$700 for fuel filter change
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,137
Likes: 5
From: Sherman Oaks, CA
06 CLS55 w/ P030, 05 Jag S Type R, 05 TBird-68 Dodge Charger R/T-440 w/4speed I'm original owner
$700 for fuel filter change
Requested MB dealer to change out my fuel filter (only 25K mi)
Came back with a quote for $700! This price is due to the fact that the back seat needs to be removed to gain access to the filter which is located in the fuel tank which is accessed thru the floor board under the rear seat.
Assuming $100 for the filter (Pep Boys brand is $15) and the remaining $600. for labor and at a rate of $135/hr, this is about 4 hours. Sounds a little outrageous.
Anyone had experience with the fuel filter change out?
.
Came back with a quote for $700! This price is due to the fact that the back seat needs to be removed to gain access to the filter which is located in the fuel tank which is accessed thru the floor board under the rear seat.
Assuming $100 for the filter (Pep Boys brand is $15) and the remaining $600. for labor and at a rate of $135/hr, this is about 4 hours. Sounds a little outrageous.
Anyone had experience with the fuel filter change out?
.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 736
Likes: 1
From: Haslett, Mi
2011 E350 4matic
i recently got quoted 765 for mine, and i know its way easier to change than yours. some places just try to rip people off that dont know any better i guess. needless to say i didnt give them my business and wont be back again.
it does seem early for the fuel filter, i have 62k miles on my car.
it does seem early for the fuel filter, i have 62k miles on my car.
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 861
Likes: 3
From: Fairfield county, CT.
2004 Ran SRT-10,2007 S550,2016 E400c
The fuel filter is part of the right sending unit... The part is quite pricey maybe mr. brenton
can help here with the correct price. labor wise i think book time is 1.5 -2hr to replace.
135hr were is that my dealer is a 120 and were in one of the richest towns in the usa so that seems alittle high.. and also we offer diffrent labor rates for service work / diag work.
can help here with the correct price. labor wise i think book time is 1.5 -2hr to replace.
135hr were is that my dealer is a 120 and were in one of the richest towns in the usa so that seems alittle high.. and also we offer diffrent labor rates for service work / diag work.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,137
Likes: 5
From: Sherman Oaks, CA
06 CLS55 w/ P030, 05 Jag S Type R, 05 TBird-68 Dodge Charger R/T-440 w/4speed I'm original owner
I will not cheapen my $100k+ investment with a $15 piece of junk. I was just using Pep Boys as an example of the probable cost of a paper element fuel filter. No matter how dressed up it comes from MB, it is still a paper element fuel filter.
I know that there is a unique canister that receives the fuel filter inside the gas tank which can only be accessed after removal of the rear seat and access door in the floor board. Maybe the Germans can take a lesson from Uncle Sam and place the filter in the gas line on the underside of the car. If they did that, Jiffy Lube will charge $49. to replace it and MB stock would drop a couple of bucks.
Even though its replacement is recommended at 50K miles, I prefer to replace it at its half life due to the fact that it's probable that I may not keep the car long after 50k miles. I also like to get the benefits of replacing the wear and tear items including the maintenance replacement parts so that I can get some miles out of it instead of replacing just right before I sell the car. I hope that made some sense.
.
Last edited by m_berman; Jun 22, 2009 at 12:05 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,679
Likes: 0
CLS55 AMG
German cars are all like that...
...and I don't think it's because they're stupid, I think it's because they're trying to rake in the $$$ through their repair departments, consumers be damned. Another example like yours was our BMW, which when the thermostat went out cost something like $500 to get replaced. 
Crap like this pushes my loyalty to its limits, I gotta tell ya...given that 98% of the time I drive pretty mellow, I'm starting to ask if it's worth it; of course, this could just be my early mid life crisis stage wearing off as well!
Crap like this pushes my loyalty to its limits, I gotta tell ya...given that 98% of the time I drive pretty mellow, I'm starting to ask if it's worth it; of course, this could just be my early mid life crisis stage wearing off as well!
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,137
Likes: 5
From: Sherman Oaks, CA
06 CLS55 w/ P030, 05 Jag S Type R, 05 TBird-68 Dodge Charger R/T-440 w/4speed I'm original owner
...and I don't think it's because they're stupid, I think it's because they're trying to rake in the $$$ through their repair departments, consumers be damned. Another example like yours was our BMW, which when the thermostat went out cost something like $500 to get replaced.
Crap like this pushes my loyalty to its limits, I gotta tell ya...given that 98% of the time I drive pretty mellow, I'm starting to ask if it's worth it; of course, this could just be my early mid life crisis stage wearing off as well!
Crap like this pushes my loyalty to its limits, I gotta tell ya...given that 98% of the time I drive pretty mellow, I'm starting to ask if it's worth it; of course, this could just be my early mid life crisis stage wearing off as well!
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)
Verdad Gallardo
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 453
Likes: 0
CLS55 AMG 030
Requested MB dealer to change out my fuel filter (only 25K mi)
Came back with a quote for $700! This price is due to the fact that the back seat needs to be removed to gain access to the filter which is located in the fuel tank which is accessed thru the floor board under the rear seat.
Assuming $100 for the filter (Pep Boys brand is $15) and the remaining $600. for labor and at a rate of $135/hr, this is about 4 hours. Sounds a little outrageous.
Anyone had experience with the fuel filter change out?
.
Came back with a quote for $700! This price is due to the fact that the back seat needs to be removed to gain access to the filter which is located in the fuel tank which is accessed thru the floor board under the rear seat.
Assuming $100 for the filter (Pep Boys brand is $15) and the remaining $600. for labor and at a rate of $135/hr, this is about 4 hours. Sounds a little outrageous.
Anyone had experience with the fuel filter change out?
.
The chances of your fuel filter being anywhere close to inadequate at 25,000 mile's is slim and none unless you're using old dirty fuel, going to old cheapo stations or refueling in a sand/dust storms frequently. I'll wager that the recommended 50K is half what the filter is capable of easily.
Here's a little news flash.
At any reputable , new stations selling quality gas, inside that metal cabinet that you pump your fuel from is a big *** fuel filter that removes contaminants and debris. The underground tanks are fiberglass and no longer full of rust. And the fuel itself filtered before getting there.
The filters on the pumps are changed at every flow inspection here. I know because I owned a bunch of stations a while back as one of my investments.
Filters today on the fuel are a "just in case" type item and can literally last the life of the car. It's not a boat separating water, or a diesel getting clogged with algae. So unless you think someone is dumping dirt in your tank or it's full of rust already ...
If you really need to make your wallet 700bones lighter I'll send you my address to help you alleviate your conscience.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 453
Likes: 0
CLS55 AMG 030
i recently got quoted 765 for mine, and i know its way easier to change than yours. some places just try to rip people off that dont know any better i guess. needless to say i didnt give them my business and wont be back again.
it does seem early for the fuel filter, i have 62k miles on my car.
it does seem early for the fuel filter, i have 62k miles on my car.
I'll bet that filter could go another 62k before it becomes restrictive enough to be a problem.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 937
Likes: 1
From: Long Island, NY
SL63
I could make the argument that since these $100k cars have hand built racing motors that $700 is cheap insurance to assure you are getting all the performance you paid for.
Is your Gasoline made in Russia or China ?
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/.../refining.html
Is your Gasoline made in Russia or China ?
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/.../refining.html
Last edited by turbotom1; Jun 22, 2009 at 10:55 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
CLS55
Requested MB dealer to change out my fuel filter (only 25K mi)
Came back with a quote for $700! This price is due to the fact that the back seat needs to be removed to gain access to the filter which is located in the fuel tank which is accessed thru the floor board under the rear seat.
Assuming $100 for the filter (Pep Boys brand is $15) and the remaining $600. for labor and at a rate of $135/hr, this is about 4 hours. Sounds a little outrageous.
Anyone had experience with the fuel filter change out?
.
Came back with a quote for $700! This price is due to the fact that the back seat needs to be removed to gain access to the filter which is located in the fuel tank which is accessed thru the floor board under the rear seat.
Assuming $100 for the filter (Pep Boys brand is $15) and the remaining $600. for labor and at a rate of $135/hr, this is about 4 hours. Sounds a little outrageous.
Anyone had experience with the fuel filter change out?
.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 855
Likes: 2
2010 C63
the stock fuel filter on my 91 isuzu is still clean (cut it open) - 300,000+ miles on that beast too. I agree with JestPete, fuel is very clean by the time you pump it in your car. Of course, airplane fuel is even cleaner - they have 3 huge filters on their pumps.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 453
Likes: 0
CLS55 AMG 030
I could make the argument that since these $100k cars have hand built racing motors that $700 is cheap insurance to assure you are getting all the performance you paid for.
Is your Gasoline made in Russia or China ?
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/.../refining.html
Is your Gasoline made in Russia or China ?
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/.../refining.html
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 937
Likes: 1
From: Long Island, NY
SL63
Sure and so is the water I get from the faucet ... but I still use a Brita filter.
Last edited by turbotom1; Jun 24, 2009 at 07:40 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 453
Likes: 0
CLS55 AMG 030
All I said was, the gas refineries are local, which is true. We don't buy gasoline from Russia or China.
And that the gas is filtered just prior to going in your tank through one of these ...
or something similar. And that changing a car's fuel filter at 25k miles is a waste of money.
