My 'New to me' SL 500 R230 has just has a nice service, I think that it was good value?

[mioba]

Actually reading those prices again and the additiinal remedial work. What garage is it you are using out of intrest.

You are either loaded or the garage thinks you are.

 

[alabbasi]

Deffo.
That work is pretty much a standard service at the milege.
Parts should be round 200 (max) exl trade discount.
800 in labour.
Rip off

I think i can debate this. In my experience, pricing in the UK seems to be the same in 1:1 between £ and $ compared to US pricing.

Looking at my wholesale costs Iridium plugs 13/plug which will blow your £200 budget right there. . Add another 50 for oil, 10 for an oil filter, 25 for air filter, 15 for cabin filter, 70 for fuel filter and say 30 for brake fluid. That's over £400 in parts alone. This is using OEM parts like Bosch, Mann etc for plugs and filters but not through the dealer.

So what's the labor rate in the UK? If he was quoted less than 5 hours he got a deal.

 

[Spider10]

Thats a right side ABC strut specific to the R230 (non AMG). The company rebuilds both

Yes you are correct but not in stock

Deffo.
That work is pretty much a standard service at the milege.
Parts should be round 200 (max) exl trade discount.
800 in labour.
Rip off

Id love to know where you get genuine MB parts listed for less than £200 ?

 

[alabbasi]

Yes you are correct but not in stock

Id love to know where you get genuine MB parts listed for less than £200 ?

That's fine, it only took two minutes to find one source. If you really want to find them, you can contact Arnott Europe directly or go to their website where they will have a list of all their dealers. It's not hard.

 

[Spider10]

That's fine, it only took two minutes to find one source. If you really want to find them, you can contact Arnott Europe directly or go to their website where they will have a list of all their dealers. It's not hard.

I was talking about service parts not ABC struts as mentioned above 16 plugs would cost near the £200 mark
ABC oil (7.5L) and filter alone is circa £170 (MB Edinburgh)

 

[alabbasi]

I was talking about service parts not ABC struts as mentioned above 16 plugs would cost near the £200 mark
ABC oil (7.5L) and filter alone is circa £170 (MB Edinburgh)

You quoted two people, I responded to your response to me which is below. WRT to your other point, see post #22

 

[Dickster]

It sounds like you’re going to pay for new struts anyway. But here are my thoughts (I’ve had my SL55 for 3 1/2 years).

You’ve used the car for a year without any issue?

Why didn’t he service the ABC?

What’s the mileage on the car? At 50-60k all the pulsation dampers should replaced before they fail. And take hoses with them.

Does your car use much fluid? I ask as I get misting on my struts (which is not terminal) and my car does not use any fluid. So I would not change a strut just because it’s misting.

If the system is generally working ok and the fluid kept fresh it should be fine - subject to new dampers.

Ps the ball joints can be done without new struts. One of mine needs doing.

 

[pioneercollector]

Hi All,

Before i contacted a couple of service centers about the 'B' service and gearbox service i did ask ( For shits and giggles ) the MB service center for a quote on a full 'B' service which they quoted over £2700!! This did not include the gearbox service - In fairness the chap i was talking too did say to me that there are much cheaper options and there is one very good 'specialist' near to me ( Transpires that this particular chap was the senior mechanic at this MB garage )

Then i discovered that this 'specialist' was also a very good friend of mines best mate!

I did ask him why he left MB and he said that they were a bit of a rip off and all points of contact with the customers were to be used for selling new cars!

He has found me a secondhand ballast unit from the US, this is where he gets those types of parts from as they are guaranteed, and under £120. So that is good news. All the other parts are MB branded parts.

As for a couple of comments from other posters, i am NOT rich or stupid with my limited budget, I am also NOT a trained mechanic and i do not have the necessary equipment to carry out tasks on the car.

The mechanic did tell me that the car was not unsafe and would perform as intended but there was slight leakage to the struts, the discs are within legal limited but only just and some of the bushes and other consumables needed attention, including the corroded brake pipes at the front - So whilst the car is in the lock up an ideal time to tackle these jobs.

I am planing another road trip next year ( 2023 ) and will be taking the SL, and i do not want to break down in Transylvania or wherever we end up.

@ Dickster - My car has currently done 78K and is 20 years old in two months time - This is and always was my dream car, so i have allowed for some preventative maintenance in my budget, this particular SL was quite a bit less than i was budgeting for, higher mileage but had service history and is completely standard ( Including the Nokia phone in the center console ! ) - The aftermarket alloy wheels where the only exception to this, and i really liked them, but now i have a full set of the stock 18" back on the car ( fully refurbished by a local company ).

I have contacted a few places and have compared prices with what they are actually going to supply and to be honest i was quite shocked at some of the other quotes!

If this was a Triumph Stag or a MK1 Toyota Celica i would have done everything myself, the 1970's & 80's cars are a breeze to work on, The SL is in another class - Best left to the experts ( My half baked attempts could prove fatal!!)

PC

 

[Dickster]

Personally I didn’t think the service was expensive.

That mileage is the same as mine. Definitely check for pulsation damper replacement in the history. Worth changing at that mileage. The dampers are only around £150 each from memory.

I’ve worked on the ABC myself. It’s actually not as complicated as it seems - the hydraulic side of it. But I get what you mean about older simple cars.

SL55 spat out its ABC fluid today | Wheels, Tyres, Brakes & Suspension

I got an ABC warning workshop visit today. When I got home I opened the bonnet to find oil sprayed on the inside from the reservoir. I understand this is likely to be an accumulator and I think it’s the rear. I’ve decided to replace all the accumulators. what side of the car are they on and how...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

 

[alabbasi]

, i am NOT rich or stupid with my limited budget, I am also NOT a trained mechanic and i do not have the necessary equipment to carry out tasks on the car.

Mechanics typically mark up the cost of parts that they sell. They do this like any other business that buys and sells stuff and they should because they're going to be the ones that warranty the parts.

In your case, I don't see how he made any money which the personal connection explains. I wouldn't worry about any comments about you being ripped off. Several people have already explained that this is nonsense . They're just souring the experience out of ignorance or malice.

Plan on replacing the pulsation damper as a precaution right away. Especially if you've ever seen the abc warning light flash when you hit a dip at fast speed (or otherwise). The rest can be planned on the future

 

[EndlessMoneyPit]

As for a couple of comments from other posters, i am NOT rich or stupid with my limited budget, I am also NOT a trained mechanic and i do not have the necessary equipment to carry out tasks on the car.

I've bought 3 old Mercs in the last 18 or so years. Each time I take them to a reputable Mercedes Indy and they give it a good once-over and a proper service. They fix whatever's wrong with it and it costs me a few thousand pounds each time. They will only use genuine MB parts and their labour charge is more than my local garage, but they know what they're doing and to me they're worth every penny. After that, it's just the local garage for annual service and MOT for the next few years.

What I've spent in total on each car is still less than buying a 5 year old mainstream brand blob and I've got a comfy, reliable and beautiful-looking (to me) car to drive around in. I'd love to be able to do my own spannering but don't have the skill or facilities.

Sorry, didn't mean to write an essay, but it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. If a car puts a smile on your face when you look at it or drive it, it's well worth the money in my opinion.

Best of luck with yours!

 

[pioneercollector]

Hi All,

Thank you for your comments, appreciated,
@ Dickster - Great tip about the Pulsation damper, I have asked the mechanic to check this for me, Good news! He did get me a guaranteed secondhand ballast unit, so that shaved off £700 from the quote!
@alabbasi - Yes i was such a fortunate discovery that there was a close connection before i knew what his did for a living ( I knew that he owned his own garage ) But i never mix friendship with business, but this was different! The car is now with him.
@EndlessMoneyPit - Great comments, and i love the car! And i totally agree with you about not having spent a fortune on the latest fad 'with an I-Dash' I am comfortable with the costs so far, I was sort of expecting something along the way as she is 20 years old. In my mind i have green credentials because i have recycle a really nice car. Thank you

 

[BlackC55]

£968 is a rip off.

It absolutely is not. Spark plugs alone will be £250 for all 16 genuine MB. The fuel filter takes an hour as its in a horrible place. etc etc.

 

[BlackC55]

Deffo.
That work is pretty much a standard service at the milege.
Parts should be round 200 (max) exl trade discount.
800 in labour.
Rip off

£200 max? When was the last time you bought genuine spark plugs and a fuel filter for an SL500?

Or done an SBC brake fluid change that is an hours work plus 2-3L of brake fluid. Plus the equipment to do it.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , a friend of mine use to work for Mercedes dealer years ago.

He suggested that Mercedes parts may be more expensive but they last considerably longer.

He found that pattern parts on brakes disc/ pad caused so many issues. From his experience even if non Mercedes parts were supplied from well know suppliers they fell down on quality.

My car has covered 42000 from new and will soon require new discs pad all round. I have my car serviced by Mercedes re extended warranty cover but will take my car to a Mercedes specialist who will only for genuine Mercedes parts.

 

[alabbasi]

He found that pattern parts on brakes disc/ pad caused so many issues. From his experience even if non Mercedes parts were supplied from well know suppliers they fell down on quality.

Mercedes Benz makes cars, they don't make parts. They source parts from OEM suppliers. If you buy the same part from the same OEM supplier, you'll get the same part as they do. You just need to figure out which OEM supplier supplies which OEM part. Just because it's an OEM supplier, that does not mean that they supply that part for Mercedes. Bosch is an OE supplier, if you buy an air mass sensor, it's probably going to be an OE part, if you buy bosch brake pads? probably not.

 

[EndlessMoneyPit]

G

Mercedes Benz makes cars, they don't make parts. They source parts from OEM suppliers. If you buy the same part from the same OEM supplier, you'll get the same part as they do. You just need to figure out which OEM supplier supplies which OEM part. Just because it's an OEM supplier, that does not mean that they supply that part for Mercedes. Bosch is an OE supplier, if you buy an air mass sensor, it's probably going to be an OE part, if you buy bosch brake pads? probably not.

Does anybody know if the parts manufactured for Mercedes Benz (i.e., a Bosch part with a Mercedes star and part no. stamped on it and retailed by Mercedes Dealer) is of the same quality/standard as as a Bosch part without the star and sold by Autodoc or Halfords or whatever?

Say a local Indy will only use MB branded parts from a MB Dealership. Is that because they're better quality than OEM parts from Partco Ltd down the street or is it because they have some kind of agreement with MB?

Genuine question and something I've wondered about before. Maybe I should just ask an Indy but I don't want to sound like I'm accusing them of anything. People can take things the wrong way!

 

[alabbasi]

G

Does anybody know if the parts manufactured for Mercedes Benz (i.e., a Bosch part with a Mercedes star and part no. stamped on it and retailed by Mercedes Dealer) is of the same quality/standard as as a Bosch part without the star and sold by Autodoc or Halfords or whatever?

Say a local Indy will only use MB branded parts from a MB Dealership. Is that because they're better quality than OEM parts from Partco Ltd down the street or is it because they have some kind of agreement with MB?

Genuine question and something I've wondered about before. Maybe I should just ask an Indy but I don't want to sound like I'm accusing them of anything. People can take things the wrong way!

If you understand manufacturing, you'll understand that set up and change over costs are one of the biggest costs. The cheapest way to make something is to make a lot of it so it's unlikely that they'll sell a sub standard part to the public. If they were to do that, it's cheaper to use a contract manufacturer and repackage it. In which case, it's good to look at the country of origin to see it the Mercedes part is made in Germany and the Bosch part is made in China.

 

[W1ghty]

G

Does anybody know if the parts manufactured for Mercedes Benz (i.e., a Bosch part with a Mercedes star and part no. stamped on it and retailed by Mercedes Dealer) is of the same quality/standard as as a Bosch part without the star and sold by Autodoc or Halfords or whatever?

Say a local Indy will only use MB branded parts from a MB Dealership. Is that because they're better quality than OEM parts from Partco Ltd down the street or is it because they have some kind of agreement with MB?

Genuine question and something I've wondered about before. Maybe I should just ask an Indy but I don't want to sound like I'm accusing them of anything. People can take things the wrong way!

Indy’s don’t have the time to shop round looking for deals/sales on parts (for you) . If they have an account with MB they have a one stop shop with fast delivery with parts guaranteed to fit your car .

I often supply parts for my Indy to fit (phone conversation first) without issue . But any issues they are down to me , I understand that so no problem .

 

[EndlessMoneyPit]

If you understand manufacturing, you'll understand that set up and change over costs are one of the biggest costs. The cheapest way to make something is to make a lot of it so it's unlikely that they'll sell a sub standard part to the public. If they were to do that, it's cheaper to use a contract manufacturer and repackage it. In which case, it's good to look at the country of origin to see it the Mercedes part is made in Germany and the Bosch part is made in China.

Thanks. I wasn't so much thinking the non-MB part would be substandard - more that the MB branded one might be a litter better. Agree about country of origin, IME it can make a difference.