At what point do you call it a day?

[Rory]

I think the dealer's system just generates pricing at full list price - the report also listed new front discs and pads - pads are barely worn but the discs do look a little rusty due to long periods of not being used. They were £450 but MyService brings them up at about £300 (and a previous indie check was about the same).

I do feel there was an expectation on the dealer's part that I'd just walk away - it was odd that they didn't call me during the service, indeed I had to call at 4.15 to see if it was OK to set off. Yet the health check print-out (everything is printed, it's not pre-printed and then completed by hand) is timed at 9.09.


I'm feeling a bit better about it today although I am wondering if this is a shot across the bows - it would be stupid to pour money into the car only for further expensive issues to arise. A colleague did that with a VW Touareg which wasn't very old but was high mileage and ended up spending more than the car was worth.

 

[flat6buster]

Get rid of the people maintaining. Not the car.

 

[Rory]

Get rid of the people maintaining. Not the car.

People on here talk about their indie wire brushing and waxing brake lines, stripping and cleaning brakes etc, and if I could find someone local to provide that kind of care I'd literally embrace them.

But the guys I've contacted seem as much part-changers as the dealers are. One sucked through his teeth about how awkward the rear pads might be to get out, so I don't fancy he'll be keen if changing the rear brake lines is a fiddly job.

 

[dozypillock]

Might be worth going away for a nice weekend to one of the recommended indies, stay a night in a hotel etc and still save many pounds.

Neil

 

[tec]

Get rid of the people maintaining. Not the car.

Exactly this.

I own 2 cars, an old Volvo and the CLK.

I Googled Mercedes servicing or similar for where I live and found an independent specialist that I had never heard of before less than a mile from where I live.

The Volvo failed the MOT on emissions from my usual tester, so I booked it in with same place I got the CLK serviced and MOT done, and the Volvo passed the emissions without any work needed from the garage even though I had a new CAT ready to fit if it was required.

The labour rates are also much cheaper, but MOT is full price.

 

[MrKenny]

If you get hold of Nick Webster Merc Specialist in Poynton,you could be in for some serious money saving. He is very good and more than reasonable with his prices.

@Rory

Hi - Not sure exactly where in Cheshire you are, but I've been advised to use S.P.R. Autos in Stockport in the past (by someone from the nearest 'local' MB dealership, of all people ) as well. S.P.R. are on Carrington Lane, so just off the M60. The guys there are ex MB Macclesfield. I priced a job a while ago at Nick Webster's, but chose the easy way out. They were slightly dearer, and getting home was a pain, to then collect the car later. Saying that, as Tricky says, not heard any bad stories about Nick Webster.

 

[clk208]

A recommended indie is probably the way forward.

Not all indies are created equal though and some will charge more than main dealers and or do a worse job. I have had a couple of very mediocre experiences - none of those mentioned above or forum regulars I must add but a couple that spring to mind are £££ for a replacement oxygen sensor on my old clk in London which then failed 12 months later. On removing I find it was a cheap non genuine part. £300 for a poly belt/tensioner fitted in Manchester (needed doing last minute) which again on inspection was non genuine and inferior.

 

[GP801]

Last year our 124 had "corrosion on rear brake pipes" as an advisory. Olly at PCS cleaned them up, bit of grease etc to keep it at bay. This year passed with no advisories at the same MOT station.
Find a good Indie that uses genuine MB parts

 

[Rory]

Hi - Not sure exactly where in Cheshire you are,

I'm just east of Chester - heading into Manchester / Stockport would be a right pain.

Advantage of using MB Chester is that it's handy, and they give me a courtesy car (free too). I can always get my wife to pick me up though - we have to do that with the VW Indie in Ellesmere Port (Central VW)

There are four Mercedes indies that I know of on the Wirral, and one on Deeside, but none crop up with any regularity that I'd like in order to have a warm and fuzzy feeling about them.

 

[Milton7]

Never, ever take an old Mercedes to a M-B dealer, they will empty your wallet. As others have said find a good Indy even if it means travelling south and staying over.

 

[fabes]

Just a thought, does it need to be a specialist for this job (or many others?)

A good local, generalist is worth a look - its not like yours needs modern STAR diagnostics does it?

At the risk of getting flamed, I put my Saab, Zafira and now Qashqai though the local Halfords. That is based on the people there knowing one of the mechanics (an ex Saab tech), but mull over that options

Nuneaton too far (Mercland)? if you do want a specialist?

 

[BlackC55]

Its a horrid job and does take time. For a full set on the rear of a 203 its about £500 with us. We have done many, many of them too.

 

[Rory]

Its a horrid job and does take time. For a full set on the rear of a 203 its about £500 with us. We have done many, many of them too.

Thanks. Weirdly I used to come to Havant quite a bit and stay at a place in Liphook (a colleague lived there) so I must have almost driven past your door.

It's not the pricing that is unexpected from the dealer just it would have been nice to have been given a "heads up" - it was unmentioned at a check last summer, or at the MOT in Oct.

 

[BlackC55]

It may not need doing yet then.

 

[Rory]

It may not need doing yet then.

Here's hoping!

I had a roll around on the ground at the weekend but can't see much - but the pipes where they go into the rear brakes didn't cause me any concern, although I can gather they can appear worse further inboard.

I do appreciate your thoughts and much as I would love to have you work on the car it is somewhat impractical especially doing jobs where the timescale is uncertain. There were also comments (again first time) about misting around the pilot bush and fuel pump.

I should probably bite the bullet and get one of the local indies to have a look and give an opinion.

 

[190]

Brake pipe corrosion is not an uncommon advisory on MOT's. If it's just on the surface they might need no more than a clean up and waxoyl. I always did that before the MOT and they lasted 26 years on my 190e. To keep the problem in perspective I wonder if brake pipes often actually fail and rupture due to corrosion.

 

[Bellow]

I wonder if brake pipes often actually fail and rupture due to corrosion.

How often I do not know. but it has happened to me - stationary thankfully.
The MOT advisory was for the front pipes but it was a (hidden) pipe behind the undertray that failed.

 

[BlackC55]

Brake pipe corrosion is not an uncommon advisory on MOT's. If it's just on the surface they might need no more than a clean up and waxoyl. I always did that before the MOT and they lasted 26 years on my 190e. To keep the problem in perspective I wonder if brake pipes often actually fail and rupture due to corrosion.

Oh yes. We do see a few.

 

[Rory]

To, as they say, close this out – I took the car to my nearest indie, MD Motorcare in Ellesmere Port.

They had a look at it, and apart from the leaking pilot bush which I knew about from the stain on the drive, and some rust on the back of brake discs which I know is due to lack of use, they thought the car was fine. Particularly baffling is the dealer saying the front wheel bearings needed adjustment but MD say they’re fine. They thought the rear wheel bearings might be a little noisy but very marginal and not enough for them to be able pinpoint an issue. They weren’t supposed to find additional things!

Anyway, obviously it was essential to get the pilot bush done so it went in today for that. I went a bit mad and had them change the discs and pads all round. I’m fed up of them being mentioned and I can’t complain – the rears are original and the fronts have only been changed once, under the old ServicePlus scheme, about 6yrs ago! In a display of wanton indifference to the total cost I also grabbed their £39 aircon regas offer. 

I had hoped that the very subtle vibration through the car that I only became aware of after the dealer service might go away but it hasn’t – I’d thought it might be due to them dropping the tyre pressures down to the minimum, whereas I keep them a few lbs higher as the car being run on pretty new All Season tyres. Or maybe even the ATF level dropping? But with both those things corrected it’s still there.


Don’t know if others saw it, but there was a VW leasing glitch in the middle of last week where they offered the Passat Alltrack 4Motion DSG for £120/mth. I was seriously tempted to cut and run (my wife has a 4Motion DSG Tiguan which she’s thrilled with) but Passat does nothing for me so I passed on it but do wonder if it might have been smarter to cut and run. Hey ho!

 

[grosser panzer]

There is a point there. If the car recently passed the most then the brake pipes should be ok today. Also did you have it it'd by the dealer? Even if they farmed it out to a 3rd party, I'm sure you paid a dealer invoice. Be aware that if you have the car serviced and mot'd by main dealer then they guarantee the car to pass or they will pay the first £500 of repairs. I would suggest you might have a case here