JHZR2
Staff member
I bought a 1991 Mercedes 350SD diesel some years ago. Nice car, low miles, everything worked great. Very clean.
It had a known “rodbender“ engine, and I knew that the HG was slightly seeping oil. I knew the right job was to proactively do the HG.
I called a shop that I had trusted very much with older European cars, including MB diesels, some 20 years ago. This was back in late 2019 mind you. He knew the issue, gave me a good cost, I took it there to get the job. Seems simple right? But now it’s 2022. Yeah covid. Yeah machining, yeah some issues. No good excuses.
It has been one thing or another since then. He got the engine together, found a leak, pulled the head. Replaced parts, got a misfire. Pulled the head at least once more…. Ive lost confidence, and here we are in 2022. Every time it’s a cordial call, but no real action.
I don’t need the car. It’s one of many in my collection. I’m sure it’s sitting out, which isn’t great for it…. The R-12 Ac worked perfectly before, who knows if it does now.
I stupidly told him at the start that there was no rush. I felt like this may result in a few months time, but no big deal given my use profile, and the collection of vehicles I have. I would stop by occasionally, call occasionally, be patient a lot. I even gave a bit of money to cover his costs if the car takes a while. Again, I trusted this guy….
So now what? I had trusted before, he had done great work on various much older MB diesels and my BMW. Now I’ve lost all trust.
I want the car fixed. If I just go get it, I’ll have some parts and a ripped apart engine, or in best case a vehicle thate doesn’t work well. I’d surely need to tow and be back .xx
Supposedly now the car has a misfire at idle. Could be a world of things. I don’t know bad it is, or if it would be able to revert to ssdrivable with misfire relatively quick. Beyond just going and getting it back, I could pull and take to another shop and elk be close to ground one. I could go there once a week or more to birddog it…. I could call daily. I could write or sue. But if I sue, I’d get a car that is a pile of parts. If I dont get things done right, it will be a mess. I suspect that damage was done in changing the head thickness and thus the prechamber stick out into the cylinders. Maybe something better or worse.
I want the car, I want it repaired.
What’s the best bet to ask them and forcefully get an outcome, with a quality job that the shop will actually do, given that when things get serious, likely the parts will just get pushed back and they won’t complete.
Yes, stupid me for not being more forceful a year or more ago. I have every excuse of my own in that regard. But I want my car back. Any recommendations for how to do it?
It had a known “rodbender“ engine, and I knew that the HG was slightly seeping oil. I knew the right job was to proactively do the HG.
I called a shop that I had trusted very much with older European cars, including MB diesels, some 20 years ago. This was back in late 2019 mind you. He knew the issue, gave me a good cost, I took it there to get the job. Seems simple right? But now it’s 2022. Yeah covid. Yeah machining, yeah some issues. No good excuses.
It has been one thing or another since then. He got the engine together, found a leak, pulled the head. Replaced parts, got a misfire. Pulled the head at least once more…. Ive lost confidence, and here we are in 2022. Every time it’s a cordial call, but no real action.
I don’t need the car. It’s one of many in my collection. I’m sure it’s sitting out, which isn’t great for it…. The R-12 Ac worked perfectly before, who knows if it does now.
I stupidly told him at the start that there was no rush. I felt like this may result in a few months time, but no big deal given my use profile, and the collection of vehicles I have. I would stop by occasionally, call occasionally, be patient a lot. I even gave a bit of money to cover his costs if the car takes a while. Again, I trusted this guy….
So now what? I had trusted before, he had done great work on various much older MB diesels and my BMW. Now I’ve lost all trust.
I want the car fixed. If I just go get it, I’ll have some parts and a ripped apart engine, or in best case a vehicle thate doesn’t work well. I’d surely need to tow and be back .xx
Supposedly now the car has a misfire at idle. Could be a world of things. I don’t know bad it is, or if it would be able to revert to ssdrivable with misfire relatively quick. Beyond just going and getting it back, I could pull and take to another shop and elk be close to ground one. I could go there once a week or more to birddog it…. I could call daily. I could write or sue. But if I sue, I’d get a car that is a pile of parts. If I dont get things done right, it will be a mess. I suspect that damage was done in changing the head thickness and thus the prechamber stick out into the cylinders. Maybe something better or worse.
I want the car, I want it repaired.
What’s the best bet to ask them and forcefully get an outcome, with a quality job that the shop will actually do, given that when things get serious, likely the parts will just get pushed back and they won’t complete.
Yes, stupid me for not being more forceful a year or more ago. I have every excuse of my own in that regard. But I want my car back. Any recommendations for how to do it?