Has Mercedes Always Been This Bad?

pete 359:
quote=“ERF-NGC-European”]

Carryfast:

ERF-NGC-European:

Carryfast:
To be fair to our German friends and European partners :smiling_imp: :laughing: 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’ :laughing: 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. :wink:

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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Hi all,
The Sk range (17 series)was released in the U.K. in 1988,then the 1628 became the 1729.Afaiaa on the earlier Ng units anything from 1635 upward in the U.K. was eps unless the customer paid extra for a manual.The 17 series SK was the same from 1729 and upwards.My later 1853 was built by Merc in Germany for an Italian customer,with a 16 speed manual gearbox.Intresting to hear about the heavy knock across manual gearshift,I remember that very well.Yet oddly mine isn’t like that? I’m guessing a different smoother linkage on a LHD? With regard to Gingerfold,s original post and comment,I agree 100%,though Tbf every European brand imo,now produce three year throw away trucks.
Regards Andrew.
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I was driving Mercs during the changeover period. The last of the NGs was the 1633 IIRC and that remains, for me, the last good Merc. It had the awful ZF Ecosplit knock-thru’ (but far better than EPS!) but was reliable and went like stink. The 2035 I drove had the NG cab but was basically an early SK, complete with bollox EPS. I was told at the time that Merc would not supply a manual option for love nor money. Only the rigid SKs I drove, as CF rightly pointed out, continued to have the ZF manual.
I later drove early Actroses with the Telligent 'box, which were just as dreadful. The only SK I actually quite enjoyed was a trip to Morocco in the big high-cabbed version of the 1850 and that was a proper uphill-downhill machine in the Spanish mountains! Robert