[B Child]

OK well like I said I've always had a good relationship with my local Mercedes dealership (well with the parts dept)

I got a quote for a new subframe £811 inc vat (no discount request at that point) but the parts manager said part was in stock in the UK but he'd not heard of a failure before, He put me through to the service manager who said they would consider putting in a request for Mercedes "support" as he hadn't heard of a failure on an SLK before (he did mention another model where they had seen failures)

They have now advised me that in order to be able to ask Mercedes-Benz if they would be willing to contribute towards the repair of the part they would need to create what they call a "tips case"

They need the vehicle on site to run numerous tests and obtain control unit logs to prove the vehicles mileage etc, this would be at a cost of £132.00.

Questions

1. Has anyone experience this approach before?

and

2. Would you chance your arm in the same circumstances?

I might go back and ask a few more questions before I agree

 

[Slik hot]

I believe this could also be known as a health check,if it was me I would happily pay it rather than the £811 as you quoted for the frame.
A health check should allow them to discover the subframe for themselves..and there is a good chance it will be replaced for free

 

[B Child]

I believe this could also be known as a health check,if it was me I would happily pay it rather than the £811 as you quoted for the frame.
A health check should allow them to discover the subframe for themselves..and there is a good chance it will be replaced for free

I have a sneaky feeling it will very much be "non refundable" ie if they find the mileage checks out it will then be a case of processing the claim - if it doesn't they will reject it

The issue is the car is "without MOT or VED" I need to check up on circumstances where it is permisable to drive it - for an MOT I know it's OK - I think to an approved place of repair is also OK

My issue is driving it back "unrepaired" because A they don't want it clogging up their lot and B the claim is rejected and the car isn't repaired

 

[Slik hot]

If its about legality driving without m.o.t and tax ? ,I would say no!

 

[B Child]

If its about legality driving without m.o.t and tax ? ,I would say no!

I thought I'd check the legislation as it's been a few years since I was wearing a "blue uniform" but I was pretty sure it hadn't changed

Just to clarify

The vehicle is fully insured, has "Failed an MOT" and the VED has expired (Just for legal compliance it is also SORN)

From here Getting an MOT

If the MOT has run out

1. If your tax is due to run out, register your vehicle as ‘off the road’ - you cannot renew your vehicle tax if your MOT has expired.
2. Book an MOT test.
3. Tax your vehicle once it has passed its MOT.

You cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if the MOT has run out. You can be prosecuted if caught.

The only exceptions are to drive it:

• to or from somewhere to be repaired
• to a pre-arranged MOT test

So that confirms the exemptions I thought hadn't changed haven't and I can legally drive my Insured but untaxed and no MOT vehicle to the garage

 

[Slik hot]

Mmm interesting,will remember that then!

 

[B Child]

Mmm interesting,will remember that then!

I spent a while in the police service but it was a long time ago always pays to check the rules

I have in the past "stretched the rules" a little - bought a car in Newcastle with no MOT and no VED - Insured it and drove it to Norfolk for a pre-arranged MOT

It was however before the days of ANPR - not sure I'd do that now

 

[B Child]

Dropped it off with the dealer yesterday morning - no update from them so assuming mileage checks out with all the modules and they have submitted tps to Mercedes - we shall see what happens

 

[B Child]

Well - quite amazed and pleasantly surprised but it seems all the tps checked out and Mercedes have approved the replacement of the rear subframe..........

 

[Icepilot]

Result
MB don't give much away, so grab it while you can.

 

[Avel Du]

I thought I'd check the legislation as it's been a few years since I was wearing a "blue uniform" but I was pretty sure it hadn't changed

Just to clarify

The vehicle is fully insured, has "Failed an MOT" and the VED has expired (Just for legal compliance it is also SORN)

From here Getting an MOT

If the MOT has run out

1. If your tax is due to run out, register your vehicle as ‘off the road’ - you cannot renew your vehicle tax if your MOT has expired.
2. Book an MOT test.
3. Tax your vehicle once it has passed its MOT.

You cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if the MOT has run out. You can be prosecuted if caught.

The only exceptions are to drive it:

• to or from somewhere to be repaired
• to a pre-arranged MOT test

So that confirms the exemptions I thought hadn't changed haven't and I can legally drive my Insured but untaxed and no MOT vehicle to the garage

Pleased to see that has not changed.
Except, of course, for the wanna be traffic, panda driver.

 

[B Child]

Pleased to see that has not changed.

I didn't think it had but it does pay to check

Except, of course, for the wanna be traffic, panda driver.

Back in the mists of time I did get stopped when I was probably on the very edge of legality - the panda car followed me to the MOT test station - it was a Sunday afternoon (the test was booked for Monday morning) and I parked the car outside it and posted the keys through the letterbox and he went off happy - it was a bit of a walk home

 

[Avel Du]

I didn't think it had but it does pay to check



Back in the mists of time I did get stopped when I was probably on the very edge of legality - the panda car followed me to the MOT test station - it was a Sunday afternoon (the test was booked for Monday morning) and I parked the car outside it and posted the keys through the letterbox and he went off happy - it was a bit of a walk home

TBH I never had issue with being stopped (whether being naughty, or not).
I always figured that at least they might stop some blighter if my car got nicked.

Standard rules. Polite, comply, but other than what you're asked, say as little as possible.
'you stopped me for a brake light? Phew, I thought it was for the racing exhaust'
Yep, I actually witnessed my mate say that when they stopped a group of us on bikes.
Doh!

 

[B Child]

TBH I never had issue with being stopped (whether being naughty, or not).
I always figured that at least they might stop some blighter if my car got nicked.

I've not been stopped many times in nearly 40 years of driving/riding but most of them are quite memorable and I've normally been on the edge so to speak

I did get stopped in the LC once it was late evening/early morning (4pm - Midnight shift) - I'd been on some very open and fast A roads and been using all the performance that 377 bhp offers - as I approached a roundabout at the edge of the town I found 2 Panda cars parked on it as I went round it. The blues came on and both cars followed me and I very quickly pulled over and stopped.

The first officer said "I'm glad you stopped because it's unlikely we would have caught you"
I replied "you guys have radio - it's way quicker than this car"
He laughed and said "Fair point - now how quickly were you going bearing in mind we could hear you shifting gears at maybe a mile or more away"
Difficult question to answer so I chose "Quite quickly - probably a little quicker than you would like - however I couldn't tell you a speed because I was looking at the road rather than my dash"
I was asked where I had been and where was I going "Work is where I had been and home was where I was going"
The officer advised "Try a little slower in future and that the road is a great place for a speed trap"

I knew this already - the point when I had opened it up was past the only hidey hole that I knew was used on a regular basis and that was 2 - 3 miles back up the road

Standard rules. Polite, comply, but other than what you're asked, say as little as possible.
'you stopped me for a brake light? Phew, I thought it was for the racing exhaust'
Yep, I actually witnessed my mate say that when they stopped a group of us on bikes.
Doh!

I think if you pass the "attitude test" it helps a lot - It also helps if your car or bike is well presented and looks very well maintained

Scruffy dirty cars with obvious defects (non working lights typically) always guaranteed some process when I was in the service but back then I didn't have ANPR or any of the modern screening systems so it was always "gut feel"

 

[B Child]

Oh and the headlights appear to be set up for European driving so I'll have to have a google for that

My google fu is failing me on this one

I've looked thro the cars MOT history again and the lights being set up for Europe featured in 2017 as a fail

Reason(s) for failure

• Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)
• Nearside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)
• Offside Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)

(fixed with same mileage 12 days later no other advisories)

Now when I cleaned up the headlight lenses they looked like they'd done the mileage in terms of gravel rash so I don't think they've been replaced so I'm assuming some adjustment facility in the headlight is possible - anyone know?

 

[Windinmyhair]

Post #4 and #5 here might help:

RHD to LHD Headlights. Recommendations needed

I bought a Japanese 2005 SLK350. It's a Right Hand Drive model and I will be driving it in Canada which is Left Hand Drive. I have "618 BI-XENON HEADLAMPS FOR LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC" and it looks like they're calibrated for RHD traffic. Is there a method to calibrate them for LHD traffic? If...

www.slkworld.com

And the PDF in post #9

 

[B Child]

Post #4 and #5 here might help:

RHD to LHD Headlights. Recommendations needed

I bought a Japanese 2005 SLK350. It's a Right Hand Drive model and I will be driving it in Canada which is Left Hand Drive. I have "618 BI-XENON HEADLAMPS FOR LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC" and it looks like they're calibrated for RHD traffic. Is there a method to calibrate them for LHD traffic? If...

www.slkworld.com

And the PDF in post #9

Superb - Thank you very much - exactly what I was trying to find

 

[B Child]

Apparently it's ready for collection tomorrow - good news

So next question related to the headlight issue - I'm thinking it will probably be easier to remove the headlights - can this be done without removing the bumper?

 

[B Child]

It's back

Doesn't look any different does it

Underneath it does (I'd provide pictures but it's raining - again)

New rear sub frame and one lower arm replaced by Mercedes who picked up the cost of both parts and labour for fitting

I had to pay for the "tps" cost £132

Next job sort out the other minor advisories and the headlight alignment and it can go back for an MOT test

 

[B Child]

Well it's still not yet back on the road - I have received a new set of brake hoses - MOT tester raised a concern for condition but it wasn't bad enough to be an advisory - other priorities (mainly Mrs BC's ones involving a bathroom refit) are getting in the way of car activities. I am hoping when the bathroom refit is finished I can buy another car but it'll probably be sold by then

The SLK has been parked on the drive patiently waiting for it's turn

Yep - water drains are free and clear and no leaks from the pipes in the boot - it seems my leaks are coming from the rear screen seal where it meets the boot seal

Since I thought I may have sorted out my boot water leak we haven't had a drop of rain. It's been washed twice but it never seemed to leak when washed - even when I use a pressure washer but biblical rain always filled the boot up.

I think I covered this in another thread but I was wrong in my initial assesment above - the drains were free and clear but the leak was established as coming from the internal boot hoses where they meet the bulkhead at the back of the boot. I cleaned and resealed them ages ago with a non setting gasket jointing compound and waited for rain

We've had two days of biblical rain (in the back garden we have 800 litres of water butts tucked out of the general view and it normally takes a few days to fill them all up from empty (and they were empty) - they were full in 12 hours and it's pretty much rained non stop for two days - so with a break from the rain I thought I'd check the boot for damp/wet

Dry as a bone - not a drop in there so I'm happy that issue has been resolved