Help needed with my first MB service

[Shaztastic]

I've owned an SLK350 (54 reg) for about 18 months now and it has just informed me that it is due for a service B (approx 28,000 miles on the clock). I do very low mileage (only about 3000 a year).

I've rung a couple of main dealers in my area and they are quoting £330 for the service plus another £300 for extras that are apparently needed due to the age/mileage (pollen filter, air filter, spark plugs and brake fluid).

Does this sound reasonable? Does anyone know if I need to get all/some of these extras done to keep the mobilolife cover going?

Also, can anyone recommend good independent garages in the Reading area that are MB specialists so I can compare their quotes.

Thanks

 

[Cole@MBS]

That only matters if you want to keep the mobile life, if you do then you have to pay the dealers prices,

If not give us a call!

 

[SQ_W211]

Thats too much. you can get the same service done by one of the specialist guys for far cheaper price and maybe even better service. B service should be around £400-500 odd i think from a specialist with all the work included.

Specially with RAC/AA stepping up their service, who need Mobil life?

 

[hawk20]

Thats too much. you can get the same service done by one of the specialist guys for far cheaper price and maybe even better service. B service should be around £400-500 odd i think from a specialist with all the work included.

Specially with RAC/AA stepping up their service, who need Mobil life?

I do. The AA charge £150 for full cover for man and wife and then still want another £100 to cover any trips to Europe. With MobiloLife that all comes free. And a thirty year rust guarantee. Great value. Worth more than the whole labour charge in an A service (1 hour's labour).

 

[SQ_W211]

obviously you favour it due to your personal requirements (euro cover). Most people like myself are only after UK cover which is £80 (do they charge £150 for joint cover, I think its £120 or so when i checked last in Jan 2009) for just me and that in my eye is alot cheaper than getting shafted by Merc every year for £500 odd.

 

[Blobcat]

You could get an inde to do the extra work and just have the service done by the dealer. The dealers don't like this for some strange reason and when I spoke with my new dealer they were saying they would refuse to stamp the service book. If you do go down this option then have the additional work done first and show the paperwork to the dealer that it has been done theycan't really do anything about it.
You should find as well that if you go back to the dealer with prices from an independent that they suddenly find some discount for you. If you are a paid up member of the MBOA (owners of this site) then you are entitled to discount at most dealers in the UK.

 

[hawk20]

obviously you favour it due to your personal requirements (euro cover). Most people like myself are only after UK cover which is £80 (do they charge £150 for joint cover, I think its £120 or so when i checked last in Jan 2009) for just me and that in my eye is alot cheaper than getting shafted by Merc every year for £500 odd.

We don't have that problem at Southampton. It is fixed prices for services -about £210 for an A service and £320 for a B service. So even if I wanted Mobilo in UK only that would still be good value. Costs a bit over 2p per mile. Small beer really.

 

[SQ_W211]

Thats really very good price but the problem only arises when you book in for service and they find many other minor things which NEED to be done as well and make the bill very very huge. I am from west london and booked my for service in Brentford MB and they charged me £520 for A service plus just the rear brake discs and pads. when i only paid £120 for front brakes fitted by my local Indie.

I guess dealers are easy going near you and dont over charge so cant really complain. In my Case, my old mechanic is working as Merc mobile mechanic so he does the trick for me on those tricky faults. Plus i just pay £80/year for AA which keeps my mind at ease for that raining Sunday.

Also i guess it depends on how old the car is as if it is 8 year old like mine then it doesnt make sense to spend stupid amount for labour charges when i can get the same work done alot cheaper

 

[bigasotonuk]

As Blobcat says Get the extras done by a VAT registered garage (i think they are listed in the service book) and produce a VAT reciept of having them done, then they cannot refuse to stamp the history, there is room for labour negotiation as some dealers offer up to 40% labour discount for older models, so with bargaining i can,t see the negotiations would be to hard to get that. You could always supply your own oil IIRC correctly you could save a further £35 approx.

 

[SQ_W211]

Andy,

I have tired the tactic of haggling. It only really got me £20 off from the dealer. having said that, i booked in over the phone and it may have worked out a lil cheaper in person.

I have already lost my mobil life as i have had the car serviced from indie twice now.

 

[Rory]

Costs a bit over 2p per mile. Small beer really.

..but the op is only doing 3000 miles per year, so a £600+ service (and we all know that he'll get a call while the car is in and be told the pads and disks could do with changing, and the ATF should be changed etc etc) is over 20p a mile. Not good value.

I do. The AA charge £150 for full cover for man and wife and then still want another £100 to cover any trips to Europe. With MobiloLife that all comes free. And a thirty year rust guarantee. Great value.

It's great value if you want the extreme cover and you intend to travel around Europe. Otherwise it's not.

The 30 year rust guarantee is extremely restricted (most corrosion problems in Mercs are surface, not perforating) and anyway 30 years cover is only useful if you intend to keep the car for 30 years.

Also, Mobilo isn't the be all and end all. We've seen good and bad reports, and the cover for things like flat tyres (in my view critical these days, particularly if a woman is using the car) is very unclear. You don't get that with AA or RAC - call 'em up and they come out. Many people have alternative cover from bank accounts, credit cards etc these days anyway, and many insurance companies offer it as an option. You can buy basic cover for a car for around £30.

 

[Rory]

Also, can anyone recommend good independent garages in the Reading area that are MB specialists so I can compare their quotes.

Thanks

Not my area but I did a search and Star Motors came up a couple of times, and the below post also mention John Griffiths:

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showpost.php?p=291469&postcount=3

For an MB dealer, the prices you've been given aren't too bad. It's a bit naughty to separate out the pollen filter as that's part of the B service, but then they dropped the price of the B service to compensate. I think the spark plug change on your car is a chunky job.

 

[hawk20]

I have already lost my mobil life as i have had the car serviced from indie twice now.

That can be a problem. Depends on age of car whether you can reinstate by going back to dealer servicing: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=45278