Some highly origii be offered for yoi 11 parts you might Mercedes-Benz.
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When you decide to invest in a Mercedes-Benz truck or van you do so on the basis of sound business principles. You need a vehicle that will operate economically and reliably with the absolute minimum of downtime. And these days, safety is also high on the list of priorities.
All Mercedes vehicles match up to these stringent criteria when they first go on the road. And most continue to perform at their best because they are regularly maintained using genuine MercedesBenz replacement parts. However, for some operators, saving a few pounds by buying cheaper alternative parts is a tempting prospect. Particularly when times are tough. But it's a false economy that can have dire consequences for the health of your truck — and your business.
Maybe its the workshop manager who thinks he's doing his boss a favour by replacing Mercedes parts with proprietary products that carry a well-known name. This is a real dilemma, because they are likely to be well made and the parts factor will te him that they fit a Merc. They wil but they almost certainly won't b manufactured or set up specificall for Mercedes applications.
There are plenty of will-fi rts whose price alone should trn you of dramatic quality ferences. So if you buy shock ■ sorbers like the one illustrated }re, your vehicles, drivers — and ads — will be in for a very ugh ride.
Cheap, low quality air flit's reduce engine output, cause 'creased fuel consumption and an lead to premature engine failire. And, of course, a shorter serice life for the filter itself.
But choose a non-Mercedes 'rake disc or drum and you could )e gambling with lives. How can you judge if the metallurgical specification is correct, the casting porous, or if the braking surface is true?
Only when your drivers report juddering brakes and uneven braking, or when the linings wear out in double-quick time. Or if the brakes let them down when they're needed most.
Then there are some people who think they've bought genuine parts at a price way below usual. They come in what looks like Mercedes packaging. They might even have what appears to be the Mercedes-Benz name marked on them.
But the resemblance ends there. These are just a few of the examples investigated by our engineers whose findings are documented in leaflets available from the Mercedes-Benz centre in Milton Keynes. Your protection is to buy replacement parts from the only supplier authorised to sell the genuine article — your local Mercedes-Benz truck and van dealer. Only then can you be sure that, unlike the oil filter, you won't be stuffed with rubbish.