Westwind

Hi,
I have a 2011 E550. I am due for the BO service at 40K. So far things have been going good, until I was quoted the price...$1200. Huh?

I dont mind paying it. I would however like to know from experienced owners if that is the right way to go. Or, shop around?

My tentative plan is to trade it before 50K is up. Probably with same dealer. Or maybe another brand. Not sure right now. With that plan in mind, is it still a good idea to get this service done at the dealer?

Thanks.

hyperion667

wow, guess I should prepare myself? I'm coming up on 40 also(in about 6K miles)however I have been reliant on an indy shop in my area....
wonder if you have a good indy shop nearby? or do you prefer the dealer?
can't remember: is there a brake flush too? guess I'll have to go consult the manual..

good luck with your 550

thenew3

What's being done that will be $1200? Does that include new brakes?
my dealer quoted $250 for service A every odd 10k (i.e. 10k, 30k, 50k etc) and $400 for service B every even 10k (i.e. 20k, 40k, 60k etc).

They said other than that, its brake flush every 2 years (included in the B service) and brake pads/rotors/tires as needed.

Westwind

They say its a major service. They do air filters, change fluids, gaskets, including transmission plus the regular stuff. B services are a bit higher than A. However, they call this a BO service. Again, I am not into cutting corners. If they say that is standard from the manufacturer, I will go with it.

My question is - given my scenario, i.e. not going to keep the car beyond 50K - should I invest in this much? Also the fact that I might be trading it with the same dealer, I thought it would be wise to go with their recommended schedule.

thenew3

You should've gotten a service/maintenance manual with your car, ask the dealer to only perform the services listed in that booklet for 40k miles. Unless you need new brakes, I can't think of any reason why the 40k would be $1200.

samkimg

Makes the $1600 they're asking for the 5yr pre-paid maintenance plan seem very worth it ...

CEB

Some dealers have their own "recommended" service that is only intended to relieve the customer of their money.

Check your maintenance booklet and ask them to price out only the required services. Shop around different dealers.

Most dealers are crooks.

mleskovar

I'm guessing 1/2 the cost of that service is the transmission fluid/filter/gasket change. I feel Indy service providers are better choices for scheduled maintenance if you don't DIY. Going 50K without transmission service probably won't cause problems. I bet if you analyzed the trans fluid it would be more than adequate to do its' job even at 75K. That being said, I'm changing mine at 40K or 4 years but I may keep my car longer than you.

Kaine

Definitely check out Indy prices.
My Indy shop on Huntington Beach does the transmission service for 350.00. I did oil and brake fluid at home. That covered my 40k service for just under 550.00. I could have done the trams at home as well since I have xentry but felt like it was a good compromise after reading the procedures.

mleskovar

Beach Benz?

Westwind

Pardon my ignorance, but what is Indy service? I tried to google it to see if there is one near my location, but I am not putting the right words.

I have checked with 3 dealers in my radar and their price comes to about $150 range of each other, the 1200 being the highest. What adds up the cost is Transmission service. I have reviewed the service manual and its basically checking leaks, fluids, lights and replacing fluids and gaskets and sort. Too bad, brakes and iPad not included.

I want to get by with bare minimum and still meet their requirement of a 40K service done at certified service facility so that I can get a fair trade at around 50K before the warranty expires.

Thanks guys for your thoughts and insights. This has helped me look outside the box.

hyperion667

good luck WW, may you find a good independent shop: for example:

www.cwperformance.com is where I go.........the guy only sees Benz, nothing else.....

Westwind

There is a network called Benzshops.com that I stumbled upon. Is that any good? You type in your location and it will come up with list of 'generic' service centers.

My question is, if I service with them, and they do everything from the MB service book (of course, at a lower price), would that become a problem when it comes to trading my car at the dealer just because I did not do 40k with them??? I dont want to be penny wise and pound foolish.

CEB

In order to comply with warranty requirements you must do the required maintenance using parts and fluids that meet manufacturer specifications.

Where or how you do that is immaterial. You can have the dealer do it, an indy, your cousin Gomer or you can do it yourself.

If MB does the services then it will be recorded in the system. For all others you'll need to keep records of what was done, when it was done and what parts/fluids were used. If you do it yourself, you can keep a journal listing dates and services completed and keep receipts for oil and other parts.

Westwind

Good deal. I have checked with a few local 'Import' service providers and they said they are 'authorized' and can provide all the proof they want. In addition, I was told that when the dealer hooks up the car, the computer should be able to tell what services were done based on all the 'resets' that service provider makes. Sounds complicated, but I believe I am better off with a generic service in this case and still meet the requirements.

Thanks a lot. Greatly appreciate your input.

hyperion667

LOL at 'Gomer'

glad you found what you're looking for WW, (CEB had me cracking up)

Westwind

hyperion,
Thats the fun part of being here. Love it! Unfortunately, no 'Gomers' in my family.

CEB

Most dealers try to tack on their own "required" services to try to scare the customer into transferring the money from the customer's wallet into their own. They prey upon the uninformed consumer to build their wealth.

Some of the more bizarre services I've been offered included a windshield washer tank flush and a "full light bulb replacement" - both "recommended" at the 30k mile mark. The washer tank flush was $29.95 and the "bulb service" was $199.95. They had this write up about how bulbs begin to fail after two years and not doing that service was a "safety hazard that could lead to accidents and being ticketed."

Both warnings are technically correct. I'm sure that I escaped a few accidents when the fuse for my taillights blew on my Corvette during a 5 hour night-time drive on the Autobahn and I was trying to figure out why people were flashing their lights at me. A burnt bulb is sufficient to get you pulled over too but on a car in otherwise roadworthy condition you are most likely to get a warning that "you have a bulb out" rather than a ticket.

Kaine

Yeah man! Beach Benz ! Solid peeps

OceanView

$1200 is steep.
Transmission service is required so make sure to do that one.

pdjv

In case you haven't seen it, I've attached a PDF that lists all the tasks for a given service.

El Cid

Had a Ford pick-up and used very highly recommended independent garage. Cost me over $500 at Ford dealership to repair what he broke. Of course, he said he didn't do it-but directly related to work he did and not broke when took it in.
One thing to consider is how is the independent saving money? Has lower overhead and lower profit margin probably. But is he skipping services, using cheaper parts, rushing through the job, using poorly trained personnel, etc.
Also, he cannot tap into the system to find latest service updates, bulletins, etc. from MB.
How important is maintaining a good relationship with MBUSA and your local dealer(s)?

hyperion667

that is unfortunate, but they're not all lame.....

MA-E320

This is how much I was quoted as well, however I was advised that if I wanted, I had the option to pay $999 for prepaid maintenance plan which would cover the next three service visits (including the 40K major service). Worth it!

CEB

It depends on the indy mechanic. Some have access to the proper computer systems and may be more up to date on MB than the local dealership.

Some independent shops are run by enthusiasts that do it because they like the brand and - as such - may know more about the cars they work on than the 18 year old that got a summer job at the dealership doing oil changes.

Yes, the issue always is placing blame when something breaks and if that whole concept scares you then you should go to the dealer.

In a previous life I closed down a dealership because they were charging for services not completed or made up problems in order to charge the customer or manufacturer (and the owner went to jail).

Running a dealership is expensive. They have that nice shiny building to pay for (that is mandated by MB), they have to have free loaners and they charge accordingly.

From my BMW/Audi experience, I can tell you that I had a local indy shop that was staffed by ex-BMW techs and the owner was the head tech at a major dealership in Munich before his wife got transferred to the US.

The shop had access to all of the BMW reference materials and tools. They were in a spotless shop located in the warehouse district but within walking distance of a metro stop. They charged $80 an hour while the BMW dealer two miles away charged $160 an hour.

If an indy shop has a good reputation and knows their stuff then they'll be happy to shoot the breeze with you. If you get a good feeling from them then have them do something simple like an oil change.

Thereafter evaluate their work. How neat and clean did they leave your car? Any weird loolmarks or any other indication that they used improper tools? Did the bill itemize the parts used and services performed? Did they answer your questions?

If they passed that test, then you might want them to complete some other service, re-evaluate and so forth.

OTOH, there are some indy shops that had a good reputation but went downhill once people left - but the same holds true for dealerships.