Having to make your own tools

[Bartman4800]

Last Saturday I was at the local DIY garage where I gave my new steed (W212 E250CDI) some maintenance.
Front rotors and pads, rear brake pads, diff flush, and also engine mount replacement.

While I could get to the top bolt on the passenger side, I could not on the driver's side.

My steed being the one with the 2 inline turbo's, these block the access to said bolt.
Access from below is even worse.
I had to abandon this part of the job, and rethink the strategy.

I remember someone on a Merc youtube channel talking about a special tool.
He was referring to this tool: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 1661154147

Well I looked at it, and it does give you access. But I thought: "well that's not very helpful because I need to lift the tool after every 1/4 turn and place it back on the bolt. Why not make it ratcheting, and both ways."

So I came up with this, made up of a 16mm ratcheting spanner and a 16mm 1/2" socket:

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The tool fits perfectly, I have to use 2 long 1/2" extensions to reach between engine and inner fender.
I am pretty pleased with myself

[matthewz108]

That's pretty good. I have a drawer full of special tools I've made over the years, some I use once and look back and think "what the hell was that for?", and others I use regularly.
I have a bolt welded to the open end of a 17mm combination spanner. I use the bolt head for the internal hex head sump bolt, and the ring spanner to undo the oil filter on my m116 and m117 engines. I have a 1/2 in drive 14mm Allen key, but my special tool special just one tool rather than two. I also have bent spanners for valve adjustments and other fabricated gizmo's.
My latest 'tool' is a vape I got off my son's friend to help smoke test the vacuum system. That stuff produces a heap of smoke, and now the exhaust on my m117 smells like berries

[T-Modell]

Bart,
that looks great! Congrats! Enjoy your new car ... are you happy with it?

Regards
Thomas

[Bartman4800]

Yes, very happy with it. The whole family loves the car.
My 8 yr old daughter has built herself a cubby hole with a bookshelf on the 3rd row seats facing rearward.

Not sure it is because it is a Mercedes but this happened to me on Friday:

The car was pulling a bit to the left, and the front left tyre has uneven wear so I decided to have the wheels aligned.
I dropped off the car at 9:30.

Half an hour later the phone rang, and the guy told me 3 tyres were extremely worn and needed to be replaced.
Now I knew there was uneven wear, but every tyre had several mm of tread before the TWI's would be hit.
He was already rambling off prices for new tyres as I shut him down and told him I just wanted a wheel alignment.

Now my normal address (Bob Jane) told me earlier he just lost his trusted wheel alignment guy, and only had a trainee. He said he rather not let him do it. I thanked him for his honesty.

So Jax tyres around the corner was the alternative. After the phone call I had a gut feeling that things might turn south from there.

When I picked up the car, there was an extra 60 aud (4 x 15 aud) on top "to rotate the tyres to mitigate the pulling to one side".
I checked on the car and noticed the rear Bridgestones were still on the rear.
So I told him. He went to ask the mechanic and came back with: oh we just moved left to right. I had no proof to debate this at that moment.

Next day I was at the DIY garage to change the front rotors and pad, do rear pads, change the engine mounts etc.

When it came to remove the wheels, my impact gun could not undo some of the bolts. I had to use a 3/4" impact driver (this was a dealer maintained vehicle). These wheels had not been removed. I installed them with anti-seize afterwards.

So this morning I went back to JAX and told them my opinion in no uncertain terms. I had video proof to back it up.
The receptionist I had been dealing with looked at me sheepishly. He tried to give me extra service to swap the tyres but I declined.
In the end they gave me my money back, because they probably sensed I was close to blowing a fuse, and not entirely clueless.

So I just wonder whether these guys are running a scam to pull some extra cash out of unsuspecting clients.

They will never see me again, that's for sure.

[Nabstud]

Yes, very happy with it. The whole family loves the car.
My 8 yr old daughter has built herself a cubby hole with a bookshelf on the 3rd row seats facing rearward.

Not sure it is because it is a Mercedes but this happened to me on Friday:

The car was pulling a bit to the left, and the front left tyre has uneven wear so I decided to have the wheels aligned.
I dropped off the car at 9:30.

Half an hour later the phone rang, and the guy told me 3 tyres were extremely worn and needed to be replaced.
Now I knew there was uneven wear, but every tyre had several mm of tread before the TWI's would be hit.
He was already rambling off prices for new tyres as I shut him down and told him I just wanted a wheel alignment.

Now my normal address (Bob Jane) told me earlier he just lost his trusted wheel alignment guy, and only had a trainee. He said he rather not let him do it. I thanked him for his honesty.

So Jax tyres around the corner was the alternative. After the phone call I had a gut feeling that things might turn south from there.

When I picked up the car, there was an extra 60 aud (4 x 15 aud) on top "to rotate the tyres to mitigate the pulling to one side".
I checked on the car and noticed the rear Bridgestones were still on the rear.
So I told him. He went to ask the mechanic and came back with: oh we just moved left to right. I had no proof to debate this at that moment.

Next day I was at the DIY garage to change the front rotors and pad, do rear pads, change the engine mounts etc.

When it came to remove the wheels, my impact gun could not undo some of the bolts. I had to use a 3/4" impact driver (this was a dealer maintained vehicle). These wheels had not been removed. I installed them with anti-seize afterwards.

So this morning I went back to JAX and told them my opinion in no uncertain terms. I had video proof to back it up.
The receptionist I had been dealing with looked at me sheepishly. He tried to give me extra service to swap the tyres but I declined.
In the end they gave me my money back, because they probably sensed I was close to blowing a fuse, and not entirely clueless.

So I just wonder whether these guys are running a scam to pull some extra cash out of unsuspecting clients.

They will never see me again, that's for sure.

You wonder how many people just accept it and hand over the money....

[T-Modell]

Hi Bart,
That happens and those companies exist. I think I mentioned several times the very positive experience with my dealet here, that makes some extra expenses worth paying, if you look at the whole picture. I hope you find better companies!

Regards
Thomas

[Bartman4800]

I agree Thomas, your dealer was extremely helpful and that is sometimes worth more than money.

I have been conned several times in Oz, and in hindsight I should have been more interactive.

-My Conergy (a.k.a CON Energy) (German brand) Solar Hot Water system started to leak in warranty. They convinced me to change to a stainless tank for a small fee. That tank rusted out within 4 years, by then warranty had expired. Turned out a carbon steel pipe was fitted into the stainless tank, invisible on installation. As an engineer, all alarm bells should have started ringing when he mentioned Stainless 400 series (which is not corrosion resistant at all). A glass lined (enamel or emaille) carbon steel tank is preferable. Bullshit artists to the core.

-I bought a shed from a large shed supplier. Had to pay half up front, and the other half before delivery. I should have inspected everything before I paid the remainder. Many pieces were missing and the people in the store were clueless. They kept lying to my face and stopped picking up the phone. In the end I was emailing with the Chinese parts supplier to get all my parts. I even made some myself. When I visited the store they were having lunch somewhere. There was another disgruntled customer who was even worse off than me. One shed guy must have stayed behind, when he walked out of the shop he denied any connection with the shed shop. He must have warned the other because none of them returned....

The electrician I used to install the 240V system in my motorhome had to change one switch and give me the compliance paperwork. He sent me an invoice for the partial completion. I should have never paid them, because he never returned afterward, despite a multitude of promises and phone calls. In the end I dobbed him in with Commerce Australia and the ACCC. He was also moonlighting as a gas plumbing installer.

And there are other examples that I have forgotten.

[Ivanerrol]

I.M.H.O.
I'd never take a modern MB to one of those franchise setups.
Modern MB's need to go on a high quality computerised 4 wheel alignment machine which has a program with the exact chassis number specs. (this takes the guesswork out of the hands of a minimum wage worker who has no idea on how to look up a reference book - that is, if the reference book exists).
Ask your local independent MB guy or even the stealer for a address of a trusted wheel alignment station.

Wheels are torqued to a specification with a torque wrench. Don't just let these cowboys use a rattle gun on the wheel bolts.
You shouldn't use anti seize paste if you torque the wheels to spec.

Make sure you have the correct weight rating for your tyres on the wagon. I bought my wagon from a MB stealer - it had the wrong weight ratings tyres (Wouldn't pass the RWC). Embarrassed Stealer paid for new tyres.

[Ivanerrol]

I pulled the rear backwards facing seats out of my wagon for more space.

I don't know why MB install them in Australian cars.
You aren't allowed to use a child seat in them. The seats are weight restricted. By the time most kids are 7 years old they're above the weight restriction limit.
Those seats would probably be alright for adult persons of short stature.

[tsharkey]

Now my normal address (Bob Jane) told me earlier he just lost his trusted wheel alignment guy, and only had a trainee. He said he rather not let him do it. I thanked him for his honesty.

One of my best friends runs his own workshop and still uses the Hunter Light based alignment setup - The rig is 45 Years Old (as is his business) and he tells me it is hard getting parts for it. Over the years he has used the computer based systems but sold them and returned to this. I can only image the breadth of marques that he has adjusted over the years.

A lot of his business is Dealers, Tyre Places and other workshops.

[Bartman4800]

Does anyone know a skilled aligner in WA, preferably well South of the river?

Bart

[Christo C]

Aligner: for your chakra, body or your steering?

[Bartman4800]

All three please :)