B Service Cost?

The A and B services are basically $600 oil changes. When MB increased the service intervals from every three months to yearly the dealers had to do something to maintain their income. It's a giant ripoff.

Just the wiper blade, or something more?

I once (more or less accidentally) paid 0.2 hours (almost Cdn$20) for a wiper blade insert replacement (just the rubber insert). Next time I'll buy a whole new blade and snap it in myself.

At least with the 1999 C230 Kompressor sedan, there's only one wiper blade. :-)

Usual dealer rip off. $70 for wiper replacement?! The entire blade costs $40 at the dealer and $20 at Brinson in Vienna, VA. The blade insert only is $8 at the dealer and $4 with Brinson. The installation is about 5-10 minutes. I have personally heard comment made by one of the mechanics at MB dealership - "Whatever number you tell them (MB owners) they pull out the checkbook and write you a check." With this perception, no wonder they charge $500 for oil change. The solution? Know your car well, know what it needs and what approximately takes in parts and labor to do it. Find reliable independent shop and buy you own parts. That way you know what is going into the car and what you pay for. I can honestly say that the maintenance of my '97 E class has not costed me more than that on any other car. MB is nice car but it just that - car and there is no reason whatsoever why its maintenance should be much more expensive than maintaining a Camry for example. This statement has its caveats, of course, but in general I believe it to be true.

D.

If you do the maintenance yourself, good idea, how do you reset the FSS? My Volvo had a combo key position and depressing the trip odometer method. Can the FSS on the Mercedes be reset without dealer intervention? How about warranty coverage? If you do your own maintenance, preferred, will Mercedes give you far more trouble?

Larry B.

I thought that for the term of the warranty you get free maintenance with a Benz. Richard

Details on resetting the FSS is in the owners manual.

Warranty repairs go to the dealer, of course. For included under warranty maintenance, also. But regular maintenance is not necessary to be done there. Changing your own oil, ATF, brake fluid, antifreeze, brake pads, disks or even replacing the windshield wiper :-) does NOT void your warranty. Every moment somebody is working on my car out of my sight makes me extremely nervous. That's why I have made friends with several MB mechanics in the area who don't mind me using my own parts and hanging around and chatting with them while they work on the car.

D.

In Canada we don't get the "free" maintenance. The dealer did throw in the first service.

Larry B.

BTW..I'll look in the manual for the instructions on reseting the FSS. I should have looked before I typed.