Manchester area - spoilt for choice

[Dano]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can give me an idea on cost. We all dread the phone call from garage saying "here's what we've found you need to replace..."

My first B service since buying my CLK320 in April 2007 is due soon.
Mileage will be 93,000ish it is the 97-02 2002 model.

I have begun phoning around for prices.
Differences in price and what they say is included varies, I've not heard the same story twice. Some examples, all inc VAT

Main Dealer (Bolton) - £321 "all items listed in service schedule"
Greenvale (Whitefield) - £200 "that's labour plus any identfied parts"
SPR Autos (Stockport) - £276 "a full B service"
Mercedes Tech (Warrington) - £282 "what we do would cost you £600 at a main dealer"

Does anyone have a recommendation from the above?
Is there any benefit in going Main Dealer? I think maybe Roadside assist is renewed....

Also what is the actual cost likely to be? I don't need new spark plugs as they were all replaced 9,000 miles ago. I am however, likely to need new brake pads.

Any feedback is much appreciated,

-- D

 

[travelininstyle]

Hi,
Buying your own oil will certainly help hack some of the cost down on your B service,as most garages,particularly dealers,charge in per litre units,so you are paying £15+ per litre,for Mobil 1,instead of the £8-£9 you can buy it for yourself - try Opie Oils - they frequently have offers on,sometimes 15% off and another 10% if you register as a MB CLUB member.Check that the garage is happy for you to supply your own oil,this can hack a bit of the bill.P.S.£200 sounds a little to cheap to me for a B service ?

Alex

 

[Barry Jones]

Had my S Class 320 CDI gearbox problem sorted by Harry at Greenvale only last week. Great service and an excellent place to deal with. I live in Warrington and travelled to Whitefield to get the job done there. He quoted the job and the price didn't change at all. The car had the corroded pipes in the rad problem and needed a new rad, system flush and gearbox/torque converter rebuild

MB Tech quoted £1400.00 more for the same job. and I found their attitude to be a little high and mighty in a sort of "well you bought an S Class... you didn't expect it to be cheap to fix did you?" kind of way

Barry

 

[mercmanuk]

dano have a ride to 124 works in kirkham and speak to ian,well worth the trip,the best there is in the north west

 

[Dano]

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

I have since spoke with Merc Star [M26 4DF 0161 724 9526] and they are now in contention!

I was no doubt about what was covered and not covered in their quotation.

I think my short list is Merc Star and Greenvale. Just 2,000 miles to go before service. Full report will follow ;-)

 

[travelininstyle]

Dano,

please let me know how you go on with your final choice,I am 5k from my B service - I am told by one Manchester dealership,that things are quiet,maybe thats good news for pushing down prices.

Alex

 

[Ian Hunt]

I've just used Merx in Stoke on Trent for an A Service (W210 E220CDI) £95+VAT. Very friendly, seem to know what they're doing. Other customers I spoke to have used them for years & reccomend them.
I'll be using them to look after my car from now on.
www.merx.gb.com 01782 417720

 

[flango]

Mercedes manchester are price matching Indies for services see post from partspecialist who works there http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=60668&highlight=service+match

Bit of a no brainer if MB will do it for the same money

 

[Rory]

Mercedes manchester are price matching Indies for services see post from partspecialist who works there http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=60668&highlight=service+match

Bit of a no brainer if MB will do it for the same money

I wouldn't say that - note in the OP "Main Dealer (Bolton) - £321 "all items listed in service schedule"".

Well "all items" in a B service is still only oil and pollen filter (and the oil itself). Everything else is checks and you'll likely get a long list of additional work.

Of course that can happen anywhere, but the main dealers seem adept at picking up on things that others think are fine.

 

[Ian Hunt]

I always think that main dealers are mostly interested in "additional work" (& the hourly rates entailed). Doesn't matter if it's a Merc dealer, VW, Ford etc. I suspect that most customers panic & say 'go ahead with the work'. I know that I have in the past.
I've only recently moved over to Mercs but Jag main dealers are the same. My wife's Beetle was serviced by VW dealers till the warranty expired & every service reported rusty discs & worn pads, even when they'd been replaced less than 6 weeks previously! We had a Rover 75 that seemed to be blighted with the same fault at every other dealer service!
I drove company cars for many years & that seems to be like a blank cheque to most dealers. Every possible issue is picked up, every single service, 'cos they know that if the company is picking up the tab then driver will never quibble.
To me a good garage will point out possible issues, give the benefit of their experience, discuss when they'll need dealing with & not spin yarns & horror stories.

 

[Dano]

Hi all,

I spoke with Mercedes. The pricing offer was to match any other main dealer quote.

In the end I decided to take a risk.

I went to see the man in the local [non specialist] garage. He said he could buy in the required "geniune mercedes parts" and fit them for £120 labour.

I thought 'an experienced mechanic plus the right parts, what could possibly go wrong?!'

Eventual bill £369 inc VAT. I had the B service plus the 4 year interval items. In my case everything except spark plugs as they were changed 10k ago.

oil and filter mobil 1 0w/40, air filter, pollen filter, fuel filter (a massive £70 damn) brake fluid change, wiper blade, various checks as per schedule.

Plus other parts, I will edit the above list when I have the paperwork it in front of me.

Drove the car into work this morning and nothing fell off. Garage details below. Kirkway Service Station, Middleton, M24 1LW

http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/feedback/index.php?id=171

 

[Dano]

Also went back to have two coils replaced. £140 parts, £40 labour.
I recommend the garage despite it not being specialist.
Experienced mechanics. Transparent pricing.