Had my 2005 SL55 towed to the dealer shortly after taking out of storage as it unloaded the oil out of the ABC reservoir in a mall parking lot. Dealer had the car for 3 weeks in which they were unable diagnose the issue in which they never charged me. That was very kind of them. However upon picking up the car at the dealer, i heard a loud ticking coming from the engine compartment. I lifted the hood and I thought it was coming from around the super charge pulley. When I got home with the car I took another look and observed the ticking sound is actually coming from tap cover on passenger side. When the car was towed to dealer it wasn't ticking. The service manager call me while car was in for the ABC and asked for permission for technician to take car home in order to observe the ABC suspension overnight in which I agreed too. ( they've done this on previous occasions also ) When I picked up the car it had an additional 220 km's on the odometer and almost a half tank of fuel was used. ( i filled up just prior to being towed )
So I call the dealer and explain my circumstances with they request that the car be brought back for inspection and they made an appointment ( 7 weeks wait ). I'm assuming now that a valve lifter may be the culprit, so i don't drive it for the 7 weeks. I also assumed that since this ticking issue occurred while the car was in the dealers possession, that they'd take care of it. That was my impression. I was wrong. The car is currently at the dealers and I'm contacted by service rep that there will be a 3 hour diagnostic charge to pull the valve cover to inspect. I replied, do what ever you have to do to find the issue as it's on your time. Dealer replies that they not covering any of the costs. So Is it written in Mercedes Benz terms and conditions that they are not responsible for damages occurred while a clients vehicle is in their possession? Plus I think a 200 km plus test drive is a bit excessive is it not? I personally think the tech took the car and ran the crap out of it. So my question is...If it is a lifter or valve damage, is it my responsibility to cover all the repairs? I'm thinking this may be an expensive fix and I'll be on the hook for 100% of the cost. Any input is appreciated.

 

The first lesson to be learned is not use the dealer for service unless there is no other recourse. Find a good indy job and build a relationship with them. You probably won't get a loaner and the coffee may not be as good, but you are likely to get better service at a better price.

Not that I am defending the dealer, but mechanical parts will fail. If your engine has developed a lifter problem, it is very unlikely that the dealer caused it. It's most likely just an unfortunate coincidence. I do think that putting 200kms on the car for "testing" is a bit excessive.

 

I agree. i've always used a dealer for service. Reading the reviews for my current dealer, I see that I'm not the only one having issues. In regards to having the lifter issue addressed, I need to locate an indy in SW Ontario for the repair. 7 week wait to get in is getting old.

 

220 KMH>! I was like why they drove 15 miles to test my A/C and Pedal, ofc the car was on ABC sport when I got it back..doesn't take a dummy to figure out why hah.

 

 

I found a great local indie shop which charges at least 40 - 50% less than the area dealer. Perhaps that's why I'm seeing more and more MB's in their lot (They're primarily a Porsche repair facility but have branched out to other European makes). The indie is run by a real car nut and the staff is super friendly; I always feel welcome even when I go over to shoot the breeze for a bit.