not care if you will be back.....Sad!

 

also:

http://www.mercedes-benz-usa.com/clk_class.php?page=1

 

daaaaaaaamn, thats a load of terrible reviews...smfh @ MB

 

well atleast its all sorted out.

btw what % is your tint, and did you do your windshield too?

 

Well the car is finally in my shope in Santa Monica again,My SA at w.i. simonson is great,and gets things done right away.
So he is going over everything,and trying to find out what is causing the rough idle.
My windows are i belive 35%
The windshield was never tinted.