I do all the maintenance on my cars, at least so far I've been able to accomplish that, often with input from this forum.

Well yesterday I went to the dealer to take advantage of their "complimentary" maintenance check. I figured that they would have some recommendations for work they would like to do, but I also was looking forward to having a pro check over my car and let me know what I might have missed.

So here were the things they found:

1. Injector pump leaking and needs to be replaced for $1800.
2. Valve cover leaking - needs a new gasket for $825.
3. Coolant leak - repair cost $580.
4. Alignment needed - cost $149. This one I believe because I got the printout that showed the numbers. Will likely do this at my other local dealer for just over $100.

IMO none of those things other than the alignment need to be attended to. There is some oil/fuel residue on the engine from previous fuel line leaks. My oil filler cap also leaks around the gasket - have tried everything to remedy that to no avail. Could it be caused by a clogged EGR valve building up engine pressure? There is some oil leakage around the EGR valve. Coolant was serviced not long ago. None of their reported leaks are bad enough to cause any residue on the noise encapsulation panels and none of them leak enough (or at all) for me to have to add any coolant or oil between services.

I feel sorry for the average Joe who might walk in and be nailed for these repairs.

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

1. Injector pump leaking and needs to be replaced for $1800 - £25 set of delivery valve O rings
2. Valve cover leaking - needs a new gasket for $825 - Unsure of cost but fairly cheap
3. Coolant leak - repair cost $580 - Probably new hose clamp or replacement rad
4. Alignment needed - £25

This is one of the reasons I joined up to this forum as everyone on here has so much experience to that myself and other newbies can avoid the expensive dealer prices. Just had a new key as a spare, had to go to the main dealer for it as there is no aftermarket option, £300 and it has very cheap build quality unlike the original. Much like modern Mercedes, expensive to buy but cheaply made.

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UK spec Mercedes W210 E300 Turbodiesel wagon - OM606.962 with 722.6 transmission - rust free!

No suprises free inspections are always a Shops method of trolling for work.

Not just the Dealer; nearly any Shop will do that it is just they may or may not charge as much as the Dealer does.

More then a few People have had an alignment done as is with the old parts and had the alighment go bad in 6 months to a year due to the rubber suspension parts finally giveing up.

It is also curious that they did not check the Ball Joints or Tie Rods to see if they were worn. Looks like all they did was a visual inspection and guessed at the possible cause of what they saw.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Do you have any more detail? ( Knowing what car this was on would help also. ) As in blocking out your info / dealer info and posting the estimate?

Sorry 97 SL320, I should have been more specific on the car. This was on my 210 chassis, 195,000 miles and maintained by me since I bought it with 35,000 miles on it in 2002. Still on original shocks/rubber, etc. except for lower ball joints. Going to my dealer in Wilmington, NC, i.e. Bob King Mercedes, for the alignment. They treat me wonderfully and fairly there even though they rarely see me.

Not sure what you mean by " blocking out your info / dealer info and posting the estimate?"

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

Much of those costs are labor...it really adds up at $100+ an hour

IP is probably the delivery valve seals, not the pump itself....so more like a $100 repair than $1800......I had to do those on my OM601, cost was minimal but it was a fair amount of time/work involved, probably a lot more on the 606 turbo as a lot more is in the way.

Valve cover gasket is labor, to get the whole intake apart and back together....the gasket is probably about $20

Coolant leak could be a hose in a hard to reach place, and some of the hoses can be crazy expensive.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I did the delivery valve seals a few years ago, so I know they are not leaking. There may be some residue left from that leak. That's probably what they saw.

Valve cover leak I think is oil residue from my leaking oil fill cap and not the cover itself.

I debated about changing out all the coolant hoses when I did my last coolant service (I do it every three years). They are all original and sixteen years old, but they all still felt fine. Maybe next time I'll do all the hoses and clamps.

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

He wants you to post a photo of the estimate sheet with the name of the dealer obscured.

Diesel911 makes a very valid point. There is nothing 'free' in the automotive world. Your zero percent interest on a new car is being underwritten by increased OE parts costs down the road, often being borne by insurers for collision repairs (a fact not lost on the insurance industry). The books have to balance, one way or the other, and there is no free money last time I checked, tho those days we are closer than ever before.

Any shop, dealer or otherwise, who offers free inspections is unlikely to roll your car back off the hoist and say "Ok, no worries here, have a nice day."

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Len - I'm in Wilmington. I NEVER have service at a dealer (I started working in a Buick dealership in MI in 1963) as most are now a part of some Mega-Corp and are all about the $$. But to be fair to Bob King, I have occasionally bought parts from them and they've treated me right. I just ordered a timing chain master link for my OM617 and the total was about $7.50 and no shipping. They beat the parts stores by 1/2 (at least) when you add the shipping on.

BTW - Black's Tire on Market have done me well on alignments. Their alignment guy worked with me to do a race alignment and not just "set to spec" on the race truck - some shops won't. They also did the big truck after ball joints for $75, IIRC.

If you're in the Ogden area at lunchtime give me a buzz and we'll chow down (I go out for lunch every day). 616-6417 (you know the area code but the Internet scammers don't).

Dan

That $825 valve cover gasket must be made of pure gold.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

The estimate sheet tells you nothing. Only thing on it are the three lines with the prices in parentheses just as I posted it in my initial message. No parts break down, no labor breakdown, nothing.

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

I asked the only independent Mercedes mechanic ion Michigan who is honest to check for a vacuum leak on the W123 he was rfecharging with R-12 since I don't have a license to buy it in Michigan.

Know what he told me?

" Are you kidding? You got money to throw away? Go borrow a vacuum gauge, some hose and some golf tees, and do it yourself? There are a million vacuum diagrams on the Net. You can do that in your sleep."

I felt like my father had dressed me down, lol.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

Automobile retailers haven't earned their moniker - stealership - by being honest, professional and ethical.

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Current Stable

• 380SL (diesel)
• Corvette C5
• Manx
• Baja Bug
• F350 Powerstroke
• Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

we have a MB dealer in this area that would refer all the old MB drivers to a guy in an industrial park across the street. I guess they figured someone still driving a 20 to 30 year old oil burner is not going to give up the cash easily. Oddly enough this dealer sold oem parts for about what you find at NAPA. I'm sure the shop and the dealership had an arrangement

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1993 MB 300D 245K died.

Wow, interesting "experiment".

That non-itemized estimate sheet surely says a lot without saying much.

I thought it was made of unobtainium?

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg