From owner-diesel-benz-digest@digest.net Wed Jun 6 22:39:00 2012 From: diesel-benz-digest To: diesel-benz-digest@digest.net Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2012 05:39:42 +0000 Subject: diesel-benz-digest V1 #3601 diesel-benz-digest Thursday, June 7 2012 Volume 01 : Number 3601 Forum for Discussion of Diesel Mercedes Benz Automobiles Derick Amburgey Digest Coordinator Contents: [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer Re: [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer (fwd) [db] today's wrenching education Re: [db] today's wrenching education Re: [db] today's wrenching education Diesel Benz Digest Home Page: http://www.digest.net/diesel-benz/ Send submissions to diesel-benz-digest@digest.net Send administrative requests to diesel-benz-digest-request@digest.net To unsubscribe, include the word unsubscribe by itself in the body of the message, unless you are sending the request from a different address than the one that appears on the list. Include the word help in a message to stag-digest-request to get a list of other majordomo commands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 17:43:54 -0700 From: Bruce Caruthers Subject: [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/US-auto-dealers-sue-Indian-truck-manufacturer-3614679.php - -- US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press Updated 04:03 p.m., Wednesday, June 6, 2012 ATLANTA (AP) -- Lawyers for U.S. automobile dealers in five states said they've filed a lawsuit accusing an Indian truck manufacturer and its American counterpart of fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy. The lawyers said the suit was filed Monday in federal court in Atlanta against Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Mahindra USA Inc. on behalf of dealerships in New Hampshire, Florida, California, New Jersey and Washington. The lawsuit claims that Mahindra duped hundreds of auto dealers and walked away with millions in cash and trade secrets. "Mahindra told the dealers that its light trucks and SUVs were ready for delivery to the U.S. market," Michael Diaz, a lawyer for the dealers, said in a statement. "However, Mahindra intentionally delayed certification of its vehicles after obtaining the dealership fees and trade secrets and began pursuing other partners in the U.S. and elsewhere in clear violation of their commitments." A statement on Mahindra's website says the company cannot comment on the legal matter but goes on to say the company "unequivocally denies all allegations of fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy." A phone call to the U.S. branch of the company and an inquiry sent through its website seeking comment were not immediately answered Wednesday afternoon. The auto dealers paid initial dealership fees, hired additional staff, did marketing and built Mahindra showrooms, display platforms and showcases, all at Mahindra's urging, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit says Mahindra's efforts to enter the U.S. market and build a nationwide dealer network began in 2004. The company made an aggressive pitch to attract U.S. dealers, including sending senior executive Arun Jaura to an Atlanta automotive show in 2007, where he repeatedly said, "I love America!", the lawsuit says. After getting millions in fees from the dealers, Mahindra continued to tell them its certification process was on track but the company was actually delaying submitting the required documentation to regulators as a pretext to terminate its agreements, Diaz said. The lawsuit says the dealers have given Mahindra more than $9.5 million in cash and more than a $100 million worth of dealer trade secrets and a strong market foundation from the dealers' "free" promotion of the Mahindra name. "Mahindra repeatedly failed to live up to its obligations," Diaz said. "Now, after spending millions of dollars on behalf of Mahindra, the U.S. dealers have nothing to show for their time and energy other than a series of false promises." ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2012 02:36:39 +0000 From: john Subject: Re: [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer Guess that explains why they aren't for sale yet. :( __john_at_http://wagoneers.com__ - -----Original Message----- From: Bruce Caruthers Sender: owner-diesel-benz@digest.net Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 17:43:54 To: Reply-To: Bruce Caruthers Subject: [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/US-auto-dealers-sue-Indian-truck-manufacturer-3614679.php - -- US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press Updated 04:03 p.m., Wednesday, June 6, 2012 ATLANTA (AP) -- Lawyers for U.S. automobile dealers in five states said they've filed a lawsuit accusing an Indian truck manufacturer and its American counterpart of fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy. The lawyers said the suit was filed Monday in federal court in Atlanta against Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Mahindra USA Inc. on behalf of dealerships in New Hampshire, Florida, California, New Jersey and Washington. The lawsuit claims that Mahindra duped hundreds of auto dealers and walked away with millions in cash and trade secrets. "Mahindra told the dealers that its light trucks and SUVs were ready for delivery to the U.S. market," Michael Diaz, a lawyer for the dealers, said in a statement. "However, Mahindra intentionally delayed certification of its vehicles after obtaining the dealership fees and trade secrets and began pursuing other partners in the U.S. and elsewhere in clear violation of their commitments." A statement on Mahindra's website says the company cannot comment on the legal matter but goes on to say the company "unequivocally denies all allegations of fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy." A phone call to the U.S. branch of the company and an inquiry sent through its website seeking comment were not immediately answered Wednesday afternoon. The auto dealers paid initial dealership fees, hired additional staff, did marketing and built Mahindra showrooms, display platforms and showcases, all at Mahindra's urging, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit says Mahindra's efforts to enter the U.S. market and build a nationwide dealer network began in 2004. The company made an aggressive pitch to attract U.S. dealers, including sending senior executive Arun Jaura to an Atlanta automotive show in 2007, where he repeatedly said, "I love America!", the lawsuit says. After getting millions in fees from the dealers, Mahindra continued to tell them its certification process was on track but the company was actually delaying submitting the required documentation to regulators as a pretext to terminate its agreements, Diaz said. The lawsuit says the dealers have given Mahindra more than $9.5 million in cash and more than a $100 million worth of dealer trade secrets and a strong market foundation from the dealers' "free" promotion of the Mahindra name. "Mahindra repeatedly failed to live up to its obligations," Diaz said. "Now, after spending millions of dollars on behalf of Mahindra, the U.S. dealers have nothing to show for their time and energy other than a series of false promises." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 20:48:39 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer (fwd) there goes our small Diesel 4x4 pickup. :( ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -o|||||o- john-at- http://wagoneers.com TRSTGZS Snohomish, Washington - where Jeeps and Diesels don't rust, they mold buy direct: http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education" Theodore Roosevelt (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bruce Caruthers To: diesel-benz@Digest.net Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 17:43:54 -0700 Subject: [db] Mahindra: US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/US-auto-dealers-sue-Indian-truck-manufacturer-3614679.php - -- US auto dealers sue Indian truck manufacturer KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press Updated 04:03 p.m., Wednesday, June 6, 2012 ATLANTA (AP) -- Lawyers for U.S. automobile dealers in five states said they've filed a lawsuit accusing an Indian truck manufacturer and its American counterpart of fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy. The lawyers said the suit was filed Monday in federal court in Atlanta against Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Mahindra USA Inc. on behalf of dealerships in New Hampshire, Florida, California, New Jersey and Washington. The lawsuit claims that Mahindra duped hundreds of auto dealers and walked away with millions in cash and trade secrets. "Mahindra told the dealers that its light trucks and SUVs were ready for delivery to the U.S. market," Michael Diaz, a lawyer for the dealers, said in a statement. "However, Mahindra intentionally delayed certification of its vehicles after obtaining the dealership fees and trade secrets and began pursuing other partners in the U.S. and elsewhere in clear violation of their commitments." A statement on Mahindra's website says the company cannot comment on the legal matter but goes on to say the company "unequivocally denies all allegations of fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy." A phone call to the U.S. branch of the company and an inquiry sent through its website seeking comment were not immediately answered Wednesday afternoon. The auto dealers paid initial dealership fees, hired additional staff, did marketing and built Mahindra showrooms, display platforms and showcases, all at Mahindra's urging, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit says Mahindra's efforts to enter the U.S. market and build a nationwide dealer network began in 2004. The company made an aggressive pitch to attract U.S. dealers, including sending senior executive Arun Jaura to an Atlanta automotive show in 2007, where he repeatedly said, "I love America!", the lawsuit says. After getting millions in fees from the dealers, Mahindra continued to tell them its certification process was on track but the company was actually delaying submitting the required documentation to regulators as a pretext to terminate its agreements, Diaz said. The lawsuit says the dealers have given Mahindra more than $9.5 million in cash and more than a $100 million worth of dealer trade secrets and a strong market foundation from the dealers' "free" promotion of the Mahindra name. "Mahindra repeatedly failed to live up to its obligations," Diaz said. "Now, after spending millions of dollars on behalf of Mahindra, the U.S. dealers have nothing to show for their time and energy other than a series of false promises." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 22:06:02 -0700 From: Bruce Caruthers Subject: [db] today's wrenching education Spent about six hours working on the cars today. Practiced on the wrecked w124 (and needed a couple of parts, anyway). * I now know several easy ways to remove the instrument panel in about five minutes (my preferred way is to drop the knee bolster dashboard trim below the steering wheel/dash, then push the panel out from behind; takes me probably literally five minutes to have the panel out and ready to work on -- don't know why so many on the web boards whine and never want to work on the panel again, it was really simple once you know the tricks) * Discovered just how easy it is to remove the power front seats (at least with a live battery so the seats can move) and locking center console (below the armrest). Did find it puzzling that there was a CAT5-like cable with RJ-45 connector coming out from the driver's seat to a socket far under the carpeting (took me a while to realize it wasn't a hardwired connection). Was this for a cellphone hookup in the armrest or something like that? * I now know probably twenty ways to NOT try to remove the ignition switch (the electrical socket thingy at the back of the key/lock mechanism). I did eventually succeed, and know the innards of the steering and underside of the dash pretty well now. Will try to R&R it on the newer w124 tomorrow with the part I removed from the wreck * I now know how to disable and remove the airbags (kept getting nervous about setting them off, so finally just removed them) * Will see if I can swap instrument panels from the wreck to the replacement car. The '93 panel is much nicer, both in design and condition. Main issues are: using the '87 trip odometer (since that doesn't have any reset issues), and synchronizing the odometer readings for the "new" panel to match the destination car Not too shabby for someone who didn't even own a socket wrench until April... - -bkc Lynnwood, WA (his) '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] (hers) '92 Toyota Celica GT (long overdue to be retired or sold) (ours) '87 MB 300D Turbo [W124.133/603.960] (acquired, 21Apr12) (ours) '91 MB 300SL-24 [R129.061/M104.981] (acquired, 25May12) (RIP) '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] (totaled, 28Mar12) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 22:18:55 -0700 (PDT) From: john Subject: Re: [db] today's wrenching education just be careful of that little trip reset flipper... it's worth a philly steak and cheese my friend. ;) good tip on the dash... yes, I have an arm rest that had a cell phone in it... pre-wired for one. good job... question I have now is, what's the easiest way of getting the knee bolster off? :) john ----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -o|||||o- john-at- http://wagoneers.com TRSTGZS Snohomish, Washington - where Jeeps and Diesels don't rust, they mold buy direct: http://AMSOIL.com/redirect.cgi?zo=283461 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education" Theodore Roosevelt (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Wed, 6 Jun 2012, Bruce Caruthers wrote: # Spent about six hours working on the cars today. Practiced on the wrecked w124 (and needed a couple of parts, anyway). # # * I now know several easy ways to remove the instrument panel in about five minutes (my preferred way is to drop the knee bolster dashboard trim below the steering wheel/dash, then push the panel out from behind; takes me probably literally five minutes to have the panel out and ready to work on -- don't know why so many on the web boards whine and never want to work on the panel again, it was really simple once you know the tricks) # # * Discovered just how easy it is to remove the power front seats (at least with a live battery so the seats can move) and locking center console (below the armrest). Did find it puzzling that there was a CAT5-like cable with RJ-45 connector coming out from the driver's seat to a socket far under the carpeting (took me a while to realize it wasn't a hardwired connection). Was this for a cellphone hookup in the armrest or something like that? # # * I now know probably twenty ways to NOT try to remove the ignition switch (the electrical socket thingy at the back of the key/lock mechanism). I did eventually succeed, and know the innards of the steering and underside of the dash pretty well now. Will try to R&R it on the newer w124 tomorrow with the part I removed from the wreck # # * I now know how to disable and remove the airbags (kept getting nervous about setting them off, so finally just removed them) # # * Will see if I can swap instrument panels from the wreck to the replacement car. The '93 panel is much nicer, both in design and condition. Main issues are: using the '87 trip odometer (since that doesn't have any reset issues), and synchronizing the odometer readings for the "new" panel to match the destination car # # Not too shabby for someone who didn't even own a socket wrench until April... # # -bkc # Lynnwood, WA # (his) '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] # (hers) '92 Toyota Celica GT (long overdue to be retired or sold) # (ours) '87 MB 300D Turbo [W124.133/603.960] (acquired, 21Apr12) # (ours) '91 MB 300SL-24 [R129.061/M104.981] (acquired, 25May12) # (RIP) '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] (totaled, 28Mar12) # ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 22:39:34 -0700 From: Bruce Caruthers Subject: Re: [db] today's wrenching education === Trip reset thingy: * I've got the panel out already. I can come by sometime and we can extract it together. That way if it breaks, you did it. :) * The one on the wreck was sometimes finicky, but it still works fine, with the occasional need to twist it slightly (maybe can adjust that when we extract it?). === Knee bolster: 1. Carefully pop off trim around ignition with a flat screwdriver (pry gently up/right, to work with the hooks) 2. Pull off light switch (just pull firmly on it to pop it off) 3. Unscrew wide nut holding light switch control to panel 4. Carefully pry off wood trim to left of steering wheel (including light switch stuff); I found it best to pry gently from the middle, just to the right of the light switch, as that bows it out a bit and lets the hooks on the right release (they want to move lef tot disengage) -- watch out for the illumination plug for the light switch dial 5. Undo the eight 10mm screws (2 on right/ignition side of steering shaft, 3 on left side of steering shaft, 3 under dash [two in recess, one at bottom]) 6. Disengage bolster from prongs underneath dash, let panel hang from parking brake stuff 7. Voila! Easy access to underneath the dash and to the back of the instrument panel I think that was everything. - -bkc Lynnwood, WA (his) '76 MB 240D [W115.117/616.916] (hers) '92 Toyota Celica GT (long overdue to be retired or sold) (ours) '87 MB 300D Turbo [W124.133/603.960] (acquired, 21Apr12) (ours) '91 MB 300SL-24 [R129.061/M104.981] (acquired, 25May12) (RIP) '93 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo [W124.128/602.962] (totaled, 28Mar12) On Wed Jun 06, 2012, John Meister wrote: > > just be careful of that little trip reset flipper... it's worth a philly steak and cheese my friend. ;) > > good tip on the dash... > > yes, I have an arm rest that had a cell phone in it... pre-wired for one. > > good job... > > question I have now is, what's the easiest way of getting the knee bolster off? :) > > john > > > On Wed, 6 Jun 2012, Bruce Caruthers wrote: > > # Spent about six hours working on the cars today. Practiced on the wrecked w124 (and needed a couple of parts, anyway). > # > # * I now know several easy ways to remove the instrument panel in about five minutes (my preferred way is to drop the knee bolster dashboard trim below the steering wheel/dash, then push the panel out from behind; takes me probably literally five minutes to have the panel out and ready to work on -- don't know why so many on the web boards whine and never want to work on the panel again, it was really simple once you know the tricks) > # > # * Discovered just how easy it is to remove the power front seats (at least with a live battery so the seats can move) and locking center console (below the armrest). Did find it puzzling that there was a CAT5-like cable with RJ-45 connector coming out from the driver's seat to a socket far under the carpeting (took me a while to realize it wasn't a hardwired connection). Was this for a cellphone hookup in the armrest or something like that? > # > # * I now know probably twenty ways to NOT try to remove the ignition switch (the electrical socket thingy at the back of the key/lock mechanism). I did eventually succeed, and know the innards of the steering and underside of the dash pretty well now. Will try to R&R it on the newer w124 tomorrow with the part I removed from the wreck > # > # * I now know how to disable and remove the airbags (kept getting nervous about setting them off, so finally just removed them) > # > # * Will see if I can swap instrument panels from the wreck to the replacement car. The '93 panel is much nicer, both in design and condition. Main issues are: using the '87 trip odometer (since that doesn't have any reset issues), and synchronizing the odometer readings for the "new" panel to match the destination car > # > # Not too shabby for someone who didn't even own a socket wrench until April... > # > # -bkc > # Lynnwood, WA ------------------------------ End of diesel-benz-digest V1 #3601 **********************************