seattlec300

called around a couple of local dealerships for prices.
$450+tax
$620+tax


what's up with the price difference? how much is everyone else paying at their local dealership? seems like such a basic service at a crazy high price.

Takymoto

$620 is what I was quoted. Some dealerships have "specials" going on, which is probably why you're seeing some discrepancies.

sean1.8t

If you're leasing, you're crazy not to do pre-paid service. Crazy I tells ya!

gfmohn

On Tuesday, I had my C300 at my dealer outside of Boston for the 2-year "B" service at 10,600 miles. The first 2 years of service were part of my purchase price. Likewise, the previous "A" service at one year. I asked the service rep. what the cost of the next "B" service would be (at 4 years and 20,000 miles). She replied that it would be $800+. The intervening "A" service at 3 years would be $300+.

In 2007, I did my first, one-year "A" service on my first Mercedes at another dealership. Services were not part of the purchase price on that Mercedes. (See my Signature below.) As I recall, the total price was $280+. I didn't like the way they made one charge for one filling the windshield washer fluid and a second charge for the fluid, both of them outrageous. The grabber was that I had filled the windshield washer fluid just before bringing the car in! I found that my local independent shop, European Auto Solutions, did services for about 60% of the dealer price. They also support the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, and the manager is the vice-president of my local section. (See my Signature below for my testimonial to the $500 discount I received on the purchase of my second Mercedes!) So I will be returning to European Auto Solutions for future Mercedes services.

mmaldin

Do the prices quoted above for the B service include a brake fluid flush?

sean1.8t

You really think something like that is necessary after only 10,000 miles?

I sure don't.

mmaldin

Service B is more like 20k and a brake flush is based more on a time interval than a mileage interval.

schvamf

Brake flush is every 2 years and independent of service A or B.

removedCFGaccount

Did you try Lynnwood?

seattlec300

Yes, included brake flush.

seattlec300

$620 was Tacoma
$450 was Seattle
Will call Lynnwood tomorrow! Didn't even know they had a MB up there.

removedCFGaccount

A very good one!

netboy

i just did the 20,000 miles Service B, they did change the brake flush. my car is not even 1 year old yet, it be 1 year in 2 days on Jan 24, 2017. maybe they changed the brake flush cus i have the prepaid maintenance package.

gfmohn

Yes, brake flush was included. The first line of my Repair Order Detail says, "Service 20,000 miles or 2 years." As I said, my car is two years old (in 02/17), and my mileage was 10,600 miles. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air even when the vehicle isn't moving. The service also included OE Mercedes windshield wipers, if necessary. (As I said, I have to pay for my services from now on. Has anyone tried after-market windshield wipers?)

Hapa88

While it is true that brake fluid absorbs moisture, it's only a concern if you have a leak in the brake system or if water somehow contaminates the system. Remember that the brake fluid system is completely closed. The hoses and lines are fluid and air tight for the most part (they have to be in order to maintain the pressures for braking). If they weren't sealed, you'd have air in your brake lines, brake fluid leaking everywhere, and potentially a complete loss in braking all together.

Change the fluid according the manufacturer specification listed in your owners manual (NOT the DEALERSHIP specification - dealers are out to make PROFIT, they are not in it for your best interest).

The Service B listed for our 2017 C300 Coupe (C205) calls for:
-Oil Change. OEM Oil filter is about $10-$15 on Amazon. 7.4 qts of Mobil 1 0w-40 runs ~$40.
-Dust filter ~$15
-Activated Charcoal dust filter ~$55
-Brake fluid replacement ~$60 in fluid + labor
-Perform a ton of "checks"

So for a Schedule B service, there's about $185 retail cost in parts. The rest of the cost is labor and PROFIT.

eddieo45

I'm being told the brake fluid flush/replacement is an additional $140 on top of the $599 for a Service B. If the brake fluid flush isn't included, why is a Service B so much more than a Service A ($290 last time)???

Hapa88

Did you read the last word of my last post? I'll repost it here:

PROFIT

deonsand

yes you are correct .no need to change brake fluid due to system is completely closed
i had done B service 40k by the local shop without flush brake fluid .
costs less than $200

z28lt1

While the system is closed, you can be pretty sure some moisture is getting in. Think about all the seals in the system, multiple seals at each brake caliper, bleeder screws, each brake line joint, in and out of the ABS module, etc. Plus the microscopic pores in the rubber lines, and most easily, the cap on the reservoir, particularly when the mechanic opens it up to try to convince you the color of the fluid is a reason to change it (its not, but you've just added air that contains moisture into the system). I've seen internet "facts" (from reasonable sources, but not backed by studies) that the fluid will contain 1-2% moisture per year.

I think you can make an excellent case that a street-driven vehicle will not have enough moisture for a good number of years to have any impact on braking performance, as the fluid doesn't get hot enough to matter in most regular driving conditions. But there probably is some moisture (you can test it if you want) and will lead to some degradation in the fluid, and over time (perhaps quite a bit of time) will also begin to corrode parts in the system.

On a side note, I (unknowingly) put a few thousand miles on a vehicle with a bad caliper seal with a small leak and there was no noticeable decrease in braking performance. So I can attest to the fact that just because the system isn't perfectly closed, depending upon the issue, the brakes may still work quite well. Obviously, if there was a big issue or leak, you would know pretty quickly.

Finally, I should note that for any high performance driving/track days, where the fluid very well may reach temperatures that matter, changing the fluid is critical, because the drop in boiling points with even a little moisture may matter. While you can argue 2 years is overkill for street driving, it is way too late for track driving.

Hapa88

I agree with just about everything you said here except don't forget that if you believe tiny bits of moisture can get in, then that would also mean that tiny bits of brake fluid could get out. Meaning you should be able to see the brake fluid corroding all the paint around the parts you mentioned. And because the system is pressurized, I would argue it's more likely to go out, than in.

In any case, I do agree, without the ability to fully test the moisture content that spending $150 to do a brake flush on a track driven vehicle is definitely the type of insurance (and consistency) I would invest in. (Though I'm guilty myself of doing a few HPDEs on slightly older fluids.. luckily I didn't have any issues whatsoever with the ATE DOT4 fluid I was using)

Darrington

Anyone have the part numbers for the Service A/B parts?

Is the brake fluid job on the W205 like any other car, or is there a specific procedure?

rustycruiser

C300

Oil Filter : A 2701800109
Engine Air Filter : A 2740940004
Fine Particle Filter : A 2058350147
Dust Filter : A 1668300218

C400

Oil Filter : A 2761800009
Engine Air Filter : A 2760940504 **2 needed**
Fine Particle Filter : A 2058350147
Dust Filter : A 1668300218

Darrington

Awesome...saved me a search!

z28lt1

Great info. I've put USA MSRP for the parts below. Obviously, discounts available some places and/or for non-OEM parts.

miketc

I purchased both fine particle and dust filters when I did my own Service B but did not put them on as both are too clean to replace. I will save them for the next Service B. I also did not replace the brake fluid as it looks good too. I was amazed at the conditions of the pads, they have at least 80% left at 20K miles. Just my experience.