Mercedes Dealer Service - Price Match

[markjay]

Before you get too excited, this was the practice at the dealership he worked at in Sussex, although he thought that this would be common practice across most MB dealership. It is a great opportunity to up sell their services for spending a little more time on inspection, probably akin to the free summer/winter checks dealership offers from time to time (with free wash and top up of vital fluids).

Let's hope my MB dealer (MB Brooklands) does that

It's a Win-Win.

 

[BlackC55]

Good plan, but be aware that there's only that number of times that you can approach your local indie asking for a printed quote for service using original MB parts and then disappear and not come back to them until the next time you need another quote.......... your local indie will quickly work-out that you are wasting their time and may (rightly...) not engage with you in future. You can ask for quotes from your indie as long as you also also give them some work from time to time, as opposed to always go to the dealer.

We tend to work it out quite quickly and it is a bit dis-heartening I must admit!

Natacha

 

[Rory]

That's actually good news. So I book my car for an A service and in fact get more things looked at - sounds great.

For one thing, I was never comfortable with the idea that the wheels don't come off for an A Service. This means that the brakes only get proper visual inspection once every two years. If what you are suggesting is true, and they do take the wheels off for an A Service and properly inspect the brakes at their own expense (i.e. in the hope that they can sell me new discs and pads), than it's reassuring.

Every other car I have ever owned had the wheels removed and the brakes inspected at each service, MB is the only marque I know that don't carry-out a full brake inspection at each service (well, according to your friend, they actually do, just don't charge for it, so great).

The dealer I used to use laughed when I mentioned taking the wheels off - he said B service hasn't been a "wheels off service" for years.

Which marque does take them off? I'm sure they don't come off on our VAG cars even on major services. Dealers don't even seem to clean brakes now - I can't remember the last time I saw "brake cleaner" on a service invoice. Daughter's Mitsubishi they used to clean out the rear drums each year, but their servicing was always very over-thorough, they even changed the pollen filter every year.

 

[Dryce]

Which marque does take them off? I'm sure they don't come off on our VAG cars even on major services.

My Touareg had the wheels taken during dealer service. Which surprised me.

 

[markjay]

Simple. I always ask for the wheels to be rotated back to front on my cars during servicing (no staggered setup on any of my cars). The reason I know when it's done is that I am not beeing asked to pay for that when the wheels come off for the service.....

My experience so far is that Vauxhall, Kia, Renault, and Suzuki do take the wheels off at every service, but MB only do so during a B Service. Or, at least, those dealers I was using do.

 

[Mr. B]

Many years ago my wheels were taken off.

Trouble is I’m still waiting for them to be returned.

 

[Rory]

Simple. I always ask for the wheels to be rotated back to front on my cars during servicing (no staggered setup on any of my cars). The reason I know when it's done is that I am not beeing asked to pay for that when the wheels come off for the service.....

My experience so far is that Vauxhall, Kia, Renault, and Suzuki do take the wheels off at every service, but MB only do so during a B Service. Or, at least, those dealers I was using do.

There's nothing in the B service schedule to suggest they take them off (there used to be, if you go back to much older cars it's still mentioned).

I wonder if they take them off when doing a brake fluid change, which would normally be at the same times a B service - my indie asked for the wheel key when I asked him to do a brake fluid change at the same time as the MOT the other day.

 

[SlimJim]

I’m having a B5 service and MoT on Friday at a dealer so I’ll ask after it’s completed.

 

[markjay]

I’m having a B5 service and MoT on Friday at a dealer so I’ll ask after it’s completed.

...and?

 

[SlimJim]

Wheels off, pads and discs measured. Good MoT, health check mentioned rear pads wearing thin. Thought I would have to replace tyres this winter but all recorded between 5mm - 5.8mm.

 

[markjay]

Wheels off, pads and discs measured. Good MoT, health check mentioned rear pads wearing thin. Thought I would have to replace tyres this winter but all recorded between 5mm - 5.8mm.

Thank you, sounds promising.

I'll get the wheels rotated at the next B service then