Doing service A on your own

[dk189]

Service A is very simple for someone to do on their own (change oil and filter), unless I am missing something?

Would it make sense to do Service A on your own and only leave Service B for a reputable garage?

 

[Skd884]

£139 main dealer service

W204 2013 c180 main dealer service £139 | Parts, Maintenance & Servicing

Value service and air bag recall booked for December at a cost of £139 - ( essentially an A service )

forums.mbclub.co.uk

 

[markjay]

Service A is very simple for someone to do on their own (change oil and filter), unless I am missing something?

Would it make sense to do Service A on your own and only leave Service B for a reputable garage?

It's indeed easy to do, but my suggestion is not to skip the checklist.

 

[markjay]

BTW, Service B is just Service A with some additional checks, and (on some models) also cabin filter change.

Again, easy to do, but I recommend to follow the full checklist and not just do the engine oil and filter.

Obviously, DIY servicing only makes sense if you're not bothered about having full service history etc.

 

[markjay]

You should also consider which if the following you feel confident to do DIY:

Brake fluid change
Spark plug charge (if petrol)
Fuel filter change (if Diesel)
Air filter change
ATF and filter change (if automatic)
Pano roof lubrication (if fitted)

 

[dk189]

£139 main dealer service

W204 2013 c180 main dealer service £139 | Parts, Maintenance & Servicing

Value service and air bag recall booked for December at a cost of £139 - ( essentially an A service )

forums.mbclub.co.uk

I don't think this is offered near London though?

 

[W1ghty]

I don't think this is offered near London though?

How old is your C350 ?

 

[OneForTheRoad]

I've serviced my own cars for over 35 year's. Only now I let mb do my GLC because I had to keep the warranty right , otherwise I'd be doing it myself. Once the 3 year's are up ,I'll be going back to DIY .

 

[Skd884]

I don't think this is offered near London though?

Guildford is a short drive away

 

[ALFAitalia]

Obviously, DIY servicing only makes sense if you're not bothered about having full service history etc.

As far as I'm concerned it will still have a FSH (if not a MDFSH) if you DIY it as long as you keeps records, fill in the book with exactly what you did and keep it with the bills for all the parts, oils etc.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

As far as I'm concerned it will still have a FSH (if not a MDFSH) if you DIY it as long as you keeps records, fill in the book with exactly what you did and keep it with the bills for all the parts, oils etc.

A better one tbh . If like others and myself who change the oils etc at 6k intervals, and attend to other things we might spot at the time .

 

[Trickythemerc]

I do most routine servicing myself, when my dodgy joints will let me. I have every invoice for parts Etc from day one of my ownership, including the one for the Wackel Dakel " I blame ALPHA for this purchase"

 

[ToeKnee]

When I sold my R230 SL a LOT of buyers were put off by the fact I did my own servicing, even though I do ALL the mechanic work on my taxis and had Mercedes receipts for the SL parts etc. It made me want a full main dealer history for my current R231, which, up to now, I've kept up fully!

 

[markjay]

As far as I'm concerned it will still have a FSH (if not a MDFSH) if you DIY it as long as you keeps records, fill in the book with exactly what you did and keep it with the bills for all the parts, oils etc.

I have no doubt that DIY servicing is a good idea, I used to do it myself when younger....

I just think that the average buyer will prefer a car with 'proper' garage stamps.

But then it will depend on the car's value.... on a (say) £30k-worth C63 you'll be taking a hit, but on a £5k C220? Not so much, if at all.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Will you though?....main dealers don't seem to care.....we didn't at Audi within reason (to be fair we got lots serviced at non Audi places.....not so many DIY ones but we didn't penalise the owners that service it themselves).......subject to it passing workshop inspection. Buyers mostly didn't mind either. You get FMDSH cars that have problems, you get DIY cars that are perfect.....condition at time of PX is more important. Its not like dealer fitters are even more skilled these days (notice I say fitter....not mechanic.....very few of those in dealers workshops these days),.....they just have access to better diagnostic systems. Good DIYers have more time, are not working to book hours and often have much better attention to detail when its their own car.....I do.....often repainting, cleaning and adjusting bits I see while doing another job.

 

[MrGreedy]

When I sold my R230 SL a LOT of buyers were put off by the fact I did my own servicing, even though I do ALL the mechanic work on my taxis and had Mercedes receipts for the SL parts etc. It made me want a full main dealer history for my current R231, which, up to now, I've kept up fully!

I guess part of the consideration of this is how long might you do your own servicing/keep the car.

In the above 'buyers put off' scenario, if you were keeping the car for less than 2 years, a simple oil and filter change at a Merc specialist would be enough to 'satisfy' most buyers, even if it meant things needed were ignored, due to buyer ignorance.

As long as it's at the 'decimated by depreciation' end of the spectrum, the consideration is really about how much you might save over X years self servicing, vs any additional hit you might take in pricing the car low enough to attract a buyer not put off by DIY service history (and I for one wouldn't be put off by it anyway; my reason for wanting to pay a lower price would simply be due to no comeback buying private vs from a trader).

 

[ALFAitalia]

Very good point raised......assuming a buyer or dealer MIGHT chip the PX price for non dealer history.....is it likely to be by anywhere near as much as the average DIYer is saving by self servicing.....which could easily be thousands over a few years??

 

[MrGreedy]

Very good point raised......assuming a buyer or dealer MIGHT chip the PX price for non dealer history.....is it likely to be by anywhere near as much as the average DIYer is saving by self servicing.....which could easily be thousands over a few years??

My thoughts exactly. Save a fortune DIY and as per your earlier post, I look for any extra thing I can find whilst DIY servicing because I want to keep my cars and avoid inconvenient and expensive breakdowns. Any hit come sale time on my enormously depreciated vehicles is essentially of no financial impact.

I can usually and easily extrapolate this to the ultra ridiculous and conservative position of 'if servicing myself causes my car to be worth zero at the point of sale, then vs garage/dealer servicing, I'll still be massive quids in...'

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Savings from servicing yourself, stretching/skipping services - especially age/mileage dependent items - and using cheap aftermarket parts will always far exceed the impact it has on value.

 

[Skd884]

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