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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / February 2008C240 2001 routine service
We have only 25000 miles about 5000mi per year. I have been using an independent shop which charges a little over $500 for an A service. They do only MB, BMW, and Volvo and seem very competent. I was considering the once a year stuff like oil and filter once a year at 5,000 mile and a complete A service every 2 years at 10,000 miles. Anyone see a problem with that?? You are paying too much money for Service A... which is basically oil change and lots of inspection. Service B has air filter and some more inspection. Instead of forking over $500 for each service... this is what I would do... since it seems like you are not mechanically inclined. Every year, change oil... synthetic oil... I think dealer charge around $110 to do this job... I am not sure how much at quick lube places... probably $40 less. The critical point of this oil change is the filter... I think quick lube tends to use cheaper paper filter... this is not what we want... we want the fiberglass filter which cost $18 each... so in your case, dealer is best bet. Just insist on oil change. Maybe every 3 years you let them do a service B... which covers everything on Service A. If you are mechanically inclined, you could do the whole oil change job yourself for around $45 or less if you buy synthetic oil on sale. I use oil suction method, so I don't get under the car anymore to drain oil. You can buy a cheap oil suction tool... for around $40 or so... takes a while to suck up the oil. I personally am using Harbor Freights air suction tank... which is around $120... uses compressor to create vacuum and comes with alot of attachements. > You are paying too much money for Service A... which is basically oil change > and lots of inspection. Service B has air filter and some more inspection. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > $120... uses compressor to create vacuum and comes with alot of > attachements. Thanks for the speedy reply. Actually, I am mechanically inclined. I have in the past maintained my own porsche race car and a Cessna 180. Now I am getting older (74) and a lot lazier. I had a new battery installed yesterday. Hell I could not find the battery in that maze under the hood. I actually looked up my old service ticket and it was the B service that $475. I am inclined to follow your advice and get the oil change now and get the B service later. Incase I should want to do my own oil change, is there a fiberglass domestic brand filter available? Also is the drain plug obvious when viewing the engine from the bottom? FYI some of the quicky lub places have gotten some bad press for sloppy work and charging for work not done, Thanks for your advice. Bob The suction method works great for MB cars. This way is much faster, easier and cleaner. All marine supply shops carry such pump, about $50. Suck the oil when it is warm and it takes no more than 10 minutes. No need to raise the car or lay under. >>You are paying too much money for Service A... which is basically oil change >>and lots of inspection. Service B has air filter and some more inspection. [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > advice. > Bob Autohausaz.com makes it real easy to buy anything for your car. You don't even have to drive to get anything for your car. I would stick with German filters... not american type. Modern MB has plastic covers on the bottom of the engine for aerodynamic reason so that means you have to drop the cover before you see the drain plug. Forget about this because that also means you have to drive the car up on a ramp to get underneath it. Trust me on this... The suction type oil change does a very thorough job. Consider the Harborfreight suction oil change... they have both type... the one I use with compressor and the hand pump one.. > Autohausaz.com makes it real easy to buy anything for your car. You don't > even have to drive to get anything for your car. I would stick with German [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Consider the Harborfreight suction oil change... they have both type... the > one I use with compressor and the hand pump one.. Thanks for all of the info. I guess I will order a few Mann filters or buy from the dealer. West marine had a half dozen oil extraction pumps also two at Harbor Freight. Although I have a pair of the drive on ramps, the oil sucker sounds a lot easier. The oil sucker is easy.. Yes, West Marine has alot of choices as on boat engine, you can't 'drain' the oil like you can on cars. You would find it so much easier to do oil change on your Porsche too... I am not sure where the oil filters are on Porcche though. Only thing you need is a tool to remove the oil filter housing. You can buy a generic one at your local store or buy the 'right' tool on Ebay... El Paso Tool is the guy to buy from... they are or they use "Baum Tools" to supply the tools... They also got tools for Porche too. > El Paso Tool is the guy to buy from... they are or they use "Baum Tools" to supply the tools... They also got tools for Porche too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ?? When I google that name I get zilch nada nothing as in a company with that name..... http://stores.ebay.com/EL-PASO-TOOL-EUROPEAN-AUTO-TOOLS_W0QQ_trksidZp284.m183QQ_ trkparmsZalgo%3DDR%26its%3DS%252BI%252BSS%26itu%3DISS%252BUCI%252BSI%26otn%3D4 That is their ebay store. This is their website... http://www.elpasotools.com/index.html > The oil sucker is easy.. Yes, West Marine has alot of choices as on boat > engine, you can't 'drain' the oil like you can on cars. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Tool is the guy to buy from... they are or they use "Baum Tools" to supply > the tools... They also got tools for Porche too. Thanks again What weight Mobil 1 should I use? The manual says see your dealer. The mobil site says 0/w40. One dealer put in 5/W50 and the independent shop put in 10/w30. Averaging all this out I guess 5/40. I don't know if it is made in that weight. Bob 10/w30 sounds like it was dino oil. We always put in Mobil 1 0/w40 in all cars 1998 and up. > > The oil sucker is easy.. Yes, West Marine has alot of choices as on boat > > engine, you can't 'drain' the oil like you can on cars. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > if it is made in that weight. > Bob Synthetic oil only... 0W40 is best but not easy to find all the time. 0W30 is my next choice, then 5W40 are all good choices. Wal Mart has good deals on those 5 quarts containers. > Synthetic oil only... 0W40 is best but not easy to find all the time. 0W30 > is my next choice, then 5W40 are all good choices. Wal Mart has good deals > on those 5 quarts containers. > Thanks again. Bob road apple schrieb: > We have only 25000 miles about 5000mi per year. I have been using an > independent shop which charges a little over $500 for an A service. > They do only MB, BMW, and Volvo and seem very competent. I was > considering the once a year stuff like oil and filter once a year at > 5,000 mile and a complete A service every 2 years at 10,000 miles. > Anyone see a problem with that?? As far as I see the expensive services by MB are a condition of the indefinite corrosion warranty. Here in Germany somebody lost his high court case against MB with a rusty trunk. The court ruled MB has the right to couple the warranty with a regular service by MB shops. But if you dont go to MB shops why to pay? Change oil, filters and wipers regularly, watch the error indicators and accumulate the money for the next car.  SignatureRoland Franzius > We have only 25000 miles about 5000mi per year. I have been using an > independent shop which charges a little over $500 for an A service. > They do only MB, BMW, and Volvo and seem very competent. I was > considering the once a year stuff like oil and filter once a year at > 5,000 mile and a complete A service every 2 years at 10,000 miles. > Anyone see a problem with that?? Do you get a kiss with that, or do they just shaft you quick and dirty? I'll bet you avoid the dealer because they're "too expensive", eh? > > We have only 25000 miles about 5000mi per year. I have been using an > > independent shop which charges a little over $500 for an A service. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Do you get a kiss with that, or do they just shaft you quick and dirty? > I'll bet you avoid the dealer because they're "too expensive", eh? Like I said before that was really a B service foe $475 and it included a coolant and brake fluid change. no kiss
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