Not sure if we're allowed to 'name & praise', but anyway. {Yes, no problem with that - DD}
My car 'flat-lined' yesterday, no electrics or brain function at all, except for , curiously running lights & headlights. After going through all the permutations of turning this off , back on, trying to lock unlock, different ignition key (which, btw, are electronic & need to sync with the car's ECU) so on & so forth, I decided to call the Warranty/Mobilo number for Mercedes.
12:45pm
So, got through on the number quickly, no queue. The chap took the car details & suggested it was better covered under the Mercedes Mobilo scheme than ApprovedWarranty - better benefits/provision etc
13:15pm
The initial technician/mechanic arrived at premises about 25mins. after my call & quickly confirmed only solution was flat-bed to main dealer (about 40 miles distant) - he called up a suitable vehicle, which arrived about....
13:45pm
The car was in my garage & (being auto) left in 'park', this posed a bit of a problem as it meant the 'handbrake' was effectively on. After hitching car via tow-hook & using wooden blocks under the rear wheels to 'slip' the car backwards, it was loaded by about...
14:25pm
Then taken to the dealership. Meanwhile, Mobilo rang a national car rental firm to arrange a replacement car., who then rang me to confirm status/driving licence details & get CC number. I wasn't particularly bothered what type of car really, just a family saloon would be ok, but I believe it's policy to do like-for-like.So,
17:50pm: A new Merc C-class is delivered from the nearest rental location with these,whichis in Chester ( 90-95 miles away from me!) , 2 people arrive in 2 cars, take details/get signature & leave.
Now, I'm sure if I had just suggested that a Mondeo or Vauxhall was fine, then it could have been delivered with the hour (there are 2-3 of their outlets with 40mins drive), so could have been done-and-dusted within 2hours of 1st call, but as it turned it was no problem to me.
Nice to see the the system working well & I duly praised the Mobilo call centre representative later, on their service. The Mercedes main dealer rang anout 16:00pm & got full details of the problems, and another couple of items I flagged & said they'd ring back this morning with initial estimate of car downtime etc.
Fair do's to Mercedes I say.
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The car was in my garage & (being auto) left in 'park', this posed a bit of a problem as it meant the 'handbrake' was effectively on. After hitching car via tow-hook & using wooden blocks under the rear wheels to >>'slip' the car backwards, it was loaded by about...
Sounds good - but I'm slightly baffled why they didn't manually release the auto-transmission from Park into Neutral?
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Can you do that on your Mercedes, BP? I can't in mine, unless and until the engine is started.
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>>Sounds good - but I'm slightly baffled why they didn't manually release the auto-transmission from Park into Neutral?
As the other poster said, when the engine's off the lever doesn't move. You can't even remove the key unless it's in 'P'
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As the other poster said, when the engine's off the lever doesn't move. You can't even remove the key unless it's in 'P'
It varies from model to model (and may not be possible on Avant's B Class as it's a different transmission) but the C Class instructions are here: www4.mercedes-benz.com/e/cars/c-class/betriebsanle...E
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This was similar to when my Audi developed a fault. Called RAC who arrived, decision taken to drive it to the dealership with RAC following. The RAC gave me a lift to the office and an A4 Avant was delivered within an hour.
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Thanks Bill Payer - I should have checked that before I allowed it to be moved. Unfortunately, I was , in retrospect, in the Rumsfeldian 'unknown unnkowns' space.
If it subsequently transpires damage was done by 'skidding' the car back it might prove an interesting debate on where liability lies.
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Thanks Bill Payer - I should have checked that before I allowed it to be moved.
The Mobilo technician must have known, but perhaps didn't think to do it before the recovery truck arrived.
I'm sure it'll be fine - they take a lot of abuse in normal use.
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Strange thing to drag it with the transmission locked!
Even if he couldn't unlock the shift lever he could have got under the car and release the operating rod at the transmission and then manually moved the selector to release the parking pawl - I've done this before now and it only takes a minute or two. Presumably they dragged it about when it got to the dealers as well!
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The flat-bed bloke told me they use big slidey runner type things at the Merc dealership - although I'd have thought they might do something more along the lines of your suggestion at least - a bit more scientific..
Mind you, round these parts they're more used to tractors & P-reg Vectras.
(no disrespect to either..!)
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It would have been nice if it hadn't conked out in the first place.
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Had the same experience when I had a problem with my BMW 5 Series. BMW assist sorted everything out, including a hire car from Enterprise.
Shame Enterprise wouldnt let me have anything more than a Vauxhall Meriva 1.4. What a dire, dire car.
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Is the BMW still under warranty or something Michael? Thought that kind of service would have run out by now?
Blue
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It would have been nice if it hadn't conked out in the first place.
Dang it! I knew there was something I should have got annoyed about - thanks Dave N!
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