water leak at Safari Roof

[Jean Mercier]

For the water leak (at the seal of the gutter, see above) I asked him if they contacted Ineos,

I even told the Hedin manager that if my car had been out of warranty I would probably already had repaired it myself

 

[DCPU]

Hedin don't seem to fit the template agent/dealer detailed by Ineos in the early days of the project - the agri dealer, enthusiast 4x4 company, etc.

Ineos seem to have put many of their eggs in one basket across many European markets. I wonder if Ineos are seen as high maintenance, even given that there should be good volume warranty work going through the workshops.

 

[Jean Mercier]

Hedin don't seem to fit the template agent/dealer detailed by Ineos in the early days of the project - the agri dealer, enthusiast 4x4 company, etc.

Ineos seem to have put many of their eggs in one basket across many European markets. I wonder if Ineos are seen as high maintenance, even given that there should be good volume warranty work going through the workshops.

I agree completely, Hedin is the biggest Mercedes dealer of the country (and now also some other brands). There is even a Hedin dealer at about 1 km from my place. I was quite disappointed when I saw Ineos gave them the dealership. The new maintenance workshop in the neighborhood of Verviers or Liège seems to be independent of Hedin and a 4x4 upgrade specialist. [EDITED] It is Reul Sport, Route Zènobe Gramme 32, 4821 Dison]


I hope Hedin get's some really dedicated 4x4 lovers as their representatives in the near future, otherwise I will move to another maintenance workshop.

I have to admit, when I go on site, they are friendly, but only when I go on site, otherwise it is radio silence!

 

[Tazzieman]

I hope Hedin get's some really dedicated 4x4 lovers as their representatives in the near future, otherwise I will move to another maintenance workshop.

You'll be headin' elsewhere...

 

[Jean Mercier]

You'll be headin' elsewhere...

Thanks for improving my English, or is it slang

 

[DaveB]

At my "second" request ... the first was an e-mail with my diagnosis, the second was today, verbally, when I showed my anger!

They are or

• reluctant
• too proud
• too lazy
• don't believe the customer
• too busy

Showing my unhappiness helped

Unfortunately this is one side effect of "normal" car dealers getting involved.
They are used to customers just accepting what they are given and if they are unhappy they just sell the vehicle and get a different one.
They don't understand the different needs of enthusiasts and brand loyalty.
After owning many vehicles over the years I was surprised pleasantly when I purchased my first Mercedes Benz.
Talking with the sales manager he said that the goal was to get the customer into the brand and do everything you can to keep them, of course that includes trading up every 2-3 years or buying additional vehicles.
If Mercedes had a proper 4WD I would be buying it.
When a dealer has multiple brands from Great Wall to say Mazda, Toyota or Nissan then they have zero focus or care.
I can understand this as their customers are often just buying on price and basics, not genuine enthusiasm.

 

[Tazzieman]

Thanks for improving my English, or is it slang

Well unless you pronounce your dealer's name in some odd euro way (that is quite likely) it rhymes with heading

 

[DaveB]

Well unless you pronounce your dealer's name in some odd euro way (that is quite likely) it rhymes with heading

Hedin Automotive when @Jean Mercier pulls up in car park.

 

[Jean Mercier]

Well unless you pronounce your dealer's name in some odd euro way (that is quite likely) it rhymes with heading

Ah, got it

 

[Jean Mercier]

For the water leak (at the seal of the gutter, see above) I asked him if they contacted Ineos, and I think they didn't, but he didn't answer my question.
I told him Ineos was aware of this problem and he said that he was unaware, but yes they knew about some problems with the drain tube.

Finally we looked together at my car and I explained verbally my diagnosis.

And tonight I had the following response (Google translate, is really very OK):
"At your request, we are in contact with Ineos about this. Apart from the cases with the drainage pipes, there are indeed known cases where there is seepage along the mounting gutter of the rubbers (too little sealant from the factory)."

Got some more news from Hedin:
"They are allowed to (and will) order new rubber seals for my safari roofs, but are uncertain about delivery time! (as usual)."

I asked if I could myself make a temporary repair with some glue. I am allowed to do it, and they advise SikaLastomer®-710, that's a butyl sealant. Anyone experience with this?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Tazzieman]

I asked if I could myself make a temporary repair with some glue. I am allowed to do it, and they advise SikaLastomer®-710, that's a butyl sealant. Anyone experience with this?

Not with that brand , but as it says on the product literature , it is well suited to the task at hand.

 

[Cheshire cat]

I agree with you. A few do, many don't.

I think the economics are different in different countries.

In Germany, we have "Zuständigkeiten," but the English translation "responsibilties" contextually does not match the implicit meaning of the German word. It is in some ways closer to "Reviere": precincts.

In a typical large car dealership, there are basically procurement, salespeople, mechanics, management, marketing, and finance. Only the smaller dealerships (which are rather workshops), consisting of one, two or three people, are different. They usually have a good overview of the big picture, but not so in a large dealership.

There, everyone looks after their "turf" and tries to make the best of it. This structure simply doesn't allow you to take care of other things. The German paradigm of "productivity" ultimately means "as few people as possible for a clearly defined responsibility". It's all about control. And they are usually not enough to get their work done. If someone gets their work done, it is considered suspicious to be underutilized.

The consequence is that they concentrate precisely on their task, usually perform it reasonably well and usually very efficient, but have no time to look after a forum, for example. A paid "forum observer" is a no-go in Germany, something unproductive. There are very (very!) few companies that have a media officer or a person responsible for media matters. It's just not seen as something that contributes to productivity.

The old university teachings are still what make up the Bachelor or Master of Administration in Germany: they only count if they make money. And this is supposed to be directly measurable money, $/h/person.

PS: This "structure" (actually it is a problem) unfortunately applies to almost all companies in Germany (but of course not to the authorities. Unfortunately, they are not only unproductive, they also completely lack media competence).

Posts and threads like this help make for a very interesting site. Not only do we learn of issues and experiences regarding our vehicles, but also the cultural differences between countries and ways of doing business. All very interesting.

 

[rovie]

Got some more news from Hedin:
"They are allowed to (and will) order new rubber seals for my safari roofs, but are uncertain about delivery time! (as usual)."

I asked if I could myself make a temporary repair with some glue. I am allowed to do it, and they advise SikaLastomer®-710, that's a butyl sealant. Anyone experience with this?

Thanks for the help.

I sealed the sun roof of my Disco 2 with Sikaflex 221 about 15 years ago. Perfect to this day! However, I also built the drains of the frame to catch the rainwater out of metal and welded them on. The original plastic parts were broken off.

 

[Tazzieman]

Posts and threads like this help make for a very interesting site. Not only do we learn of issues and experiences regarding our vehicles, but also the cultural differences between countries and ways of doing business. All very interesting.

 

[Cheshire cat]

I can hit a gypsy with a rock from 15 meters away if chained… ten if not.” — Borat Sagdiyev

 

[ECrider]

Got some more news from Hedin:
"They are allowed to (and will) order new rubber seals for my safari roofs, but are uncertain about delivery time! (as usual)."

I asked if I could myself make a temporary repair with some glue. I am allowed to do it, and they advise SikaLastomer®-710, that's a butyl sealant. Anyone experience with this?

Thanks for the help.

Sikaflex (521) never far away from the practical boat owner. That stuff is great, the lastomer probably equally good.

 

[Xrford]

Got some more news from Hedin:
"They are allowed to (and will) order new rubber seals for my safari roofs, but are uncertain about delivery time! (as usual)."

I asked if I could myself make a temporary repair with some glue. I am allowed to do it, and they advise SikaLastomer®-710, that's a butyl sealant. Anyone experience with this?

Thanks for the help.

I have used 3m weather strip adhesive before, but it is more of a permanent fix than a temporary fix. It would not be something easily removed.

 

[Miki]

Got some more news from Hedin:
"They are allowed to (and will) order new rubber seals for my safari roofs, but are uncertain about delivery time! (as usual)."

I asked if I could myself make a temporary repair with some glue. I am allowed to do it, and they advise SikaLastomer®-710, that's a butyl sealant. Anyone experience with this?

Thanks for the help.

Excellent stuff, perfect for your application especially where there is a need for removal of the seal in the future.

Sikaflex make a number of products that hold together lots of Landrovers, Caravans and Horse boxes.

 

[MarkH]

and they advise SikaLastomer®-710, that's a butyl sealant. Anyone experience with this?

Yes, is the right product to use , does the job well but can be removed easily if need be.

 

[emax]

At my "second" request ... the first was an e-mail with my diagnosis, the second was today, verbally, when I showed my anger!

They are or

• reluctant
• too proud
• too lazy
• don't believe the customer
• too busy

Showing my unhappiness helped

I believe it is a mixture of ignorance, arrogance and disinterest.