£318 for an A service. E220D? Other options?

[sam3003]

Hi there,
I was quoted £318 by MB for an A service for my E220d car.
A friend of mine got his car serviced at a local garage for £150
So, I called two garages and one quoted me £90 only for A service (I had some good experiences with him when I took my other cars for repairs and service and MOT at his) and £40 for MOT
Another garage quoted of £120.
My questions:
1- Do it make any difference provided the parts are geniune?
2- Will MB refuse to sell me their MB warranty if the service and MOT were not done at a MB dealer? My 1 year approved used MB warranty is about to expire.

I used to do all the MOTs and services at MB when I had my C220 and I felt that I could have saved a lot of money because I eventaully part exchaged it with MB and they did not even check the car [with the engine light on] when they took it.

Any help would be appreciaed.

 

[AP211]

An A service is essentially an oil and oil filter change alongside basic inspections (fluid levels, tire pressure etc). Nothing complex at all. I can't speak on your second question but I'd save your money and DIY it/go to the Indy.

 

[W1ghty]

Is Mobilio breakdown cover important to you . You will lose it if you don’t go MB service .

 

[markjay]

If you intend to have the car serviced at an MB dealer for the longer term, then a Service Plan is your best bet, keeping in mind that an A Service with no additional items is the cheapest service the car will have... all subsequent services will be considerably more expensive without a Service Plan. The best time to start a Service Plan will be from the next service after the current A Service (which will be a B Service with some additional items).

Alternatively, as others said, find a trusted independent specialist that has access to the MB Digital Service Book (DSB) and can update the Digital Service Record (DSR) after each service. But in this case, obtain confirmation (in writing) from your dealer that this will not invalidate the extended warranty that you are planning to purchase - keeping in mind that the T&C for new car warranty, for Approved Used warranty, and for extended warranty, are all very different, so you need to have an answer specific to the type of warranty that you intend to purchase.

 

[sam3003]

Update: I called a specialised MB independant garage and I was quoted £195 for A service. When I questioned them if they were an authorised Mercedes-Benz Retailer, they reply was : "
Unfortunately we are not an authorized garage we are an independant garage." but they did confirm that they have access to MB Digital Service Book (DSB), so I am hopeful this will not cause any problems with the MB extended warranty. In the future, if MB refuses to repair the car under the extended warranty, I am planning to ask for a refund. I was told that I get a refund minus the days I was insured for + 25 admin fee

I noticed yesterday that the car suddently started showing message "B service is due". I am confused as to what is going on as last week the message was "A service is due"
Has anyone come across such a situation?

thanks

 

[markjay]

Update: I called a specialised MB independant garage and I was quoted £195 for A service. When I questioned them if they were an authorised Mercedes-Benz Retailer, they reply was : "
Unfortunately we are not an authorized garage we are an independant garage." but they did confirm that they have access to MB Digital Service Book (DSB), so I am hopeful this will not cause any problems with the MB extended warranty. In the future, if MB refuses to repair the car under the extended warranty, I am planning to ask for a refund. I was told that I get a refund minus the days I was insured for + 25 admin fee

I noticed yesterday that the car suddently started showing message "B service is due". I am confused as to what is going on as last week the message was "A service is due"
Has anyone come across such a situation?

thanks

A and B alternate, so this year you need the service that the car did NOT have last year.... I.e. if the previous service was A then the next one is B, and vice versa.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Update: I called a specialised MB independant garage and I was quoted £195 for A service. When I questioned them if they were an authorised Mercedes-Benz Retailer, they reply was : "
Unfortunately we are not an authorized garage we are an independant garage." but they did confirm that they have access to MB Digital Service Book (DSB), so I am hopeful this will not cause any problems with the MB extended warranty. In the future, if MB refuses to repair the car under the extended warranty, I am planning to ask for a refund. I was told that I get a refund minus the days I was insured for + 25 admin fee

I noticed yesterday that the car suddently started showing message "B service is due". I am confused as to what is going on as last week the message was "A service is due"
Has anyone come across such a situation?

thanks

It wouldn't just flash a to b in a week . It's a countdown of time and mileage.

 

[alabbasi]

Oil and filter change + other fluid checks (PS fluid, coolant, ATF and washer)
Parts alone would be about $40-50 for synthetic oil and a filter so it's better to save your money and get more oil changes because 10,000 mile intervals on a diesel is crazy.

 

[DSM10000]

Oil and filter change + other fluid checks (PS fluid, coolant, ATF and washer)
Parts alone would be about $40-50 for synthetic oil and a filter so it's better to save your money and get more oil changes because 10,000 mile intervals on a diesel is crazy.

I know that in the USA there is a trend toward more frequent oil changes (I have no idea why, genuinely) but I can only look at the example of my recently sold E320 CDI with the OM642 engine.

It had covered over 180,000 miles, serviced at the MB recommended intervals, needed very little oil topped up between services, ran smoothly, performed well (original Turbocharger) was capable of over 44mpg on a motorway run and each year I owned it the emissions figures were well below the accepted value.

Not diesel I know but I also ran an Audi A6 2.4 V6 petrol to 224,000 miles with oil changed as recommended, and a not disimilar high mileage of 170,000 was covered on my Saab 9-5 3 litre petrol V6 (a GM engine) serviced at 10,000 mile intervals. The gearbox failed on that.

Is American fuel, particularly diesel higher in some contaminants that cause earlier degradation of lubricants?

 

[alabbasi]

Like any kind of detergent, it can only absorb so much before it loses its effectiveness and as oil breaks down, it will start sludging. I have 2 E320 CDI's, one has 149k miles and the other has 249k miles. A friend has one with 425k miles. Oil is cheap, It's good insurance and the long service intervals are intended for fleet managers in order to keep overall running costs low.

Don't take it from me, take it from an Aussie mechanic:

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[DSM10000]

Like any kind of detergent, it can only absorb so much before it loses its effectiveness and as oil breaks down, it will start sludging. I have 2 E320 CDI's, one has 149k miles and the other has 249k miles. A friend has one with 425k miles. Oil is cheap, It's good insurance and the long service intervals are intended for fleet managers in order to keep overall running costs low.

Don't take it from me, take it from an Aussie mechanic:

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But my examples are also valid and real hence my genuine question as to the composition of fuel in the US and, possibly, the comparative composition of engine oils used there.

I do not know of anyone in the UK that has engine oil changed at shorter intervals than specified and neither do I know of anyone that has suffered premature engine wear or damage related to lack of oil changes. If it was such a problem I am sure it would have been widely reported?

Could it be that oil degradation is more of a problem in countries with harsher climates?

 

[alabbasi]

I do not know of anyone in the UK that has engine oil changed at shorter intervals than specified and neither do I know of anyone that has suffered premature engine wear or damage related to lack of oil changes. If it was such a problem I am sure it would have been widely reported?

How many people do you know who have more than 300K on the original engine? In my experience from when I lived in the UK, the majority of cars would find their way into scrap yards that are mechanically healthy. It's rot, tax or other reasons that make them not worth running.

 

[alabbasi]

Here's another example #carrepair #autoservice #automechanic #mechanic #oilchange #autorepair #carrepairs #engine #autoshop #autobody #brake #autobodyshop #carservice #autobodyrepair #autobodywork #maintenance #automotiverepair #autobodytech #autorepairs #carmaintenance #autobodyshoplife #carrepairshop #autobodylife #carrepairing #reels` | Davesautocenter | Davesautocenter · Original audio

 

[BPD07]

As well as the alternating A/B service, there are mileage and time actions that your car will need. It might be that MB added those on as well? But I somehow doubt it. A is oil and filter so worth getting it done at the best price - but still only if you trust the garage.

 

[markjay]

To preserve the car's FSH, you want the service recorded in the DSB, which can be done by MB dealers and by some independent specialists (not everyone cares though, some are happy with a folder full of invoices and no DSB).

The MB service also gives you the Mobilo Roadside Assistance, which can be relevant for some.

 

[DSM10000]

How many people do you know who have more than 300K on the original engine? In my experience from when I lived in the UK, the majority of cars would find their way into scrap yards that are mechanically healthy. It's rot, tax or other reasons that make them not worth running.

Again you are not answering my questions but thank you for proving my point!

As you have said . most cars in the UK are scrapped either due to MOT failure caused by corrosion or electrical /mechanical faults (other than engine) that makes it uneconomical to repair.

As stated, there is no epidemic of premature engine failure in the UK or Europe due to vehicles being serviced according to the manufactuers recommend schedules

 

[alabbasi]

Again you are not answering my questions but thank you for proving my point!

As you have said . most cars in the UK are scrapped either due to MOT failure caused by corrosion or electrical /mechanical faults (other than engine) that makes it uneconomical to repair.

As stated, there is no epidemic of premature engine failure in the UK or Europe due to vehicles being serviced according to the manufactuers recommend schedules

I didn't answer your question because I'm not a petrochemical engineer and if I was, I still may not know what the formulation difference would be between one company and another, let alone one country or another.

Me not knowing the chemical differences between fuel in two countries or you not knowing anyone who performs more frequent oil changes does not prove anything.

Mechanics opening up engines and showing you might.

 

[alabbasi]

Duplicate post

 

[DSM10000]

I didn't answer your question because I'm not a petrochemical engineer and if I was, I still may not know what the formulation difference would be between one company and another, let alone one country or another.

Me not knowing the chemical differences between fuel in two countries or you not knowing anyone who performs more frequent oil changes does not prove anything.

Mechanics opening up engines and showing you might.

On the contrary. If local fuels and lubricants are of differing standards then this would be very relevant.

How many mechanics open up engines to show wear? Few if any unless they are running a YouTube channel and trying to make some point without any proper statistical evidence to back up their assertions.

As stated my I and others I know have run engines to very high miles at recommend service schedules using manufacturers approved oils with no premature wear.

Also, I can gaurentee the vast majority of drivers in the UK and Europe have their vehicles serviced in accordance with the respective manufacturers scheduled intervals.

Either US oils and fuels are of a lower standard necessitating more frequent changes or US shops have successfully convinced many owners which is a useful revenue driver.

Do European and non US manufacturers have diffeent oil change intervals on vehicles sold in the US as opposed to their other markets?

 

[markjay]

MB 229.51 low-ash engine oil is intended for DPF-equipped Diesel engines, and so it is not the recommended oil for petrol engine, but it is still permitted.

The reason I mention this is that I vaguely remember that the M271 in North America was not approved for 229.51 oil (only 229.5), because the fuel formation in North America was different to that in Europe and the American gasoline could react with the 299.51 oil in a way that reduced the protection that the oil provides.

It was a while since I had a car with M271 engine, but I can Google to see if I can find anything.