Where to service?

[barry98]

Hello All. Am new here and relatively new to Mercedes Benz after owning many other nice vehicles.

So far so good. Bought the SL500 about six months ago (2006) only 25K on the clock; one of the smoothest vehicles I've ever driven. Lovely car.

About a week ago, I took the plunge and bought a 2007 AMG s65 (v12 turbo) with 69K. There are a few small nuisance things ........no cruise control and no high beam, which need attention and was also intending to change all fluids: oils. coolant etc as the car had been idle most of the past four years.

Question: Which is the better option, Mercedes Dealership or independent 'specialist'. I don't mind spending what is required to do a thorough, honest job but I've heard and read some disheartening things about dealerships....in general. These things aren't Kia's and I wouldn't have a clue what I should pay for this or that.

All opinions appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Dickster]

Welcome Barry. What area are you in? Then we can make a recommendation..

 

[TrueSpirit]

If you are in Surrey or close by then DDR are great. They do a lot of AMGS

 

[AMGeed]

If you are in Surrey or close by then DDR are great. They do a lot of AMGS

Looks like the OP is in Australia.
Bit of a long trek to Surrey.

I'd be taking both cars to an indy for repairs and servicing.

 

[zipdip]

Well Barry the Mercedes independent garages are alive and well in Australia,I have a friend who uses one in Brisbane and saves a fortune ,but of course if you are in Wagga Wagga then they might be a bit difficult,you have two great motors have you any pictures

 

[markjay]

In general, as others said, independent specialist.

But, have a look first if this works for you?

https://www.mercedes-benz.com.au/passengercars/being-an-owner/looking-after-your-car/servicing/mercedes-benz-capped-price-servicing/_jcr_content/par/productinfotabnav/tabnav/productinfotabnavite_505456413/tabnavitem/downloadbox/downloadcolumn1/download.attachment.Mercedes-Benz_Capped_Price_Servicing_4_Years_Price.pdf

 

[barry98]

Thank you for the welcome chaps. I should've mentioned I was in Oz, sorry. Yes, Surrey would be a bit of a stretch for me I'm only about five hours from Brisbane; about an hour inland from Coffs Harbour in NSW. It's about seven hours to Sydney from here. These distances probably seem huge compared to moving around the UK, and, herein lies the problem.......finding service techs not too far away who know what they're doing. If it's just a simple oil and filter change...no problem, but I am aware that these vehicles (as with other higher end cars I've owned) require regular inspection by someone who knows them intimately.

I was most interested to read the pdf Markjay. I wonder if that is a worldwide service option? A simple phone call to a Mercedes dealer here should answer my question.

With regard to the Mercs I currently own, I'm not 'hands on'. This applies to all vehicles I've owned. I understand very well, the workings etc of cars and can do basic maintenance.....checking oil and coolant levels, tyre pressure's....all the general health checks but as far as doing any serious mechanical work....forget it. I like to clean, polish and drive the things. I'm thinking I'll need a Uni degree to learn and understand all the various models and configurations of Mercs. These are the first Mercs I've owned and am now in my sixties.

The 2006 SL500 was purchased about eight months ago. It was a one owner (elderly gentleman in Sydney) 23K on the clock only; not even run in. One of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven. It appears to be doing all the right things very nicely. I picked up the 2007 AMG S65 last Saturday from Sydney and have only driven it from there to home. It's a 'beast' of a thing. I planted my foot a couple of times in the middle of nowhere for about thirty seconds and almost ran into the International Space Station each time. I like big engines and have always wanted a twelve cylinder but this thing, goodness me. I hope I've not bitten off more than I can chew.

One concern I have is the lack of a dipstick to check the engine oil level and quality....just a silly plug. Can one buy a dipstick? I thought of using the one in the 500 to check the level but it's a different engine and would possibly not give an accurate reading. Would this be correct?

No pics yet Zipdip but will do as soon as they're clean.

Apologies for the lengthy speel but I don't have a neighbour with a Merc to chat about things.................in fact, I don't have a neighbour!

Cheers

 

[Dickster]

Possibly, I bought a dipstick for my SL55.

Some photos would be great

 

[markjay]

...I was most interested to read the pdf Markjay. I wonder if that is a worldwide service option? A simple phone call to a Mercedes dealer here should answer my question...

The fixed-cost service offer differs from country to country, here in the UK we have the Mercedes Benz Service Care Plan.

The PDF I linked in my post above is for Australia, where it is called Mercedes Benz Basic Capped Price Servicing.

It can be good value in some cases, depending on the service, i.e. it makes more sense for 'big' services e.g. those including spark plugs change, ATF change, etc.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Welcome to the club Bruce, oops, Barry. Sounds like a couple of fabulous cars you have there.

Most of my family live in Oz, with one brother roughly half way between you and Brisbane, but none have Mercedes so not much help there. I agree with those who say that it’s worth your while trying to track down a good independent. The chances are that they’ll know more about your cars than a Mercedes dealership that’s more used to younger models. You just need to put on your detective‘s hat to search one out. You may be able to track down someone via Facebook.

Good luck (in your search, not the upcoming Ashes!)