Tired of High Dealer Service\Repair Costs

[steveperry]

Thanks Andy,

By the way, if your interested the prices for potential extra stuff they (MB) quoted are:

Change fuel & air filters - £73
Change spark plugs - £48
Change engine coolant - £41
Change brake pads - £25

All the above are for parts & fitting but exclude VAT.

Thanks again Andy

S.

 

[fuzzer]

£ 41 for sparkplugs ?

Is that for the C240 ? i throiught it was 1.5 hours labor , that must be at least about £140

ohh , the other favourite thry sting you for is brake fluid , £20 or somthing like that.

 

[Andy]

Hi Steve

Something is not right. The brake pads for your model are £42.00 for the parts alone.

The figues quoted can only be labour costs!!?!?!?!? Any chance of clarification.

Regards
Andy

 

[Hopin]

I take mine to Mainly Mercs.( awful name but first class service )  They are two top mechanics who left Lancasters about a year ago. Rock bottom prices and first class service. Colchester 01206 792 295. And they give plenty of free advice over the phone.

 

[steveperry]

Andy,

I'll pop past them tomorrow and ask for confirmation on those prices. I gave them my model and year of car and told them mileage and those were the figures that they quoted me.

S.

 

[Matt Crooke]

£41 for changing the engine coolant????!!!!
What planet are these people on?

Next you will be telling me its £15 to re-fill the washer bottle.!!!

 

[steveperry]

Andy,

as usual you are correct

Confirmed prices of my local MB franchised stealership from someone who sounded like they knew what they were talking about, all ex-vat:

- A Service - £116.10 (parts+labour)
- B Service - £256.16 (parts+labour)
- Replace fuel & air filters - £85.21 (parts+labour) Rec. every 4 years
- Replace brake fluid - £27.21 Rec. every 2 years
- Replace engine coolant - £47.31 Rec. every 3 years
- Replace spark-plugs - £179.58 [(12x£4.90)+(2.2hrs@£54.90/hr)]

Well I took me car in for the service today and all it cost me was the basic A service price. Their engineer said the car currently didn't need anything else changed but did recommend the following be performed on the next service: change the front break pads and discs (wtf ??? I'm not convinced myself), change brake fluid, change coolant, replace fuel filter and air filter.

What'd'ya reckon Andy? typical stealership prices? And how can they tell my front brake discs need changing in 10k miles or so but are not bad enough to require changing immediately.

Still, it was a pleasant suprise today to be only stung for 130 ish quid

S.

(Edited by steveperry at 7:33 pm on April 17, 2002)

 

[Andy]

Hi Steve.

Im glad I am right otherwise I would have problems with my customers.

As for your brakes the technician can look at the brakes and check for wear and also check what sort of wear (lip) is on the brake discs. In my experience the front discs will have worn below the minimum limit with 36-40k. If the pads are ok. Then we normally leave them till they have worn out then replace both at the same time. Subject to the customers approval.

I'll have to check the times on them V6 plugs. Seems I may be underselling my self.

Regards

Andy @ www.mercedesservcing.com

 

[steveperry]

Andy,

Thanks again for the enlightenment

S.

 

[DaveT]

Just a quick plug for another good independent- www.burtonmotorworkshop.co.uk in Burton on Trent. Sound, friendly folks with realistic prices: £60+vat for oil service and £170+ for main. Fixed my climate problem (luckily no big deal) for the price of an a/c service (£60+). BMW and Merc trained. I like 'em anyway.

DaveT
(cool) 1996 C250TD

 

[Rosie]

Good to see that there are good independent places to get your car serviced and sorted out.  Can anyone recommend one in the Swindon or Reading areas as I've just bought a Mercedes for the first time.

 

[Rosie]

Good to see that there are good independent places to get your car serviced and sorted out.  Can anyone recommend one in the Swindon or Reading areas as I've just bought a Mercedes for the first time.

 

[Rosie]

Good to see that there are good independent places to get your car serviced and sorted out.  Can anyone recommend one in the Swindon or Reading areas as I've just bought a Mercedes for the first time.