lebronkahn

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting here. I purchased my 2016 GLC 300 from Tysons Mercedes (I am not sure if it's against the rules to mention the dealer's name, if so, please lemme know) this February. I have driven quite a lot this year, so now it's time to do my 10,000 miles service. Due to my being a total idiot, I scratched the ceramic coat on my rear bumper. Tysons fixed the existing scratches on the car when I bought the vehicle so I asked them if they can help me out this time as well. They said yes and I was pleased. And I asked them to give me a quote so I can do the service and paint fixing in one appointment. To my dismay, they quoted me $773 for service A, which includes a spark plug change. I was a little appalled that they wanted me to change spark plug as the car is only at 46K miles. So I asked them how much it would cost if I skipped the spark plug this time. And they told me that service A is $571, which "come with oil change, fuel additive, cleaning of the water channels, checking all fluids, topping them off...". And a mere oil change is $140. And they said my next service will be $2,273 "because the transmission fluid would be due to be replaced".

I am under the impression that this is quite a steep price for service A or B. I am a noob for car maintenance. So could anyone tell me how important is the "fuel additive and cleaning of the water channels"? I have quite a lot of coolant and wiper fluids. I can certainly check and top them myself. Do you guys think I shall go to the dealer for service A or can I simply change the oil at an indie shop?

BTW, Mercedes of Alexandria quoted me $285 for service A, which I think is more reasonable.

Thanks for your time in advance.

2020GLC300

Fuel additive is a waste of time these days since there's so much detergent in fuels from the pump.

Cleaning water channels is an easy DIY, and usually means the sun roof channels and maybe some drain holes around the hood and trunk areas.

I would change the transmission fluid at 50K miles, because it's a nice thing to do for the transmission, but that's a crazy price to do it. I don't believe in "filled for life" anything, and 50K is a good time for automatic transmission fluid/filter.

You can get the maintenance done wherever you want, so shop around. And you don't have to do all of the maintenance at one shop. So if you find a good deal on an oil change at one shop and a good deal at another shop for the transmission fluid, you could go to both.

fabbrisd1

Let me try to be helpful... the Service Adviser at your dealership does not have your best interests in mind...

If you have a 46K mile 2016 GLC - yes, regular maintenance & spark plugs are due now - and in 10K you will have another Service due.

You can check with that dealer (or another dealer in your area) - under Mercedes Prepaid Service you can save a TON of money - 2-Prepaid Services for your GLC is $1,130 - and 3-Prepaid Services for your GLC is $1,560.

Your dealer (or another local delaer) should be able to confirm with you that service/plugs will be covered under 1st service - and your next service will be 2nd service - with your mileage a "oil change only" shouldn't be the plan - get the "right" service done under MB Prepaid Maintenance is the best plan.

Note you have to confirm and buy Prepaid Service BEFORE service checkin - you can't buy AFTER checkin for that service.

Hope this helps - keep the beat !

ChinaBob

As I said in another post, MB service prices can vary wildly, but these are by far the wildest I've seen yet. Yes, of all the places I've had my GLC serviced, the DC area (Arlington) was the most expensive, but this is something else again.

I had my plugs changed by an independent shop near where I live (Northern Massachusetts). They charged me $76 for the plugs but it's hard to say how much for the labor because I had several other things done at the same time. I am guessing $100-150.

Had the transmission service done in Miami. (My independent here couldn't do it because it requires a special tool.) They quoted me around $420 not realizing that the 4MATIC uses a different configuration and costs more to service. Fortunately for me they stood by the $420 where otherwise it would have cost somewhere north of $700 for the 4MATIC.

lebronkahn

Just saw your reply. Thanks a lot for sharing.

As a total noob, I am still a little confounded as to what water channel of a car is. And appallingly, I didn't find much help from Google. But it sounds like it doesn't mean any physical tubes under the hood. If they are, then the service may be worth something. As I learned from this forum, I do not have to do my services at Mercedes dealers and that would have zero impact on my warranty right?

So in my situation, all I really need to do right now is just oil change? I will definitely shop around for that. There are quite a lot of oil change places around me. Should I go for full synthetic?

Thanks again.

lebronkahn

You are definitely right. Their job is to squeeze more nickles and dimes from while getting the service done.

I did not know that I can prepay the services. Is it necessary to service my car at a Mercedes dealer at all? What else shall be done for this service besides changing spark plug and oil change?

Thanks.

lebronkahn

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Yes, I find the prices utterly steep compared to the prices people share on this forum.

So I don't have to change my spark plugs at a dealer? Can you get genuine Mercedes parts if you buy them from an indie shop? Did you also get your transmission fluid change in an indie shop? I feel like a dealer would know about the 4MATIC.

BTW you have been all over the place. Cool!

ChinaBob

No, you don't have to have spark plugs or any other maintenance work done at a dealer. It will not void your warranty. This is set in stone by federal law. An independent shop may or may not use MB parts but a reputable one will use parts, fluids, etc., that meet MB specifications. If in doubt, ask, and always save your receipts so you can prove the work has been in case there's an issue later.

I got the transmission fluid changed at a dealer because it requires a special tool that would cost more than the job was worth for the indie to buy. That's a common gotcha.

My own practice is to have the oil and filter changed every 7500 miles and do the other maintenance as needed according to the schedule. Whether dealer or indie depends on circumstances. Tomorrow I am having my oil changed at the dealer because I also want to get a map update, something an indie can't do, before I have to start paying for them in January.

I covered more of this in some previous posts that you might find useful to read. You can start here:
https://mbworld.org/forums/glc-class...edes-benz.html

Bob

Maui5150

Who did you use in Northern Mass? I generally do some most of my basic service, but for some of the things like transmission service I have had decent dealers in the Infiniti world, but prefer a decent independent this go around

ChinaBob

I've been using M & J Foreign Cars in Rowley. Very professional and do a great job, but couldn't do the transmission oil change because they did not have the special MB tool. That was last winter and they may have it by now. My servicing dealer is Mercedes-Benz of Portsmouth, NH. They've been excellent, too, as well as Flagship Motors in Lynnfield, where I bought the car. I prefer Portsmouth for dealer service because it's an easier drive for me.

Of course, that's when I am at home, which is not that often. I'll be starting my winter travels soon, gallivanting across the country, and could pop up at an MB dealer or indie shop just about anywhere.

pamiboy

If you buy the prepaid service pack from MB, then obviously you have to do them from MB dealerships. Now check the service guide for the GLC which lists the mandatory items to be done and the recommended ones (which are not mandatory - but the service technician can decide if your car needs it at that point). The prepaid services are useful because they cover whatever service is to be provided in that particular visit (and MB corporate will pay the dealership for their service). Even if you do service at an indie shop, it is a good practice to periodically do service from MB dealerships since they usually cover many items such as recalls, TSBs, etc (some of which are not even advertised or minor in nature).

peet

To the OP - you didn't say (or I missed it) what country you are in. In the USA we have what is called the Moss Magnusson Act - it simply states, the modification or lack of maintenance on a part cannot be blamed on an unrelated issue or void out the entire warranty. In other words, you don't flush your brakes, dealer can't fail the engine warranty or blame you for a piston failure.

That being said, the same law allows you to carry out your maintenance wherever you want. As long as it's done to the steps required by the manufacturer and you have all the receipts - you are covered. So service 1 - basically an oil change. Buy oil, filter and crush washers - swap oil, save all receipts - done. At your costs and on your terms. Whether that is you or a third party - doesn't matter.

Some feel more comfortable having a dealer do the work. Not only do they keep things simple, they sometimes have notes on recalls or factory bulletins that get added in at no charge. That also being said, the prices for service 1 and 2 vary widely. We've seen service 1 as low as $250 and then there are dealers like yours that seem to want to gouge you. So if you want to keep it dealer-centered, find another dealer, get their quote/coupon - see if yours will accept it if more convenient and if not go to the other dealer. HOpe this helps!

Also between 1 and 2 the only difference is... 2 adds a brake system service (basically a fluid flush/top off) and two air filters. No way worth another $2k - usually it's $400/800 for 1/2 respectively.

Camaroguy72

The price seems appropriate. The 60k mile transmission service includes REPLACING the pan, which has a built-in filter. I believe that service by itself is close to $1000 normally. Add in spark plugs , transfer case if you have a 4matic, and the service B which includes filters and a brake flush - yes it's a little pricier than other dealers it sounds like, but not far off for a 60k service. Don't underestimate the cost of the transmission - that's probably the only service I will get done @ the dealership due to the refill level checking being a little too involved for me to want to care about the risk of under or overfilling the 9 speed transmission.

So yeah , get the transmission service done and they will replace the pan. if you can find an independent mechanic you trust , go for it.. but the price on this specific 60k interval is not outrageous. Every service is B is not just a brake flush and filters.

Camaroguy72

you need to use what's called in the manual (MB 229.5 or 229.6 spec oil). I use the Amsoil European 5W-40. If you take it to an oil change place, make sure they use the Mercedes approved oil.

https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.5_en.html

2020GLC300

Not gonna say it happens every time, but it’s really hard for even mechanically inclined owners to know if the dealer really did a transmission or brake flush unless you have video evidence:


I do all my own fluid changes for a reason.