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Great follow up and follow through Snovvman. The other benefit of this forum is that while you are receiving information and help so too are many others that have been following along.
Thanks guys. I appreciate the encouragement. Another week, hopefully all this will be behind me, and I will have installed all the mods that I collected.
Actually no. When we are calling for a one off (as I mentioned above) it doesn't matter if I am a retail or wholesale buyer. Very often I will be callling a dealer I have never dealt with .The only difference is in the price negotiations because both parties know what the car is worth too well. But when it comes to condition- the mechanism is the same- get a recording of the walkaround regardless if you are a private party, a wholesaler or the potus.
And nobody is suggesting to record the call secretly. You ask if you can record it and if they say "no"- the dealing ends there. No trickery. Buying sight unseen can be fairly surprise- free if you position yourself correctly and set the proper expectations backed by documentation.
As I mentioned in the past, I used my local dealer and I put a deposit down of $1200 with the documented understanding that if I did not like the vehicle, I would not purchase the vehicle and I would get 80% of my money back - apparently to cover the cost of transport of the car to their location. I am not a wholesaler and I was wiling to do that to get a good car/deal and I did get both. Then I traded it in almost 2 years later to get my current car.
Glad everything came to a nice happy ending!
I was first to shock to see my car (2012 18k miles) CPO from OH dealer, it was dirty and lots of little annoying defects.
I was in hurry, took the delivery and drove back to FL, daytona beach mercedes dealer took care of everything perfect and i could not be happier. I think when someone is buying factory warranty car, you should be able to take it to anywhere in the world and get serviced by dealer if its warranty concerened.
Anyways, thanks to you, i just found out about DroneMobile, what a great product!
You should double check your mobile bracket since it hangs too low, if you are only using it to listen to music and charging, it shouldnt matter, but using it for Waze or other video factor, check out mike's thread or mine, which mounts higher so its on your sight of view while looking at the road.
Great news for you. Very glad this is gonna come out okay for you snovvman!
Thanks! I appreciate the support.
Originally Posted by aznevoviii
Anyways, thanks to you, i just found out about DroneMobile, what a great product!
You should double check your mobile bracket since it hangs too low, if you are only using it to listen to music and charging, it shouldnt matter, but using it for Waze or other video factor, check out mike's thread or mine, which mounts higher so its on your sight of view while looking at the road.
On DroneMobile and Mid City products, check with Jason. He is a great guy to deal with.
You've made a good observation on the phone bracket. I agree that it hangs low. I decided to give it a try because it places the device closer to the driver when compared to Kuda. I saw that the bracket itself has standardized mounting holes, I so I figure I can use another holder that will move the phone higher. ProClip looks pretty good.
My dealer treats a CPO car to a customer as a new vehicle. Obviously the warranty that they sell after the extra year does not cover cosmetic repairs, but I have never had any other fix challenged. That being said, I have bought three cars from them so I may be getting better treatment.
So far the experience has been good with an '08 CLK, '10 E, and our newest '11 S-class, by far the most complex and best ride of the bunch.
Headlights are clear!!
New front door sills
No more broken grille
New engine cover
Wheel clear coat fixed
Battery replaced
Transmission mount replaced
Seat heater works (Jason I'll have before and after photos for you. They did a good job.)
QUESTIONS:
1) The in gear vibration is still there. It occurs while in drive or reverse at a stop. I can feel it in the steering wheel, the seat, etc. When I apply throttle or increase rpm, it goes away. It doesn't feel like a misfire. It's feels more like a torque converter vibration. Are there any know causes?
2) Ventilated seats: On high, how noticeable should they be? I can hear it, but if it's working at all, I'm not sure I feel the cooling effect. Compared to my Navigator, the Merc's doesn't work that well at all.
Going back to dealer on Monday. That vibration is very prominent and bothersome during stop and go traffic and waiting at the light...
Glad you got the cosmetics worked out, how did the dents come out?
Funny you should ask....
One dent had no paint damage and was in an easy spot, that came out okay. The other had paint damage and it was only touched up. I can still see the dent. The Service Manager told me that he will take care of it the next time I'm back in. I paid $235 for two dents (considering one was only touched up). I know it's excessive, but it was my way of throwing some customer-paid money to thank him for the other work he has done.
Good question, Jason. I just replaced the motor mounts on my E320 CDI at 135k miles. It was exhibiting that exact same symptom. My independent repair shop owner told me the mounts have a bit of liquid in them which quells the vibration. The service ran me $670, but it did completely eliminate the problem.
Headlights are clear!!
New front door sills
No more broken grille
New engine cover
Wheel clear coat fixed
Battery replaced
Transmission mount replaced
Seat heater works (Jason I'll have before and after photos for you. They did a good job.)
QUESTIONS:
1) The in gear vibration is still there. It occurs while in drive or reverse at a stop. I can feel it in the steering wheel, the seat, etc. When I apply throttle or increase rpm, it goes away. It doesn't feel like a misfire. It's feels more like a torque converter vibration. Are there any know causes?
2) Ventilated seats: On high, how noticeable should they be? I can hear it, but if it's working at all, I'm not sure I feel the cooling effect. Compared to my Navigator, the Merc's doesn't work that well at all.
Going back to dealer on Monday. That vibration is very prominent and bothersome during stop and go traffic and waiting at the light...
Damn. Is there a single aspect of this car that the prior owner took care of? What a douche. Agree probably a blown mount (assuming they're fluid filled like on the 220). A common issue and covered under CPO. Have them check for a collapsed tranny mount as well since once the load shifts rearward they go too.
The ventilation system on the seats consists of the perforated leather, two little fans in the seat back, and two exhaust vents on the rear of the seatback. Air is drawn through the leather and passed out the back via the vents. It's a subtle sensation most obvious when your back has some perspiration on it.
The vibration in gear at a stop sounds exactly like an engine mount that needs to be replaced.
Thanks. I had asked the dealer to check the motor mounts, but I do not believe they did. All they did was replace the trans mount.
Originally Posted by Jason B
How could that go so fast on basically a brand new car?
Yeah... I own [the car and all its issues] now, so I figure I'll put in the effort to get things right.
Originally Posted by Mike5215
Damn. Is there a single aspect of this car that the prior owner took care of? What a douche. Agree probably a blown mount (assuming they're fluid filled like on the 220). A common issue and covered under CPO. Have them check for a collapsed tranny mount as well since once the load shifts rearward they go too.
The ventilation system on the seats consists of the perforated leather, two little fans in the seat back, and two exhaust vents on the rear of the seatback. Air is drawn through the leather and passed out the back via the vents. It's a subtle sensation most obvious when your back has some perspiration on it.
Thanks for the info. I will be asking the dealer re the motor mount. I'm definitely not doing this again.. I'll either hire someone to inspect the car in detail or fly in to have a look.
The airflow is only just perceptible on high. I was hoping for more, but it is was it is.
Freyda and Acoustic Attitude "Midnight at Cabell Hall", which was recorded live in the middle of the night at the University of Virginia. This is an audiophile caliber recording, especially for its imaging since it was recorded with coincident stereo microphone techniques. By recording the album in this fashion, using a single stereo microphone, they were able to capture the sound of the room, its acoustics and nuances. The instruments are fiddle, guitar, octave mandolin and bass. The production quality is excellent. This is a good reference recording because the bass can be demanding and reveal limitations with the audio system.
Again, very good mastering, recording, and production qualities. Mark Knopfler is known to produce great recordings. There is lots of strings and a wide range of vocals and instruments that can show off a well-qualified audio system.
---------------
I used the actual CDs, not ripped MP3s for my listening.
My 30-minute feedback: The B&O system has sufficient headroom to support good quality bass (from both bass and cello) until uncomfortable levels. The Acoustic Lenses do a good job conveying the higher frequencies without sounding sharp or tinny. The midrange richness/fullness is excellent and provides great imagery. On the downside, the B&O system did not project the soundstage as well as I would have hoped. The spacial perception was relatively narrow. At the same time, for a car system, it is not bad at all!
Freyda and Acoustic Attitude "Midnight at Cabell Hall", which was recorded live in the middle of the night at the University of Virginia. This is an audiophile caliber recording, especially for its imaging since it was recorded with coincident stereo microphone techniques. By recording the album in this fashion, using a single stereo microphone, they were able to capture the sound of the room, its acoustics and nuances. The instruments are fiddle, guitar, octave mandolin and bass. The production quality is excellent. This is a good reference recording because the bass can be demanding and reveal limitations with the audio system.
Again, very good mastering, recording, and production qualities. Mark Knopfler is known to produce great recordings. There is lots of strings and a wide range of vocals and instruments that can show off a well-qualified audio system.
---------------
I used the actual CDs, not ripped MP3s for my listening.
My 30-minute feedback: The B&O system has sufficient headroom to support good quality bass (from both bass and cello) until uncomfortable levels. The Acoustic Lenses do a good job conveying the higher frequencies without sounding sharp or tinny. The midrange richness/fullness is excellent and provides great imagery. On the downside, the B&O system did not project the soundstage as well as I would have hoped. The spacial perception was relatively narrow. At the same time, for a car system, it is not bad at all!
Yes, I actually do have a similar recommendation for reference listening on the stock Harman/Kardon system:
was recorded in an alley behind my house using an IPhone 4S. Listen for the way the mids cause your ***** to want to crawl back up inside your abdomen.
Also, if you want to hear that system at it's best in terms of sound stage and ambiance pick up some MVI DVD Audio discs. They're remastered in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround from the original studio master.
The format didn't catch on so there aren't a ton of titles, but Donald Fagen's Nightfly Trilogy is a great place to start.
Rather than having to rely on a passive generic surround matrix that takes the two channel source material and guesses what to put in the rear and center channels, the MVI has 5 full range discrete channels. Fagen himself remastered the MVI versions and the trilogy won some sort of 5.1 channel mixing award. Discs 1 & 2 (Kamakirid and Morph The Cat) are especially good sounding.
Also, if you want to hear that system at it's best in terms of sound stage and ambiance pick up some MVI DVD Audio discs. They're remastered in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround from the original studio master.
The format didn't catch on so there aren't a ton of titles, but Donald Fagen's Nightfly Trilogy is a great place to start.
Rather than having to rely on a passive generic surround matrix that takes the two channel source material and guesses what to put in the rear and center channels, the MVI has 5 full range discrete channels. Fagen himself remastered the MVI versions and the trilogy won some sort of 5.1 channel mixing award. Discs 1 & 2 (Kamakirid and Morph The Cat) are especially good sounding.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out!
Originally Posted by Windshield Time
She cleaned up real pretty. ��
Thanks--I got the car back on Friday and promptly detailed the car--vacuumed all the crevices, q-tipped all the controls, wiped down all the surfaces and applied Meguiar's Leather Sealer.
Next weekend, I hope to install the Mid City remote starter, DroneMobile, and a cell phone holder. I'm also going to install wiring for a radar detector (to warn me of red light/speed cameras), and maybe illuminated door sills and a forward facing DVR. Lastly, I got some 3D MAXpider floor mats.
Going back to the dealer tomorrow for the vibration....
Originally Posted by Bill-W221
It needs big blue meters to sound good !!!!
Nice! I would run tubes and electrostatics in the car if I could....
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
