wamochi

Sorry for my ignorance but this is my first prepaid service in any car and they said balance/rotation is not included and costs $58.

Is that right? It's disappointing that something recommended isn't included as part of the prepaid service !

Mbenz260e

Yes I believe that is correct, "required" are included but not "recommended"...

wamochi

Thanks. I guess I should have been more informed when they offered it.

So when you go in and ask for A service as a regular paying customer , does that include tire rotation? Or do they offer that separately for additional cost.

I guess I'll start taking it to discount tire for free rotations after this.

Mbenz260e

It would depend on how you dealer prices the service A I've seen some variations in the 3 dealers I've used for service. Depends on the relationship with the service adviser as well I think...

JimBarnhart

Not included in most. I recommend doing just as you said, go to discount tire and when you go in for service tell them you just had the tires rotated. I'm on my second set of tires, which were purchased from discount tire.

ymmv

Well, after Discount Tire scratched a circumferential line in the wheel of my Porsche, I've not been back (and they merrily smeared the wheel to hide the damage till I cleaned the car and by then it was "who knows?" as their defense.)
The local Mercedes service advisor will adjust the price to either absorb the balance and rotate cost, or at least match whatever they know to be local tire shop price.
I chose the wheel-tire "insurance" this time and I wonder what others have experienced or how they calculate the cost-benefit.

cookstar

My Dealer told me MB does not recommend tire rotation..... anyone heard anything similar?

wamochi

the SA told me that the camber is different on front vs. rears. rear is more inside edge leaning (for stability) so you get inside edge wear faster, while it's opposite on the front because of steering outside edge wear.

sounded correct i guess. and the wheels on the GL aren't staggered so i would think a rotation is needed. just bummed that it's not included in the prepaid 3yr plan.

i guess $58 isn't that bad for balance and rotation at the dealer. not sure it's worth going to discount and waiting an hour. at least if i go to the dealer every 6,000 miles i can get a free car wash with the rotation

thanks for all the replies. just wanted to make sure i wasn't getting ripped off w/ the prepaid maintenance

Mbenz260e

I think rotation still makes sense and is recommended on the MBs, unless different sizes of course or uni directional and not worth the cost of dismounting and remounting the tires.

I've used merchants and other tire places in the past and never had an issues, but currently I find just using tirerack and having the dealership mount/balance for $25 to be satisfactory enough and at least I hope they would have more accountability if something did go wrong.

captivabenz

In reviewing the warranty info on my new 14 GL 350, the first year or 10,000 miles, tire rotation is included at no charge. My dealership(Ft Myers) did not charge anything at my first rotation(5000 mi) and they stated if I return by 10,000 mi, they would not charge at that time.

wamochi

that's interesting. i just looked up the maintenance information and it says this:

The first rotation inspection occurring at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Dealership at any time up to 5,000 miles is provided at no charge.*

i don't know if "inspection" is the same thing as actually doing a rotation, or if they are just checking for uneven wear (and letting you know that you need it for $___)

i guess next time i should call around. maybe certain dealers throw it in or charge less.

in any case, i have had my GL for a year and 8700 mi and didn't go to the dealer for any maintenance until this past week. i also had a long list of other warranty items - rear sunshade replacement, creaking beneath the front seats, and foul smelling AC . it's still at the shop until tomorrow i think.

Ntuck

Your list of issues sounds like mine! I need to take mine in this week for front wheels creaking when I turn, creaking in the drivers door, passenger seat not auto moving up as far as it should when the 2nd row seats are flipped up, volume not working yesterday at all on my stereo for 30 minutes, (It finally fixed when I tried to use the phone) and tire rotation and balance. AC has a horrible odor every now and then too. Did something happen to your rear sunshade? Or did you not receive one? I'm going to ask them about my 3rd row because it never came with one when I purchased.

wamochi

just got my GL back after several days. i don't think i'm going back to that dealership. they pretty much "CNV" most of my issues:

- seat creaking beneath the seats: normal, test drove and heard normal sounds of "leather" moving

- A/C odors : normal , tested according to some long number bulletin ,something like turning on heater after and there was no smell.

- A/C sometimes not turning on (another member Doghauler complained of this): normal, CNV


the only things they did which they could not argue with were the rear 2nd row manual sunshades. one had unraveling borders and the other detached from the guide rail tab. so both are brand new now.

i'm going to try a different dealer next time, and next time the A/C smells like rotten dirty feet i'm going to swing by and make them smell it.

the other stuff i don't know, i guess the car isn't perfect and creaking seats are normal. my X164 had them too and we never got them fixed. so i supposed the tens of thousands other GL owners out there find the creaking acceptable.

my $38k Lexus has no creaking, no foul A/C odor after 3 years. perhaps my expectations for a $90k mercedes are too high

on the bright side, my rotation and balance came out to $46 instead of $58 as they estimated earlier.

Mbenz260e

I am noticing the the AC smell more and more pretty bad. Wife hasn't mentioned anything yet so not taking it in and also have a feeling they won't resolve anything.

Axxlrod

Interesting. Our AC smells bad too; right when starting up the car after its been sitting for a while (overnight).

Also, ours has a creaking sound too when driving at an angle over dips, gutters, driveways, etc... Sounds to me like chassis flex more than seats or windows creaking.

Overall, my wife likes her GL very much, which is good because it is her car. But I am not that impressed considering its price.

Eagerly awaiting the BMW X7.

Wamsochi, which dealer did you use? We use Hoehn in carlsbad, and they were fine.

CamperGuy

I just had my 14 GL550 in to MB Dealer (Rahul) for 3 items:


Tire rotation at 5k.


Foul musty smell coming from a/c on very hot and humid days.


Third row seat belt clip that hold seat belt against outer wall broke .


I did purchase the prepaid maintenance.


Tire rotation completed at no charge, I was told included in maintenance plan.


Seat belt clip replaced under warranty.


A\C system sanitized and cleaned under warranty.


Dealer is great, all work done to my satisfaction. They also picked up my GL at my home, provided me with a loaner, washed GL and returned car to my work place.


The team at Rahul in Wexford, PA is great!!!!!

wamochi

yes i am thinking of trying another dealer. i usually go to MB escondido but i used hoehn when i needed a new wheel/tire so maybe i'll go to hoehn for service next time.

at this point i gave up on the seat creak. it literally sounds like the bolts that hold the seat onto the floor/rails have some play and cause the seat to flex and bend when you make slow turns. i'm not talking about the door seals or chassis flex - that is a totally different noise that i find acceptable (even though no other car i have had does that).

the musty smell is very bad when it's parked for a short while on a hot day. i don't know why they can't sanitize it for free - it normally costs like $120 so i think they are reluctant to pay for it under warranty. they had this big ole checklist they went through for that and determined it was operating as it should (which i guess means it SHOULD stink when you first start up for a few minutes).

we don't drive a ton so i won't be due for a service for a long time but i will have my tires rotated before that. i'll give hoehn a try for that and see if they come up with anything for the AC smell and seat creak.

fabbrisd1

I have seen some cases MB aircon system develop "musty" - when the temp control has been set and left on "low"/extreme setting - in owner's mind "will make cooler/faster".

In that extreme/low setting it is not infrequent for climate control system to frost/gum up - which leads to excess moisturte being released back into the system when car gets switched off.

I am not saying this is the only reason that can cause Musty - but it is one of the more common.

Use Max Cool when wanting maximum cooling - low/extreme-left climate control setting is another gig..

Einzsett Clima is a good overall system "cleanwer" - but if under warranty have your dealer address:

wamochi

thanks for the suggestion Fab. i will try Max Cool more often.

Fab - do you know how long a "sanitizer" would be under warranty? i told them it smelled starting around the 8 month mark (only like 6000 miles on the ODO at that point), but i took it in for annual service at the 12 month.

i am surprised they don't just do the $120 sanitation/cleaning and have MBUSA pay for it. i'm not sure if they just want me to pay the $120 and go away or if MB truly thinks foul smelly AC is the norm ... just very strange.

fabbrisd1

The sanitation/cleaning is the /similar/almost/same thing as the Einzette Clima product - however the chem is very slightly different - most DIY will feel the Clima has a slight ammonia smell - because at the dealership after they spray it down the system - they keep it on recirculation for 10-15 minutes per instructions - where most owners DIY blow and go.

What MB engineers kindof say - when climate control temp dials are moved a "lot down" or set at LO (all left) the system can risk "frost up" internally - which in turn leads to other gum-up-smelly things.

Max cool does 3-things - max cool - max airflow - which they say system needs to max cooling effect AND adds recirculation so the system can remove more/more humidity from the air flowing thru the system on max cool... almost makes sense to me.

I 1st noticed this with a great/guy/customer - Canook - who had the "musk" problem - and when I was with him on a airport run - noted he kept climate control on LO/LO and manual lo fan - because that was they way he did it... at 6K my guys did a full "goodwill" filter change out - I sprayed him down on my time with Clima - and I let him know what I thought the problem might be..


Sorry - sanitizwer - am not familiar - the GL has a carbon filter - and filter's - oil, cabin, carbon, fleece - are all consumables and in general not covered by warranty - but "could" be covered under "dealer good will" as courtesy...