Repair Bill

[wayneC320]

Just checked my car in for a B service at a local indie.

B Service £293
Petrol Filter £105

Front & Rear Brakes discs and pads £472.00

Front Suspension including wishbones £411.00

Problems still outstanding front rear sam malfunctioning. Ignition switch needs replacing, which they tell me they cannot do as the car has to go to MB. Do not know how much this will cost but likely to be a lot at the stealer.

Does anyone know how much i can expect to pay for the new iginition switch installed. Do not know if i will have enough money to put petrol in it to get it home afterwards.

I have had my lot with Merc - will never buy one again.

Please can someone tell me if this sounds right??


Thanks

 

[television]

What is the car

 

[philharve]

What car?

A C320, possibly?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[television]

203 as well

 

[jberks]

I have had my lot with Merc - will never buy one again.
...
Please can someone tell me if this sounds right??

Depressing - but --
Let me guess - a 2001ish C320?

The list and prices quoted don't sound too wide of the mark. You may have been able to shave a bit off, but not that much. Remember you are running a top of the line high performance C class mercedes, not a 1.6 ford or even a C180 so parts, especially brakes and suspension are going to be a bit steeper. I paid a similar amount for brakes on my E240 so it doesn't surprise me, though I was able to have all this done away from the service and had the front/rear done separately so it didn't come in at the same time. I dare say that if you'd asked, they could probably have delayed some of the work and prioritised more, but by the sound of it you didn't ask too many questions. For example, garages look at brakes and ask the question- will they last until the next service, if the answer is no they recommend replacement. This normally means that you have another 6-8,000 miles left in them and can have it done in a few months time instead. Less convenient but a lot easier on the budget.
Sometimes these things do all come at once. Fuel filter for example will probably only come up every few years. the 60k service on my 240 was a nasty one with gearbox oil and filter plus new plugs making it a scary experience but all cars have their nasty mileage - I had to put a £300 cam belt on my Jeep last year (45,000 service) which doubled the bill. It really needed a clutch too but I drew the line at what it needed right now and left other things to later.

2002 wasn't a year that merc is proud of. Quality wasn't great and the 203 wasn't that well put together in that era. It's a shame that for many people, this is your introduction to the brand. As they say, the one rotten apple. Had you bought a facelift 2004 model you'd probably have been declaring your undying love of the marque!

I belive the EI (Electronic ignition) switch is around £400-£500 but don't hold me to that. Probably allow another £100 for fitting but ring a few dealers and get a quote as many offer substantial discounts for older cars so take advantage.

 

[wayneC320]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. In fact the car is a 2000 X the first of the C class i belive.

Is it correct that the EIS can only be replaced by MB.

 

[jberks]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. In fact the car is a 2000 X the first of the C class i belive.

Is it correct that the EIS can only be replaced by MB.

figures - as has been said many times (inc by MB themselves), quality between 1998 and 2004 wasn't what was expected of the marque. They didn't test as they should, did previously or have since, so early 203s tended to be a bit problematic as did early 211s (Es). They've sorted it now and the new 204 (C) is allegedly bullet proof, as are pretty much all post facelift models.
Doesn't help here though.

My indie claimed to have replaced some EIS's but I can't vouch for whether he actually did this or simply did the work and had the dealer code it. It does need specialist computer kit though. However, the lions share of the job will be the part (labout is pretty minimal) so I doubt you're talking about much difference on this job - especially with a decent dealer discount.

 

[eyelight]

figures - as has been said many times (inc by MB themselves), quality between 1998 and 2004 wasn't what was expected of the marque. They didn't test as they should, did previously or have since, so early 203s tended to be a bit problematic as did early 211s (Es).

A friend recently bought a 2001 C230 Coupé, although I had warned her that there might be rust issues etc...

She kept it less then 3 weeks, and in that short time had to pay over £400 to replace the alternator, had constant warning lights coming on about the transmission and also noticed a lot of paintwork problems and rust starting. Traded it for another Audi.

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Hi,
sounds as if your indy is charging stealer prices.
Petrol filter will be £15 fm euro and half an hour to fit!
Find your self a mechanic you can trust............as for the suspension is it an MOT fail ? if not wait
TB

 

[philharve]

Not all bad news

Hi All

Just to contrast the previous example, my C230K, a 2000 Millenium car, had slight rust in the all to familiar issues that were subsequently dealt with under warranty. The battery failed in year 5. The windscreen wiper mechanism 'broke' (year 4) because the wiper gearbox ran dry, a known Mercedes weakness. But apart from that the engine and transmission has been impeccable. Servicing costs are as you would expect from Mercedes but switching to an indie shaved hundreds of my annual bill.

I am unlikely to change this car anytime soon. I've had it just over 3 years now. It's ride is firm, it's engine is muted, it's handling, well, could be better, but there is this feeling - corrosion aside - that this car could give years of reliable, trouble-free service. It's not all bad news if you know what to look out for.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Oh the brakes are a rip off too............bits fm euro parts, 2.5 3.0 hrs max labour and have the fluid changed.
Why do the disc's need replacement? parameters are run out, minimum thickness start asking the right question's...........

 

[verytalldave]

Just got back home after having my 2004 C200K serviced by Oliver at Prestige. It was due a B service and it was a toss-up whether to try and trust an indie or continue with MB servicing. Having read SO many complementary remarks about Ollie, I decided to go down the indie route. And how glad I am. He is brilliant. I totally recommend his services to anybody without any reservation. First class..............
I wont go down the price comparison route as it doesn't provide any real help. Suffice to say bearing in mind the amount of work than needed doing, the final bill was very fair. The same work done by MB would have been A LOT more.
http://www.prestigecarservice.co.uk/

 

[Setanta]

I'm heading down to Oliver this weekend based on the recommendations on here - appears to be a top bloke.

 

[verytalldave]

I'm heading down to Oliver this weekend based on the recommendations on here - appears to be a top bloke.

He is. Not only a nice guy but a damn fine mechanic as well. You wont find better.

 

[television]

I endorse what Dave has said, he is good