pfarah77

Friday's Update: Received word from the shop; the Check Engine light came on due to a weak systems battery, which they replaced this afternoon. According to the service records I have (thus far), the last systems battery replacement occurred on May 2012 with 11.3k miles. Based on these forum discussions, the system battery doesn't last too long so I guess 5yrs and 64.7k miles isn't bad for that battery's life. On a side note, the starter battery was replaced last August at 66.3k miles (she just turned 76k miles about 1.5 weeks ago) so I guess it will be still good for a while.

Also, the shop noticed that the driver's door lock was very sluggish during operation so they ordered a new door lock assembly. I'm told the car should by Tuesday(ish). The weather up here in NE is supposed to be crappy this weekend so I'm not bummed.

gafitanu

Maybe it's different on your 08 but battery errors on mine show on the display not as a CEL. I assume that they are replacing all of these under warranty and you are not paying.

pfarah77

What happened was that the red battery icon illuminated on the dash two weeks, which the shop determined it was a faulty battery control module - New unit installed.

I pick up the car and two days later the Engine Light comes on; the shop theorized that the bad BCM most likely killed the battery, which is being replaced now.

And yes, all work/material costs are being covered by the shop (thankfully).

pfarah77

Picked her up on Thursday, however; the door actuator hadn't come in yet so she goes back on Tuesday.

Alos, I noticed that when I try the switch on the driver's seat (identified below), all I hear is the air pump running. The passenger seat works fine so I guess there's a air line disconnected or...?

And while I am asking questions, does anyone know what the difference is between the hood vent trim pieces on earlier R230's and the 2008? My local dealer identified the driver's side part as 230-830-11-18 while all the parts I see for sale on Ebay are 230-830-01-18. I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

Rudeney

In MBZ part numbers, the third set (the 01 vs 11 in your question) generally indicates a revision. In the case of trim parts, the revisions can often mean different colors or even shapes. You're looking at over $200 for a new one:

http://www.mboemparts.com/oe-mercedes-benz/2308301118

i see the other part number on eBay for under $100, so I guess it's just a matter of whether or not you want to take a chance that it will fit. If the eBay seller offers returns, then I guess you have nothing to lose.

pfarah77

I called the MB dealer late yesterday and spoke with the parts guy I'm friendly with; He said the 01-18 to 11-18 part numbers were the same item. We'll see as I purchased a used part on Fleabay last night. It was short money so I'm not too worried.

Speaking of which, I started to remove the driver's side hood vent today and was wondering if anyone here has done this before. There's a cable that goes to what appears to be the spray nozzle (????); how does that square piece disconnect from the vent? I could just wait until the replacement comes in to get a better look but I am curious. Thanks!

pfarah77

Never mind my last post, figured it out...

So, she's off to the shop tomorrow for the lock actuator BUT!!!!!!!!!!!! (in the mean time), the damn Red Battery Error Icon came on again today. Perfect timing. While I really enjoy the car, the honeymoon is rapidly fading due to these issues. Also, the side bolster adjustment doesn't work on the drivers seat. I hear the air pump come on but nothing; I'm assuming that either the air line is busted/loose or...? Let's hope the shop takes care of this. I'll post when she comes home, again.

pfarah77

I've had the car for four months and have put on 5k miles. Just wanted to share what's been done since my last post:
- My first oil service since purchase was completed.
- Another ABC flush; turns out that the dealer where I bought the car only exchanged around 4 quarts (liters) and the filter so I had a complete service performed.
- The brake pads, installed back in February grab nicely, however; the wheel dust is crazy. Akebono pads were installed this week.
- All four rims were completely refurbished.
- The passenger side inner tie rod was worn so a new one was replaced and 4 wheel alignment.
- A small oil leak coming from a hose behind the engine was found and replaced.
- A new serpentine belt was installed.
- Both rear license plate lamp lenses were cracked so new ones were installed.
- The driver's side hood vent (with broken fins) was replaced.
- New cabin filters were installed.
-Driver's side mirror cover (interior triangle plastic piece) was replaced due to a cracked original part.
- New Genuine MB weather mats were purchased as well as replacement carpeted mats (still in their wrapping).

Total maintenance/repair costs for the four month period = $3,000.00. According to the shop (great indy in Kingston, MA), she's mechanically 100%. The front bumper does have a few minor scrapes/stone chips so I may have the complete front repaired/sprayed at some point.

All in all, she's been a wonderful car thus far and I still have a sh@# eating grin whenever I walk toward her.

pfarah77

So, a five month update...

I've finally had enough of the red charging error light! New alternator and charging system relay (2nd one) and so far, so good.

pfarah77

And... a week later and all types of driving (hwy, stop and go traffic, small runs in-town) and NO idiot light!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It appears that the alternator and relay were the culprits. Now on to the next issue... (loose rubber gasket along the driver's side door sill area but I'll start a new post for this).

pfarah77

Ok, of course I spoke too soon... The damn light came on again this morning. Back to the shop on Monday.

pfarah77

Dropped the car off last Friday, the shop checked & tested everything; no problems found. I picked her up Wed. afternoon and so far, so good.

And to make things that more special, some dim-wit who can't parallel park hits the front bumper with his construction truck. Of course he denied any wrong doing although a co-worker witnessed the whole thing and I managed to take a few pictures before he decided to move his truck off my car before the police arrived. Luckily, I knew the cop which cited him for the infraction.

On top of it all, he never apologized for backing into my car and actually got pretty rude with me. I guess his insurance will be paying for a bumper respray...

Ghostty

Ouch, not the most pleasant thing, although good that it's just some scratches. Rude people everywhere nowadays...

Rudeney

Make sure you get a full strip-down and repaint on the bumper - don't let his insurance talk you into letting "the bumper guy" fix it. Those flexible plastic bumpers don't do well with multiple layers of paint and clear coat. The thinner the better.

pfarah77

I've got an appointment with a collision center that actually performs all body repair paint work for the local MB, BMW, Audi and Mini dealerships. They only use OEM parts/materials and their works is excellent. How do I know? They just finished repairing my wife's brand new Mini Cooper Clubman (a deer jumped in front of her) to the tune of $17,500.00. You can't tell the car's been repaired.

BTW: Here's what I looked forward to when walking out my office bldg...

Rudeney

Well, a picture is worth is worth 1,000 words! What a moron! Where I live, we have only one MBZ certified body shop. They charge easily 2x what the best shops in town charge. Any panel they touch, they replace all bolts, screws, clips, trim, rubber, seals, etc. I always go therefor an estimate. It scares the crap out of the at-fault insurance company.

pfarah77

This facility does the same and I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, every time I perform any work on my old Porsche, I always replace all hardware. That way, she'll be brand new when I'm done!

You know, I would have let the whole situation go away if he simply apologized and acted sincere because I was planning on getting the front bumper freshened up anyway, but he was such a D-bag...

Rudeney

Yeah, stick it to him! One day when I had the ML, a woman pulled out of a parking lot right into the side of my car as I was driving down the street. Her insurance tried to claim that I was at fault somehow. I'm not sure how, since I was legally operating on a public street, but she was pulling out from private property. The problem was, the cops here are lazy unless they are making money writing traffic citations, so the responding officer did a "private property incident report" which does nothing but record the date and time and the driver's information.

The damage was a dent in the front passenger door and it did bend the B-pillar in slightly, and cracked the plastic rocker panel trim. My excellent local body shop could do the work for about $2000. I took it to Classic Car (the official MBZ shop) and he had it over $6K - he was literally replacing EVERYTHING in the door and welding in a new B-pillar. I got $6k, plus another $3K from them for depreciation, and took it to my local guy who did a great job.

pfarah77

Yeah, let's see what happens this coming week...

pfarah77

Dropped her off this afternoon and had a brand new Nissan Sentra just waiting for me! Ok, the car has 2,700 miles on it; I really forgot how sluggish regular transportation is compared to my baby...

Rudeney

What? You let them put you in a compact car? Whenever someone else's insurance is paying, I demand a luxury level car - I pay a lot to drive an MBZ, and I don't want to drive an economy car just because some numb nuts ran into me.

Now, when it's on my dine, I'll rent the cheapest thing I can find. I rented a Kia Rio earlier this year. I didn't expect much from it and I wasn't disappointed. The worst part was the driving position. I felt like I was driving a tractor.

pfarah77

Numbnut's insurance company only provides $24.95/day rental coverage so I'm glad I got something. I refuse to pay one dollar more than I have to during this situation. As for your last statement, I agree; keep your expectations low and you'll never be disappointed.

Rudeney

That's typical. And my response to an insurance company that tells me that is, "Would you rather pay $75/day for my rental or $350/hour for my attorney?"

pfarah77

Good response Rodney!

So, a quick update: The insurance company quoted $450.00 to fix the front bumper so we all had a good laugh today. Also, the body shop called to tell me that when they removed the front bumper, a crack in the grill's backside was found; they figured that happened when the car was pushed down on the bumper by numb nuts. Anyway, they added that to the list.

As the bill climbs...

pfarah77

Received a supplement of $1,738.21 today which should cover the entire cost (thus far). The shop will completely R&R the entire bumper assembly and replace the grill (OEM). Some pics from the shop: