FMBSH on a 18 year old car

[Ade B]

Is it worth maintaining...

My car has stamps all the way through to 91 for the MBSH - I got the 72k biggie done last year at fair expense at an MB independent and have been quoted reasonably for the 78k service now due - although the actual mileage is 63k...

As I understand it the minor service is just oil and filters which falls under my limited mechanical skill set...

Once I get the paint and wheels sorted, the car will be a very tidy low mileage, rust free example of the breed and should be worth the going rate for such cars.. not that I intend to get rid of it any time soon..

My thinking is that without the FMBSH, these cars lose a lot of value and on one hand I'm loathe to part with around £200 for what would be for me a Saturday morning's time but on the other hand, for the sake of a relatively small outlay, I can maintain the service record which should stand me in good stead in the future....

What do you guys think?

Ade

 

[mattc]

Not worth it in my opinion.

I recently asked the service centre at Birmingham Central Mercedes how many 124's they get in and they admitted it was less than the fingers on 1 hand.

If you are not thinking of selling anytime soon how about when its 25 or 30 years old? - surely at this point any buyer would be looking for regular attention (Mercedes or independant) rather than who. Do the technicians at MB these days even have as much experience of these vehicles as an independant merc specialist might??

Just keep the receipt and itemised invoices and we can soon see if a car has been cherished.

my 2p FWIW

 

[television]

And I ditto Matts advice above

 

[BTB 500]

I got the 72k biggie done last year at fair expense at an MB independent

Agree with what Matt said. But as an aside, going to an indi last year surely means the car has "FSH" rather than "FMBSH" anyway?

 

[television]

Agree with what Matt said. But as an aside, going to an indi last year surely means the car has "FSH" rather than "FMBSH" anyway?

And bill is 100% correct with his post under new laws

 

[Matt32AMG]

Not worth it in my opinion.

I recently asked the service centre at Birmingham Central Mercedes how many 124's they get in and they admitted it was less than the fingers on 1 hand.

If you are not thinking of selling anytime soon how about when its 25 or 30 years old? - surely at this point any buyer would be looking for regular attention (Mercedes or independant) rather than who. Do the technicians at MB these days even have as much experience of these vehicles as an independant merc specialist might??

Just keep the receipt and itemised invoices and we can soon see if a car has been cherished.

my 2p FWIW

Can't help but agree with my namesake here. If the car was say three or four years old then a FMBSH would certainly make a difference when looking at purchase price.

Being the car is of the vintage it is, it won't make a massive dent in it's residule value come the day you decide to maybe move it on having carried out oil changes and basic stuff yourself. Any serious buyer may pay the extra to have the car inspected prior to purchase anyway, therefore I don't see this as an issue.

Obviously for more technical work that maybe beyond the scope of the home mechanic, then a good independant would be a reasonable solution.

 

[Ade B]

Cheers for the input.

The other issue in the back of my mind is the car is my day to day family runabout and although I try to keep it in decent condition, its parked outside and not a pampered, garaged, sunday only car. In five years time, it will have over 100k on it and a load of fresh dings and scuffs from regular use...

I think I might tackle this myself provided its not chucking it down this weekend...

The recent service was by an MB approved indy so I got the star stamp, but point taken.

Ade

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

My thinking is that without the FMBSH, these cars lose a lot of value and on one hand I'm loathe to part with around £200 for what would be for me a Saturday morning's time but on the other hand, for the sake of a relatively small outlay, I can maintain the service record which should stand me in good stead in the future....

What do you guys think?

I think £200 is a hideously large amount of money for a simple lubrication service. I had one done on my W124 a couple of weeks ago for £98, including semi-synthetic oil and MB filter.

You don't state your vehcile but from one of the other replies I deduce it is a W124. If so, you should not be paying £200.

 

[Roger Jones]

I trust a thick file of invoices for parts and consumables more than dealer stamps in the book. As others have suggested, the FMBSH factor dwindles into insignificance on a car of this excellent vintage.

I'd put some miles on it if I were you, or the miles per year record will begin to count against it, either because it indicates under-use (not a good thing) or because prospective purchasers will assume it has been clocked.

 

[BTB 500]

I'd put some miles on it if I were you, or the miles per year record will begin to count against it, either because it indicates under-use (not a good thing) or because prospective purchasers will assume it has been clocked.

FSH, invoices, old MOTs, etc. will show it hasn't been clocked though.

 

[Ade B]

FSH, invoices, old MOTs, etc. will show it hasn't been clocked though.

Have a few old MOTs and FSH and a letter from previous owner confirming storage.. I'm happy with the provenance of the car which is backed up by the excellent unmolested condition it was in when I bought it. I guess this is what I am trying to continue.

Re invoices, I'm certainly doing my bit but there was little prior to my ownership.

I could get the B service for considerably less than £180+VAT but not with an MB star in the book (in London).

Perhaps the discussion should be along the lines of C124, is it a classic worth continually throwing money at to keep in it in good nick and maintain its provenance - its all in the stamps?

Ade

 

[bolide]

I think intent (records, receipts, regular servicing, etc) is more important than MB stamps at that age. If the car had 100% MB servicing I'd consider going to an MB dealer to keep the stamps up but I'd get other jobs done elsewhere

You could always twist arms at the dealer in Brighton as you're a good customer. They will do deals on labour rates if you ask nicely

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[BTB 500]

If the car had 100% MB servicing I'd consider going to an MB dealer to keep the stamps up but I'd get other jobs done elsewhere

Yup that's exactly what I do with my R129. I get 40% off labour plus 10% off parts so basic servicing at the main dealer isn't that much more expensive anyway, and I also get various freebies with it including free MOTs.

 

[Ade B]

How not to undertake a 78k service.

So I pick up the filter from MB, 8 litres of Castrol Magnatec whatsit 10W40 semi synth, and commence the oil service in the driveway in glorious sunshine.. this will be a piece of cake and I'm looking forward to the satisfaction of a simple job well done and saving myself a few quid..

Get the car up on axle stands, old oil out no problem, up arm, all over undertray, newspaper under car, most of it goes into the bowl along with the 13mm socket.. (nice to have a proper bolt on the sump rather than a square socket made of cheese)..

Try to remove the top off the filter housing (Haynes manual has a nice photo of the top held in a clean hand... spoke with the parts guy at Croydon MB - no you don't need a special tool to remove it...) Its not going to budge without a bit of assistance...

Fish out R1100S oil filter removal tool - its german, bound to work - it fits Try with small socket and extension - no movement, larger socket driver, no movement, add tube extension, its all flexing a bit... try torque wrench and heavier extension bar and gently apply a bit more pressure - a loud crack, the oil filter removal tool has split across the middle...

Never mind, come back to that, at least its at the top of the engine..

Copper washer on (where is the old one?) sump plug back in ~7L of new oil in, check dipstick, looks ok, run up engine, sounds a bit quieter, no leaks from sump bolt. Drop car off axle stands, decant old oil from washing up bowl into containers, fish out 13mm socket... Clean up bowl.

With the car level, check dipstick, level is way over the top mark... jack back up (one side only this time) back on axle stand, drop about a litre of oil into the clean bowl and repeat the process - starting to get fed up now..

OK so now to the window motor, I clean myself up and whip the door card off (expert at that) and take out the OS dodgy motor - which had managed to creak into life to drop the window earlier..

Following instructions posted here, manage to get the armature further out than before but it still won't come all the way out. Not to worry, clean it up with a pan scourer and try to reassemble the motor - won't go back together.... use a bit of force, no joy - check inside the casing and I have managed to knacker the plain bearing at the end before it was intermittently broken - now its properly dead...

Ah well, expected to buy a replacement anyway, so I start to bolt it back into the door. Spend twenty minutes sweating and swearing and finally get the bolts to align - nip them up and close the door - with a 5mm gap at the top of the window getting really peed off now.. and its starting to rain..

Take the motor out again, drop the casing off it and wind the armature round a couple of turns to move the gear wheel - put it all back together again, check the window is properly shut, it is, brilliant! Notice oil from gear wheel on carpet - not brilliant

Clean off oil, clip door card back on, align chrome cover plate and drop screw into gravel drive, no worries I can see it, go to pick it up and flick it where I can't see it spend 15 minutes sat in the gravel having words with myself whilst looking at the darkening sky...

By a minor miracle, find screw, get it all back together, deep breath, finished

Window still doesn't work, still need to replace the oil filter - after paying a reputable MB indy a fair wedge to undertake the previous service, they must have screwed it back on with some enthusiasm, and no copper washer on the sump bolt... will speak with them Tuesday..

Cost me £45 quid and most of my Saturday....

The joys of home maintenance.

Ade

 

[del320]

Great write-up Ade . Sounds all too familiar.

Nowadays, I'm happy to pay a man - my days of grovelling around on the floor underneath the car are over!

 

[philiggy]

Most mechanics at MB dealers wont know one end of a 124 from the other, an indi however sees lots of them so it will probably get better maintained, at a fraction of the price.
I wouldn't pay more for a car with an MB history than an Indi history once out of warranty

Phil

 

[Ian B Walker]

Adrian. Get a filter cap tool (Hellfrauds sell them). Get a kettle of boiling water and pour it over the Oil Filter cap. Then get a kettle of ice cold water and pour that over the cap. Apply tool and try again to undo. If you can expand and contract the aluminium cap it may just free it off.

 

[Ade B]

Adrian. Get a filter cap tool (Hellfrauds sell them). Get a kettle of boiling water and pour it over the Oil Filter cap. Then get a kettle of ice cold water and pour that over the cap. Apply tool and try again to undo. If you can expand and contract the aluminium cap it may just free it off.

Thanks Ian,

Will try that (probably next weekend now as I'm in the office tomorrow ), hopefully won't shatter the car, I polished it this afternoon

Will certainly have a 'chat' with the last lot that serviced the car - especially given how much they charged me... I've a sneaky suspicion that the filter cap hasn't been off the car since 1996....


Ade