[zb]
anorak:
Hello G. On your other thread, there is nothing but praise for Mercedes’ 1970s vehicles. The only bad mark is that they didn’t bring the higher-spec ones to GB sooner, and that is from a bloke who operated them.Regarding electronics, modern diagnostics systems can tell if there is a faulty wire, and where the bad connection is, physically along the length of the wire. I’ve seen a fitter use a device that does just that. Such utility seems to be lacking from the capabilities of vehicle electronics. Imagine that- the dashboard of the lorry says, “Bad connection in blue wire just behind the dash by the ashtray. Replace loom part xxxxx.” Not a chance. Maybe they want to sell workshop hours to the out-of-warranty market.
It’s not the same in computers, at least in high-end design systems. Mine went wrong a few months ago. The screen said the HDD cable was faulty, so I bought a new HDD, fitted it, and the screen said the cable was faulty. I replaced it, and the thing worked perfectly! I should have trusted the diagnostics. At least I have a spare HDD now. I guess computers’ lives are limited by their specifications going out of date- my old warriors would not be powerful enough to run current software. Not true with lorries- you could use a Mercedes 2032 today, if you had one. The obsolescence must be built in some other way- difficult-to-repair elec faults.
I don’t doubt that the Mercedes of the 1970s was a much better truck relatively speaking,and it was on their reputation for reliability that I hired a Mercedes tractor unit from Salford Van Hire in 1978 when I worked at Mothers Pride Chesterfield. I can’t remember the model, maybe a 1628 ■■?, but it wasn’t the most lively of performers with a 40’ box van trailer, which was well below maximum weight when full of bread.
The electrics and electronics on the Mercs i had for the last 3.5 years was the least of their problems, and I don’t think that there’s any modern truck that can claim to be trouble free in that department. As I said previously the dealership is unbelievably bad. Typical example, and this is true, if a fuel filter change warning light comes on then they don’t change them at a routine inspection and service. They don’t carry fuel filters in stock, and apparently they must come from goodness knows where, because its a 3 days lead time. I kid you not. So you have to take the truck back for a fuel filter change. Mercedes cannot grasp the fact that a truck has to be out on the road earning revenue; not sat in their dealership for 3 days waiting for fuel filters.
By contrast a DAF was in for a 6-weekly inspection and it needed a part that had to come from Eindhoven overnight. The part was fitted by 08.00 next morning and the truck was still able to do a full days work.