eatbeef40

So my car tells me i'm going to need to service oil change on it in about 100 miles. Its been saying that for past 2-3 days or so. I was wondering if I should keep driving until it tells me I need to change oil or if its okay for me to go in now and get it done..?

dlbehrns

What? Yer killin me Smalls. Is this your first car? The notification on your dash is a realtive issue. You could change your oil now. You could change your oil later. It doesn't really matter a whole lot as long as you don't go several thousand miles past the "suggested" oil change interval. AND it could depend on whether you drive in the city in stop and go driving, in which case your oil is probably a lot dirtier than somone who drives their car a lot of highway miles. As the case may be; driving your car with dirty oil only shortens the LONG life of your engine by causing more wear on the internal parts BUT that cannot be quantified. It doesn't really matter(to me).

eatbeef40

^ its not very hard to understand. My car tells me that I need an oil change in 100 miles. Im wondering as to whether I should just take it in now or wait until the computer actually tells me to get the oil change?

etownbala

LOL...you can do it whenever...

My two cents is that changing it every 10000 miles is a little too long (unless you drive all highway miles)...I would say more like every 5000-6000 miles.

cindyclk

You could have done it 100 miles ago or 100 miles after it says to change it. Using synthetic oil allows you to change it around 10000 miles. It's just a reminder for people who think that you never have to change their oil.
Any mileage much less than that is just guilding the lily and giving the oil companies extra $$. Believe me, Mercedes and BMW dealers would have you come in earlier if they could justify saying that you need to change it much before.

dlbehrns

YER KILLIN ME SMALLS. LOL! If you don't do what your computer tells you, you will be set in the corner for a time out, grounded for two weeks and will not be able to drive your CLK during Christmas vacation.

eatbeef40

Well this is wack, I went to the dealership today to get an oil change but they said only way they can work on it is if i left the car for the day (i couldnt, it was my only transportation) so I set up an appointment with them for tomorrow. But now it says "Service B due now"! I called MB and they told me it would be about $379.00 plus tax. Can I just go for an oil change and do the Service B somewhere else..? or possibly myself?

P.S. this is my first benz ever, so I dont really know what to expect besides the fact that this is a grear car that costs a lot to maintain..but is $400.00 for a service B worth it?

I called indie shops and they're saying $450...

MarcusF

If the dealer changes the oil, then Skyler will nag you every day until you do the rest of the B service:


Check the dash warning and indicator lamps, illumination and interior lighting
Check the windshield wiper, windshield washer system, headlamp cleaning system
Replace the cabin filter
Check the parking brake
Check the condition/thickness of front and rear brake discs
Check the front and rear brake pads for lining thickness
Check the tires for damage and condition
Measure the tread depth
Correct the tire inflation pressure
Check underneath for major components leakage
Check for chafe marks, line routing, damaged components
Check the condition of front axle ball joints and rubber boots
Check the condition of mechanical steering components and rubber boots
Check the engine compartmentfor major components leakage
Check for chafe marks, line routing, damaged components
Check and replenish all fluid levels
Check the engine cooling system, antifreeze and corrosion protection
Check the brake system
Check the power steering
Check the windshield washer system
Check catch, safety catch and hinges on engine hood for proper operation
Check condition of the V-belt
Check the battery condition (If you just change it every 4 years like I do, this can be skipped)
Correct tire inflation pressure in spare tire

Also, when was the last time the brake fluid was flushed, how old is the coolant, has the fuel filter been changed this decade, ditto for the engine air filters, and when did you last retorque the steering gear bolts?


And if that doesn't work, Walt's gonna get his hat and go Heisenberg.



you've been warned

eatbeef40

This is my first benz, and I bought off my dads friend. I know some problems are wrong with it but im not completely sure on all the problems. Will the indie shop diagnose that and tell me everything thats wrong with the car like the dealership will?

Dealership has a special going on: $395.95 plus tax
Indie: $389.00 (not sure if before or after tax, I forgot to ask)

Its a 2002 CLK430. It has about 154,340 miles.

CJackson13

A standard oil change is 8 and a half quarts of fully synthetic oil + an oil filter and should typically cost you $100-120. You can go anywhere to get it, it really does not matter.

MarcusF

Not knowing anything about your indy, I can't say what they will or won't do. I can say your indy's prices are higher than what my local dealer was charging the last time I checked. Back then, an A service was $199 and a B was $299.

eatbeef40

$437 at one MB dealership and $380 at the other MB dealership. I'm going to do the $380. the lady on the phone seemed like she wanted to really help. I'm just gonna do it this one time so I get the full diagnostics on whats wrong and then I can just DIY.

etownbala

wow...

makes me feel good i read through the forum and save myself this amount every A and B service

dlbehrns

Ok, ok, so, like you look at the items Marcus posted for the B service and you go, like really? For example
Check the tires for damage and condition
Measure the tread depth
Correct the tire inflation pressure
Check underneath for major components leakage
Check for chafe marks, line routing, damaged components
REALLY?????????????????????
If you are someone who just drives your car and you are a hands off mechanic then take your car in to whomever and have them do everything on that service list that you don't know how to do or don't want to do OR if you want to learn and save yourself huge money use the Search function to figure it out.

eatbeef40

0

I didnt do it yet. I have an appointment Saturday. I figure i'd do it this one time just so I can also get the full diagnostics report that comes with it so I'll have my cousin whos a mechanic for BMW, or my dads friend whos a mechanic, or i'll learn some and DIY. Because I dont know where to even start on whats wrong with my car. I know of some stuff but I dont know the full details and I dont know where to start looking, and everyone around me is either too busy at the moment or clueless.

and everywhere I called, a quote for service B for this car is 300+...

MB Dealership: $437 after tax at one (with $50.00 discount) and $380 after tax at the other ($75.00 discount)
Indie: $389 at one place, $340 at the other.

MarcusF

Sight unseen I'm going to guess they'll say you also need plugs and motor mounts.

They'll recommend engine air filters, a fuel filter, brake flush, and the steering gear bolts are due.

Like DL said, get someone who can work on cars and have them teach you. The work isn't that hard. Well, I wouldn't recommend you start with plugs and motor mounts as a DIY, but most stuff really isn't tough. Get a WIS, buy some tools, invite someone over and have them teach you. By this time next year, you could be posting answers to "how to" questions. Provided nothing goes askew during that first fuel filter change.

eatbeef40

So what, cancel the appointment and just have people do it for me? or go for it on Sat..

MarcusF

Every car reaches a point in it's life when it STOPS going to the dealer for regular service. At that point, the service is done by an indy or a DIY'er. When is that time? Thats for you to decide. Mine was when the car hit the 4 year/50K mark and the dealer stopped servicing the car for free. My dealer still does some stuff (transmission fluid changes), but its rare (and not free).

I don't like telling people what to do. I'd hate to recommend you do something and hear that it went bad for you. Some people really are in over their heads with anything much more than adding gas - and thats not bad, its good to know one's limits.

However, having someone teach you how to do the service is one option that you may want to consider. This is doubly true if you have access to someone who is competent. Changing the oil and cabin filter, then checking the stuff in the B Service really isn't hard and it should be done. You could give a competent person a hundred, buy the parts and have them show you how its done. That would allow your service bill to be cut in half AND you'd know what to do next time.

The alternative is an indy, or pay the dealer hundreds of dollars on a regular ongoing basis. The "hundreds of dollars" part isn't necessarily bad. If you had bought $500 worth of Yahoo stock a year ago, you could sell $500 worth of it today and still have over $500 worth of Yahoo stock (the stock has gone up 104% for the year). That would make the service free, sort of. Minus the taxes and commissions.

Serndipity

I too ended dealer A/B service when my car hit the 4 year/50K mark and the dealer stopped servicing the car for free.

IMHO, the premium $ charged for parts and labor and checking a lot of very basic items just wasn't worth it.

Instead, I perform all of the required routine services (e.g. oil, filters, anti-freeze etc.) and just about any needed repair required myself, at a small fraction of the dealer charge.

That said, I do sometimes use a trusted independent mechanic (e.g. former MB dealer mechanic) for any needed repair work I am not capable of, and/or do not wish to perform myself.

The difference; is that the communication is 1:1, he has no problem with specifics (e.g. diagnosis, what needs to be done and why) and allows looking over his sholder/feedback during the needed repair.

Basically, our W208s are pretty bullet proof, all the common problems are well documented, with lots of DIY help within this forum (Hint: search is your friend).

dlbehrns

AND: what others failed to say is that "some" MB service departments need to generate business. So you may take your car in for an A or B service and the service mgr says "holy crap homboy, your MB is fallin apart. but I can fix it for beau coup buck$" I have read plenty of stories on this forum about the stealership, as it is call. Not to say all are bad: here's my story. I put new springs, shocks, rear camber arms, and front camber bolts which lowered the car about an inch. I took it to the dealer for an alignmnet along with a $100 coupon. The alignment, which is all I asked for, was going to cost $100 with the coupon. The service mgr called me to tell me that I needed a new fuel filter, valve cover gaskets and lower control arm bushings and was only going to cost me $1100 more. I asked him how many miles were on the car. He didn't know. I told him the car had 33K miles on it and asked him if I still needed the lower control arm bushings. There was a pregnant pause long enough for him to realize I knew he was scamming me. I told him to park the car outside and I would pick it up. When I returned the loaner he wouldn't look me in the eye. Was it him or what it his mechanic? Who knows. My point is Caveat emptor which means buyer beware. Work with the people you mentioned who are willing to teach you and use the Search function and you can save yourself a lot of grief.

Scott Simoncic

It all depends on a few things:

Was the correct Filter and Oil used?
How do you drive your vehicle?
When was the last time it was changed?
Do you do lots of short trips, or one long commute each day?