I came rather late in my career to working with Mercedes trucks and they have been an eye opener indeed…but for all the wrong reasons. I’ve previously commented about the worse than useless local dealership I use, and despite recent wholesale management changes there things are not improving.
Two weeks ago tomorrow, (Monday 22nd July), an afternoon driver was taking a double shifted Actros (2016) and the day driver had parked it up with no apparent faults. It wouldn’t start for the afternoon driver. i was away from the office and out of contact for a couple hours. Our main depot garage dealt with it, called Mercedes 24 action (there’s a misnomer) line, who had it recovered to my local dealership. Tuesday morning I call them to be informed that the Actros needs 6 new injectors, a 45 hours job! I did wonder if I’d misheard and it should be 4 to 5 hours. No I hadn’t misheard. They didn’t have any injectors in stock (unbelievable!) but they would be in for Wednesday morning. So Wednesday morning there’s a call from the dealership to say that one injector had arrived, but they needed the other five, which eventually turned up on Thursday.
One week and a day after the initial breakdown the Actros is ready for work. so I send it on the afternoon trunk run, but climbing Windy Hill on the M62 eastbound it loses all power and the (in)action line attend, get it running after a fashion, and suggest that it goes back to the dealership. Where it still is two weeks after breaking down.
Long before having to work with these crappy trucks I had never believed all the propaganda about “superior” German engineering and efficiency. I’ve been proved correct time and time again. I’m gradually getting rid of them, 16 DAF’s now and only 7 Mercs remaining…two more scheduled to go this week. Sooner the better.
I know I’m known for being more accustomed to side valve petrol engines with carburettors 
but I am also familiar with more up-to-date facilities. My question to the dealer would be this- why would 6 injectors fail at the same time, so badly that the vehicle went from running to non-starting in a matter of hours?
Bernard
albion1938:
I know I’m known for being more accustomed to side valve petrol engines with carburettors but I am also familiar with more up-to-date facilities. My question to the dealer would be this- why would 6 injectors fail at the same time, so badly that the vehicle went from running to non-starting in a matter of hours?
Bernard
I think they need a new diagnostic computer. What’s the betting they removed 5 injectors from a perfectly good Messerschmitt?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
To be fair to our German friends and European partners 
from memory the old SK range was known for being virtually bullet proof and I was happy enough with the 1628 which I was given as a long term rental.Although even that had a fixed seat when even the old 1970’s DAF 2800 had a more comfortable Bostrom suspension seat fitted as standard.
While I’d guess that modern technology and reliability and easy maintenance is mutually exclusive regardless of which make it is.
Carryfast:
To be fair to our German friends and European partners from memory the old SK range was known for being virtually bullet proof and I was happy enough with the 1628 which I was given as a long term rental.Although even that had a fixed seat when even the old 1970’s DAF 2800 had a more comfortable Bostrom suspension seat fitted as standard.
While I’d guess that modern technology and reliability and easy maintenance is mutually exclusive regardless of which make it is.
I think you probably mean the NG range, CF, as the 1628 was an NG (not an SK) - and yes they were reliable. The SK wasn’t at all bullet-proof, not least because of its disastrous EPS gearbox! Robert
We had many problems with our local Merc dealer when I worked for a previous employer , they just didn`t care. MAN are very similar in my experience it could be a German thing
albion1938:
I know I’m known for being more accustomed to side valve petrol engines with carburettors but I am also familiar with more up-to-date facilities. My question to the dealer would be this- why would 6 injectors fail at the same time, so badly that the vehicle went from running to non-starting in a matter of hours?
Bernard
They claim that it’s because the main fuel filter hadn’t been changed at its last service. At the moment our fleet engineer and I cannot argue (we will later when we get the final bill!) because this Actros is one of the few (out of hundreds we run) that isn’t on R&M, we service it ourselves at our main depot. It is quite common on an Actros for a dash warning to come on saying that the fuel filter needs changing, they have even gone into the dealers for servicing with the fault showing and they have come back with it still showing. Apparently changing the fuel filter is no longer a routine servicing task. I’m not familiar with modern fuel injection systems (and I don’t want to be at my stage of this game), but back in the day when we had Simms and CAV fuel injection pumps there was a very fine wire mesh filter in the injector pump as a failsafe guard against anything getting through the inline filter.
I hear what you say about Mercs but to be fair the 4 1844’s we ran on the Bewick Euro fleet gave good reliable service and I can’t recall any issues with them. Obviously I preferred the Scanias but I wasn’t averse to dipping my toe into the water and trying other marques Renault Magnums being the other motor I tried. IMHO there is no such thing as a thoroughly bad motor if they are treated properly although some are better than others i.e. Scanias !! 
Other Operators obviously have had varying experiences not always good with the marques I have mentioned 
Cheers Bewick.
^^^^^^^^^
So as not to be thought totally negative about Mercedes, as a company that has bought well over 1,000 Mercedes in the last 8 years or so, it is the dealerships that let them down. As a company with as many depots and out-based trucks that we have then we have to use the dealerships, and there are problems with almost every one of these dealerships. This poor backup has cost them dearly with us, we have bought only 30 new Mercs in the last 12 months, the replacement fleet purchases a total of about 300 units in that time have been DAF and Scania. Our main depot is forced into keeping the Mercs, none of the depot managers want them, mainly because of the abysmal back-up and after service.
Just as a comparison I had a problem with a 12 months old DAF XF a couple of weeks ago that was very unusual and had never happened before according to DAF. There were circumstances a couple of days before the breakdown that I believe contributed to it, but it was totally outside of our control and which I cannot divulge. Anyway the driver reported a serious safety related fault with it that had suddenly occurred on the Monday evening. DAF AID attended and found the fault, something the experienced DAF mechanic attending said he had never experienced before. For safety reasons the truck was recovered to the nearest DAF dealership some 80 miles from my depot. The part needed for the repair had to be sourced from Eindhoven, even though this DAF model is built at Leyland. They gave an estimated time of completed repair for midday the following day. It was actually ready at 08.00 the following morning and I was kept updated frequently of progress. A level of service and communication far superior to that of Mercedes.
^^^^^^^
Was it an electrical brake issue?
ERF-NGC-European:
Carryfast:
To be fair to our German friends and European partners from memory the old SK range was known for being virtually bullet proof and I was happy enough with the 1628 which I was given as a long term rental.Although even that had a fixed seat when even the old 1970’s DAF 2800 had a more comfortable Bostrom suspension seat fitted as standard.
While I’d guess that modern technology and reliability and easy maintenance is mutually exclusive regardless of which make it is.
I think you probably mean the NG range, CF, as the 1628 was an NG (not an SK) - and yes they were reliable. The SK wasn’t at all bullet-proof, not least because of its disastrous EPS gearbox! Robert
It was one of Ryder’s rental fleet I’m not sure of its exact year but NG to SK seems to have been 1988 so might have been a pre 88.But the 1628 seems to have crossed over from the NG to SK regardless ?.Also from memory the EPS was also only an option not fitted on a take it or leave it basis.
While even the later early 90’s ‘Powerliner’ 2534 6 wheeler rigid I drove was specced with a manual option not EPS.I actually preferred the older 1628 to that evil uncomfortable gutless POS and it’s car like steering wheel.
gingerfold:
I’m not familiar with modern fuel injection systems (and I don’t want to be at my stage of this game), but back in the day when we had Simms and CAV fuel injection pumps there was a very fine wire mesh filter in the injector pump as a failsafe guard against anything getting through the inline filter.
If it’s anything even along the lines of older primitive ‘common rail’ car type injection systems very regular fuel filter changes are absolutely essential with usual service intervals being too far apart for that.Sometimes to the point of immediately throwing away a recently fitted one and then replacing it again as a precaution.Because there is a lot of scope for foreign matter to get into the system and then get forced through under high pressure to critical fine tolerance components like injectors.In that case at least being high pressure filters fitted between the pump and the fuel rail.On my aftermarket system at least I’d actually like to fit another one in series.Because the car doesn’t get a lot of use and therefore regular fuel fills but don’t have the space to fit it in the line before the fuel rail and most aftermarket filters are non pressure type,only meant for use in the return line after the regulator anyway.Which is obviously too late to protect the injectors.
A friend who has recently retired and sold on his haulage business told me one of the big problems hitting the industry, is the availability of good experienced technicians/fitters whatever they are called nowadays.
He says youngsters not coming into the industry and a lot of them, if they can’t find the fault plugging in a laptop don’t know how to start trouble shooting!
jshepguis:
A friend who has recently retired and sold on his haulage business told me one of the big problems hitting the industry, is the availability of good experienced technicians/fitters whatever they are called nowadays.
He says youngsters not coming into the industry and a lot of them, if they can’t find the fault plugging in a laptop don’t know how to start trouble shooting!
To be fair sorting out a failed injector from loss of compression and even which/how many cylinders are down was never easy in the case of a diesel engine and modern ones need the computer even to sort out the basics.If the thing won’t start at all it obviously gets even more difficult.
youtube.com/watch?v=T3z8VdwNCNg
Regarding mercs all our fleet are newish we had 3 wagons used on days. With battery problems every morning mine is in Swansea having new seals fitted on the sunroof been in 4 days waiting for the parts all my headlining is water stained ,also lot of hassle of euro Cardiff when our trucks go in the old mercs were great but these new ones are a bag of ■■■ ,this is mine a 66 plate
Carryfast:
ERF-NGC-European:
Carryfast:
To be fair to our German friends and European partners from memory the old SK range was known for being virtually bullet proof and I was happy enough with the 1628 which I was given as a long term rental.Although even that had a fixed seat when even the old 1970’s DAF 2800 had a more comfortable Bostrom suspension seat fitted as standard.
While I’d guess that modern technology and reliability and easy maintenance is mutually exclusive regardless of which make it is.
I think you probably mean the NG range, CF, as the 1628 was an NG (not an SK) - and yes they were reliable. The SK wasn’t at all bullet-proof, not least because of its disastrous EPS gearbox! Robert
It was one of Ryder’s rental fleet I’m not sure of its exact year but NG to SK seems to have been 1988 so might have been a pre 88.But the 1628 seems to have crossed over from the NG to SK regardless ?.Also from memory the EPS was also only an option not fitted on a take it or leave it basis.
While even the later early 90’s ‘Powerliner’ 2534 6 wheeler rigid I drove was specced with a manual option not EPS.I actually preferred the older 1628 to that evil uncomfortable gutless POS and it’s car like steering wheel.
Incorrect with regard to tractive units. When the SK range was introduced you had to have EPS as Mercedes chose to force the issue by stating ‘this is how it is now.’ It lost them a lot of UK customers, most of whom switched to Scania. I understand that the only SK units to have been released with non-EPS boxes were those that went to the Bulgarian state operator, Somat.
Robert
dave docwra:
^^^^^^^
Was it an electrical brake issue?
No it was a cab mounting problem that set up a very bad vibration. It happened without prior warning, fortunately within yards of a MSA slip road. The driver (40 years experience on artics) had his wits about him and got it into the MSA. We’ve had cab mountings wear on older CFs, but never on an XF no matter how old. We do know the reason, which was definitely a totally unexpected and unprecedented occurrence and not something the regular driver had caused.
ERF-NGC-European:
Incorrect with regard to tractive units. When the SK range was introduced you had to have EPS as Mercedes chose to force the issue by stating ‘this is how it is now.’ It lost them a lot of UK customers, most of whom switched to Scania. I understand that the only SK units to have been released with non-EPS boxes were those that went to the Bulgarian state operator, Somat.
Thanks for clearing that up Robert.As you say I’d guess the rental unit I drove was pre SK.
While obviously didn’t realise that they had a different sales policy regards units v rigids or that there were many other major differences from NG to SK. 
What I do know from experience is that the usual awful heavy shift of the manual 2534 regularly broke the gear shift linkage although double de clutching the shifts helped to a degree.On the one I drove it broke one morning in the yard at Luton when dropping the trailer leaving me stranded there for most of the day with the silly short sleeper before another truck was brought out to me.It had obviously already been welded by the workshop staff previously.
CTS MIDLANDS (TAMWORTH) i think converted theres to manuals
and im sure they did a few outsiders they were big s k users
quote=“ERF-NGC-European”]
Carryfast:
ERF-NGC-European:
Carryfast:
To be fair to our German friends and European partners from memory the old SK range was known for being virtually bullet proof and I was happy enough with the 1628 which I was given as a long term rental.Although even that had a fixed seat when even the old 1970’s DAF 2800 had a more comfortable Bostrom suspension seat fitted as standard.
While I’d guess that modern technology and reliability and easy maintenance is mutually exclusive regardless of which make it is.
I think you probably mean the NG range, CF, as the 1628 was an NG (not an SK) - and yes they were reliable. The SK wasn’t at all bullet-proof, not least because of its disastrous EPS gearbox! Robert
It was one of Ryder’s rental fleet I’m not sure of its exact year but NG to SK seems to have been 1988 so might have been a pre 88.But the 1628 seems to have crossed over from the NG to SK regardless ?.Also from memory the EPS was also only an option not fitted on a take it or leave it basis.
While even the later early 90’s ‘Powerliner’ 2534 6 wheeler rigid I drove was specced with a manual option not EPS.I actually preferred the older 1628 to that evil uncomfortable gutless POS and it’s car like steering wheel.
Incorrect with regard to tractive units. When the SK range was introduced you had to have EPS as Mercedes chose to force the issue by stating ‘this is how it is now.’ It lost them a lot of UK customers, most of whom switched to Scania. I understand that the only SK units to have been released with non-EPS boxes were those that went to the Bulgarian state operator, Somat.
Robert
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I have always said that the krauts got their revenge for losing the war by foisting the merc on us- evil pieces of crap. I 've worked on several different models and I have hated them all and the german way of doing things with a vengeance: 207, 307, 809, 811, 814, 1113,1617, 2421, SK units with the poxy vee 6 engine, early Ategos, Actroses, and Axors, I loathed the lot. Merc brakes: the linings never wore out but the drums did. Various models with about two dozen springs in each brake drum. The merc version of Rockwell brakes.The air over hydraulic over air braking system or whatever it was. OM 44?. vee 6s misfiring because the camshafts are knackered. Early 307s with the injector pump timed on no.3. Ategos with a hydraulic gear linkage. Various models with constantly breaking exhaust flexes and sealing rings. Cab tilts jammed 1/2 locked. Those stupid front sidelights which mounted on the top corner of the bumper. The engine stop cylinder in the middle of the throttle linkage with its sharp and fierce c springs holding it to the ball joints which broke off. Ess aitch one tea.
