From: harry@delwatergap.com   
      
   Xeno said:   
      
   > The engine is probably quite tired.   
      
   The engine had I thought 250K but I looked and it's 270K but I've run   
   vehicles well beyond that myself (not turbos, and not diesels though) and   
   if it was properly maintained, that should be about the half life of an   
   engine, shouldn't it be?   
      
   I'm assuming FedEx maintained their engines well.   
      
   >>   
   >>> Also he went to Home Depot & Ace to make the ignition & back door keys but   
   >>> they don't have the blanks.   
   >>   
   >> No, they wouldn't, but it wouldn't do them any good anyway because they   
   can't   
   >> program the fob.  A real locksmith may have the tools, as will a Mercedes   
   >> or Freightliner shop.   
      
   I don't know if the fob is electronic on the 2011 because certainly the   
   back door key is not electronic. The ignition key swings out of the fob but   
   I don't know if the fob is electronic other than it has buttons for opening   
   and locking the doors.   
      
   Do you know for sure that the 2011 has a chip in the key fob?   
      
   >>   
   >>> One last thing is it uses a quart or two of oil a week but it's not leaking   
   >>> when he pulls into his driveway - is that normal?   
   >   
   > That's a lot of oil. Back in the good old days half a quart of oil   
   > consumption per thousand miles was considered normal. There has been   
   > nothing stated from the OP concerning just how many miles that POS will   
   > do in a week currently. Does he do 100 miles a week, a 1,000???   
      
   I had said this multiple times but I'll repeat it since you're trying to   
   help. He is in remodeling. He's a single-man shop. He uses the truck to get   
   to the daily jobs. Every job will be a different distance. The current job   
   is 17 miles away from his home which he says is about average.   
      
   With errands, that comes to roughly about 50 to 75 miles a day which we can   
   say then is about 250 to 375 miles a week or so.   
   >>   
   >> Definitely not, this is the sign of big trouble.   
   >   
   > Big expensive trouble that will exceed the residual value of the vehicle.   
      
   It always amazes me when people care so much about "residual value" of a   
   vehicle? Who cares about that? It's like buying a nail to use on a   
   construction job and worrying about the residual value of the leftovers.   
      
   A truck like that is a tool. Nobody sensible cares about the residual value   
   of their tools, do they? Why would anyone make any decision based on   
   residual value? Are they that greedy that selling all their tools is all   
   that they care about?   
      
   I'm sorry for going off on you on that so please just take it as a given   
   that I've heard this residual value stuff for five decades and I just don't   
   understand how a person thinks when they care about something that is so   
   meaningless that I have to wonder what their brains are doing.   
      
   If, for example, you need a roof rack or a hitch or a brighter headlight or   
   a set of tires or a shock absorber, etc., you need it. You don't buy a   
   "better one" just for "residual value". Do you?   
      
   >>   
   >>> He's not mechanically inclined where I am a bit but I don't know anything   
   >>> about diesels nor about commercial vehicles nor about German vehicles.   
   >>   
   >> He's not mechanically inclined and he bought a used fleet vehicle without   
   >> having a mechanic check it out first?   
   >   
   > Yes, I thought that quite inane too.   
      
   It's inane to you because you must have infinite money. If you don't have   
   infinite money, then you buy a used vehicle.   
      
   >>   
   >> Your friend needs to find a local independent Mercedes mechanic and google   
   will   
   >> probably help him with that.   
   >>   
   > I somehow think he is beyond any reasonable help.   
      
   That's unduly harsh.   
   He is a business man who owns his own business.   
   He doesn't have infinite money like you do.   
   So he buys a used vehicle instead of a new one.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)