Stand And Deliver !!!!

[Dave K]

Legalised robbery !!!!! I can't believe how much MB want to service my E320 CDi 2000 (W210). £465 for a B service and £255 for an A service. I asked what parts were used on the A service and was told "oil, an oil filter, and some screenwash". So, £255 to change the oil. Well they can shove that

I asked what the huge number of extra parts for the B service was. "An air filter and cabin filters". They can shove it even further !!!!

Any special tools needed to get the oil filter off? I'll be servicing it myself !! I've done enough mechanical work over the years to know what I'm doing (gearbox swaps, diff swaps, engine rebuilds, clutch swaps).

 

[jimmy]

I agree with you, that is why I service my own car and go well over the top with maintenance.

Don't forget that by going to any main dealer you are not just paying silly money for oil and filters, you are also paying for some kind of warranty on the work they do and a full MB stamped service book will have some value when you come to sell the car.

Also they have to pay staff, training, overheads, stock holding, waste disposal etc but it is still too much money.

If you do service it yourself you will need a special socket to remove the filter housing, these are available, either genuine or aftermarket. You will also need to reset the service computer, this can be done by pressing and releasing buttons in a certain sequence. Much easier to get hold of or borrow a reset tool.

Don't be worried about using aftermarket filters either, they are just as good, they have to be these days.

 

[Dieter]

Hi,

I agree this sounds excessive but services for Mercs (based on ASSYST) can up to 2 years apart. As most other marques require yearly servicing it's not that bad and as pointed out the MB service history is important for resale etc.

If you can't/won't/ or baulk at cost of servicing why did you buy the car in the first place? I certainly enquired about servicing costs before I bought mine.

Yes, I wish servicing costs a tenner too but it "don't and it won't".

Cheers,

Dieter

 

[Dieselman]

Hi,


If you can't/won't/ or baulk at cost of servicing why did you buy the car in the first place? I certainly enquired about servicing costs before I bought mine.

I think it's the £100 per hour labour that is the issue. I also knew the servicing costs but it didn't stop the dealer giving me a bill £200 over the service price when I collected mine.

There is very little on a MB that can't be done by a home mechanic, and those bits you have to pay extra for anyway.

I agree with Jimmy. Perform your own servicing and spend the extra cash on consumables and parts...your car will reward you.

 

[Ian B Walker]

I think it's the £100 per hour labour that is the issue. I also knew the servicing costs but it didn't stop the dealer giving me a bill £200 over the service price when I collected mine.

There is very little on a MB that can't be done by a home mechanic, and those bits you hae to pay extra for anyway.

I agree with Jimmy. Perform your own servicing and spend the extra cash on consumables and parts...your car will reward you.

Seconded 100%. I do all my own servicing, nothing much to scare a person if you have the basic saftey equipment (ramps or axle stands) some decent sockets, spanners, screwdrivers and the ability to look at the task from different prespectives.

 

[Dave K]

Yep - it's the £100 an hour that annoys me. It's excessive profit making and I'm not prepared to be a part of it when I have all the skills to do the jobs myself. An equivilent service on a Honda costs half as much so it's just down to the greed of stealerships that makes the price so high. Even my Lotus costs less to have serviced by a stealership and they do a fair bit more for the money!!!!

As for re-sale value, I'm hanging on to this one until it's ready for the grave. I'll replace one of our other cars when we need something newer (sounds a bit pompous) so I don't really give a damn about re-sale values. Besides, in 8 years time it'll have depreciated in value so much, that the difference between the price I'd get with FMBSH and without will be less than I'll have donated to the stealerships in servicing costs.

Can anyone point me in the direction of the "special socket to remove the filter housing"?

 

[Simon]

I'm keeping mine forever also so I get an anual service & MOT at the same time from a trusted local garage, cost about £120. I change the oil every 6 months. They charge £18.00 per hour. There are stamps in the service book, not Mercedes but it dosn't really matter. Other jobs get done as and when necessary.

There's an oil filter removal tool here.

 

[jimmy]

You can get the filter housing socket at most good motor factors, I don't have any MB ones at the moment. Make sure you get the right one, the diesel one is much bigger than the petrol one. My TD has a 36mm 'nut' incorporated into the top, not sure about the CDi's. You could use a strap if you were careful.

 

[janner]

The last time I was at the stealers waiting for the parts guy I overheard the service manager 'training' a newbie. He told him to "Block charge for things wherever possible. For instance, don't list it on the invoice as 'fitted brake pads' put it down as 'brake service'. That way the customer can't query the price" Nice!

service on a Honda costs half as much

I've always found Honda a bit steep on servicing as well. At least Honda are a pleasant and helpful bunch, something I can't say about MB!

This is a good link for DIY oil changing.
http://www.mercedesshop.com/diy_oil_change2.htm

 

[Dieselman]

Can anyone point me in the direction of the "special socket to remove the filter housing"?

You don't need a special socket, any socket that fits the nut head will do. The filter housing shouldn't be very tight.

 

[Dave K]

Amazing. My Vectra TDi socket fits

 

[palcouk]

For the last 2 yrs I been hopping the Eurotunnel (£25 - £39) going shopping and having the car serviced at Gorrias, MB main dealer, Boulogne.
E220CDI last A service £100, B service inc pads £250.
Warranty remains valid!
Labour £32/hr no silly waste tax addons!
They'll supply a lone car for 10eur.
But I am in Kent

 

[C240Sport97]

Hi

Please can you post the contact details of this dealer.

Sounds great.

Thanks,
SEAN

For the last 2 yrs I been hopping the Eurotunnel (£25 - £39) going shopping and having the car serviced at Gorrias, MB main dealer, Boulogne.
E220CDI last A service £100, B service inc pads £250.
Warranty remains valid!
Labour £32/hr no silly waste tax addons!
They'll supply a lone car for 10eur.
But I am in Kent

 

[Tan]

I need to get my Dad's S-class serviced, as its now over 6 years old Tony Purslows want about £320 and Brabus in kent a similar amount as opposed to my local dealers who want over £400