General Servcing and Maintenance

Adamki83

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Afternoon!

Its been a while since ive been on here (again) been in the process of moving into my own place.
The dream of owning an E55 or an E63 is currently on hold!
Ive been doing some general maintenance on my W211 E270, like an oil change, oil filter air filter fuel filter and so on!
All of it is rather easy to do just recently i had to change my thermostat as it was all over the place like brexit (sorry poor joke), i changed that and changed the coolant rather easily! Gets me thinking that soooo many things i can do on this car are pretty dam easy!
I wanted other peoples opinions on what they think because obviously me doing my own maintenance i wont be putting any stamps in it, its not like i cant afford a garage to do the work its more the fact that things that will cost £100 or so in labour i can do really easily myself!
Even brakes can be easily done! So would anyone be put of buying one of these if someone had been doing there own service work on it?
 

JBell

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If I looked at a car that someone had said they had done all their own maintenance on I would want all the receipts for the parts
 

Wighty

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I've been doing everything I can service and repair wise since I retired a few years ago and didn't need the car for the next day to get to work .
I enjoy doing my own work when there is no time pressure . Both my cars are 10 years old and worth chump change , but are well serviced by my good self .
I don't know if I would buy a newish car which had been self serviced unless I knew the person ?
Your car at 2005 is worth even less than mine so you are in the ideal situation to learn how to do stuff .
Buy a Haynes manual and buy tools as you go and you will be set for life :D
 
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Adamki83

Adamki83

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If I looked at a car that someone had said they had done all their own maintenance on I would want all the receipts for the parts
I keep all the bills for the parts together, ive even got ones for the tyres
 
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Adamki83

Adamki83

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I've been doing everything I can service and repair wise since I retired a few years ago and didn't need the car for the next day to get to work .
I enjoy doing my own work when there is no time pressure . Both my cars are 10 years old and worth chump change , but are well serviced by my good self .
I don't know if I would buy a newish car which had been self serviced unless I knew the person ?
Your car at 2005 is worth even less than mine so you are in the ideal situation to learn how to do stuff .
Buy a Haynes manual and buy tools as you go and you will be set for life :D
If the car was newish i would put it into the garage but now its 14 years old im not saying its not worth it but some things on these older mercs are really easy to do if you have acess to some space and a comprehensive tool kit!
At least if i do the stuff myself i wouldnt be under any kind of pressure to get it done!
 

Wighty

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If the car was newish i would put it into the garage but now its 14 years old im not saying its not worth it but some things on these older mercs are really easy to do if you have acess to some space and a comprehensive tool kit!
At least if i do the stuff myself i wouldnt be under any kind of pressure to get it done!
I started servicing both my cars at 6 years old :shock: !
 
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Adamki83

Adamki83

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curious

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On a 14 year old car it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference in the price you get. It'll sell on its condition.
 

Chrishazle

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Might help future sale if you put the date and mileage when fitted onto the parts receipts - I no longer do any DIY servicing, but make sure that on things like tyre invoices I put those details on the supply/fit invoice for my car history folder. I know this helped last time I sold a car privately - buyer commented about the detail in the history folder as being a factor on his decision to buy.
 
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Adamki83

Adamki83

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Might help future sale if you put the date and mileage when fitted onto the parts receipts - I no longer do any DIY servicing, but make sure that on things like tyre invoices I put those details on the supply/fit invoice for my car history folder. I know this helped last time I sold a car privately - buyer commented about the detail in the history folder as being a factor on his decision to buy.
Thats a good idea actually i didnt think about that! Well ive only turned to DIY only because how much things actually cost :oops:
 
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Adamki83

Adamki83

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Thanks for all you're help and opinions guys! I think will be doing my servicing and other maintenance items!
Labour is just too expensive and as i said its not that i cant afford it i just want too save my money and buy better parts like better brakes and so on!
 
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Adamki83

Adamki83

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On a 14 year old car it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference in the price you get. It'll sell on its condition.
This is what i was thinking, but i wasnt sure weather certain people would be put off!
I spent 100's of pounds on special cleaning stuff for it so its not like i dont care about the car!
 

curious

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This is what i was thinking, but i wasnt sure weather certain people would be put off!
I spent 100's of pounds on special cleaning stuff for it so its not like i dont care about the car!

Possibly one or two might be put off but to be quite honest if they're the sort who want all the receipts dating back over 14 years I wouldn't sell it to them anyway. For the sum involved, with a 14 year old car, I wouldn't want them ringing back every week with one query or another.
 

Jim2

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When I change cars, first thing I do is create an XL file for the new arrival, and every item is costed and dated...so on one page are listed "General Costs" these include purchase price, Tax, Insurance and service costs. Page 2 is a complete fueling history. I add the "Bottom Lines" together, and that give's me the complete costs since date of purchase. I then divide this by the total Nr of Mile's / Klm's driven, and that give's the real costs per Mile/Klm,,,,,so the more you drive, and the higher the mileage, the cheaper it becomes....1st mth of ownership cost €15.35 per Klm, that has now come down to €1,02 per Klm.. next fill, should break the €1 barrier...It has taken 14 mth's to reach this stage,so the next 14 Mth's ( barring unforeseen major and expensive technical issues ) it should have reached a very acceptable cost level. And of course all receipts are kept, so I have a complete record.
 

Yugguy

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I've got a spreadsheet too of all work done, and receipts for all parts, with dates and mileage.

Services tend to be done by the garage as its the same time as mot but a lot of other work like brakes I've done myself.

I'd consider buying a car like this too but I'd have to make a judgement as to how competent I thought the seller was.
 

Jim2

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I've got a spreadsheet too of all work done, and receipts for all parts, with dates and mileage.

Services tend to be done by the garage as its the same time as mot but a lot of other work like brakes I've done myself.

I'd consider buying a car like this too but I'd have to make a judgement as to how competent I thought the seller was.

Well I have a mechanical background, 5 years VW-Audi, then a good few years with Ford, then mainly Toyota for another good few years ( "Good Few Years= 10 + LOL ) finally, Fleet Management, so these last few years, mainly behind a desk, so not too much practical " on the floor" experience, which explains the questions that I post here on the Forum. But everything that I can do in the servicing / repairing line ( inc. bodywork) I will do myself, only using a Dealership as a last resort. Generally, when I am finished with a car...it would have very high mileage on it, and the people that I would sell it to would know me and know what they are getting....and at that point, it would not be a high value car anyway. But if I were buying a car myself, and I knew the seller / previous owner, I would go on that.
 

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