Lack of parts in stock at the dealer?

Bacho

Member
The other day I was trying to solve the pesky windshield washer fluid leak under my hood, when I noticed a large bubble had formed in the upper radiator hose of my Sprinter. I was feeling lucky that I caught it before it blew. Took a trip to Advance, no radiator hose available through them. OK so I have to go to the dealer, My town has a MB dealer and an Independent Sprinter dealer. The MB dealer does not sell Sprinter parts and refers to the independent dealer. The independent guys are only open 8-4 Mon-Fri. I have to work those hours so it takes a couple days to get by there when they are open.

The part is only $15 but its NOT IN STOCK, so its been a week now waiting on a damn radiator hose. It's been almost week now waiting, and this is not the first time. Are we just expected to park these things while waiting on very common and inexpensive parts to be ordered? If we are required to use only genuine parts, shouldn't the MB dealer be able to help?

I love my Sprinter, I hate the logistics for it though.
 

sailquik

Well-known member
Might want to try to establish a working relationship with an authorized MB Sprinter dealer nearby.
Try to find an authorized MB Sprinter Commercial dealer.
You call the parts counter and they can drop ship you the genuine parts you need practically overnight.
Or, try a more Sprinter specific source like Euro-Parts SD. They can ship overnight and they maintain a
fairly large inventory of Sprinter specific parts.
I don't understand your local MB car dealer.....they are part of the same parts system so they could order
your hose and have it to you in a day or so.
Roger
 

icarus

Well-known member
All that said...if your local MB dealer is at all like mine they would be hopeless. I stopped by mine the other day for an oil and air filter after the ones I ordered we're missing-shipped. "I need an oil filter and air filter for an '08 Sprinter, V6 Diesel"

"Vin number"?
"I don't know, it is in your system, since it was here for warrantee work"
"All I can find is the service invoice $$ amount and date, no record of the Vin"
"The filters are all the same from '08 'til about now"
"Yea, but the only way I can find the part is by Vin #"

Twenty minutes later he comes to the counter with the wrong filter(s) obvious just by looking at the O rings. (My van was down, as the oil was drained and the filter removed before I discovered the mis-shipped parts so I needed these parts)

"Can you just talk to the service writer or even the "tech", or even look through your trash, as you have Sprinters in for service?"

Finally, after nearly 1/2 an hour I got the filters.

Icarus
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Icarus
To understand your frustration is to understand the MB parts system.

To access the parts page APPLICABLE to your van the counter sales person has to have the Vin#
Even then screen filter will blank out some parts--like a twin pulley harmonic balancer for a T1N 2.7 engine!

Remember parts counter people are not like those of old.
Most don't know the difference between a filter and a fender!

Hence having the last "8" of the Vin # is essential in getting the right parts!
This is my daily ritual at 8,30 and 1,30 getting parts for repairs in my shop!
Who says this is easy?:idunno:
Dennis
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Here is something I have faced recently and its getting worse!

Genuine Parts that don't work!
Case in point !
Doing a cooler leak and EKAS replacement!
Get it all built, fire it up and the EKAS actuator doesn't work !
Conduct a few actuation tests with a scanner its dead! --Yes a new part from MB parts ! Deader than dead!

So tear it all out again and install yet another--total shop time lost 8 hours -- billable time!
Could have had the mechanic changing out a Jasper Cummins engine in a Dodge 2500 PU!

906 recon TCM modules!
Two arrived in succession and tested as dead!
One I have sent to SOS for an independent check!---Chad came back "this is totally dead and the only thing reconditioned is the label on the side of the module"!:thumbdown:
Caveat Emptor
Dennis P.S.
And if they are not careful this MB supplier will lose $3000 per day of parts business!
 
:idunno:
Here is something I have faced recently and its getting worse!

Genuine Parts that don't work!
Case in point !
Doing a cooler leak and EKAS replacement!
Get it all built, fire it up and the EKAS actuator doesn't work !
Conduct a few actuation tests with a scanner its dead! --Yes a new part from MB parts ! Deader than dead!

So tear it all out again and install yet another--total shop time lost 8 hours -- billable time!
Could have had the mechanic changing out a Jasper Cummins engine in a Dodge 2500 PU!

906 recon TCM modules!
Two arrived in succession and tested as dead!
One I have sent to SOS for an independent check!---Chad came back "this is totally dead and the only thing reconditioned is the label on the side of the module"!:thumbdown:
Caveat Emptor
Dennis P.S.
And if they are not careful this MB supplier will lose $3000 per day of parts business!
Why didn't you just send the van to the dealership for the normal parts warranty for the actuator? As far back as I can remember, Mercedes will cover parts and labor for any defective part. Would have saved you the eight hours of billable time and the dealership would have gotten paid for the labor through warranty. :idunno:

Mike
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
I would have!
I was pi$$ed!
BUT
The dealer lead time to get it fixed was Three Weeks!FFS!
The owner is a one man journey man electrician! He wanted his van back YESTERDAY we had promised it to him!
So he too could earn money!

It was fixed with an additional 8 hours work in our shop immediately through the evening and twilight hours !
Dev' my lead hand bust his gut tearing it all out again!

We don't keep 9 to 5 office house in my shop its that simple!
When work has to be done we step up!!!
AND we work weekends Saturdays until noon or later (depending upon demand) & that includes Sundays by appointment or immediate call out by a stranded customer through our 1,800 Sprinter Service Denver website.
I always have given this type of service! It comes from my Euro trucking days and 24/7 International repair service posture!
We speak English & Spanish mostly in the shop , with French plus abilities in Arabic, Farsi and Pashtun for such customers!

And yes we see some nationals who's mother tongue are that varied!

Even today a drop in Out of State Sprinter customer with overheating issues was somehow squeezed in and out in 3 hours! He had called all the local dealers who are fully booked up! We are too but he got seen to!
Basically the Boss (me!) got his overalls on and did the job--Can you see the MB service director where you are putting pair of coveralls on and fixing a Sprinter for a customer where you are ?

You have it to "do" at times and where there's muck there's brass as they say in Lancashire UK!

Frankly we will be testing more modules from MB in the future to avoid such screw ups!
Time is money!
Cheers Dennis
 
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