Mercedes r230 sl500 service

[Simonsl500]

Hi everyone,

new to the forum, have a r230 sl500 44k which I have owned from new and has been serviced at Waterhouse in Chelmsford which was an independent official Mercedes service centre and have always been very happy. Sadly they have been bought out by lookers and have stopped being a mercedes service agent. Spoke to Chelmsford mercedes as my car is due it’s b service but slightly hesitant to send my 20 year old car to a modern dealership who I suspect probably know very little about that age of car. Suspect I May be just being over precious but my initial call was them trying to sell me a monthly service plan etc.. so basically my question is does anyone know an Essex based specialist who is happy working on a modern classic who will know how these cars work?

 

[alabbasi]

This is what a B service involves. I think that most competent shops and certainly a Mercedes Benz dealer will be able to handle it.

• Mercedes-Benz Synthetic Motor Oil Replacement
• Oil Filter Replacement with Genuine Mercedes-Benz Fleece Filter
• Replacement of cabin dust/combination filter
• Tire inflation check and correction
• Brake component inspection
• Fluid level checks and correction
• Maintenance counter reset
• Brake fluid exchange

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

A main dealer will have the people and tech to support a 20 year old car that uses a V8 that was used right across the product range…..

But …. It also has a lot of overheads and bureaucracy that will disadvantage it… so most MB owners switch to independents during the first decade, or at third owner.

Can’t comment onEssex Indy’s but the names will soon turn up.

 

[Skd884]

Hi everyone,

new to the forum, have a r230 sl500 44k which I have owned from new and has been serviced at Waterhouse in Chelmsford which was an independent official Mercedes service centre and have always been very happy. Sadly they have been bought out by lookers and have stopped being a mercedes service agent. Spoke to Chelmsford mercedes as my car is due it’s b service but slightly hesitant to send my 20 year old car to a modern dealership who I suspect probably know very little about that age of car. Suspect I May be just being over precious but my initial call was them trying to sell me a monthly service plan etc.. so basically my question is does anyone know an Essex based specialist who is happy working on a modern classic who will know how these cars work?

If you would like an A service for £139 -

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

 

[W1ghty]

Hi everyone,

new to the forum, have a r230 sl500 44k which I have owned from new and has been serviced at Waterhouse in Chelmsford which was an independent official Mercedes service centre and have always been very happy. Sadly they have been bought out by lookers and have stopped being a mercedes service agent. Spoke to Chelmsford mercedes as my car is due it’s b service but slightly hesitant to send my 20 year old car to a modern dealership who I suspect probably know very little about that age of car. Suspect I May be just being over precious but my initial call was them trying to sell me a monthly service plan etc.. so basically my question is does anyone know an Essex based specialist who is happy working on a modern classic who will know how these cars work?

I’m Essex based buddy , I’ve used Waterhouse in the past but as you say they have gone full MB corporate now .
Might be worth checking if their Braintree branch has also began drinking the Kool Aid .
I drive out to Stowmarket to Alex Crow , who is an excellent specialist.( he is a lot cheaper than anything MB , I don’t even bother with getting a price quote anymore )
There is a specialist near Gallows Corner , Romford but they may have changed their name recently?? I’ve not used them .
Depending on what you need doing There is a German car specialist in Chelmsford called PMW , not used them but I would perhaps if I couldn’t drive out to Alex .
What sort of location in Essex are you ?

 

[SMcUK]

I'm Braintree Essex based and I popped into the Braintree Waterhouse (was kind of linked to Waterhouse Chelmsford but not exactly) yesterday to book my car in for a service. I found out that the whole Waterhouse franchise has now been bought out by a company called VWAuditec. Mercedes does not figure in their literature that I can see and the new website has a list of all their technicians and none of them show any Mercedes experience. They did however offer to service my SLC and said they had the equipment to be able to reset the electronics.

The main man that used to run the place was an excellent trustworthy guy called Sean (not sure of his second name possibly Case). Unfortunately, I cant see his name anywhere on the team so I assume he must have left. If anyone knows where he is now then you are probably in the right place.

This still leaves open the need for a decent alternative to main dealer to take your car to in this area.