Dealership just quoted $405 for plugs in a C230K
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Dealership just quoted $405 for plugs in a C230K - 9/5/2007 11:37:24 PM
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mrcoyote
Posts: 458
Joined: 6/15/2006
Status: offline
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I just called the Mercedes dealership here in Phoenix to ask how much to replace the four spark plugs
in my '05 230K which now has 103K miles on it. That wasn't a typo. Yes, I drive it. OK......so just for the heck
of it, I wanted to see the cost of the plugs from them and the labor to put them in. It's a plastic cover on the engine to remove, four coil packs, and the plugs are under there. Right? Right. $405 and they wouldn't tell me how much was parts (plugs) and
how much was labor. "We don't have the BREAKDOWN, sir" is what they said. This is considered the premier MB dealership
and service dept. in Arizona, period. Doesn't matter anyway, because I already bought the plugs on the web from a place where I buy all my maintenance stuff, and the price was about 12 bucks a plug. That's $48.00 in parts and I'll do it myself.
I'll bet you I can do that job in less than an hour if I work SLOWLY. I will take some pics for all of you so you can do it
yourself when and if the time comes and save a bundle. Already did the fuel filter and again, MB's price to do that job was
absolutely ridiculous. Thirty minutes after I had the rear of the car in the air on a floor jack, I had the new filter in and
started the car.
I know....I know....."owning a Mercedes comes with a price". Heard that a million times. BUT> once out of warranty, don't
you want to save money on things you may be able to do yourself? I'm not talking about people who are not qualified to
do mechanical work....I mean those of us who work on cars and have for some time. Between the spark plug job and the
fuel filter job, I SAVED enough money to buy a new set of tires. That's right.....that's the difference.
Oh, and by the way, this is how they treat a person who BOUGHT a new car there.
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RE: Dealership just quoted $405 for plugs in a C230K - 6/30/2008 12:27:27 AM
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VictorCALOCA
Posts: 2
Joined: 6/29/2008
Status: offline
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Where are those pictures ?
I''m at 66K miles and would like to chage gas filter, spark plugs, and the
aut. transmission oil.
thanks,
VC
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RE: Dealership just quoted $405 for plugs in a C230K - 6/30/2008 11:34:53 AM
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buellwinkle
Posts: 92
Joined: 7/4/2006
Status: offline
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You have to understand how most dealerships work (not just MB dealers). You have sales people in service called Service Advisors that are paid on commission. Their job is to size you up and sell you as much as possilble for the highest price possible. While many people will negotiate their little hearts out with the salesman in the blue suit, they gladly hand over their credit cards to these SA''s. The way to approach to save money is first find the old timers, never a young guy as they are too greedy, ask the salesmen who the best SA is. On your first service, bring the SA a gift, he''s your buddy at the dealer, he decides on how much pain he wants to inflict. If you question something, ask him nicely that you are facinated by all this and can he show you. Also ask for the same SA as he loves return business that asks for him, he''s commissioned.
Or, give up on dealers and find a good honest mechanic. Never look at hourly shop rates, that''s unimportant, look for honesty, competency and thouroughness.
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