2014 mercedes sprinter alarm issues

No Peter they bloody well don't not here. I've won 2 lawsuits against the local M/B stealership (or frightened them off) in the last 20 years after independent engineers looked at the problems. As I said before, experienced techs (we called them mechanics then) before the current crop of diagnostics yes. Now now they're only trained to read what the display says.

What's your experience with doing line-up of brand new under warranty fleet vehicles. Like I said things change because the installers and techs work on a very limited selection of models. You can ignore the tech who's been working on the fleet before you if you like as if you know more than him/her about a vehicle your just touching for the first time but if you are the installer who puts something in fleet of 20 and the customer starts coming back to the dealer with dead battery issues guess how mad your boss is going to be that you will have to go back and fix all 20 vehicles and depending on the relationships your boss might have to cover the customers initial service visit. One vehicle is one thing but when you have to redo or fix your work in a fleet it's another. Also commercial fleet vehicles are designed with add-on accessories in mind so that dealer tech isn't recommending power tap locations on his own accord but because that's where the manufacturer recommends they be done. Even he is CYA and covering his ass, he won't recommend something that could get him in trouble.

When the vehicles are new, I spend a HELL of a time on the first few. Case in point.. 1)Newest Ford Transit (full size to appear at a Ford dealer near you sometime this year) I spend a lot of time on the first vehicle testing for everything. Then I take it for a 10 mile ride to make sure no DTCs etc. By the time I'd gone from vehicle 1 to 3 I'd already modified my power and ignition pickups. This is a 40 vehicle tracker contract). Last week similar (tracker with immobilisation) on a new 2 Series BMW, F type wiring. I spent 2 hours finding and testing, sleep circuits (RED / White in the loom doesn't sleep) again DTC check before and after a test drive. Now that install takes 10 minutes. When the current shape Focus came out, I spent an hour with a dealer tech scratching our heads working out how to remove the glovebox (two secret T20s underneath). The point is we are never going to agree.

It has nothing to do with agreeing. It matters not how you do your work. It's passing on a concept that the mercedes tech doesn't know their vehicle and the non-mercedes tech knows more. It's foolish and can only lead to trouble. I can only wonder if you were more open to collaboration with other techs if your initial fleet installs would have been quicker. You may find it strange but many vehicles designed to be in a fleet have built-in connection points for aftermarket stuff which can limit or eliminate stripping or cutting wires.

I think you're misinterpreting Howard. I think we'd both agree with what you say, but likewise we both know how wrong or non-informed service agents etc are. Not that I speak for alarms etc - tho sometimes automotive electrics - my experience is more with engine mechanicals, EFI systems, etc.

Catback, Oldspark makes my point. I'd love to liaise with dealership techies but certain manufacturers have a deliberate policy of excluding outsiders, unless you're a big and important customer/working for one. I'm reminded of an early West Coast TV show where the sparks is working around the back end of an X5. When asked what would happen if a mistake was made, the sparks simply said he'd get the front office to phone the dealership (in LA). At the about the same time we were working on our first X5. Big job, disconnected battery, 3 days later, reconnect battery and all the warning lights come on. We "drive" it down to airbag and ABS, then over to the local Stealer for whom we've done work for since the late 1970s and get CHARGED $100 to clear. Now you might realise why I have an attitude towards dealers.

Oh Howard, those shows are far cleverer now. They can even show you LM317T circuits for more power or better fuel economy by tricking your EFI! (I'm sure the latter is put out by mechanics wanting work!)

oldspark wrote: I think you're misinterpreting Howard. I think we'd both agree with what you say, but likewise we both know how wrong or non-informed service agents etc are. Not that I speak for alarms etc - tho sometimes automotive electrics - my experience is more with engine mechanicals, EFI systems, etc.

Not sure why you would consult a service agent. I consult with a technician who can better help me do my job. A good service agent would direct me to a knowledgeable tech. In any case, I obtain previously unknown information on the vehicle that I can use to my advantage. Sorry you don't have a good experience with the dealer. You do bring up a valid point, if you have big money you get top notch service. The customers whose fleets I worked on was VERY big business and it didn't hurt that my company was WELL established and had a widely known reputation. All the more reason that I not be responsible for an "issue"

Service agent, authorised dealer, whatever - "experts" endorsed by the mother company, or Professionals in any field. An analogy - to think Stephen Hawking can't be wrong or lack foresight. Or is that a bad one? (Sorry, I mock...) Again, IMO H & I are simply saying that the so called "official" experts can get it wrong, or may not know all, or might not even know as much as hobbyists (in certain situations). IMO that view or detail is not rocket science.

OK we finally reached a point where all the above comments are probably correct. Can we agree to go back to the basics we teach to newbies? Get all the info then test for yourself?