SL320 - Help Please

[The Owl]

Oh dear, not a good Valentine's day!

Took my beautiful Black SL320 into MB Harrogate for a service. Its a lovely 2001 model, which I've owned for 4 years and it always gets through MOT first time, never any works needed - not even brake pads!

Well a few days ago the coolant light came on, so having doshed out for 2L of Coolant I thought a service was overdue and I'd pop it in - asking to check a few other things. So here's the damage:

- Radiator leak: Too big a hole to fix with radweld so new rad needed £512
- Slight leak in the rubber window seals - well these are attached to mouldings apparently, and not easy to fit so £1,330 !!
- Battery - works well since 2003 but can discharge if left for 3 weeks or so £140
- Tyres excellent: but slight wear on inside so pulls a little to the left - 2new tyres c £200 + tracking £100
- Full service £1,012 !
- High level brake light replace £140
- Slightly corroded gear box colar £120

What do I do? I really don't want to sell it and would it be worth anything anyway. I love this car and paint work is good. Everything else works really well and its 96k only miles for a 2001 - not bad!

Any offers from enthusiasts after a good deal?

Thanks

 

[BTB 500]

I would find another dealer.

The most expensive service I've ever had on my SL500 at M-B Guildford was a 'large maintenance service' (service C) at £628 all-in. New plugs, wiper blade, fuel & air filters, brake fluid drained & replaced, etc.

B service last year (incl. plugs, fuel & air filters, brake fluid drained & replaced) was £528 ... although I did supply my own oil that time.

Over £1k is taking the mick, IMO.

As an aside ... not an issue from a mechanical POV, but 96k miles is quite high for an SL as most are not used as daily drivers.

 

[merc estate]

Just looked on ebay Rad £156 from GFS rear window inc sill £70 Tracking should only be £50 for a good garage go to an indi for a service and fit other parts a phone call will cut it by 50% good luck don't throw the towel in too early.

 

[The Owl]

Very many thasnks - really helpful. I'll try those options now I've scraped myself off the floor.
Cheers

 

[tonyc280]

The Main "Stealers" prices seem way too high !!!. Don't give them the pleasure of ripping you off. Especially the cost of the servicing. T. BTW your car looks gorgeous.

 

[c63chris]

Most dealers will move on price if you ask. Just had mine done. B service which eventually settled on £289 + £60 for the brake fluid change. This was over £500 to start with so I would be asking for significant discount on that lot and as said get a price from another dealer. Given the age of the car an Indie may be a better bet, certainly cheaper.

 

[millo777]

Some of those quoted costs seem very high.

For the alignment, check Align My Car as you get that done anywhere, but preferably somewhere with the "Hunter" rig as you might as well get it done properly. Most fast fit type places won't have the proper rig to do this properly.

If the tyres only have slight wear and are still described as excellent, surely they don't need to be changed straight away? maybe even move them to the rear of the car for a while and change them in a few thousand miles.

Battry change is something you should consider doing yourself as it will only take a few minutes. Mercedes only give a 2 year warranty on betteries as the branded versions are the cheapest versions from Varta. You could probably get a Varta Silver with a a 5 year warranty for about £80 delivered if you shop arouns online.

The cost for the window seals sounds like it will be mostly labour charge. Thats the type of job that is ideal to do yourself if you can, or find somewhere with the cheapest labour rate possible.

For the general service, check the this section of the forum Mercedes specialists across the UK - MBClub UK - Bringing together Mercedes Enthusiasts to find a Benz specialist in your area that has good reviews, and negotiate a price up front for all the work that needs to be done.

Bear in mind some main dealers have very strange policies on labour charges. I had one dealer quote me an hours labour (Minimum charge for any job apparently) for fitting a glove box lock barrel on my w140. When the part arrived I took the service manager to my car and got him to time me fitting it. The result was 4.5 seconds, including removing the lock from the platic bag. For which he wanted to charge over £100. He laughed and apologised.

 

[lxi]

I know MB Harrogate quite well (used them for over 7 years with three R230s) and this has surprised me.

With all respect to the OP, it might have been a matter of how the prices were requested - if, as seems from the quote, it was a question of "tell me the official prices", then it seems that's what you got.

They are accustomed to dealing with tight fisted gits (like me!) and I am sure if revisited with a Yorkshireman's hat (or worse, the one I wear as a Glaswegian now living in Yorkshire ) then I'm sure you would get a different response.

The service manager is Geoff Rowswell - a brilliant and very approachable guy - maybe if you called him direct and explained what happened & asked if you could drop back in for a reality check (I'd use that term!) you might be pleasantly surprised.

You could even cite this post (he pays attention to the forums) & it probably wouldn't do any harm if you wish to repeat what's been said - just quote my username here & "SL63" - he'll know exactly who it was.

Nothing to lose by asking

 

[The Owl]

Fabulous - thanks Chaps. Think you've saved me about £2,000 with the various suggestions! Very much appreciated.

Cheers
The Owl

 

[The Owl]

Latest update on the Rad. Had a chat with a few people having first investigated Rad Weld (heavy duty gold). Was recommended to use K-Seal instead as its thicker. There is an even pricier product c £40! but thought i'd go for K-Seal.

Well, it seems to have worked (despite the garage saying 'think its too big a hole for Rad Weld' - he may well have been correct there, but he didn't mention K-Seal at all!!), ...so some 3 minutes after emptying the product into a slightly warmed engine, and refilling the coolant, then driving for 10 mins - the light has gone out so rad seems good - at least for now. I was going to put a second lot in for good measure - however the chap who recommended it said don't use too much of this stuff ... cost £11 + coollant for MB from Halfords - £24. saving c £500!! So things looking a little brighter today.

 

[paulr]

Cars cost money and these are expensive cars. I am having £6K worth of work done on mine to bring it right up to scratch, because it's a great car and this money is just the cost of driving. Mine has 130K and is as good as gold. I know it, it's the right colour and it's never let me down. It seems to me that 'we' all want cost free motoring.

 

[Sp!ke]

What are you thinking putting Radweld in your SL? I can understand if you were driving a £200 car and wanted 3 more months out of it before scrapping it but in your SL???

I would get that out pronto and completely flush your system a fair few times before fitting a new replacement radiator from ECP, GFS or similar.

What type of coolant did you use - there are two types in Halfords and one of them is wrong.

 

[Ted]

Spike is absolutely right.
Let's put it another way - how confident would you be on an early morning thrash up to Scotland with a product that is designed to block up holes, against a new rad and flush?

Nobody more tight fisted than me (Scottish father, Yorkshire mother) but I would definitely put in the new rad - that beautiful car deserves it.

 

[rorf]

You will live to regret putting that crap in your radiator - if you can't afford to run the SL then get rid of it.

The dealer will always quote low service rates, then when the car is on the lift you will start to get the phone calls about this and that which HAS to be done and so the costs mount.

This forum can suggest many great indys close to you who I am sure are very reasonable and will do a far better job then the stealer!

 

[The Owl]

It was K -seal rather than Radweld. I checked the Coolant with Halfords. Keeping an eye on the temperature which seems fine.

I take your point about the Rad thou - thanks for the advice. Perhaps it should have a new rad. I think I'm still recovering - they are such fabulous cars - I can afford it. Just being extremely stubborn, and wondering how many years more I can get. The SLs are excellent though and this should run and run... oh dear - decisions!!

 

[Sp!ke]

K-seal is much the same sort of thing as Radweld.

Not only will it block leaks but it will also block galleries inside your water jacket surrounding your engine.

You should flush it out as soon as possible.

I also wouldn't rely on the advice of the teenage employee in Halfords. 50/50 you've put the wrong coolant in which could react with the lining of your engine and destroy seals.

 

[DSM10000]

I also wouldn't rely on the advice of the teenage employee in Halfords. 50/50 you've put the wrong coolant in which could react with the lining of your engine and destroy seals.

I do not recall the age of the Halfords staff member being mentioned?

 

[rorf]

It was K -seal rather than Radweld. I checked the Coolant with Halfords. Keeping an eye on the temperature which seems fine.

I take your point about the Rad thou - thanks for the advice. Perhaps it should have a new rad. I think I'm still recovering - they are such fabulous cars - I can afford it. Just being extremely stubborn, and wondering how many years more I can get. The SLs are excellent though and this should run and run... oh dear - decisions!!

Like it or not these are still high maintenance vehicles - that is if you still want it to drive as it did when coming off the factory floor.

I changed my radiator last year as it was leaking at the seam between the plastic and the aluminium and I have always used Mercedes coolant and changed it every 3 years

Have now just spent a fortune on repairing all the soft top hydraulic cylinders and installed a new soft top - it never ends but I love it and to keep costs down I do all the work myself

 

[230K]

Hi

Porridge and even an egg do the same job as radweld.
You will know for again....

230k

Sent from my GT-I9505 using MBClub UK

 

[Sp!ke]

I do not recall the age of the Halfords staff member being mentioned?

My point being that the yoof working in halfords likely has no qualifications or expertise to advise on anything mechanical.