mbmae350

My 2013 E350 4matic just turned 60k miles and was in the shop for oil change svc. Dealer recommended replacing the spark plugs at a cost of $600.

Since the car is running great, always has, I opted out. With that said, should I do it at the next oil change or is it hype?

LILBENZ230

It is not hype.. it is due at 60k miles.

This is multi-spark ignition. Go a head and get it done, though there's no need to pay dealer rates.

(Our Porsche Macan requires plugs every 30k miles!)

mbmae350

I was at work and it caught me off guard. After posting this question I dug in to the forum a bit, should of just had them do it! Looks like the job is worth what the dealer charges, after watching a video of the process.

I may have them come get it before the next service is due, I am now thinking it may not be a good idea to wait.

LILBENZ230

My dealer quoted $577 so your quote is in line.. a good indy can probably save a couple hundred. But yeah it doesn't look like something I want to tackle myself on the M276.

KEY08

Yes, have it done. $600 is not a ridiculous price. An Indy shop may or may not be less.

cetialpha5

If you had mentioned it earlier, I would have suggested the 2 pre-paid maintenance package, that covers spark plugs and transmission fluid changes. I think transmission might be at 70k. I think you can still buy them until you hit 80k.

But yeah, at this point you can get it done cheaper at an indy or see if there's any service specials. I had an offer in my email for $150 off $300, but that expired last year. They seem to do that every few months. If you search the threads, there's a few where people managed to do it without taking the intake off so maybe if you find an indy familiar with it, you could get it done for less. Get the MB plugs though, the aftermarket Bosch don't seem to line up like the MB ones even though Bosch makes them for MB.

chassis

Do it. $600 is very reasonable. It took me more than 4 hours to change my plugs on a W166 GLE 350. Plugs are over $100, so they are charging about 2.5 hours of labor which is not unreasonable.

Arrie

Has anybody seen the plugs that come out after 60000 miles?

Requiring plugs only after 60000 miles sounds very short life for the plugs to me.

alan_e550

Get it done, if you can do it yourself then even better. My only cost was the $120 I spent on 8 spark plugs I bought for my M273

LILBENZ230

In the case of the Macan - not the Mercedes - it specifies 4 year, 30,000 mile changes. According to Porsche this has less to do with the lifespan of the plug itself and more to do with potential for the plugs to be difficult to remove, seized up.

In the Mercedes, I was told because it is multi-spark, 60,000 miles could be the equivalent of 120,000 miles of wear.

Does anyone know for sure? I mean, I'll follow the schedules. But it is interesting.

LILBENZ230

Also I couldn't make sense of prepaid maintenance when I got quotes. It seemed to be pay upfront, but no savings. One quote was $1750 for 3 services a la carte that would've cost $1700.

chassis

Plugs replaced last August with 50k miles on the vehicle in the signature below.

nc211

And while they’re doing it, ask if they’ll also clean off the mass airflow sensor since they’ll have it all out anyway (it’s nothing more than just spraying a little cleaner on it). That, and new plugs in mine a few weeks ago has made a very nice improvement of power availability and delivery.

LILBENZ230

My 2016 says plugs are due at 50k - so later this year.

pierrejoliat

My 220 had 16 spark plugs for 8 cylinders, I believe my 221 was "multispark" Which I believe is 5 sparks per ignition.

Arrie

These plugs to me look almost like brand new. Of course, I cannot see what the gaps are in the picture but I cannot see any wear on them.

I think my 2010 E550 asks spark plug change after 80 000 miles. I changed them way later, don't remember how late but it was I think over 100 000 miles and the plugs looked fine. They did have some wear though but could have been used longer.

pierrejoliat

The three on the left have definite carbon fouling at the electrode, the three on the right still look silvery, Gap may be worn. Wonder if they came out of the car in this order and which bank was doing the fouling, at least more than the other three.

Arrie

I'm not familiar with the term "multi-spark" but I'm guessing it means the spark fires at every rotation for the piston at top position, i.e. even during exhaust cycle. I never really understood this concept but I guess it makes software simpler as it only needs to time 4 sparks instead of 8.

If "multi-spark" means what I think 30 000 miles is not equivalent to 60 000 miles. It is for the amount of sparks but half of the sparks happen during "cool" cycle compared to work cycle that is the hot one. It is the spark and heat together that wears the plugs. Heat from the spark is so minimal it really does not do anything by itself.

pierrejoliat

On the 276 it would be 30 sparks instead of 6, I believe.

LILBENZ230

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...ech-explained/

This is what I've found and would explain the 50k mile replacement guidelines.

What were the recommended intervals for the 272/273?

bmwpowere36m3

Every 60k/6yrs for M272 and 273 per 2011 maintenance book.. Different engines, manufacturers, each have their own requirements. 30k with copper plugs was pretty standard. Wife's old Civic was 100k with iridium plugs, changed them out at 105k, looked really good (besides gap).

Multi-spark I believe is multiple sparks is rapid succession during combustion event... whereas wasted spark is usually a single coil activating 2 cylinders or a single coil on single cylinder engine and the spark is wasted on exhaust stroke (similar system and less components at expense of coil life due to waste).

cetialpha5

The difference is that the pre-paid maintenance includes the spark plugs and transmission fluid if it calls for that and the regular Service A or B do not and they tack on the additional $600 or whatever they charge extra for that service. Also sometimes the dealers mark up the pre-paid maintenance package. Although that price sounds about right. The real advantage to it would be to roll it into a lease. You could buy a 3 service pack and if the residual is 50%, you only end up paying $875 for the three packages that you end up using up. Weird math on MB's part.

nota_amg

Tuned cars are even worse. I was told to change them every 10k miles. I have a set on order now. I'll post up some pics when I pull them as I'm curious what they are going to look like. felt like the car was breaking up a little at high rpm's the other day, not enough to cause a misfire, but I could feel it and let out.

LILBENZ230

Well, I already own mine and I was factoring those in. $1750 from Jeff Jackson for a 3pk - 50/60/70 (my car has 42k miles)

This would cover 3 oil changes
1 spark plug change
1 transmission fluid flush

Problem is, a la carte pricing at my dealership:
Oil change = $199 x 3 = $597
Spark Plugs = $577
Transmission Service = $575

$1749 if I just paid for them as I came. $1750 to prepaid.

So what's the advantage? The ONLY advantage I can come up with is that they may replace wiper blades and cabin filters, but I already did those myself with FCP Euro parts that have lifetime warranties. So I don't need anyone touching those. And I'd never want to pay their premiums for such easy work anyway.

cetialpha5

You get the brake flush with Service B. Typically Service A is more like $300 and B is more like $500-$600 but the B includes the brake flush. You're just pricing the oil change not the Service A&B price.