Where to get car serviced?

[HITECH]

Use your local garage you always use. There is nothing diffirent to servicing an old car to servicing a new car. The principles are exactly the same. Especially more so if you presently have had no problems with the car. Then your usual garage mechanic will be quite thorough with your 2016 as he was with your old peugeot. I used to be in that position where I was only servicing 10 yr old cars or more. I had to advertise to people that I have the technical and mechanical ability to service and repair brand new cars aswell as older cars. People are under the mis-conception that with a new car with a warranty you HAVE to take it to a certain dealership. This is completely untrue. But im not saying that you should not take it to the dealership or that the dealership will not do a good enough job. Ofcourse they will. They have everything they need and they only work on the same cars over and over again so you WILL get an outstanding service. If you can afford it then its fine. If you cant then it does not mean you are neglecting your car by going to your local garage man down the road. He will most likely have the ability to think outside the box and be able to troubleshoot a problem aswell as give your brand new car a new lease of life with all the dealership branded parts. I see too many scare tactics with motorists saying WOW YEAH U BETTER GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY THE ONLY ONES BE ABLE TO DO IT PROPERLY. well let me tell you. Them days are LONG GONE and it is an open market.

Hi All,

I bought a 2016 Mercedes C200 petrol last year. Before that I had an old banger Peugeot so I just took it for servicing at my local garage.

In the new year the Merc is due its first MOT and A3 service. It has done 22,000 miles and I haven't had any problems with it over my last year of ownership.

Where should I take it to get it serviced? I don't fancy taking it to an official Mercedes garage as the costs of servicing appear very high. So I could take it to a local mercedes specialist or just my normal garage round the corner.

Also, what should I be asking to have done? The A3 service as per the manual involves all sorts of things that probably don't really need doing like replacing all the brake fluid etc. I understand that if you don't do everything as per the servicing recommendations in the manual then the value of the car can depreciate more than it otherwise would. But I'm expecting to own this car until it dies and isn't worth anything- like maybe 8 or 10 years from now so this isn't really a major consideration for me.

Clearly, though, I want to maintain it properly and make sure that it does last. But I want to do it as cost effectively as possible.

Any recommendations as to garages/ what type of service I should be getting?

I like in Harrow.

Many thanks,

Jonathan.

 

[Flyinspanner]

+1 for Terry at Wayne Gates, great service.

 

[grober]

As already mentioned glycol based fluid is hygroscopic and will absorb water vapour. Most brake fluids have a wet and dry boiling point specification signifying the temperature at which the fluid will vapourise depending on how "wet" it is. This most likely to happen behind the brake caliper piston where high temperatures will develop with repeated brake application and air is more likely to be drawn back past the the piston seals with piston movement in the caliper bores. Its one reason why testing the fluid in the reservoir may not be an accurate reflection of the water content at the "sharp end" of the braking system. The other aspect of temperature performance is that a poorly performing brake fluid is rarely tested to where its fails to perform. You might for example have a "firm pedal" and be able to "slam on the anchors" a couple of times without noticeable defect but continue this and at a some point after repeated brake applications there will be a sudden drastic reduction in braking efficiency/ stopping distance. The only practical test of this would be a before and after replacement test of brake fluid performance with a series of repeated hard brake applications to measure the point at which performance drops off. That's before we start to discuss the increased propensity for seal degradation and internal corrosion of brake components of course. One of the first things to check when buying a car would be documented evidence as to how long ago the fluid was changed and the brake system bled. If this is unknown then it would be wise to renew it ASAP.

Typical wet and dry fluid figures for DOT [ US department of transport] 4 fluid from ATE recommended for cars with ABS/ ESP are dry boiling point 230 degrees C wet boiling point 155 degrees C [ WET is defined as fluid containing 3.7% water- typically after 2years use ] --- remember with modern stability/traction control the car may be applying the brakes on its own without the driver touching the brake pedal raising brake caliper operating temperature "on the fly"

 

[Deletedmember130310]

Why waste money? If I can save money then I will. I don't believe in spending a penny more than I need to.

You bought an expensive MB when a cheaper car will get you from A to Z just as well.....

You came here seeking advice. You have been given advice. You don't like the advice. Don't be surprised if people don't offer to help you again.

Changing the brake fluid every 2-3 years has other advantages - for example, the bleed nipples have to be loosened off. I'd rather that was done regularly than find they seize or snap off many years down the line when work, such as replacing the notoriously rusty brake pipes, becomes necessary.

spending money on maintenance servicing is envariably cheaper than the larger repair bills that arise from lack of maintenance

 

[anderoo]

I have an older mercedes and use a merc specialist for servicing and MOTs (+pre-MOT inspection to catch any issues before being tested). In my case, Star Motors in Reading. I tried my local garage, who I'd used for a long time with a previous car, and they didn't really know their way around the mercedes, and I lost confidence in them. (Your local guy might be fine.)

I also tried the local mercedes dealer when I first got the car - an experience I vowed never to repeat. I was outright lied to about the amount of 'urgent repairs' that were needed.

So based on my own experience, I'd say go for a specialist. They know what they're looking for, use the right parts, and trade on reputation, so it's in their interests to do a good job and get repeat custom.

At my last service, they advised that some suspension components had worn out and should be replaced. I gave the go ahead and they did it straight away with genuine parts. Also an exhaust bracket had broken, which they just welded up for me. Working from the standard checklist of oil change/air filter/etc. I doubt either of those things would have been noticed, and if mercedes had noticed the broken bracket I'm certain they'd have tried to sting me for a whole new exhaust...

They also have a radical way of dealing with brake fluid - they test it to see if it needs changing, and if it does, they change it

 

[markjay]

Re testing brake fluid... it's a hydraulic system, and the fluid does not circulate within the brake system (you often find that the fluid in the reservoir os clear, while the fluid in the caliper is dirty).

Testing the water content of the brake fluid in the reservoir is not an indication of the condition of the fluid in the calipers.

You can decide how long you want to keep the fluid before you change it (some manufacturers say 2 years, others say 3 years, but the fluid is essentially the same).

But ultimately not changing the brake fluid is flase economy. You only need 1L, it's a DIY job, and even if you take the car to the garage it should not cost too much (MB charge around £100, an independent garage will probably charge half that).

So I really can find any serious argument against getting it done.

 

[Deletedmember130310]

The OP is probably so tight they turn the wipers off when they go under a bridge....

 

[Smart320]

The OP is probably so tight they turn the wipers off when they go under a bridge....

Strange, I do that ! But I do change my brake fluid every two years

 

[geraldrobins]

Nothing wrong in getting value for your money!!

 

[Smart320]

But I do worry about wearing the wiper switch out

 

[190]

I change the brake fluid on a DIY basis every 2 years using the correct low viscosity version of DOT 4. One advantage of the LV fluid is it makes gravity bleeding more feasible. Just attach a short flexible tube and open the bleeder. The fluid will flow because it's under the head pressure between the reservoir and the bleed nipple which is somewhere in the region of 1 PSI. Gravity bleeding is really the same as pressure bleeding using a very low pressure. It's slow but very simple and foolproof with no possibility of introducing air as long as the reservoir is kept topped up.