Dealer Service

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jimmy

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 8, 2002
Messages
2,316
Location
Northamptonshire
Car
Discovery 3 TDV6, Discovery 300TDi - Plaything!
I am booked in for an A service (one spanner) on Friday. Should I remove my K&N air filter and replace the OE one before the service. I dont know what the stealers view would be on this concerning ny warranty and wonder if it would be less hassle to just replace the original one.

I am thinking that for an A service the air filter would not even be checked so perhaps I shouldn't worry too much.

Also do you think they would let me supply my own oil, I have heard that the stealers charge about £40 for oil whereas I can buy it for less than a tenner.  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/crazy.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':crazy:'>

oh BTW, I cant wait to get the A140 courtesy car. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/banana.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bannana:'>
 
Take the filter out , bring your own oil ( mobil1 0w40 <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>) and tell them not to change the battery in the key &nbsp;<img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wallbash.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bash:'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wallbash.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':bash:'>

I always order an auto courtesy car as i don't see the point of a manual and driving one puts me in a bad mood and am given a C200+ every time ( even when i was 17 &nbsp;<img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> )
 
Jimmy.

If the K&amp;N is that easy to remove, then i would change it, that way there is no way they can hassle you over it and warranty.

Re the oil, Fuzzer is dead right, supply your own. Oil is where garages make huge profits.

Years ago i worked in a garage, when we set up a new workshop, the nmanagement did a deal with Shell to use only Shell oils, in repayment Shell supplied 5 brand new ramps, and picked up the bill to install them,......get my drift??
 
This was funny! <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

The evening before I took my car to the stealer for a service, I swapped the K&amp;N filter for the original one and topped up both washer bottles. I got to the stealer at 7:50am and asked if they could do mine straight away and said their was no need to wash it, in fact I said I would prefer it if you did not wash it as I am in a hurry and I am going on a long trip later so it will only get dirty (and they don't do a very good job and leave it all smeary). They said it would take about an hour and a half so it would be ready by 10am <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'> .

I took the courtesy car and found a cafe to have breakfast and a coffee, I returned to the stealer at 10:10am and asked if it was ready, &quot;Yes the technician has just finished, I will get the paperwork ready for you. Help yourself to a coffee.&quot; So I sat down with a coffee, twenty minutes later I asked if it was ready yet, the nice young lady replied &quot;It's just being washed for you.&quot; But I asked for it not to be washed!, &quot;Company policy&quot; she said.

So, another twenty minutes later and it was now being vacuumed out! <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>  Then the really funny bit.....

I was presented with the invoice, now I think £220 for a main dealer service to keep up the warranty, breakdown assistance and resale value is not too bad in my opinion. The assistant explained exactly what I was being charged for:

£60 for oil, not too bad considering they have to dispose of the used oil.

£6.40 for the oil filter, fair enough.

£4.40 for a fitting kit, thats a sump plug washer evidently. Bit steep.

£26.20 for washer concentrate <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':angry:'>  But I had just topped them both up. &quot;Ahh, but you didn't use MB approved concentrate so we have drained both bottles and refilled them.&quot;

The labour charge and everything else I can accept, but the washer concentrate was a bit too much, the MB stuff is pink not blue and smears the windscreen. The blue stuff I used was much better.

I didn't kick up a fuss....life's too short, but funny anyway. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

Back to the K&amp;N filter, whilst driving to and from the stealer with the standard filter back in I could tell that the car was less responsive and not so eager to get on. Admittedly it was very slightly quieter too. Put the K&amp;N back in and it feels much livelier, I would certainly recommend one. <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbs:'>
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (jimmy @ Nov. 21 2002,00:02)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">£60 for oil, not too bad considering they have to dispose of the used oil.

£6.40 for the oil filter, fair enough.

£4.40 for a fitting kit, thats a sump plug washer evidently. Bit steep.

£26.20 for washer concentrate <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>  <img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':angry:'>  But I had just topped them both up. &quot;Ahh, but you didn't use MB approved concentrate so we have drained both bottles and refilled them.&quot;

The labour charge and everything else I can accept, but the washer concentrate was a bit too much, the MB stuff is pink not blue and smears the windscreen. The blue stuff I used was much better.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I had an A service recently at my stealership:

Oil filter = £6.77
Oil = £39
Engine Flush = £8.93
Super Lube = £3.97
Screen wash = £3.81
disposal of the old fluids was £5.82

All prices include VAT

A nearly full can of superlube was found in the parts bag on passenger seat, along with half a bottle of screen wash (blue&#33<img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>. &nbsp;The car was washed (nicely, no streaks etc, wheels washed, tyres were glossy) and they had vacuumed the interior.

Maybe one stealership isn't the same as another?
 
Please sir, whats &quot;supalube&quot;?

As for the screen wash, blue is normally the winter aditive and the pink is the summer aditive.

But when you read the instructions on the ones I've got you still use the pink stuff in the winter but you have to add the blue stuff aswell.
 
I'm sure if you got the person booking the car in to write on the job card about not changing the air filter the fitter (sorry don't call them mechanics these day's) would be grateful for the shorter time on the job.

Then if they did do anything with it and you had the K&amp;N receipt you'd get a new one!

Or does that sound a little cynical (or grabbing.....&#33<img src="http://www.mbclub.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

R
 

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