Can’t believe this as I was parking my car at home I get a malfunction message saying my coolant level is low. In my mind no worries all I need to do is buy coolant and top it up. As I was leaving the car (note I was parked only for a minute or two) I look down and find a puddle of coolant on the floor. so I called Mercedes Benz road side assistance, and since it is Sunday night and tomorrow is a bank holiday, they told me for someone to come out I have to pay £200= 380USD and anything done to the car including towing it to the dealership is extra. I thought to myself there is nothing that can be done ill just wait till Tuesday to tow it to the dealer at least I save £200+towing. What do you guy think caused the leak? And what should I do? Any advice is appreciated.

 

I think you should save you $$$...It propable just a minor problem, like a plastic pipe broke or cameout of the hole...

Which service do you use...Hope not Allan Day

 

Sorry to hear, Hope it just something minor. Let us know.

 

wow.. is that a extra drop on its way down captured on film. well you got to get it checked out, paid so much for the car already...

 

To state the obvious - dont drive it.
Get a strong torch and look at all the pipe connections to the radiator. Give them a bit of a wiggle and see if any are loose or broken. If loose connection tighten it up ,refill the radiator with distilled water, wait to see that it doesn't continue to leak, phone the service dept and book it in and drive straight there, sensibly, and get them to check it and drain and refill the radiator with the proper coolant mix.
Check the front of the radiator for a hole/puncture - if so, get towed.
If you can't find the leak, get towed, after the holiday.
If its all too hard, get towed!

 

Just checked on the car the puddle is no longer there but I pool of coolant has emerged. Checked under the hood as OzE55 advised couldn’t see much but it seems like a lose hose is causing the problem since I found some coolant on the engine. Anyway the car will be towed tomorrow to the dealer wither there is an opening or not. Thanks all for your posts and ill keep you updated.

 

Took my car to the dealer today. After lifting the car and taking off all the panels on the bottom the service adviser told me that the radiator is leaking, but the cause of the damage isn’t apparent yet from a first look. If the radiator is damaged by a stone or something I would have to pay for parts and labor which would suck big time. And if they can’t find any reason for the damage they will do it under warranty (I’m keeping my fingers crossed). The worst part is that the part isn’t available in the UK and needs to be ordered from Germany and will take 7-10 WORKING days . Service level in the UK is ***** they didn’t even have a loaner car for me to use. The cost of the radiator is £510 +VAT which equals to $1108 not incl labor!!!! I really hope I don’t have to pay!

 

You need to bribe you service manager I'd say 50 pounds is good...and he will take care of your baby...

Radiator should definately be replaced under warranty!!! Only if you did not craSH THE CAR...Probably they will come back to you and say it was you fault anyways...

Where do you service you car??? I use to sevice mine at Normands, they changed everything under warranty, even the seats cause I did not like the leather condition...

Good Luck...

 

Deny warranty without your car being in a wreck or some serious curb rash. I would complain big time. Any consumer would expect a radiator to hold up against common road debris.

 

I tried working with the service adviser but the problem is he kind of hard to break a sort of person that works by the book in general he is a nice guy. The best Thing about where I service my car (Bredtford) is it has a dedicated workshop only for AMGs and Maybach and a dedicated staff for it as well. Anyway where is Normands service center? I may change to it.

 

I know that's what I was telling him but he said he'd check if it had a trace of damage from a stone or twig. I'm not arguing with him now but will when I get a call saying I have to pay for it. I really hope it doesn’t get that far.

 

Argue its a manufacturing fault - cracked weld, improper fit, too tight, too loose...anything.
If you didn't damage it or neglect to service it - its THEIR problem.

 

If it's not warranty I would take it up directly with MB. Road debris should not puncture the radiator!

 

Oh man...I dont remeber the adress right now, not center...The road M fogot the number)) that takes you to Oxford...10 minutes from Baker st + you have a navigation...

If you decide to go there let me know...

 

My dealer called me today and informed me that I have to pay for the damage because it's not a manufacturing defect, after they took a closer look he told me it was apparent that some external factor has hit the fan damaging it and damaging the radiator (cost to Fix £1520 = $2780). I tried to explain that it’s not my fault that something broke the radiator and added that MB cars are designed and tested to withhold the worst driving conditions so how can a twig or stone do so much damage. Anyway my service adviser called the person that deals with warranty issue and told me that I would have to pay for it and explained that what had happened is similar to me getting into a car accident (What bull*****). I really got pissed called my insurance company and explained what had happen they are sending their technician to see if I should pay for it or MBZ. So in the end it’s either MB pays or my insurance company I hope MBZ fixes it under warranty.

 

Thats a load of **** Mattar. I would most surely fight this all the way to court if need be if you have some sort of small claims court in England. MBZ better take a look at their warranty practices in England since clearly a small rock or twig should not be able to break a strong reinforced radiator fan. Something is wrong with this picture and terribly disturbing.

 

my rear end would walk straight into mb hq in england and i would complain. the mb was just made man, its a 2005 its not sposed to start leakin just cause some rock( tiny) went fromt he ground, ricochted off the fan(busted that) and then damaged the radiator(now you have the leak) then i would find a lawyer quick and keep him on the leash. if mbz dont give you any response or say some bs to the effect that "Mb is not responsible for replacing parts that have been damanged due to the negligent conditions of roadways and is not covered under warranty" you reply with "I'm sorry that it must lead to this but see you in small claims court on tuesday."



btw mattar, you indian?

 

I am really disappointed to read this. Break out the all the books that the car came with and look into the arbitration process. This may be different in your neck of the woods, so you might want to consult with a local Barrister Maybe try a different dealer or personally speak to the Service Manager or MBZ directly.

Whatever you do, don't take that service advisor's word for it. I would want someone with more authority to reject me.

 

I spoke to the head of warranty but he refused to discuss it saying it was the same thing as me getting in a car accident. So I called MBZ UK and they said they would investigate and call me back. Additionally I spoke to my insurance company knowing that they want to save every buck they can they are sending their technician to look at it and if it can be done under warranty I’m 100% sure the insurance company will do everything they can to pass it that way. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for a response from MBZ UK hopefully they can help. Thanks everyone for your support I really appreciate it

 

No I'm from Saudi Arabia but living in London for now

 

Could someone tell me how a rock gets to hit the fan which is behind the radiator when the engine compartment is effectively sealed off - top by the hood, bottom by the stone guard. I think the fan blade/s were faulty and let go holing the radiator.
I would talk to a lawyer and pay for a letter stating you have sought legal advice and will be taking the matter further if its not rectified.

 

2700 for a freakin radiator. WTF. I know MB is a quality car but I think their prices for dealer service are a little out of hand. They charge 300 for an oil change and check some fluids. I was charged 1000 for a coil and spark plug wires. 36 bucks a wire. Definetly hoghway robbery. With the quality of the cars going down and prices like this I am seriously considering a BMW or Audi for my next vehicle. Sorry, I just had to vent.

 

They are charging me £700 for parts (radiator, Fan) + £600 labor (6 hours) + 17.5% (Tax) = £1527.50 ($2765). It’s a rep off and I’m trying my best to make them pay for it.