FIX YOUR OWN TESLA ;)

[rockits]

Nice to see Tesla supporting their products long term! However great to see people starting to work on them and having success. There seems to be so many good things about them but also so many bad things. A real Jekyll & Hyde car it seems.

 

[CatmanV2]

Man buys car and is surprised when warranty expires?

C

 

[rockits]

I think the issue is more around the ongoing support with parts and associated cost of such parts. Many manufacturers are just as guilty. They have made cars and put them on the planet then stop supporting them in various ways after a certain point. It isn't great for the planet as puts pressure to take almost perfectly good cars off the road. I have been trying to order a replacement spare infra red key/fob for my 1999 R129 SL for 3 years! If my primary key fails or is lost I will not be able to start, move or use the car.

The manufacturers responsibility and support for their creations shouldn't cease when the warranty period ends. Are we going to make cars disposable next just like all the other plastic sh1te that is created in world that is killing the planet?

 

[conaero]

Auto manufacturers only interested in current model shock!

 

[CatmanV2]

What he was describing to me sounds exactly what I'd expect. Parts failing? Please bring it to a service centre where we'll charge you to fix it. Hardly suggesting a lack of responsibility and support (at least no more than any other car manufacturer). Yes, the parts are expensive, but so was the car to buy!

Not really like your R129 issue. Your car is 20 years old as well. How long should a company make and maintain stock of parts?

I get the frustration and the impact on the planet, but clearly we could do with a little less banging around in V8 supercars.

C

 

[rockits]

I'm not sure I follow your point C?

Are you suggesting we should be ditching any cars that are not cost effective to fix due to manufacturers charging exorbitant prices for often fairly cheap parts? Or to take cars off the road that are 20 years old or older? I have to take my hat off and applaud the guys fixing his Tesla. It is only a 5 year old car.....hardly old really.

My SL has done 72k miles and is in better condition that many cars of 3 years old at half or twice the mileage. Not sure the answer is to take a 20 year car off the road. I think the classic car market might have something to say about this. Unless we just turn them all into non-working ornaments.

I would need to do a stupid amount of miles in my SL to justify it being taken off the road to be replaced by any new vehicle. The raw materials used and associated environmental effects of any manufacturer building a new car far outweigh the environmental effects my SL will burden the planet with for the rest of its days I would suggest.

Mercedes have no interest in keeping my SL on the road as they are just interested in selling more new cars. This is a global problem that the manufacturers and govts around the world are not really thinking about or addressing. Great for growth to keep building more new cars but that isn't really the answer is it? Seems short sighted and a lack of moral and environmental responsibility.

I am truly shocked at the massive amount of plastic we still produce that is not recyclable or recycled when we know how much damage it is doing.

All of this will all continue until it becomes an irreversible problem or a problem that starts to affect growth or large corporates or govts. Then they will throw unjustified amounts of money at it when it is all too late. Makes total sense!

 

[CatmanV2]

My point is only that if this was a Ford or Chevrolet, it would not be news

C

 

[GeoffCapes]

Not really related, but I love the story of Tesla bumpers falling off when it rains!

https://www.expressandstar.com/news...bumpers-falling-off-in-heavy-rain-say-owners/

 

[Oneball]

I don’t understand. Bloke buys £80k car, does 130,000 miles, warranty runs out so he complains about parts prices and that he doesn’t live next door to a dealer. He should have bought a Maserati!

 

[zagatoes30]

I have been trying to order a replacement spare infra red key/fob for my 1999 R129 SL for 3 years! If my primary key fails or is lost I will not be able to start, move or use the car.

Surely with the number of R129 SLs around there must be a solution to this? There are people remanufacturing Alfa code keys from 80s and 90s and there are probably less of those still on the road

 

[rockits]

Surely with the number of R129 SLs around there must be a solution to this? There are people remanufacturing Alfa code keys from 80s and 90s and there are probably less of those still on the road

Nope, change all the doors locks and barrels with a set from broken car with 2 keys is an option. Possibly remove immobiliser and code it out on MB STAR.

There was a company offering an onsite service to supply reshelled old keys recoded to your car. However by the time I found out about them they no longer exist.

I believe the Autel diagnostic tablet I was looking into that does SCN key coding might be able to recode a 2nd had key which I might try.

I ordered a spare blade and you can get blanks and any key cutting place can cut copies. However my later car has an immobiliser that many earlier cars don't have so needs the codes fob to disable the immobiliser. Earlier cars can work from cut key as have no OEM immobiliser. The remote fob only works central locking at that point.

Mercedes will do a run to their supplier when they get enough pre orders. I've been on the list a while now! Nothing yet.

 

[FIFTY]

My point is only that if this was a Ford or Chevrolet, it would not be news

C

Or VW Group... Actually it probably would just to add to their misery

At least the American manufacturers have legacy departments to keep their old models running