C Class 220cdi 2008 service costs.

[PeteTheOldGit]

Hi guys
I'm now decided on an C Class 220 cdi Sport w204. What I'm now worried about after scrolling through the forum is the servicing costs, some in here have been quoted £900.00 for a B service. I'm now having second thoughts, my mileage is about 6000 a year, are they long life or 12 month service intervals. Seems excessive £900 for a service. I drove one on Saturday and was quite taken with the model but having read about the service costs I'm now having second thoughts, I appreciate that it's a prestige marque but it still comes across as a bit excessive. On another note is the sport button on the dash suspension and gearbox tweaks. It seemed when I engaged the button the suspension seemed very crashy over any uneven road service. Also is the standard audio system any good, the present business unit on my BMW 1 series is ansolutely dreadfull. Should I be looking for any of the audio upgrades , don't want to be caught out again.

 

[Rory]

Servicing is annual now, and alternate A & B, plus "additional work". You should be able to get an A sevice for around £200 and B for around £300 but it might take a bit of shopping around and playing dealers off against each other. Or you could use an indie, of course.

It's the "additional work" that bumps ip the cost. The £900 or so bills you hear about only really happen at 4yrs old when the ATF needs changing. This is a one-off job and costs a couple of hundred. At the same time the air and fuel filters need changing, and the brake fluid needs doing every 2yrs (so you'll never get £300 for a B service as it will always need brake fluid at the same time).

What you could do is to look at MB ServiceCare package and buy that for a couple of years so this should take care of the expensive 4yr service. Get them to confirm they will to the ATF - it should be included I've never seen it clarified that it is.

 

[Flash]

It's the "additional work" that bumps ip the cost. The £900 or so bills you hear about only really happen at 4yrs old when the ATF needs changing. This is a one-off job and costs a couple of hundred.

Stealers quoted me £260 with a discount for the ATF on W203 - couple of indys quoted me £160....

 

[travelininstyle]

Servicing is annual now, and alternate A & B, plus "additional work". You should be able to get an A sevice for around £200 and B for around £300 but it might take a bit of shopping around and playing dealers off against each other. Or you could use an indie, of course.

It's the "additional work" that bumps ip the cost. The £900 or so bills you hear about only really happen at 4yrs old when the ATF needs changing. This is a one-off job and costs a couple of hundred. At the same time the air and fuel filters need changing, and the brake fluid needs doing every 2yrs (so you'll never get £300 for a B service as it will always need brake fluid at the same time).

What you could do is to look at MB ServiceCare package and buy that for a couple of years so this should take care of the expensive 4yr service. Get them to confirm they will to the ATF - it should be included I've never seen it clarified that it is.

Hello Rory - yes my C-Class ATF was done as part of the service care package at a recent 'B' service at Harrogate MB - In fact I checked they would carry this out for sure,before I committed to the plan.I was advised that had I not,then the total service charge would have been closer to £700 !!!!!

 

[Rory]

Hello Rory - yes my C-Class ATF was done as part of the service care package at a recent 'B' service at Harrogate MB - In fact I checked they would carry this out for sure,before I committed to the plan.I was advised that had I not,then the total service charge would have been closer to £700 !!!!!

Thanks for that. The ATF change alone is about the same as year's payments on the plan so if you time it right it can be a very good deal.

The dealer insisted my car needing doing, then, when they discovered I had the old plan, ServicePlus, they suddenly found it didn't need doing. They were correct, but I think it's most unlikely they'd have said so if I'd been paying cash and they do chop and change the schedules now and again.

 

[markjay]

As Rory said - ATF, Air filter, Fuel filter, and (second) brake fluid change all done at 4 years (for average mileage cars). The cabin filter however, is luckily included in the B-Service cost. So basically the B-Service at 4 years including all the additional items will buy you some peace of mine for two years until the next B-Service+brake fluid change (i.e. you'll only have a 'small' £200 oil service in between).

The brake discs and pads are obviously still an unknown quantity, i.e. it can happen at different intervals.

And the best time to get a Service Plan is just before that 4-years B-Service!

 

[verytalldave]

Hi guys
I'm now decided on an C Class 220 cdi Sport w204. What I'm now worried about after scrolling through the forum is the servicing costs, some in here have been quoted £900.00 for a B service. I'm now having second thoughts, my mileage is about 6000 a year, are they long life or 12 month service intervals. Seems excessive £900 for a service. I drove one on Saturday and was quite taken with the model but having read about the service costs I'm now having second thoughts, I appreciate that it's a prestige marque but it still comes across as a bit excessive. On another note is the sport button on the dash suspension and gearbox tweaks. It seemed when I engaged the button the suspension seemed very crashy over any uneven road service. Also is the standard audio system any good, the present business unit on my BMW 1 series is ansolutely dreadfull. Should I be looking for any of the audio upgrades , don't want to be caught out again.

Whereabouts are you located?
You might find a local indy on this forum that comes recommended.
Once out of the guarantee period I would always go the indy route.

 

[Merco]

Of course - no ATF costs if the car's a manual!

 

[st13phil]

As others have said, the really big bills are when "extra items" are involved. BTW, ATF changes aren't always applicable & you can talk a main dealer down to under £150 of you try hard enough

 

[Smiley]

The main dealers get you thinking about £600 or 700 or 900 for a service so that when they rip you off at 200 quid for an oil and filter change you come out thinking that you have done well

Buy the car and find a decent indi.