Service items - buy yourself or leave it to garage?

LostKiwi

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There is no scheduled rear diff oil change (unless you have the 6.3 size engines ?) , I just like it because I never know how long I'm going to keep a car , it's under £20 in oil and I try to do it around the 40k mark when the gearbox ATF is changed .
Any car with a limited slip differential should have regular diff oil changes (not just AMGs).
This is due to friction clutches internal to the differential wearing and contaminating the oil with particles of friction material.
 

Wighty

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Any car with a limited slip differential should have regular diff oil changes (not just AMGs).
This is due to friction clutches internal to the differential wearing and contaminating the oil with particles of friction material.
I dream of having an LSD equipped car (a fast one anyway)
 

LostKiwi

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I dream of having an LSD equipped car (a fast one anyway)
Loads can be broken down into three distinct types:
1. Friction LSD where there areca set of clutch plates under a preload tension. These will drive both wheels at the same speed until a preset torque difference across the axles is reached at which point the clutches will slip but still drive both wheels.
2. Locking diffs. These use a panel mechanism to lock the wheels together. The pawls allow a wheel to go faster than the driven wheel but prevent the wheel going slower. They tend to be very noisy..
3. ATB or Torsen differentials. Automatic Torque Biasing or Torque Sensing differentials use a series of helical gears to detect a slipping wheel and direct 3-4 times the torque of the slipping wheel to the opposite side.

Each have their benefits and drawbacks. Locking diffs are severe in their operation and noisy (especially at low speed in tight turns) but provide 100% drive to both wheels when operating.
Friction LSDs are adjustable by setting the clutch pack preload and are smooth in operation but require higher maintenance.
Torsen diffs require some grip on the spinning wheel in order to transfer torque to the opposite one but are arguably best suited to road cars.
There are also electrically operated locking diffs. These are commonly found in off road vehicles where permanent full time drive is required to both wheels.
 

Blobcat

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Loads can be broken down into three distinct types:
1. Friction LSD where there areca set of clutch plates under a preload tension. These will drive both wheels at the same speed until a preset torque difference across the axles is reached at which point the clutches will slip but still drive both wheels.
2. Locking diffs. These use a panel mechanism to lock the wheels together. The pawls allow a wheel to go faster than the driven wheel but prevent the wheel going slower. They tend to be very noisy..
3. ATB or Torsen differentials. Automatic Torque Biasing or Torque Sensing differentials use a series of helical gears to detect a slipping wheel and direct 3-4 times the torque of the slipping wheel to the opposite side.

Each have their benefits and drawbacks. Locking diffs are severe in their operation and noisy (especially at low speed in tight turns) but provide 100% drive to both wheels when operating.
Friction LSDs are adjustable by setting the clutch pack preload and are smooth in operation but require higher maintenance.
Torsen diffs require some grip on the spinning wheel in order to transfer torque to the opposite one but are arguably best suited to road cars.
There are also electrically operated locking diffs. These are commonly found in off road vehicles where permanent full time drive is required to both wheels.
Or air operated ARB lockers....
 

DSK

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Personal opinion and experience;

2 new cars on lease (Merc E350 and Astra GTC diesels, 3yrs 90,000 miles on each). Took them to the local dealer for servicing. Waited ages for basically an oil change. They do the filters and other items every few services and charge a fortune for the actual work they carry out. Generally speaking I have found most dealers to be shoddy with very little knowledge and I hate the fact many treat customers like they know nothing.

On any car I own myself and family members cars purchased new outright, we use independent garages known to me/diy. We buy the parts, ensuring each service genuinely consists of premium oil, plugs and all filters at the very least. This way, all service parts like air filters etc are sure be at their optimum performance between services. I also find that it's costs the same (with labour) to do it this way rather than get just an oil service at dealer. Every 2 or so services the gearbox oils for automatics and manuals, coolant, brake fluid etc are also done. This way for the normal cost of a service, ones service items and mechanical components are in better shape than a 'dealer serviced' vehicle.
 
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alexanderfoti

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There is no scheduled rear diff oil change (unless you have the 6.3 size engines ?) , I just like it because I never know how long I'm going to keep a car , it's under £20 in oil and I try to do it around the 40k mark when the gearbox ATF is changed .

LSD's scheduled, non LSD;s are 150k I think.
 

Jimbo1959

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I would like to do all eventually (apart from gearbox brake fluid, diff oil and thermostat, looks to awkward for me to get correct.)

The rest is ok :) it's just having the space and tools. Maybe I will try in the future.

There are plenty of tutorials available for reference and study on YouTube Andy, most service items, oil, air, fuel and pollen filters are demonstrated and are fairly straight forward to do with a pretty basic tool kit sir.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to do by myself. Have a look, it will help with your confidence and encourage you to learn and diy.
 

Altamar

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I try to find a best of both worlds compromise. As others have said, it partly depends on the value you place on a full MB service history. I have a 15 plate SL (and a 64 plate E Class) and have persuaded myself that no-one is going to buy an SL in a few years time without a full MB history. However, on both my cars, and all the family cars (different brands), I tend to keep the history up in the sense of getting the oil service done through a dealer but I buy quality parts and do the air/pollen filters and also brakes myself. You really can save yourself loads of money on these ancillary items. I made the mistake of taking a service plan out on the E Class but that's a different story and I won't be renewing it as I now know it hasn't saved me anything.
 

Capra

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There are plenty of tutorials available for reference and study on YouTube Andy, most service items, oil, air, fuel and pollen filters are demonstrated and are fairly straight forward to do with a pretty basic tool kit sir.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to do by myself. Have a look, it will help with your confidence and encourage you to learn and diy.
If I had the space the tools I would be happy about giving this ago. But I would need jacks, stands, and a flat surface. Our drive is on a slight incline. So I look at this and the costs for asking a pro to do this and I am swayed. But, I could do pollen filters, air filters and could do the oil filer and oil with the oil pump.
 

Wighty

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If I had the space the tools I would be happy about giving this ago. But I would need jacks, stands, and a flat surface. Our drive is on a slight incline. So I look at this and the costs for asking a pro to do this and I am swayed. But, I could do pollen filters, air filters and could do the oil filer and oil with the oil pump.
My drive is a slight incline , I use a couple of wheel ramps from Halfords (£40?) , when I back the car into them or drive onto them with the ramps on the lower part of the slope , the effect is to make the car level but with the front or back up in the air with reasonable space underneath .
I can do rear diff , gearbox filter and drain oil from underneath just with the two wheel ramps . My point is you don't need much gear if the drive "happens" to be at an angle .
 

Capra

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W204 2013 C350 CDI Pan roof
My drive is a slight incline , I use a couple of wheel ramps from Halfords (£40?) , when I back the car into them or drive onto them with the ramps on the lower part of the slope , the effect is to make the car level but with the front or back up in the air with reasonable space underneath .
I can do rear diff , gearbox filter and drain oil from underneath just with the two wheel ramps . My point is you don't need much gear if the drive "happens" to be at an angle .
Would you just check online to see what is required at certain millage? Apparently you can download the infor from the cars service history. Maybe I will look at this over the next years or so, I have the first indie service in April, so I will see what the total costs are. Mine is a 2013 model, so in a few years keeping up a full history will be pointless.
 

Wighty

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Would you just check online to see what is required at certain millage? Apparently you can download the infor from the cars service history. Maybe I will look at this over the next years or so, I have the first indie service in April, so I will see what the total costs are. Mine is a 2013 model, so in a few years keeping up a full history will be pointless.
I tend to know what my cars require service/filter wise from reading far too much stuff over the last few years . I tend to "over service " when left to mine own devices though .
I've got 2x2009 cars so they are fast becoming old bangers , but good condition ones none the less .
 

Blobcat

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I tend to know what my cars require service/filter wise from reading far too much stuff over the last few years . I tend to "over service " when left to mine own devices though .
I've got 2x2009 cars so they are fast becoming old bangers , but good condition ones none the less .
With a private plate they're never "old bangers"!!!!!
 


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