Hi Guys
Hi there guys,
I joined this forum some time ago and for some reason couldn't post, i bought a 300GDS some time ago then upgraded to a G500. Alot of problems have ensued and i could use some advice as i love the car and want to make it a perfect runner.
Regards,
Spooky
Welcome onboard.
List your problems and we'll see if we can help. If you put your VIN number into your signature, that will help people identify parts etc more readily for your vehicle.
Welcome Spooky,
As fcp has mentioned let us know your VIN and problems or as we like to call them challenges :)
Also where you based?
How long have you had your G's?
Maybe a little bit of background - you know what you do, like etc.
We have a few members here who belong to the 'Power Divison' LOL (thats a 500/55 to you and me) so I am sure we can help
Spider1V
Awsome Spider thank you so much, im coming to the end of my tether with my lovely G so help would be awesome :) Vin is inc.
Luke
Hi Spooky,
Surprising at Wheelhouse, as he tends to have some good quality stuff and occasionally posts here. Some simple questions to get me started;
How long you had it?
What is it? (LWB or SWB)
what year is it?
How many miles?
Last service?
What you have had to do to get it up and running?
Where are you? based in UK? if so where?
Spider1V
and a photo would be good
Hi and welcome to the forum and especially to the 500 group :-)
I am sorry to hear about your trouble with your 500, Nick Wheelhouse is well know in here and has very a strong reputation!!!
He is also a forum user, maybe we will hear the other side of the story !!!
No doubt few peoples in here will help you out ...
Fred
Hi Spooky
Welcome to the wood, leather and power division! :-)
As others have said, post a bit more info including the problems you've been having and we'll try and help.
As a rule, the 500 (certainly in my experience) is pretty reliable ........ touch wood ........
( Pssst you forgot the leather and carpet as wel) :)
Spider1V
HI SPOOKY. !
not read the banter yet, but i was admiring what is i presume your lovely 300GDS on WHEELHOUSE website.
you brought he G500 swb ? i loved that G500 from when i was living in the uk 3 years ago.
rgds hus
hi spooky. i must be reading too fast ! i missed what the issues were you was having with that beauty...
i have spoken to nick a few times over the phone and tbh i he seems a genuine bloke and a G enthusiast too. my G300 was brought from him by buckalec [marty] as a non runner. nick was honest when selling it , pointing out the issues which marty put right 100%.
have you spken to nick since...?
i am sure the problems are due to lack of use as the vehicle was in his portfolio for a good 3-4 years. [up for 35k in 09]
good luck.
rgds hus
well nik has been on line today so guess he already read this post.
Hi and Welcome,
Nik's a sound guy my friend you don't have to worry about him. Dealt with him in the past as well face to face.
I'm gathering yours is an early SWB W463 right?
What's wrong then?
Blimey - posted at 11oclock and by 4pm got 14 replies!
Lets start guessing the problems :)
problems with the G5OO....??
only things that come to my mind are worn spindles resulting in wet carpets...
may overheating , due to viscous fan or clogged radiator.
i cannot imagine this G having major issues [if its the G500 swb]
rgds hus
Perhaps Spooky would like to come back and elaborate on what exactly his problems were otherwise it seems a bit unfair on Wheelhouse and could have a potential negative impact on their business.
I think if you start a topic like this and actually name the garage involved then you should provide sufficent details so people can make an informed judgement one way or the other or the thread should be deleted.
Hi guys,
Sorry for my late response, i am up to my eyeballs atm.
To set the record straight dealing with nic was a pleasure he was a gentleman, but..
There have been numerous problem with the car that i dont even thing he had forseen.
Firstly on driving home the engine failed twice and i had to pull over and turn it off and on again to get home, i rang Nik and he was very apologetic and embarrassed about this and said he would fix the problem by giving me what he thought the problem part number. I took it into a garage and found out that the car had not been given a service for many years, the part was changed ( Air flow metre ) but did not fix the fault, tried to get get hold of Nik couldn't get through and have yet to recieve a phone call back.
Problems -
Shocks are in very bad condition.
Steering is all over the place.
Reverse light doesnt work.
Reverse censor doesn't work (although i think this is down to someone spraying over the censors :) )
Cant get the gear box into 1st, 2nd or 3rd, rephrase the shift goes in but will not engage.
The exhaust is not a full stainless system, only the back box is and was so rusted that it was fused together and the brackets had to be replaced.
Aircon will not switch from hot to cold.
Engine was leaking oil but has been resolved by changing the seals on the rocker covers.
These are the problems i have had with the car and there will no doubt be more.
I do get the feeling however that i may be expecting to much of the car which is nearly 13 years old :)
But i did ask Nik if the car was 100% mechanically sound and his response was "100%"
As i payed top money i thought this would have been the case.
As for the red 300GDS it was a lovely little runner and i loved it :) a few things wrong with it but i could live with the faults, they all addded to its character :)
I would just like to add that it is not my intention to bash Nik, as i said before maybe i was expecting to much as i was painted quite a picture :)
Also thank you for all the responses.
Luke
it was the G i had been admiring for the last few years.
the problems are minor spooky. these little niggles are parts of the joys of G ownership.
rgds hus
Haha ok mate, well now i am here maybe i can stop spending my kids inheritance :)
Going through the site it struck me what an incredible knowledge base this site is, well done !!!
Luke
Your right BB, i hope trhe below posts have covered everthing.
Hi Spooky thanks for coming back and giving us the details.
That is quite a list of problems you have. I think when you buy a G from a specialist dealer and pay retail price then you would expect it to be 100% if it was described that way.
There will always be some issues with a 13 year old vehicle but any major ones should have been sorted by the dealer before you took possession of it.
From what you have said I think Wheelhouse have an obligation to sort this out for you and hopefully they will do the right thing.
Please keep us updated with your progress.
A 13 year old vehicle will be slap bang in the middle of the quality chasm/void/pit that Mercedes suffered in the late 1990s. Earlier 463s suffer fewer issues but the early ge500 was only ever in lhd...
Hi BB,
I have spoken to Nik Wheelhouse, he said that he didn't know that there were any issues with the car.
I guess there isn't much i can say to that as he seems like a good guy and if he says its the case then who am i to call him a liar.
Anyway onwards and upwards, its time to start fixing my big blue baby up :)
I had a fantastic chat with Peter from Northern ireland and he told me some stuff that was very pleasing to the ear and filled me with confidence that any issues i have can be overcome.
The main thing is it could have been far worse than it is, so guess i should be thankful for that haha.
I will take this over to the suspension section now as thats where i thinik i will start.
Luke
Hi BB,
I have spoken to Nik Wheelhouse, he said that he didn't know that there were any issues with the car.
I guess there isn't much i can say to that as he seems like a good guy and if he says its the case then who am i to call him a liar.
Anyway onwards and upwards, its time to start fixing my big blue baby up :)
I had a fantastic chat with Peter from Northern ireland and he told me some stuff that was very pleasing to the ear and filled me with confidence that any issues i have can be overcome.
The main thing is it could have been far worse than it is, so guess i should be thankful for that haha.
I will take this over to the suspension section now as thats where i thinik i will start.
Luke
Hi Spooky
If you are talking with Peter (Fixwin38 on the forum) then you are in very good hands. He has given me a great deal of helpful advice over the years with my 463 and he knows his G's inside out.
I don't want to start knocking Wheelhouse but I would have thought the least they could do is offer to take the G back for a few days and rectify the gearbox and engine issues.
If you have taken the vehicle on finance then you can ask the finance company to sort this out for you which they are obliged to do under the consumer credit act. My experience is that they can bring quite a bit of pressure to bear on a reluctant dealer.
Hi BB,
That was indeed the Peter i was refering to and he is truly a legend and massivley helpful to boot.
In regards to the other situation, i will put it down to experience i think :)
Luke
PM sent
Spooky, I very nearly bought that wagen, decided instead to refurb my GES300 and fit a twin turbo.
You must decide who is going to pick up the bill to get it working properly, I have to say I pursued the dealer I bought mine from vigourously for a whole range of issues (including clearly dangerous brakes) with some success, but it was expensive and like pulling teeth, not exactly what one would expect from a so called G specialist, who was not I hasten to add Nik.
That said, the reason dealers charge top dollar is not just about profit, what they sell you should, legally, be fit for purpose. If it's not, then they are liable. Simple really, but it's your call. No matter how nice a dealer is I would put personailties aside, it's business, and business is business.
Your call.
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the response. I have spoken to Nik and resolved the issue, he is a great chap and i think maybe didn't know the extent of the problems on the Gwagon he sold me, needless to say i have just ordered 4 new shock absorbers and a set of ht leads from Mercedes, if Nik wants to pm me and pay for the parts he would make my Christmas :) i wont hold my breath though, as i suspect i would turn into a smurf should i try to do so :)
Spooky
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the response. I have spoken to Nik and resolved the issue, he is a great chap and i think maybe didn't know the extent of the problems on the Gwagon he sold me, needless to say i have just ordered 4 new shock absorbers and a set of ht leads from Mercedes, if Nik wants to pm me and pay for the parts he would make my Christmas :) i wont hold my breath though, as i suspect i would turn into a smurf should i try to do so :)
Spooky
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Thank you,
I will run out and get it for you in a tick. Spent tonnes so far and cant really afford to keep going the way i have, the mechanic was very good but wanted to charge the earth.
Anyway bought the car from Nick Wheelhouse not sure if anyone has any experience with him but this wasnt the mechanically sound vehicle i was promised... we live and learn i guess :)