Dan1520

I have a 2018 GLC300 I bought used recently that's due for a "B" service next month. The local dealer wants $465. Any other options? There are local Mercedes trained shops that could do it. The issue is it won't go into the vehicle record which would go in if done by a dealer. What problem does that present if any?

Thanks

peet

You don't say if you are USA or not - so assuming yes, you can ...

1) self service
2) indy shop
3) pay the crazy fee
4) find another dealer with a lower price and go there or have your dealer match
5) check dealer sites for coupons - many have 15% off on service coupons, see if your dealer will accept third party coupon if they don't have one.

If options 1 and 2 - keep meticulous receipts that the work was done.

Also FYI - difference between A and B is that B adds brake fluid service (they don't call it a flush - so it may be less than a full flush) plus two cabin filters. IMHO not worth the extra $250 or so they want over service A. Last time out I had dealer perform a service A when B was called for, declining brake and filter. Obviously the filters won't kill warranty on anything but if I had brake issues, it could come back and haunt me. The gamble is on you but hopefully these tips help.

Lastly 1 and 2 are possible due to US laws, which is why I asked.

Dan1520

Yes we are in the USA (Florida). The brake flush is, IMHO, a rip off. I've had a lot of cars over my lifetime and never had to change the brake fluid. I believe it's not needed unless the car had very high mileage which mine doesn't. Even then I would check it first. The brake fluid is a closed hydraulic system that, unless moisture enters, doesn't need changing.
As a comparison, my other car is a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and the dealer charges $80 to change oil (synthetic), rotate tires and do a multipoint check.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Dan

fabbrisd1

Well .. I am not here to push dealer service ...

1. but as a owner with your VIN# you should check with your local dealer (1) if there are any updated posted to your GLC (2) if you have COMAND if there is a free Nav update available yet... both of those items are not something a indy can do for you...

2. Next - please understand the 2Yr/20K Brake Fluid Flush is what is recommended by the Brake Fluid manufacturer - and not "invented" by MB. So if you need to Rage-Against-The-Machine then you now know where to focus your angst.

3. For one technician the "A-Service" books at 2 1/2 shop hrs and a "B Service" books at 3 1/2 shop hrs - so you know. I could care less what you decide is appropriate care of your Mercedes - but I have firm belief in what I do to maintain my Mercedes(s) - Mercedes enthusiasts have a adage "you take care of your Mercedes - and your Mercedes will take care of you".

4. When approaching 40K B Service - it is worth your while to investigate Pre-Paid Service 2/20K or 3/30K if you plan to keep your MB - there is additional 40K-45LK etc service items incl spark plug change that Prepaid Service will pick up free for you.

2020GLC300

You are completely wrong about all that, and a bad person to buy a used car from.

Dan1520

Not very nice of you. You don't even know me.

. I do know something about cars. In the past 20 years, I restored three cars as a hobby. A 1957 Thunderbird, 1966 Thunderbird and 1961 Ford Galaxie convertible.
I may be a shade tree mechanic but I've rebuilt engines in my garage and been playing with cars for 60 years.

BTW, this is my first MB and I always thought only BMW owners felt they were better than everyone.

This is the end. I appreciate your input but let's end it!

peet

I know Dan asked to end it, but I feel I need to chime in on his behalf - MB completely rips us all off. And sure - we all want to maintain their cars to spec. But let's face it, the spec is nuts. Example 1.. since I drive 2 cars and a motorcycle, each gets low mileage. My GLC gets about 5000 miles per year. WIth synthetic oils, that is far from time to change the oil. Sure it's more than the 80's thinking of 3,000 miles, but no - it's not due. The filter swap is a joke - those are super cheap parts and can be done by anyone.

The brake flush - he's correct too, to a point. Brake fluid needs changing (typically) every four years. What happens to it is that sometimes water gets in there and water doesn't compress so you'll get a mushy pedal - or at worse total failure. But to anyone who has wrenched cars will know the coming symptoms before the total failure occurs.

Net-net, the prices charged $600 list price, are insane for what we are being offered. Let's face it, it's an oil change service (plus filter, crush washer and oil) for $300 and a brake flush and 2 filters for another $300. Total rip offs. This is why I listed do your own or find an indy shop - just track the invoices. These will keep your warranty valid in the US.

and to round out the backing people thinking ... the dealer does do one thing that is not possible elsewhere (or most places) recall campaigns. My car had two when I brought it in for maintenance last time. One was SRS related I believe. Those are important.

Dan1520

Thanks for the comments. I knew many owners have the same attitude about MB dealers and their ridiculous prices.

I had planned to search for local indy shop and see what is offered and cost. I agree that each service is listed on the invoice and kept for future reference in case of warranty issues.

QUESTION: Does anyone in this forum know of a reliable indy shop in the Tampa Bay area including Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, etc? If so, I'd appreciate whatever you can provide..

BTW, I just want to end it with 2020GLC300. I don't need his comments. Life is too short..

Thanks to all

karmikan

True to a point. There's also the possibility of internal corrosion due to moisture content. I discussed the "change every 2 yrs" requirement with a professional mechanic friend, he said that it was just a revenue generator. He suggested using a moisture meter annually to test the brake fluid. I bought one ($15 I think) and it's a 1 min job to test the fluid at the reservoir. So far I've had 0% moisture but as soon as I get any sort of positive reading I'll flush the fluid.

Dennis P. Gluth

Dan,
I know I am going to get heat on this but Christian Brothers Automotive (Few in Hillsborough and Pasco County) are really good. A buddy of mine that also has a Mercedes took his there and recommended them. I checked them out and the manager guy was real nice and said they work on European cars everyday. I have a 2018 GLC 300 with 18K miles (last oil change was at 11.5K), so I just had them do an oil change and tire rotation and I checked the Cabin Filter a few months ago and it looked brand new so I didn't have them mess with it. Granted I'm not driving a S550 or AMG anything but for basic stuff, Christian Brothers do a great job.

Just my two cents.

Dennis

hyperion667

MB are expensive. To buy and maintain. Why would someone not look into these costs prior to purchasing???? WHY would one not research where to NOT get overcharged by a dealer????

WHY in todays day and age would one not simply do a few searches?? WHY?????

Dan1520

Thank you Dennis. I appreciate the info. I will follow up.

2020GLC300

Great point kamikan! Brake fluid is doing everything it can to absorb moisture from the air, and brake systems are definitely not sealed systems. You just have to take a look at the reservoir cap to see that it vents to the atmosphere to allow changes in the brake fluid level during operation. Anyone can see that brake fluid changes color over time in brake reservoirs, which is an indication of water in the fluid. Not to mention that the brake fluid in the calipers is subject to extreme heating and cooling cycles, which makes it even more ridiculous to think that brake fluid never needs to be changed.

Brake systems today are redundant, compared to the time that Dan1520 was working on cars, so you won't have a safety issue from not changing your fluid, but you will eventually have very expensive repair bills from rotting your calipers, master cylinder, and/or ABS systems. This is why you should always ask to see maintenance records before buying a used car. When you buy a used car, you are buying a previous owner(s). Deferred maintenance is a huge red flag because it causes very expensive damages to components that will cost many multiples more than the cost of the maintenance that was skipped due to lack of money, pure laziness, and/or complete ignorance. And if they skipped maintenance, what else did they skimp on during the ownership of the vehicle?

Brake fluid is cheap, and it's about as hard to change as removing your wheels, so why anyone would skip this car manufacturer and brake manufacturer recommended procedure is beyond me. Fluid changes are the nicest thing you can do to your car, and if the dealer is charging too much to do it, find an independent, do it yourself, or just take the bus if you can't afford to own and maintain a car.

Just reading back through the thread, I am very shocked to learn how offended Dan1520 became at my simple comment that was only meant to correct some very bad advice that will cost you a lot of money and aggravation. He just needs to let it go and move on, and not reply to this thread as part of his healing.

And on an unrelated comment, that is not targeted at Dan1520, be careful what you read on car forums because there's a ton of bad information out there, and when you do reply to a comment, be careful because you never know if the other person is a snowflake.

ChinaBob

Here's the way I work it:

I get the oil/filter changed every 7500 miles. The local independent garage charges $96, the closest dealer charges $100. (Funny thing about that - when I called for the appt. my SA said it would be $120 but I just looked at the bill and it was $99.50.) What dealers, and independents for that matter, charge for any kind of service varies wildly, from a low, cited above, to I think it was around $175 for just an oil change with a dealer in Colorado. Since it was less than $20 short of an A service, I opted for the A service. At my local dealer the spread between an oil change and an A service is over $125. Go figure.

(I've also seen A services range from around $230 in my area to $425 for an A and $625 for a B at a dealer in Virginia.)

The thing is, as has been pointed out above, that when you go to a dealer for an oil change they do some other things that the indies usually don't or can't, like checking fluids, brakes, recalls, updates, etc. so what you are getting with a dealer is pretty close to an A service for less, sometimes a little less, sometimes a lot less.

One strategy to consider would be to alternate dealer and independent shop for oil changes in order to get the best of both worlds.

Anyway, bottom line is that it pays to shop around, and maybe go a few miles out of your way.