Keep or move on?
07-01-2009, 08:51 PM
#26
MBWorld Fanatic!
My 02 has been out of warranty for 1.5 years now, after 79k miles. The only expense I've encountered was the alternator needing to be replaced. It was about $600.
I have taken some preemptive steps (boohooramblers had the idea first) to purchase some of the more exotic parts that might blow later, online. For instance, I purchased a re-built supercharger on ebay for 1/3 the price of a new S/C pulley. I am set for the intercooler to go on me now, too.
Utilizing the expertise of others on this forum can and will save me (and you) thousands in repair bills.
Much like what has been said already, I plan on driving this car until the wheels literally fall off. I love it.
By the way, I was playing on the Manheim auctions site the other day. They are forecasting my car to be worth about $5k-$6k, at auction, in 12 months (down from the current $8-9k). They are also forecasting the retail to be about $7k. Now that is a big OUCH! No way am I giving up such a nice, pleasurable car for that kind of scratch.
I have taken some preemptive steps (boohooramblers had the idea first) to purchase some of the more exotic parts that might blow later, online. For instance, I purchased a re-built supercharger on ebay for 1/3 the price of a new S/C pulley. I am set for the intercooler to go on me now, too.
Utilizing the expertise of others on this forum can and will save me (and you) thousands in repair bills.
Much like what has been said already, I plan on driving this car until the wheels literally fall off. I love it.
By the way, I was playing on the Manheim auctions site the other day. They are forecasting my car to be worth about $5k-$6k, at auction, in 12 months (down from the current $8-9k). They are also forecasting the retail to be about $7k. Now that is a big OUCH! No way am I giving up such a nice, pleasurable car for that kind of scratch.
Last edited by 1qikctr; 07-01-2009 at 08:57 PM.
07-02-2009, 07:38 AM
#27
MBWorld Fanatic!
I am the original owner of my 04 C32. I do love it. However, warranty is ending in a few months and I am starting to get scared. Car is super clean with 40k miles. I basically have my car dealer serviced for 100% of all work. I fear running into a huge bill out of warranty and this makes me consider dumping the c32. I can handle a repair bill every once in a while, but don't want to get owned by some ridiculous repair that I have to do, or it won't even run to trade in.
Thoughts? Comments? stfu's? I respect your opinions. Any and all appreciated.
Thoughts? Comments? stfu's? I respect your opinions. Any and all appreciated.
Step 2: Take funds for what an extended warranty would cost ($3K) and start your "maintenance/repair fund"
Step 3: Add $500 per month to the fund until you reach and maintain $6K - which would easily cover the cost of a major repair (like a transmission)
This is a very conservative approach and one that the math is in your favor. Relax and enjoy!
07-02-2009, 12:28 PM
#28
Senior Member
I have said it once I will say it again.
Your best warranty is your own tool kit.
Shops will act like its some exceptionally rare and difficult car to work on. Its not.
Its a v6 with a supercharger on top. Air goes in, mixes with fuel, add spark, explosion results, moves pistons, turns crank, tranny puts power to wheels. Springs and shocks go over bumps. Brakes stop car. Anything short of working on internals or pulling the entire engine or tranny can be done in your own driveway/garage with a good tool set and a jack with jackstands. Altohough with the placement of the alternator I wouldn't look forward to replacing it.
Plus its much more satisfying when you complete a project yourself.
Your best warranty is your own tool kit.
Shops will act like its some exceptionally rare and difficult car to work on. Its not.
Its a v6 with a supercharger on top. Air goes in, mixes with fuel, add spark, explosion results, moves pistons, turns crank, tranny puts power to wheels. Springs and shocks go over bumps. Brakes stop car. Anything short of working on internals or pulling the entire engine or tranny can be done in your own driveway/garage with a good tool set and a jack with jackstands. Altohough with the placement of the alternator I wouldn't look forward to replacing it.
Plus its much more satisfying when you complete a project yourself.
07-02-2009, 01:21 PM
#29
MBWorld Fanatic!
It's only an entry level AMG, not an exotic. Nothing major is going to happen... these engines/transmissions are bulletproof, besides these are going for $5K nowadays.
If it makes you feel better, my 2002 has been out of warranty since I bought it in 2005. I have over 120K miles and it's running better than ever. Other than the common regular bugs, it has been a great car. Things I have replaced: IC pump, radiator, front bushings, engine mounts and seat modules. Maintenance-wise: idler pulleys, belts, spark plugs, tires, rotors, pads, all filters, all fluids. If you do it yourself, it's really a no brainer to keep it around until it dies.
If it makes you feel better, my 2002 has been out of warranty since I bought it in 2005. I have over 120K miles and it's running better than ever. Other than the common regular bugs, it has been a great car. Things I have replaced: IC pump, radiator, front bushings, engine mounts and seat modules. Maintenance-wise: idler pulleys, belts, spark plugs, tires, rotors, pads, all filters, all fluids. If you do it yourself, it's really a no brainer to keep it around until it dies.
07-02-2009, 01:32 PM
#30
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2006 C55
This thread is great, and take it from me, Mr. OCD. Now as someone with that label I can really respect where you are coming from and have done battle with this issue myself over the years. While I'm the worst at listening to my own advice about my own vehicle for some reason the same rules don't apply to my wife's car (2006 ML500).
It is ironic, I was just faced with this same decision this very week. As a point of reference, my wife's 06' ML has been paid off for about a year ($850 per month prior) and has had zero issues in that timeframe and is out of warranty.
Her car went in for a brake squeak that I wanted checked out before we had the kiddies in there for a 2 hr drive to the shore and I got the call that it needed a battery, the rear left wheel was seised, it needed new brakes, a ball joint needed replacing, a spring was bad (naturally they had to replace the strut as well, $800 just for that) and some other crap. The total came to just under $2,500. My general rule of thumb is that if a repair bill comes in at 2K or above I'd consider dumping the car and picking up something else. Now with 65K on the odometer and a close to 3K bill with tax I was on the verge of telling them to get me a price on what the car is worth (paid off is as good as cash) and I'd be in to look at a GL, a GLK or something else SUVish.
Well, cooler heads prevailed when I went to lunch with a guy from work who broke it down to me like this. $850 X 12 months saved me $10,200 over the last year. Take out the 3K and I'm still ahead of the game by $7,200. That was the obvious part but then he went on to say that now that MB knows how much the car has wrong with it the 3K they were going to charge you will be taken off the top of the trade in value and then some not to mention the taxes that I'd be paying on the next one.
What he said made sense so I had them do the work and if we get another <fingers crossed> trouble free year out of the car I'll make another $10,200 to the already ahead of the game $7,200.
All of that being said, if it had happened to my C55, the car would be long gone.
It is ironic, I was just faced with this same decision this very week. As a point of reference, my wife's 06' ML has been paid off for about a year ($850 per month prior) and has had zero issues in that timeframe and is out of warranty.
Her car went in for a brake squeak that I wanted checked out before we had the kiddies in there for a 2 hr drive to the shore and I got the call that it needed a battery, the rear left wheel was seised, it needed new brakes, a ball joint needed replacing, a spring was bad (naturally they had to replace the strut as well, $800 just for that) and some other crap. The total came to just under $2,500. My general rule of thumb is that if a repair bill comes in at 2K or above I'd consider dumping the car and picking up something else. Now with 65K on the odometer and a close to 3K bill with tax I was on the verge of telling them to get me a price on what the car is worth (paid off is as good as cash) and I'd be in to look at a GL, a GLK or something else SUVish.
Well, cooler heads prevailed when I went to lunch with a guy from work who broke it down to me like this. $850 X 12 months saved me $10,200 over the last year. Take out the 3K and I'm still ahead of the game by $7,200. That was the obvious part but then he went on to say that now that MB knows how much the car has wrong with it the 3K they were going to charge you will be taken off the top of the trade in value and then some not to mention the taxes that I'd be paying on the next one.
What he said made sense so I had them do the work and if we get another <fingers crossed> trouble free year out of the car I'll make another $10,200 to the already ahead of the game $7,200.
All of that being said, if it had happened to my C55, the car would be long gone.
07-02-2009, 02:00 PM
#31
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a car that can't do the throttle reset.
Step 1: Find an excellent independent MB mechanic that is familiar with AMG.
Step 2: Take funds for what an extended warranty would cost ($3K) and start your "maintenance/repair fund"
Step 3: Add $500 per month to the fund until you reach and maintain $6K - which would easily cover the cost of a major repair (like a transmission)
This is a very conservative approach and one that the math is in your favor. Relax and enjoy!
Step 2: Take funds for what an extended warranty would cost ($3K) and start your "maintenance/repair fund"
Step 3: Add $500 per month to the fund until you reach and maintain $6K - which would easily cover the cost of a major repair (like a transmission)
This is a very conservative approach and one that the math is in your favor. Relax and enjoy!
But I will take yours and everyones advice and relax and enjoy.
07-02-2009, 02:01 PM
#32
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a car that can't do the throttle reset.
I have said it once I will say it again.
Your best warranty is your own tool kit.
Shops will act like its some exceptionally rare and difficult car to work on. Its not.
Its a v6 with a supercharger on top. Air goes in, mixes with fuel, add spark, explosion results, moves pistons, turns crank, tranny puts power to wheels. Springs and shocks go over bumps. Brakes stop car. Anything short of working on internals or pulling the entire engine or tranny can be done in your own driveway/garage with a good tool set and a jack with jackstands. Altohough with the placement of the alternator I wouldn't look forward to replacing it.
Plus its much more satisfying when you complete a project yourself.
Your best warranty is your own tool kit.
Shops will act like its some exceptionally rare and difficult car to work on. Its not.
Its a v6 with a supercharger on top. Air goes in, mixes with fuel, add spark, explosion results, moves pistons, turns crank, tranny puts power to wheels. Springs and shocks go over bumps. Brakes stop car. Anything short of working on internals or pulling the entire engine or tranny can be done in your own driveway/garage with a good tool set and a jack with jackstands. Altohough with the placement of the alternator I wouldn't look forward to replacing it.
Plus its much more satisfying when you complete a project yourself.
07-02-2009, 02:04 PM
#33
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a car that can't do the throttle reset.
This thread is great, and take it from me, Mr. OCD. Now as someone with that label I can really respect where you are coming from and have done battle with this issue myself over the years. While I'm the worst at listening to my own advice about my own vehicle for some reason the same rules don't apply to my wife's car (2006 ML500).
It is ironic, I was just faced with this same decision this very week. As a point of reference, my wife's 06' ML has been paid off for about a year ($850 per month prior) and has had zero issues in that timeframe and is out of warranty.
Her car went in for a brake squeak that I wanted checked out before we had the kiddies in there for a 2 hr drive to the shore and I got the call that it needed a battery, the rear left wheel was seised, it needed new brakes, a ball joint needed replacing, a spring was bad (naturally they had to replace the strut as well, $800 just for that) and some other crap. The total came to just under $2,500. My general rule of thumb is that if a repair bill comes in at 2K or above I'd consider dumping the car and picking up something else. Now with 65K on the odometer and a close to 3K bill with tax I was on the verge of telling them to get me a price on what the car is worth (paid off is as good as cash) and I'd be in to look at a GL, a GLK or something else SUVish.
Well, cooler heads prevailed when I went to lunch with a guy from work who broke it down to me like this. $850 X 12 months saved me $10,200 over the last year. Take out the 3K and I'm still ahead of the game by $7,200. That was the obvious part but then he went on to say that now that MB knows how much the car has wrong with it the 3K they were going to charge you will be taken off the top of the trade in value and then some not to mention the taxes that I'd be paying on the next one.
What he said made sense so I had them do the work and if we get another <fingers crossed> trouble free year out of the car I'll make another $10,200 to the already ahead of the game $7,200.
All of that being said, if it had happened to my C55, the car would be long gone.
It is ironic, I was just faced with this same decision this very week. As a point of reference, my wife's 06' ML has been paid off for about a year ($850 per month prior) and has had zero issues in that timeframe and is out of warranty.
Her car went in for a brake squeak that I wanted checked out before we had the kiddies in there for a 2 hr drive to the shore and I got the call that it needed a battery, the rear left wheel was seised, it needed new brakes, a ball joint needed replacing, a spring was bad (naturally they had to replace the strut as well, $800 just for that) and some other crap. The total came to just under $2,500. My general rule of thumb is that if a repair bill comes in at 2K or above I'd consider dumping the car and picking up something else. Now with 65K on the odometer and a close to 3K bill with tax I was on the verge of telling them to get me a price on what the car is worth (paid off is as good as cash) and I'd be in to look at a GL, a GLK or something else SUVish.
Well, cooler heads prevailed when I went to lunch with a guy from work who broke it down to me like this. $850 X 12 months saved me $10,200 over the last year. Take out the 3K and I'm still ahead of the game by $7,200. That was the obvious part but then he went on to say that now that MB knows how much the car has wrong with it the 3K they were going to charge you will be taken off the top of the trade in value and then some not to mention the taxes that I'd be paying on the next one.
What he said made sense so I had them do the work and if we get another <fingers crossed> trouble free year out of the car I'll make another $10,200 to the already ahead of the game $7,200.
All of that being said, if it had happened to my C55, the car would be long gone.
I kid. I am gonna keep it.
07-02-2009, 03:56 PM
#34
Super Moderator Alumni
If you can't find anything, post up in the Off Topic Forum. I know of, at least, 10-15 guys there from Jersey.
07-02-2009, 04:12 PM
#35
Super Member
Step 1: Find an excellent independent MB mechanic that is familiar with AMG.
Step 2: Take funds for what an extended warranty would cost ($3K) and start your "maintenance/repair fund"
Step 3: Add $500 per month to the fund until you reach and maintain $6K - which would easily cover the cost of a major repair (like a transmission)
This is a very conservative approach and one that the math is in your favor. Relax and enjoy!
Step 2: Take funds for what an extended warranty would cost ($3K) and start your "maintenance/repair fund"
Step 3: Add $500 per month to the fund until you reach and maintain $6K - which would easily cover the cost of a major repair (like a transmission)
This is a very conservative approach and one that the math is in your favor. Relax and enjoy!
If you feel better getting an extended warranty, try Easycare. They have exclusionary(sic) plans, which tend to work the best for cars like ours, but even their regular, tiered plans are fantastic. They're expensive (like, CPO expensive), but from all the reviews that I've read, their service is phenomenal. Two different salespeople told me that as long as your car is under 50k or not 10+ years old that EC will happily offer pretty much their entire range of plans, so it might be worth a shot.
07-03-2009, 12:58 AM
#37
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a car that can't do the throttle reset.
Will check it out.. thanks!
07-03-2009, 01:00 AM
#38
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a car that can't do the throttle reset.
This, and what 320_dreamer suggested, both seem like fantastic ideas, especially for a good condition car. Especially if nothing major goes wrong, in which case, when you sell the car you have $500/mo that's been earning %2-%5 for a few years for another car... or hookers 'n Blow
If you feel better getting an extended warranty, try Easycare. They have exclusionary(sic) plans, which tend to work the best for cars like ours, but even their regular, tiered plans are fantastic. They're expensive (like, CPO expensive), but from all the reviews that I've read, their service is phenomenal. Two different salespeople told me that as long as your car is under 50k or not 10+ years old that EC will happily offer pretty much their entire range of plans, so it might be worth a shot.
If you feel better getting an extended warranty, try Easycare. They have exclusionary(sic) plans, which tend to work the best for cars like ours, but even their regular, tiered plans are fantastic. They're expensive (like, CPO expensive), but from all the reviews that I've read, their service is phenomenal. Two different salespeople told me that as long as your car is under 50k or not 10+ years old that EC will happily offer pretty much their entire range of plans, so it might be worth a shot.
07-03-2009, 09:25 AM
#40
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