Are these services necessary?
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Are these services necessary?
Hi,
I brought in my 2003 E320 today for an A service. The service adviser said the following items are due because the car is 5 years old.
1. Perform A service
2. Rotate and balance
3. Perform Automatic Transmission service
4. Replace spark plugs
5. Power Steering Fluid Service
6. Alt Trans
The total ends up about $1500. I know the A service is about $250. My question is that do I have to do all other services other than the A service? Are they in a reasonable price range?
Thank you very much!
I brought in my 2003 E320 today for an A service. The service adviser said the following items are due because the car is 5 years old.
1. Perform A service
2. Rotate and balance
3. Perform Automatic Transmission service
4. Replace spark plugs
5. Power Steering Fluid Service
6. Alt Trans
The total ends up about $1500. I know the A service is about $250. My question is that do I have to do all other services other than the A service? Are they in a reasonable price range?
Thank you very much!
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 612
Likes: 2
From: NY
'12 Mustang 5.0, '89 Supra Turbo, C55,
I'm still learning about MB, and I'm sure more seasoned knowledgables will chime in. BUT first off, before taking the car in, its good to educate yourself and see what items the service code is talking to you about so there are no surprises from the dealer concerning maintenance. Using your manual, or the discussions within this forum, you can use your car's system to determine EXACTLY what your car is requesting.
Service A is roughly a one hour job. B=2 hrs. and so forth. MB charges about $100/hr? (These are labor costs only). If your car needed the above, I'm sure it would NOT state service A, since the above would exceed one hour. The fact that they are charging you $1500 is evident of that too.
Sounds more like a Service G or H.
If you check your maintenance manual, spark plugs are due every 91K or 5 yrs IIRC. (One question I have is what if you have 30K miles on a 5 yr. old car? Do u still change plugs and other items)?
ARe you certain your car stated you needed a service A? If your car is not requesting all the other items above, I would not do it, but keep in mind, I am still learning about these cars. (Just bought mine 2 weeks ago).
Ask the dealer if he can print out what items your car is requesting.
I don't know if the car can request a service A, and still list all the items above. It seems counterintuitive to me. I'm sure others will chime in and shed further light.
I do advise next time though, to go through the ITEMS on your menu screen which show what is due.
This is a great forum, and everything I have learned within a few weeks have been due to this and the other MB forum. Great info. exists, and the folks are knowledgable and friendly.
I'm sure
Service A is roughly a one hour job. B=2 hrs. and so forth. MB charges about $100/hr? (These are labor costs only). If your car needed the above, I'm sure it would NOT state service A, since the above would exceed one hour. The fact that they are charging you $1500 is evident of that too.
Sounds more like a Service G or H.
If you check your maintenance manual, spark plugs are due every 91K or 5 yrs IIRC. (One question I have is what if you have 30K miles on a 5 yr. old car? Do u still change plugs and other items)?
ARe you certain your car stated you needed a service A? If your car is not requesting all the other items above, I would not do it, but keep in mind, I am still learning about these cars. (Just bought mine 2 weeks ago).
Ask the dealer if he can print out what items your car is requesting.
I don't know if the car can request a service A, and still list all the items above. It seems counterintuitive to me. I'm sure others will chime in and shed further light.
I do advise next time though, to go through the ITEMS on your menu screen which show what is due.
This is a great forum, and everything I have learned within a few weeks have been due to this and the other MB forum. Great info. exists, and the folks are knowledgable and friendly.
I'm sure
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Gnma,
Thanks for the reply.
$1500 is for all of the items I listed here, not for the regular service only. They charge about $250 for the service A.
I know some of these items are recommended by the manual book. But I also know that sometimes, the dealer would have the customer do something "nice to have" but not “have to have” maintenance, which usually cost a lot. I just want to avoid the "nice to have“ things. Yes, I agree with you that this is all about learning. So if anybody can let me know more detail about the necessity of these items, that would be great.
BTW, my car is 5 years old and has 46K miles on it.
Thanks!
Thanks for the reply.
$1500 is for all of the items I listed here, not for the regular service only. They charge about $250 for the service A.
I know some of these items are recommended by the manual book. But I also know that sometimes, the dealer would have the customer do something "nice to have" but not “have to have” maintenance, which usually cost a lot. I just want to avoid the "nice to have“ things. Yes, I agree with you that this is all about learning. So if anybody can let me know more detail about the necessity of these items, that would be great.
BTW, my car is 5 years old and has 46K miles on it.
Thanks!
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 413
Likes: 3
2003 E320
I have a 2003 E320 with low miles. I do my own maintenance since the car is out of warranty. The only item I would consider on that list as being valid is the tranny fluid and even that is suspect. The units in these cars are SOO expensive it might be worth the piece of mind to have it evacuated (not just drained). That requires some equipment I do not have. I can imagine the factory fluid is expensive as well. As for the rotation, that is purely wear related. Unless the tires have significant sidewall cracking, run them till you are afraid, or roatate them every 5,000 to 10,000 (you pick ) miles. I don't know of a freshness date for spark plugs. Unless you are burning nitro or hydrazine, they should be good for 100K. I replaced two sets on other vehicles that I own at just under 100K each and the platinum tips were gone. Fuel economy improved 5% but no change in driveability.
The steering pump fluid USED to have a filter so I guess M-B considered that a wear prone part. Pretty cheap to change.
I don't recognize trans alt- so no comment
I would add one important item that is time related and that is brake fluid change. My car will need pads before long. Brake fluid absorbs water and can cause rusting in brake components plus it tends to make the brakes "spongy"
My two cents
The steering pump fluid USED to have a filter so I guess M-B considered that a wear prone part. Pretty cheap to change.
I don't recognize trans alt- so no comment
I would add one important item that is time related and that is brake fluid change. My car will need pads before long. Brake fluid absorbs water and can cause rusting in brake components plus it tends to make the brakes "spongy"
My two cents
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
2003 E500 Sport
I brought mine in for scheduled service "D" last Friday. I had items 2, 3, 9, 12, & 13 displayed. Total cost was $241.86 for parts and $380 in labor. The FSS showed next service in just under 15K miles. Displayed service is E +. I am having the brakes done elswhere, but I am a little nervous as to what this one will cost.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
The only I issue I see on plugs at 5 years is, even with low mileage is they could potentially seize in the heads if not removed and reinstalled with the correct antiseze compound.
The transmission fluid is expensive I don't remember I just bought 6 qts to do my E500 tranny. About $14/qt if I remember correctly. So drain, filter and refill at home is about $80 for materials.
Brakes I also do at home easy 1 hr job after you have it jacked and tires off. I will always do my MB brakes. I found by measuring the actual pad thickness against MB specs that when the + shows up you have used about 40% of the pad. You can safely use another approx 30% before the second warning appears. When the second warning appears you probably have the remaining 25%+ left. So changing when the first + indicates is really a early change. I also found the rotors on our E500 at 70,000 miles has worn 50 % of the wear surface based on MB specs in the service manual. So they could possibly go 140,000 miles but I might change them at the next pad service which is 30 to 40,000 miles. So you can save a lot of $$ on the brakes run them at least 10,000 miles (based on your driving time to get the first +) and then replace them with 50% of the lining left and save some $$ or you can do as I do and run them longer and inspect them.
Hope this helps.
The transmission fluid is expensive I don't remember I just bought 6 qts to do my E500 tranny. About $14/qt if I remember correctly. So drain, filter and refill at home is about $80 for materials.
Brakes I also do at home easy 1 hr job after you have it jacked and tires off. I will always do my MB brakes. I found by measuring the actual pad thickness against MB specs that when the + shows up you have used about 40% of the pad. You can safely use another approx 30% before the second warning appears. When the second warning appears you probably have the remaining 25%+ left. So changing when the first + indicates is really a early change. I also found the rotors on our E500 at 70,000 miles has worn 50 % of the wear surface based on MB specs in the service manual. So they could possibly go 140,000 miles but I might change them at the next pad service which is 30 to 40,000 miles. So you can save a lot of $$ on the brakes run them at least 10,000 miles (based on your driving time to get the first +) and then replace them with 50% of the lining left and save some $$ or you can do as I do and run them longer and inspect them.
Hope this helps.
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 156
Likes: 10
From: Toronto,Canada
17 E43, 18 GLE400
Sorry for highjacking this thread but since you guys are discussing about the service needs to be done on our car, do you know if its possible to replace the brake fluid without any special tools?
I have done brake pads and other stuff on my previous vehicles but never done one with SBC and my car is 03 and I think its time due a brake fluid change.
Any tips or advice will be very much appreciated!
I have done brake pads and other stuff on my previous vehicles but never done one with SBC and my car is 03 and I think its time due a brake fluid change.
Any tips or advice will be very much appreciated!
Trending Topics
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 413
Likes: 3
2003 E320
I do not plan to do anything special to replace the brake fluid. Several people who have actually done this have reported success with simple tools and conventional methods. The SBC unit is a wild card. Everyone recommends disconnecting the electrical connection to prevent the pump from starting. If you are attentive, you have heard the thing operate whenever the car is rocked or the door is shut. I believe that door unlock and some other things cause it to cylce as well. I have read that the key should be stored away from the vehicle to prevent accidental triggering of the pump. Keep pumping the brakes until clear (as opposed to amber) fluid comes out of each bleeder.
Several here have reported good success with no error codes afterward. I am sure the dealer could /would flush out more of the contaminated fluid but I will wager that most of it will be exchanged by the DIY method.
Several here have reported good success with no error codes afterward. I am sure the dealer could /would flush out more of the contaminated fluid but I will wager that most of it will be exchanged by the DIY method.
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
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 156
Likes: 10
From: Toronto,Canada
17 E43, 18 GLE400
I do not plan to do anything special to replace the brake fluid. Several people who have actually done this have reported success with simple tools and conventional methods. The SBC unit is a wild card. Everyone recommends disconnecting the electrical connection to prevent the pump from starting. If you are attentive, you have heard the thing operate whenever the car is rocked or the door is shut. I believe that door unlock and some other things cause it to cylce as well. I have read that the key should be stored away from the vehicle to prevent accidental triggering of the pump. Keep pumping the brakes until clear (as opposed to amber) fluid comes out of each bleeder.
Several here have reported good success with no error codes afterward. I am sure the dealer could /would flush out more of the contaminated fluid but I will wager that most of it will be exchanged by the DIY method.
Several here have reported good success with no error codes afterward. I am sure the dealer could /would flush out more of the contaminated fluid but I will wager that most of it will be exchanged by the DIY method.
Thanks for your informative post!
Yeah, I heard that pump cycling whenever I open a door or something but what if I do it the conventional way: just one man with a handheld bleeder and just keep topping the reservoir up avoid any air into the system will it work without disconnecting the battery or something?
I called the dealer the other day and was quoted two bills plus just to replace the fluid and I figure if I can do that myself I can save a bundle.
Last edited by noyu; Dec 11, 2007 at 07:51 PM.
Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 164
Likes: 1
From: Grand Prairie Texas
'24 GLE53 AMG Coupe
This is such a good topic!!! 
Since we're talking, I've got a question..
My '03 E500 has 39,800 miles on it.
I've always been pro-active when it comes to vehicle maintenance, but I don't want to throw good money away if I don't need to.
Has anybody changed their own spark plugs?
I'd like to swap plugs before I hit 60k miles.
I'll also be changing my tranny fluid myself, after reading vettdvr's comments.
This information is great.....
Since we're talking, I've got a question..
My '03 E500 has 39,800 miles on it.
I've always been pro-active when it comes to vehicle maintenance, but I don't want to throw good money away if I don't need to.
Has anybody changed their own spark plugs?
I'd like to swap plugs before I hit 60k miles.
I'll also be changing my tranny fluid myself, after reading vettdvr's comments.
This information is great.....
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 156
Likes: 10
From: Toronto,Canada
17 E43, 18 GLE400
Not sure if its been posted before but found this on the web:
http://www.mercedestechstore.com/pdf...%209-30-02.pdf
http://www.mercedestechstore.com/pdf...%209-30-02.pdf
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 612
Likes: 2
From: NY
'12 Mustang 5.0, '89 Supra Turbo, C55,
Not sure if its been posted before but found this on the web:
http://www.mercedestechstore.com/pdf...%209-30-02.pdf
http://www.mercedestechstore.com/pdf...%209-30-02.pdf
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 15
From: Louisiana
03 E500 and Corvette
Not sure if its been posted before but found this on the web:
http://www.mercedestechstore.com/pdf...%209-30-02.pdf
http://www.mercedestechstore.com/pdf...%209-30-02.pdf
