windycitymb

when members say indyshop, is places like Firestone, Jiffy Lube included? or do you only refer to independent shops that specialize in euro cars?

can i take my R500 to places like Jiffy Lube for oil change for example? i've had the last oil change at the dealer but warranty expired and i'm looking for good indy places to have good work done but to keep the cost down.

also, i'm in Schaumburg, IL and i was wondering if any of the members knew any good indy places to take my R500 to.

thanks.

dynomite05

Indy shop means Independent shop specializing on euros. I wouldn't take my MB to firestone or jiffylube..

AMGTTV8

LMAO... With you 100%

You'd be surprised how many do though

aggst1

If in doubt, just take it to jiffy lube and see how long it takes them to figure out what to do. Would be funny to see their faces when they realize there is no dipstick on the R500

amdeutsch

Lets see, what else would they try to sell you? An airfilter for a Chevy that they pulled out of the trash; new wipers fronts and rear, etc.

JTReeves

WindycityMB,

I live in the Wash DC Metro area. An independent shop here means a non-dealer shop that specializes in Mercedes repairs. Jiffy Lube folks here aren't likely to be able to handle the intricacies of the MB oil filtration system.

I hope you get a good referral from another forum member for a shop in your local area.

JR

windycitymb

this is funny!

i was browsing to see if i could find a reputable place near my area and really couldn't find too much. is there like a website where they have a list of places? or does any local members know somewhere? i'm in Schaumburg, IL. about 20 min. west of O'Hare airport.

Ted Flynn

Hey WindyCity - you bought a Mercedes for many reasons & no doubt reliability is one of them. You will also expect top dollar when you get rid of it.

Why would you cheap out in the middle and jeopardize what should be a great car by trying to save $50 on an oil change? (An oil change that is every 10,000 miles.) You shouldn't have even bought the car because you're not going to run it like it was designed to do.

Basically you want to look the part but you're not willing to step up to the plate and take pride in your vehicle by properly maintaining it. You're a typical Chicago person.

Good luck at Jiffy Lube.

windycitymb

since when has this site become a condemning place? and what's up with the 'typical Chicago person'? not very nice......

if i can get good work done by people who specialize in euro cars, with good parts and can save some money too, what's wrong with that? i wasn't really asking on just having oil changes either...was asking for a place i can take the car to for future work/repairs...

Ted Flynn

You're absolutely right - I was wrong to type that. My apologies.

Too many times I see people complain about these cars & then come to find out they tried to cut a corner and think that Mercedes should be at fault or they give Mercedes a bad name. I take owning my R class very serious and spend the money to maintain it properly.

I have yet to see an independent shop keep up with the training or see the frequency to be really good at repairing them. After all, Mercedes gets better by learning from known issues. They post bulletins that help mechanics deal with recalls that sometimes save the customer money.

An independent shop will try anything because it's money.

Again, I'm sorry for my comments.

lkchris

Frankly, you shouldn't take your Mercedes to an "indie" shop that isn't in fact owned by a former Mercedes dealer mechanic and has all the latest STAR equipment and a very good relationship with the nearest Mercedes dealer.

I might go to one where the owner is former BMW rather than Mercedes, but he'd better have some factory-trained Mercedes mechanics on the payroll. Former VW probably wouldn't be good enough.

Not even for an oil change.

Crankturner

Sorry to bring back a Zombie, unless I completely missed it, I did not have much luck searching for euro/MB shops around Chicago and the suburbs surrounding it. Does anyone know of any reputable places near or around Chicagoland ?

allezdude

MBS Auto in Northbrook, the owner is a former Mercedes mechanic and the guys who work for him are all former MB dealer mechanics. that's where I take mine- helps that he's very close by.

also check for an authorized Bosch service center if you want something closer to you. they are usually good too since MB uses Bosch parts.

C3Duece

5 min google search but all these shops have been vetted


speedriven - Arlington heights
gearheads - Glen Ellyn
performanceautoworks - plainfield
fluidmotorunion - plainfield


and if you're really careful like I was you can find a recently laid off MB tech on craiglist. I had him do a bunch of work on my car and he only charged $50/hr and didn't try to jam me with the "book time" bull****.