bi xenon replacement costs!

[robsim88]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this and need to know if anyone has had any similar experiences.

The offside front bi xenon went out on my 53 plate C270 CDI Estate. As it was booked in for a service with a MB dealer I let them take a look at it.

They identified one of the two igniters had failed and had also blown the bulb. The bulb replacement is £90 and depending on which of the igniters had failed either £300 or £400 approx to replace.

It turned out it was the lower cost one. However, the bulb plus the igniter plus the labour will come in around £500 (I haven't got the invoice yet).

Due to the age of the car and mileage (92k) MB don't want to know about any discount.

Bi xenons are great and I wouldn't have a car without them now. Has anyone had similar experiences? Did MB discount the parts? Can anyone tell me of alternative suppliers as the nearside could soon fail?

 

[carabind]

Europarts (www.eurocarparts.cpm do a complete headlamp for £425+vat, but I'm not sure if bulbs are included or not. worth checking ? Let us know how you get on

 

[carabind]

Europarts (www.eurocarparts.com do a complete headlamp for £425+vat, but I'm not sure if bulbs are included or not. worth checking ? Let us know how you get on

 

[jberks]

I dare say you could get the bulb a bit cheaper by shopping around but probably no major saving. I assume you mean a glow plug for the igniter?
You could save a bit by using an indie specialist for this work as it's mainly labour.
Also, most dealers now offer discounts for cars over 3 years old. I can get £100 of a service on my 2004 (nearly 2005) E class so there should be something they can do for you.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

When an electronic component fails, you don't usually need to replace it. You just get it repaired. Unfortunately garages aren't interested in such things, and would rather just sell you a new one.

If you've given them permission to replace, then I strongly urge you to keep the old one and send it away for repair. You could then either keep it as a spare, or flog it on Ebay.

 

[Topboy]

I dare say you could get the bulb a bit cheaper by shopping around but probably no major saving. I assume you mean a glow plug for the igniter?
You could save a bit by using an indie specialist for this work as it's mainly labour.
Also, most dealers now offer discounts for cars over 3 years old. I can get £100 of a service on my 2004 (nearly 2005) E class so there should be something they can do for you.

Jberks,

Interested to hear what you say about service. I asked MB in Plymouth about my forthcoming A service and was told £275.00. When I asked if that was a set figure I was told yes and no movement. Mines a July 04 C class.

 

[Topboy]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this and need to know if anyone has had any similar experiences.

The offside front bi xenon went out on my 53 plate C270 CDI Estate. As it was booked in for a service with a MB dealer I let them take a look at it.

They identified one of the two igniters had failed and had also blown the bulb. The bulb replacement is £90 and depending on which of the igniters had failed either £300 or £400 approx to replace.

It turned out it was the lower cost one. However, the bulb plus the igniter plus the labour will come in around £500 (I haven't got the invoice yet).

Due to the age of the car and mileage (92k) MB don't want to know about any discount.

Bi xenons are great and I wouldn't have a car without them now. Has anyone had similar experiences? Did MB discount the parts? Can anyone tell me of alternative suppliers as the nearside could soon fail?

Rob,

I've got the same car, but an 04 model and my headlights are causing me problems.

I was quoted three hours labour (working out at just under £300.00 ex VAT) for changing a wiring loom that MB THINK might be the cause of my headlamp problem. My local garage has identified it as (excuse my ignorance!) a small piece that boosts the voltage from 12v to 110v to light the Zenon headlight. It is currently in the garage now.

MB told me that to change the headlight the bumper had to come off and made it seem like a bigger job than changing an engine! Three hours? Have a word with yourself!

 

[jberks]

Jberks,

Interested to hear what you say about service. I asked MB in Plymouth about my forthcoming A service and was told £275.00. When I asked if that was a set figure I was told yes and no movement. Mines a July 04 C class.

Ring a few other dealers. Lots are no offering discounts as they are losing customers in droves for the indies. My local BMW dealer has a banner up outside offering up to 50% off for older cars and as I say there are signs up at my local MB dealership (owned by Stratstone) with special prices (top of my head calculation was roughly 25-30% off) for cars over 3 years old. So if your dealer is being obstonate, try another.

 

[wireman]

You have just totaly convinced me that QH lamps are for me, @ £3.50 a go I'll stick with them and drive in a manner comensurate with the road conditions in the knowledge that my dipped lamps will not annoy those in front.

 

[Lightstrike2]

just been on line, put in "replacement Led Bulbs" a company who deals in all replacement auto bulbs came up, this included all manner of Bi zenon bulbs, inc complete systems. hope it helps.

 

[star]

When an electronic component fails, you don't usually need to replace it. You just get it repaired. Unfortunately garages aren't interested in such things, and would rather just sell you a new one.

The trouble is, us garages are caught between a rock and a hard place. Some components are not repairable or cannot be repaired in the time scale given, also if the repair fails, we are in the wrong as its not been fixed 1st time and the labour cost is then lost. The labour to repair can sometimes cost more than a new unit. There are lots of variables to determine whether to repair or not. Where possible we will repair given the above.

 

[Miffy]

just been on line, put in "replacement Led Bulbs" a company who deals in all replacement auto bulbs came up, this included all manner of Bi zenon bulbs, inc complete systems. hope it helps.

wow, a thread revived from four, yes 4 years ago

 

[star]

yep, never read date.

 

[television]

We had one yesterday from 4 years back, I wonder if all of us that were posting then would give the same answers today