W211 E320 CDI Service C Costs

[television]

For example, some 7 speed boxes gave jerky changes when slowing down, often only under 30-40 mph. But many did not have that fault. If the customer told the dealer, it was updated at the next service - or if it was picked up when being road-tested.

And look at how many could not get that 7G box to perform correctly, we have had dozens of post on this and they never got solved, some even sold their cars over this problem, and all of those people thought that they had bought a decent car

 

[hawk20]

That info is around, any good indie can get the info and probably does not charge for it anyway

Well as from next year all of the info will be online to anyone indie or otherwise that. subscribes to STAR and the car can be plugged in on line.

How come we are flooded with dealer complaints, and we do not get any indie complaints other than the odd one

I think we can safely agree to disagree on this one. Enough to say that you think the 'information is around' (whatever that means) and I think it is given to dealers and not to indies.

Secondly you think indies will get the info next year if they subscribe to STAR and plug in on line. First it hasn't happened yet and second I think many won't subscribe. And even if they do they will not be supplied with free parts, nor have their labour paid for to do the numerous updates and service campaigns which MB offer free via their main dealers.

 

[television]

I think we can safely agree to disagree on this one. Enough to say that you think the 'information is around' (whatever that means) and I think it is given to dealers and not to indies.

Secondly you think indies will get the info next year if they subscribe to STAR and plug in on line. First it hasn't happened yet and second I think many won't subscribe. And even if they do they will not be supplied with free parts, nor have their labour paid for to do the numerous updates and service campaigns which MB offer free via their main dealers.

Information around = its called a grapevine, the indies that I know well have all got good contacts within the MB net work.

The online bit is up and running and has been for some time

Updates take on average a few seconds once plugged in and many indies do not charge for it.

OK let us agree to disagree

 

[hawk20]

And look at how many could not get that 7G box to perform correctly, we have had dozens of post on this and they never got solved, some even sold their cars over this problem, and all of those people thought that they had bought a decent car

This is now a separate point. You are saying some faults may not be cured even with updates. And I agree. Of course that happens.

But that surely does not detract from my point that many faults do get put right with updates and service campaigns and you won't get them, in general, unless you go to a dealer.

BTW on the 7 speed box, in my experience there were still problems at least 18 months after it came out. But eventually these were cured by the updates. Are there still problems now on recent production?

One guy I know was planning some major work on the gearbox with his indie, until I told him about the free software updates and that cured his problems completely.

 

[hawk20]

Information around = its called a grapevine, the indies that I know well have all got good contacts within the MB net work.

The online bit is up and running and has been for some time

Updates take on average a few seconds once plugged in and many indies do not charge for it.

OK let us agree to disagree

Yes but I hope many will read that link I gave on updates to the S class and they will see many, many are not just simple plug-ins.

Perhaps we could agree that on relatively new cars (say up to 4 years old), people should check that their 'indie' does have access to all MB updates and service campaigns and that they will do them for free!!!!

Secondly always check that they have STAR. Not all do.

 

[television]

Many 7g boxes were not cured even after several updates, but again how good was the guy doing the updates, even with the dealer some are not good with using STAR.

The new ones are OK for the best part,just the odd one still. and this box has been added to a wider range of cars now, the last new R class with this box that I rode in was very nice regards the box

 

[Rory]

That is incorrect. Many of the updates are done by the dealer when the car next comes in for service. Read the list carefully and you can see that.

I did read through the thread. Many of the bulletins say "if necessary". Often they're (quite literally in one case) just a matter of putting sticky tape on something.

This is a post from that thread, from someone with an S550 4Matic -
"Just got my car back after the A service @ 13K. There is no such Navigation update update available. When I turned the car in the service rep went on-line with Net-star and checked for any recalls/update for my VIN and nothing came up."


So, just like in the UK, the one thing he actually does want fixing can't be fixed!

Also (just to be provocative) he notes the service cost $210 inc parts.

 

[st4]

You and I can only speak as we find.

But you ignore my main point. The MB approved used warranty requires you to use MB servicing.

So may the finance deal if you have one.

And you must distinguish between the basic service costs (which are a very small part of the costs of running a car) when asking for quotes, and other jobs which may need doing but which are not part of the basic service.

It does, I read my HP through and thats a 3rd party one with capital bank. A PCP will almost certainly will but a lot of cars that are bought on PCPs are brand new and dealer service is really with the way for them anyway. Remember a PCP, HP is a "conditional sale" agreement which means the car is not sold to you until you've paid back all the monies due. The car is finance companies and as such they can stipulate ANYTHING they want in the agreement regarding its maintenance. Bear in mind that if you drive without insurance and the car is on finance the police automatically return the car to the finance company as its deemed an automatic cancellation of the agreement to drive the vehicle without insurance.

However I am about to settle the finance and will go down the "indie" route as all the recalls are done. The OPs car was a I6 E320cdi, there won't be any recalls now needed on that car, they'll have been done in previous dealer services. The additional value of the dealer stamp won't offset the extra costs incurred, hence the indie route being cheaper, and they'll have seen heaps of I6 320cdi's before.

 

[hawk20]

I did read through the thread. Many of the bulletins say "if necessary". Often they're (quite literally in one case) just a matter of putting sticky tape on something.

Yes. And many more don't say "if necessary". They get done free when you go in for service at an MB dealer. And not if you don't.

Very few are just a matter of a bit of tape. I hope nobody will ever ask you to give evidence in a case I care about.

 

[RensterUK]

Update on the original post:

Went into MB in Swindon last night. They trawled their computer system, and spent some time utterly confused as to the service history of the car, and what it needed. Turns out that so far it has had *2* minor services - one done as part of the previous owner's ownership, the 2nd done as part of MB trying to sell the used car. I personally thought that it was always a case of alternate minor/major services, but there you go!

Anyway, what really caused confusion is that the car STILL only needs a minor service (plus extras of course), including the rather expensive gearbox oil/filter change. On that front, MB Swindon agreed with me, that given that it was due at 37500 miles, and I bought the car from MB Bristol at 33500 miles, it could/should have been done by them.

I spoke to MB Bristol (used sales rep that we dealt with originally) - he said had it been 3000 miles difference it would have been done - but he's going to pull the file out and see what it says and what they can do to help.

I'm not holding my breath - this is the dealership whose service department wouldn't even help resolve the issue of a lost towing eye after my car was delivered to them on a flatbed after dumping me on the M4....

 

[Rory]

It really should not be this difficult.

You're right, the services should alternate minor/major. The dealer should have done a major service. Has it ever had its brake fluid changed? The intervals are pretty long - 2nd service at 33,500 miles is a long time for an E Class. What mileage was the first done at? My C Class would easily do that, but E Class intervals seem to generally come up a lot shorter.

And MB Swindon are just stirring (or being stupid). It's well understood that the Approved Used scheme assures new owners that the car won't need servicing for 3000miles or 3 mths, whichever is first.

(Did any service advisories or bulletins come up when they printed out the Electronic Service Sheet?)

 

[RensterUK]

Brake fluid was done at the 33500 service.

Don't have the book with me right now, but I *think* the previous service was 16k-and-a-bit(!). I believe the E-class average interval is around the 15k mark? If so, both previous services have gone a bit longer (I know the log shows the 16k service was about 1k overdue) - and with assyst of course, maybe the previous owner was a bit more gentle with the car than I tend to be ;-)

MB Bristol on the phone last night did explain the 3k / 3month rule of the AU scheme. And I can understand and accept that for most "common" service items such as brake fluid changes etc - but what frustrates me is that the gearbox oil/filter change is pretty much a one-off (apparently next due in about another 100,000 miles!), and this particular car only just fell outside of the 3000 miles for this rather expensive service item.

I guess I'm just hoping for some sort of "gesture of good will" - having spent just shy of 25k on the car (inc Brabus chip), I'd like to think a few quid on some oil and a filter (I figure in terms of good will gestures, you can omit the labour cost to them) wouldn't be that bitter a pill for them to swallow.

When you ask about the SA's or bulletins - I assume you mean at Bristol when they serviced it before we bought it - and the answer to that is I don't know. The used sales rep is pulling the file out today apparently, and should get back to me later (probably to tell me they won't help)

 

[RensterUK]

Actually, thinking about the 3k / 3month rule....

Back when I bought the car, I was doing silly miles every month (probably in excess of 2k). On that basis, 3 months after I bought the car, it would have been on about 39500 - 2k over the recommended mileage for the box oil/filter change.

Reckon I could argue that with them?!? ;-)

 

[hawk20]

Actually, thinking about the 3k / 3month rule....

Back when I bought the car, I was doing silly miles every month (probably in excess of 2k). On that basis, 3 months after I bought the car, it would have been on about 39500 - 2k over the recommended mileage for the box oil/filter change.

Reckon I could argue that with them?!? ;-)

This is crazy. Life faces us with loads of rules. Sometimes we fall one side of the line; sometimes on the other. Tough luck. You fall just outside the rules. If, despite this, the dealer kindly offers to make some contribution, say thanks and accept it, blessing your good fortune. If not, accept the fact and move on.

 

[RensterUK]

Hawk,

I guess you hadn't noticed the winking smiley in my post, and as such, the tongue-in-cheek nature of the post.

Also, I'll apologise now if you find my use of this forum to try establish the truth as to my car's service needs, and to save money where possible either offensive, or just plain uninteresting.

Alternatively, please feel free to unsubscribe from the thread.

 

[Rory]

When you ask about the SA's or bulletins - I assume you mean at Bristol when they serviced it before we bought it - and the answer to that is I don't know. The used sales rep is pulling the file out today apparently, and should get back to me later (probably to tell me they won't help)

I meant when you were at Swindon. They load the car's VIN and mileage into a system that produces an ESS - Electronic Service Sheet - and that will also list any SA's, recalls etc that need to be done. Chances are there aren't any.

Just unfortunate timing on the ATF change - you get 3000 miles or 3 mths whichever is first, so you quickly used up the mileage buffer. maybe if you were back at Bristol they would help out, but no reason for Swindon to do that.

The ATF change thing is quite a recent addition - MB used to say the boxes were sealed for life. It's a one-off change, there's no 100K or whatever change mandated. My car is on the now defunct MB ServicePlus but they wouldn't change my ATF (unless I paid for it myself) as the requirement to change was only applied to cars built a few weeks after mine.

 

[RensterUK]

Interesting Rory,

As you say, I very quickly used up the 3000 miles - and on that basis, if Bristol are still willing to honour it on that basis, Im happy for Swindon to do the rest of the service, and then take the car to Bristol (give's my other half an excuse to go shopping!) while they change the box oil/filter.

From what I can tell from http://lite.servicemercedes.co.uk/pc/pc_start.asp - the box oil/filter change is a "Service 20" in terms of the service operations, but since it's not automatically part of a major or minor service, I wonder if the 3 month / 3000 miles will still apply.

There is as they say, only one way to find out.

Oh, and amidst all the confusion, I don't *think* any SA's etc were flagged up - just a minor service, with the usual filter changes etc that are standard for a car of the age/mileage that mine is.

Cheers again!

 

[RensterUK]

Erm, I mean, the Service 20 easily became due within the 3 months, not the 3000 miles! Confusing myself now!

 

[Rory]

Interesting Rory,

As you say, I very quickly used up the 3000 miles - and on that basis, if Bristol are still willing to honour it on that basis, Im happy for Swindon to do the rest of the service, and then take the car to Bristol (give's my other half an excuse to go shopping!) while they change the box oil/filter.

You get whichever comes first, so you did 3000 miles quickly and that's the end of the matter - the 3mths becomes irrelevant.

You can ask/beg/plead/demand or whatever seems appropriate but Bristol have no obligation to you, and the trouble is, if you ask for these things and then you don't get them then you just end up getting upset with everyone! (at least I do).

 

[RensterUK]

Ahh, the "whichever is sooner" factor. I hadn't thought of that!

Oh well.... Thankfully, I have at least now got a definitive list of what's required, and it's not THAT bad really...