Costs associated with S320

[Cardinal Biggles]

I know, I am taking it there for a service in Jan, but he is fully booked to do this job and it's urgent. Don't want to be quoted stupid prices when I take it in tomorrow to a local garage.

I had mine done on my CLS by the main dealer. Although mine (2 x front) were done under warranty. iirc it would have cost me £220 for both sides (always replace in pairs). So Id assume £150-£160 from a decent non MB garage using genuine MB parts. x2 if you are doing all four wheels.

 

[romik]

Thank you for the info.

The more I drive the car listening to the noise the more I doubt it is to do with ball joint. Firstly, it makes the noise no matter if it is left or right wheel that goes over uneven surface. The noise seems to come from underneath my feet area, so doesn't suggest N/S problem. The noise seems to be as if something has come loose, like a little drum roll You can probably tell I am not a mechanic

 

[romik]

I was driving and noticed that suspension got pretty stiff, every bump seemed like a massive pot hole. Then noticed that both buttons that work suspension were lit up, couldn't disable them whilst engine was running. Had to switch engine off and back on to get suspension back to normal. Driving conditions were not any different, yet for some reason computer did that. No malfunction was showing on screen.

 

[romik]

Guys thank you for recommending Alex Crow, been there twice and genuinely happy with Alex's professionalism.

Question: when ignition is turned on I hear some sort of buzzing noise near rear view mirror. Due to technical issues of my PDA I am having to keep ignition key on a lot whilst waiting for a booking, with that noise being there and dash lighting up does it drain battery much?

 

[television]

The buzzing with be the heater fan sensor,it should not buzz but doing no harm, a touch of oil and it should be fine.

Leaving it turned on will flatten the battery quite quickly

 

[romik]

Front suspension gone very squeaky, sounds like old springs. I am miles away from home, should I call breakdown?

 

[SteveX]

I wouldn't have thought so is it's just a squeek? Does it drive ok?

 

[romik]

So far driving fine, no squeak too. Weird

 

[romik]

Got back home Ok, the noise is back though. Massive squeaks when turning left and on uneven surfaces, noise also there when pressing on front end. Will have to call Alex asap :/

 

[C16RKC]

Oh dear... hope it's nothing serious?

Did you get the knocking at the front sorted before, perhaps it's the same issue surfacing again?

 

[romik]

Nearside arm and ball joints being replaced.

 

[romik]

Xenons upgrade

Just wondering how much would it cost to get Xenon lights on a w220 (not at main dealer).

 

[tode]

If I could give a bit of (personal) advice:

You've got yourself a nice car, although not the latest model.
Look after it, keep it clean and well-maintained, but I wouldn't bother adding accessories or doing mods - you won't get your money back at resale, and I don't think your customers will see any difference.
If your business works well, then in say a year or two think about getting a 221 with the options you're thinking about: you'll get them virtually free.

Good luck with the business.

 

[romik]

I appreciate what you have said, thank you. The main reason I was considering to upgrade the lights is to be able to see better at night, I find current bulbs are not bright enough, I do quite a bit of driving in the countryside, obviously not well lit at all.

 

[whitenemesis]

Headlamp units are approx £1k each, not sure what extra you'll need to complete the retro-fit but It's not going to be cheap!

 

[romik]

Ok, too expensive in that case. Thanks!

 

[tode]

What bulbs have you got at the moment?
There are quite a few threads about halogen bulbs on the site.

 

[romik]

What bulbs have you got at the moment?
There are quite a few threads about halogen bulbs on the site.

Just factory Halogen ones.

 

[ThinkPad]

Just factory Halogen ones.

There are ways of doing this a lot cheaper. Search eBay for HID kits. You will need to do your own research regarding the legalities and quality of product. I have done it in the past, for less than £100. Main thing with these is that you will need to ensure the beam patten is not out, so that it blinds other drivers, which of course is dangerous.

 

[romik]

That's what I was thinking of actually. Will look into it.