Service D prices

[kpruden]

My E270 CDI is up for its D service, just covered 36k miles but 4 and a half years old. Rang up two Benz dealers, lots of teeth sucking went on and the list of things needed doing included all of the filters (oil, pollen, aircon etc..) plus brake fluid and engine plus gearbox oil. Seems the gearbox bit adds a lot to the cost. So the first quote was £1145 inc VAT and the second £950 inc VAT. Normally I would feel pleased with saving £200 but this is almost as much as my M5 cost to have its big service a couple of years ago and I wasnt expecting it to be this large!
As the car is under warranty (and been used a couple of times already) I dont want to risk making it invalid so probably main dealer is the only option.
Any views on the pricing and options?
Cheers

 

[Blobcat]

You can just get the service done at the dealer and have all the other bits done elsewhere. I had an A service recently (it asked for a B however I told them it should be an A and they agreed) and an ATF change. They initially asked for ~£530, I eventually paid them ~£440 so it is worth shopping around. I got my discount for being a paid up member of the MBOA

 

[coxyhog]

When mine comes round to a big service I'm going to get some quotes from Belgium,France etc.A while ago I read of a guy who saved so much it paid for the ferry,hotel & a carload of cheap booze(can't remember make of car).It all depends on the exchange rate of course but business rates & hence servicing rates tend to be much lower over there.

 

[television]

When mine comes round to a big service I'm going to get some quotes from Belgium,France etc.A while ago I read of a guy who saved so much it paid for the ferry,hotel & a carload of cheap booze(can't remember make of car).It all depends on the exchange rate of course but business rates & hence servicing rates tend to be much lower over there.

Ford charge £150 per hour plus tax in Sweden, so do not go too far, Denmark is worse

 

[Blobcat]

I've just been booking airport parking, I notice at Heathrow & Gatwick I can get my car serviced at Mercedes as part of the parking. I hate to think how much that would cost...

 

[television]

I've just been booking airport parking, I notice at Heathrow & Gatwick I can get my car serviced at Mercedes as part of the parking. I hate to think how much that would cost...

Why not park it with MB and have it serviced, then ring to say that you are ill and cant pick it up for 10 weeks, the duration of your holiday

 

[Blobcat]

Why not park it with MB and have it serviced, then ring to say that you are ill and cant pick it up for 10 weeks, the duration of your holiday

Having looked at the prices quoted to our SE members for servicing at MB it would probably be cheaper to buy a new car

 

[st4]

Why not park it with MB and have it serviced, then ring to say that you are ill and cant pick it up for 10 weeks, the duration of your holiday

A sterling suggestion.

 

[NewMB]

Ford charge £150 per hour plus tax in Sweden, so do not go too far, Denmark is worse

Pure b****y robbery!

 

[coxyhog]

Ford charge £150 per hour plus tax in Sweden, so do not go too far, Denmark is worse

Everything seems expensive in Sweden.The only part of Denmark I've seen is Copenhagen & that seems a lot more expensive than Sweden.

 

[television]

Everything seems expensive in Sweden.The only part of Denmark I've seen is Copenhagen & that seems a lot more expensive than Sweden.

Its hard as a tourist to get a true picture, having lived there its much the same as here unless you like your drink.

Yes owing to the exchange rate Denmark is more expensive.

 

[dava]

Why not look at supplying your own parts, I did while mine was under warranty. Mobil one £23.50 for 4ltrs, MB £18.00 per litre, oil filter £6.00 MB£15.00 ish. As long as you use MB genuine parts and keep the reciepts as proof you will have no problem. And as ever negoitate! They are DESPRATE for work!

Shy bairns get nowt!

 

[Rory]

Seems the gearbox bit adds a lot to the cost.

It's remotely possible that yours is different, but I have a C270CDi with is just 4yrs old (Oct 04) and is on ServicePlus. The dealer wouldn't do a gearbox oil change on my car under ServicePlus, despite gleefully telling me it needed one when I booked it in.

Turns out the requirement to change the ATF started very slightly later than my car build date so as my VIN number didn't call for it on the ESS (Electronic Service Sheet) they wouldn't do it.

I'm quite certain that if I'd been a cash paying customer then they'd not have told me this.

If you're thinking of keeping the car for some time then it's worth getting it done though.

 

[Dosco]

Looking for business

so they are - Mercedes dealers that is.

Just had a letter from my nearest dealer noting that I don't seem to have 'visited' them for over a year that is indeed true and as a "Welcome Back" they will do a special rate for an A service on my E-Class "from only £199.99"

Not sure what the "From Only" really means though They go on to say that I may have been tempted to have had my car serviced by another MB retailer or even outside the franchised network saying that "these non franchised "low-cost" alternatives often look appealing, but could invalidate my warranty (what warranty? certainly not for rust having been told by the same dealer a couple of years ago to go take a walk)

The letter carries on to tell me in bold print that "if my car is not serviced with an approved MB workshop regularly I will loose the complimentary benefits of MobiloLife" - something that the car did not come with when I bought it in 2001 - according to the salesman anyway!

The letter lists 6 'benefits' by using their service department two of which are: - "Protection of your MB anti-perforation warranty" and "Full 2 year parts warranty"

Well my boot lid is rusting along the seams so I wonder what, if anything, they will do about that if I do take them up on their offer

 

[television]

It's remotely possible that yours is different, but I have a C270CDi with is just 4yrs old (Oct 04) and is on ServicePlus. The dealer wouldn't do a gearbox oil change on my car under ServicePlus, despite gleefully telling me it needed one when I booked it in.

Turns out the requirement to change the ATF started very slightly later than my car build date so as my VIN number didn't call for it on the ESS (Electronic Service Sheet) they wouldn't do it.

I'm quite certain that if I'd been a cash paying customer then they'd not have told me this.

If you're thinking of keeping the car for some time then it's worth getting it done though.

Absolutely Rory, the joke was that some years ago that before the car could go onto assist, the gearbox fluid had to be done at 40k miles before they would take it on, though there is no mention of doing it again at 80k

And as Rory says so much smoother after the change

 

[kpruden]

thanks for the inputs, im in Finland at the moment and understand the comments about expensive but Sweden has a higher per capita income than the UK so maybe they are better off than we think.
Anyway back to the car, it does seem that the gearbox is the main culprit, Im going to ring around a couple more to see if I can get a bit of an auction going!

 

[NewMB]

Sweden has a higher per capita income than the UK

Are you sure about that as salaries are alot higher in the UK than in Sweden for the same jobs.

Cars, fuel, spirits, food etc etc all costs less in Sweden than in the UK. VAT is higher however at 25%. So is income tax, postage costs and flowers.

 

[NewMB]

Are you sure about that as salaries are alot higher in the UK than in Sweden for the same jobs.

Cars, fuel, spirits, food etc etc all costs less in Sweden than in the UK. VAT is higher however at 25%. So is income tax, postage costs and flowers.

Take that about the Salaries back. Just looked at the stats and as follows:

#8 Sweden: $25,105.50 per person
#9 United Kingdom: $24,486.70 per person

Luxemburg tops the list followed by Switzerland, Japan, Norway, US, Denmark and Iceland at #7.

 

[coxyhog]

I've been working in Sweden for nearly 2 years now(as a contractor).
The Swedes seem to be on low salaries but make up for it in other ways.
They have really good social services,long holidays & don't seem to work too much overtime,except on so called Red Days,when I think they get quadruple salary.
In every survey I read about happiness & quality of life Denmark & Sweden seem to come out pretty close to the top,so they must be doing something right.
Incidentally the only things I spend money on over there are food,drink & taxi fares,which are all expensive(esp.the cabs).

 

[television]

I've been working in Sweden for nearly 2 years now(as a contractor).
The Swedes seem to be on low salaries but make up for it in other ways.
They have really good social services,long holidays & don't seem to work too much overtime,except on so called Red Days,when I think they get quadruple salary.
In every survey I read about happiness & quality of life Denmark & Sweden seem to come out pretty close to the top,so they must be doing something right.
Incidentally the only things I spend money on over there are food,drink & taxi fares,which are all expensive(esp.the cabs).

Thats right,,I lived there 15 years, the main thing is if you can fix it yourself then you can live cheap, labour is expensive.. you can get a good meal out midday for 70 krona thats £6 20 including coffee and salad.

I may go back one day

Its hard to work out labour rates by statistics as most earn 35k kr per month, and the lowest 25K Kr, and those in the highest range do not get so much more, like they do in the UK