Got a pair on amazon for 12 dollars and popped both covers and dropped in took about 10 minutes, easy. Dealer wanted $160.00. Just to be safe I'll change them every 20K miles, why not. Some things MB seems to say don't do enough and other things too much, like Brake Flush. I'd say you'd be fine going 5 years, thats about how long you could go with factory air filters if you went by MB Recommendations @50K miles, too long.

 

Good for you!

As I lease I put the maintenance agreement into the lease and it is residualized.

If I did not, I would have an independent shop change my oil and filter, service "A", and for service "B" do the filter change the way you did and add the brake fluid flush.

Then take my car to the dealer to see if there were any updates.

This would save hundred of dollars.

I can already hear the yelling on this board: If you can afford a Mercedes you can afford to have it serviced at Mercedes!

To those I would reply, I can afford a Mercedes because I did not throw away money and I do not intend to start now!

 

I have not found an independent shop with mechanics trained/certified on Mercedes W213 models. I last used an independent shop about 20 years ago and they broke more than they fixed. Immediate savings often has a longer term cost.

 

Really!!!

The labor shop rate at my Mercedes dealer is $195 per hour.

Maybe you need a "Certified on Mercedes W213 models" technician at $195 per hour labor to change your oil and filter!

I recently had some work done on my Porsche and also had the oil and filter changed. The cost of the oil and filter changed was over $300. When I questioned it I was told the hourly labor rate was $235. I said I understand paying $235 an hour to work on my transmission, but what has that hourly labor rate to do with oil and filter change? I was then told that "Frederick" who worked on my transmission stayed with the car and changed the oil.

That is like going to a hospital for brain surgery and then having the brain surgeon instead of nurse change your dressings - and you continue to pay for the brain surgeon doing a job a nurse can do.

I for one one do not need a certified Mercedes technician at $195 an hour to change my oil and filter!

 

My last A service at MB was ~$175. That included pickup and delivery at my residence with a loaner to use.

 

They really are not very hard cars to work on. I guess my main point of this post is I don't really understand the long intervals that Benz recommends on changing the air filters, I feel it's too long especially for somebody who say had to drive on dirt roads or that sort of thing. Then the Brake Flush every couple years, heck American cars don't even have that listed as an item to service for the most part, there are plenty of cars out there running around with brake fluid that is well over 10 years old. I realize MB braking systems are kinda intricate but I'd think every 3 or 4 years would be fine although I guess if something were to go wrong under warranty with the braking system and they wanted receipts that might be an issue.

 

IMO it is really a moisture issue. Moisture can build up in brake fluid so that under hard braking the moisture can boil. The vapor can cause brake failure. I live in a wet climate and have suffered a total brake failure due to moisture. I have the brake system flushed every two years for peace of mind.

 

+1

My Ford Edge does not call for a brake fluid change.

If you are driving on the Autobahn daily at 100 to 120 mph with frequent hard stops then maybe, and maybe only, do you need to change the brake fluid.

This was previously discussed on another thread and I posted, that whatever German cars are using for brake fluid, they should change to what the Koreans, Japanese and Americans use: we do not require the frequent fluid change or change at all.

The Germans alone among manufacturers must be using some exotic metals that are prone to rust so that the brake fluid must be changed.

 

As long as the top seal on the master cylinder is in good shape and sealing I don't see how water would get into the system as long as it is not opening in a rainstorm outside or something or a defective seal. I owned a car service place and it was very rare we saw water intrusion into the braking system.

 

The MB brake system continually vents to the air per MB maintenance docs.

 

Maybe thats why it does need to changed more frequently, maybe one of the experts can chime in here like Kronistar (sp). They may have setup the braking systems for more of a performance posture assuming the brakes where going to be more taxed than the average car. I know in a race car you gotta worry about changing brake fluid often as it boils as the brakes get so hot going into corners and all.

 

W213 brakes can get up to 1200°F according to MB.

 

I'd be willing to bet though changing a regular benz brake fluid every 4 years and a AMG brake fluid every 2 years would be safe unless the non amg car was a car that was really pushed hard a lot.

 

It’s so funny how things change when a car goes out of warranty. There were 200k Msrp AMG’s one day that people buy for 15-20k now. They do all their own work. But when a car is new or in warranty it’s a different story