Service Cost, "B" service at 40k miles

[grpar]

Just been quoted £750 for a 40k mile "B" service on a 54-plate C180. That's with a London MB dealer.

Sounds expensive to me ... or is it reasonable ? Grateful for thoughts.

 

[7years]

£414 from us here in Nottingham, BUT at 40k/4 years you could be looking at additional items i.e. plugs, brake fluid change, pollen filter, air fliter, fuel filter....

 

[Rory]

Yep - there's a pretty standard price of around £450 for a B service, but look in your service book at all the additional work required at 4yrs/40K.

Did you give the dealer the VIN or reg number and the mileage? If so, they pump it into an Electronic Service Sheet system and that tells them exactly what needs doing.

If they just quoted that price, then ask them for a breakdown of what it includes.

As well as the things mentioned in the post above, the car might need an ATF change - and that's probably the best part of a couple of hundred on its own.

 

[jp williams]

MB Chester quoted me £619 for a B service at 98,000 miles inc of all oils,filters inc brake fluid.They said that includes a 20% discount for age(car,not me!)
MB Tech of Warrington want £280 exc of brake fluid.
Seems that the indies have it!

JP

 

[7years]

MB Chester quoted me £619 for a B service at 98,000 miles inc of all oils,filters inc brake fluid.They said that includes a 20% discount for age(car,not me!)
MB Tech of Warrington want £280 exc of brake fluid.
Seems that the indies have it!JP

BUT you can always ask the indies what they actually do for the extremely cheap price, if it is comparative, then go back to your main dealer and ask the same questions, and then see if they will get anywhere near the price...

Don't forget that going to an indie cancels your Mobilolife policy......

 

[grpar]

Well I did politely ask MB what the cost included.

The basic service is £390 and includes a 10% discount on parts and 20% discount on labour because the car is older than 3 years.

The rest of the quote that doubles the cost up to £798 (their new quote) is the ATF change, brake fluid change, and a spark plug change.

I now see why indies are so popular for older MB's .....

 

[amwebby]

As those fluid and spark plug changes are not part of the service I'd have the basic service done at MB. Ask the independent to quote you for those other items and then have them done wherever is cheaper.

 

[Rory]

As those fluid and spark plug changes are not part of the service I'd have the basic service done at MB. Ask the independent to quote you for those other items and then have them done wherever is cheaper.

That might work - it's an oft suggested plan - but the dealer could refuse to stamp the book as the car wouldn't have been serviced according to MB's recommendations.

Does the car definitely need an ATF change - that'll be something like £200-£250 of the cost.
I have a 54plate (built Oct 04) C270CDI and the dealer gleefully said it needed an ATF change. Then when I told them it was on ServicePlus they suddenly found that the requirement to change started just after my car was built, so it didn't need it after all.

Of course, if I'd been a cash paying customer, I have no doubt it would have been essential to change it.

 

[amwebby]

That might work - it's an oft suggested plan - but the dealer could refuse to stamp the book as the car wouldn't have been serviced according to MB's recommendations.

True but I don't see how they know these need to be done before it's gone in for a service. My dealer came up with something like this last service and I just told him I'd do it later as it wasn't showing as "must be done now", and they agreed and stamped the service book.

 

[BlackC55]

That might work - it's an oft suggested plan - but the dealer could refuse to stamp the book as the car wouldn't have been serviced according to MB's recommendations.

Does the car definitely need an ATF change - that'll be something like £200-£250 of the cost.
I have a 54plate (built Oct 04) C270CDI and the dealer gleefully said it needed an ATF change. Then when I told them it was on ServicePlus they suddenly found that the requirement to change started just after my car was built, so it didn't need it after all.

Of course, if I'd been a cash paying customer, I have no doubt it would have been essential to change it.

It is a new policy that ths is going to happen.

 

[jberks]

That might work - it's an oft suggested plan - but the dealer could refuse to stamp the book as the car wouldn't have been serviced according to MB's recommendations.

I don't think they can refuse to stamp the book as these things are classed as extras. I initially turned down the Gbox oil change on mine and they didn't argue.

 

[Rory]

True but I don't see how they know these need to be done before it's gone in for a service. My dealer came up with something like this last service and I just told him I'd do it later as it wasn't showing as "must be done now", and they agreed and stamped the service book.

I mentioned earlier - when you take the car in, they pump its VIN number and mileage into a system which produces an ESS - Electronic Service Sheet.

It prints out a list of work and tick boxes to tell the mechanic what to do. It also lists recalls and TSB's that are outstanding on the car.

The schedule changes from time to time - ATF change is a new thing, for example - and the ESS shows the latest version of the service work required.

 

[Rory]

I don't think they can refuse to stamp the book as these things are classed as extras. I initially turned down the Gbox oil change on mine and they didn't argue.

I don't know if they'd refuse - when my car had its first service (before I had ServicePlus) it was booked in for an A service but flipped to a B just before I took it in. I asked them to just do an A service which they did without query, saying ASSYST was only a guide anyway.

Trouble is, if they refuse to stamp the book then you're a bit stuck. Instead of "extra", try "additional" work - it's still service work, it's just that it's carried out at less frequent intervals than the basic services. So if you refuse the additional work then the car hasn't been serviced in accordance with MB requirements, and the dealer could quite reasonably (although annoyingly) refuse to stamp the book on the basis that the service hadn't been completed.

 

[paul c]

Fair price

I have been quoted £280 for a basic B sevice on my 2001 c240 this included age related discount but not extras even so i think this is a fair priceThis is main dealer.

 

[grpar]

That might work - it's an oft suggested plan - but the dealer could refuse to stamp the book as the car wouldn't have been serviced according to MB's recommendations.

Does the car definitely need an ATF change - that'll be something like £200-£250 of the cost.
I have a 54plate (built Oct 04) C270CDI and the dealer gleefully said it needed an ATF change. Then when I told them it was on ServicePlus they suddenly found that the requirement to change started just after my car was built, so it didn't need it after all.

Of course, if I'd been a cash paying customer, I have no doubt it would have been essential to change it.

Thanks Rory,
Mine was registered Sept 2004 and was a post-facelift model (like yours). I gave the dealer the registration when I booked it in, which then prompted the £800 quote, so I guess it does need all the extras doing such as the ATF change. Will check when I drop it off though. Still a bit of an "ouch" though, after the £760 last year for the brakes. Hope it won't be £800 every year.

 

[Seeker_UK]

I'm surprised any car built after the mid 90s has an ATF change in the service schedule - most manufacturers claimed they were sealed for life.



Although we all know different...................

 

[Rory]

Mine was registered Sept 2004 and was a post-facelift model (like yours). I gave the dealer the registration when I booked it in, which then prompted the £800 quote, so I guess it does need all the extras doing such as the ATF change. Will check when I drop it off though.

If it turns out it does need the ATF change (it comes up on the ESS) then I'd be very keen to know your cars VIN number, if you wouldn't mind PMing it to me?

I have a feeling that as my car is on ServicePlus the dealer only does the minimum necessary work.

 

[7years]

Trans fluid and filter change IS needed at certain invervals (on a Friday evening, I can't remember what they are).

If the ESS advised (additional) work is NOT carried out, then the car is NOT serviced according to MB, and the service book will not be stamped.

Brake fluid changes are the same, they must be done as and when specified.

You have bought the best, why not keep it how it should be kept.....????


:wink:

 

[Rory]

Trans fluid and filter change IS needed at certain invervals (on a Friday evening, I can't remember what they are).

Changing it is considered to be a good idea, but, until recently, MB's official line was that the boxes were sealed for life.
They then changed the schedule to call for a one-off change at 4yrs / 37,500 miles, whichever is first.

When I took my car in for service, I was told it would need changing, but when I collected was told that the requirement to change it started a few thousand VIN numbers after my car was built. As it wasn't called for, then ServicePlus wouldn't pay for it.


I have mixed feeling about changing it - my car only really does long steady motorway runs, and sometimes these things are best left alone. What I'm really miffed about is that before I took out ServicePlus I was regaled with lists of work that would need doing, yet in fact it turns out that in reality the car needs very little servicing! Of course, if I were paying cash, then I'm convinced it would be a different story.

 

[grpar]

Hi Rory

The service is booked in for 21st July (a few weeks yet), but I'll let you know what happened once it's all been done. I'll try and PM you, but if I muck it up I'll just reply on this thread. Regards.