Need help, major bills on the way ! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

zam2000 · #1 01-17-2006, 05:24 PM

I brought my 98W210 (E320) in this morning for oil change & tranmission service (when it's cold, sometime the car has problem engage in gear when first start up).

Well, couple hours later I got a phone call from the shop, and following need to be done:

- Flex Disc: $395
- Front control arm bushing: $1100
- Valve cover gasket: $425
- Oil pan gasket: $200

I was in a middle of a conference call, so I couldn't talk much with the shop guy. I was a bit freak out when he told me that "if
the Flex Disc break, you'll be in big trouble", so I authorised the repair on that one.

Once my meeting end, I have more time to do research on it. First of all, I found that the Flex-Disc cost only $60 (internet price), so I guess the rest is on labor. On top of that, there would often be several warning sign when the FD about to go out: wooble, jerk when shifting, vibration at speed... My car is always smooth in both shifting and driving, so I am not sure the FD about to go kaput. The shop already warned me about it when I took it in last time for service, so it's probably bad anyway. Just that I'm in doubt the FD in my car would need to be replaced that soon.

Anyway, it's too late to revise the decision, since the shop as already started working on it. I have tons of holiday bills due soon, so I'm just trying to prioritizing it, so I'm questioning my decision. That's all.

For the rest, do you think $1100 for the bushing and $400/200 for the gasket worth it ? Is the price a bit too night ? How about $400 for FlexDisc replacement ?

My budy own a auto repair shop too (mostly domestic & Japanese car only, since he has no computer to debug Benz), but he told me that if the job is not to complex, I could buy the bushing or whatever part, and he would change it for reasonable fee. He's very good as working on what he know (Honda/Toyota), the bushing can't be a complex job as reprograming the ECU or working on the TCU, can it ?

Does $400 sound right for the FlexDisc job ? Notice that the shop I bring my car too is very honest, they wouldn't even work on the job if they don't think it's necessary. I've more than once asked them to replace the harmonic balancer, and they always refused, saying it's still good, same with some other jobs. Only checking with dealer later, I found out that my car has already has "upgraded" harmonic balancer. I bought my car used FYI, and it is currently 120K mile.

So with holidays bills due, and not wanting to tap into credit car, can any one offer me advices on:

1) Should I let my budy work on the Bushing, then I'll take it to another shop for alignment (which I bought the lifetime package there)
2) How about gasket ?
3) Out of curiosity, does $400 sounds right for the FlexDisc ? How much the book quote on that job ?
4) When it's cold in the morning, sometime I have to shift in and out of "D" more than once for the gear to engage, or sometime have to restart the engine for "D" to work, but the rest of the day, it's always good, and car always smooth in gear shift, anyone can offer any hint ? Changing the transmission would be a $4K job.

Anything else I should look for at that mileage ? Anyone know or own a good/reasonable shop in SoCal that you can recommend ?

waybomb · #2 01-17-2006, 07:42 PM

I've changed flex disks on my 126 cars and my SL. I would do them all day long at $400 a pop. This is an hour (on the 126 cars) to a two hour (on the SL - had to drop the exhaust) job max, including jacking the car up. $340 times 10 hours per day times 6 days per week? I am retiring real soon at $20,000 per week gross! I don't want to hear about overhead costs from the shop owners here - this is a rip off.

I've changed valve cover gaskets on my SD and C280. Half hour on the SD, I think if I remember correctly, less than 2 on the C280.

I've changed the lower oil pan gasket on the SD. 25 minutes. If it was the upper, that may be a big job.

I or my kid (15 at the time) completely rebuilt the front ends of both 126 cars and changed the springs and SLS shocks on the 201. I'd do front end work all day long at $1100 a crack too. I think if I added up all the time to do either 126, which included new upper arms complete, new trailing links and bushings, along with the attaching bushings, idler arm bolt and bushings, tie rod ends, links, and center links, bilsteins, lower ball joints, and steering dampener, I might have 4 hours in it max. And maybe $500 in parts, including the Bilstiens and alignment labor. And it looks like all they are doing is bushings?

The flex disc is done. Fogedabodit. Its over. Next time don't let yourself get pressured.

Valve cover gaskets and oil pan gasket can wait a long time before you actually HAVE TO do the work, The engine may get oily and ugly, but how bad is it now? If you didn't notice massive oil puddles on the ground, fogedabodit. When you have a chance someday, do it yourself.

Front end - I'd get a second opinion on what it needs, if anything, buy the parts, buy the tools, and do it yourself. Or bring it to somebody that doesn't expect $200/hour for their work. But do the whole thing if it needs any of it. Get it over with. You'll be glad you did. But surely you can do better than $1100.00 for bushings.

Or you can drive it over to my place and we'll do it together over a few beers.

Oh, the trans issue - I have absolutly no experience with this, but it certainly sounds electronic/electrical, not mechanical. Does it work ok in reverse? Did you try putting it a lower gear to see if it engages. that may tell somebody something.

unkl300d · #3 01-17-2006, 08:29 PM

ditto, make sure your car does not develop new problems after being at this mechanic. (sorry this may raise anxiety)

forget the disc. done deal.

do other things later when it becomes obvious to you that it needs attention.

use the archives of this forum to search for good shops in your area

Southern · #4 01-18-2006, 06:20 PM

For what it's worth I also have a 98 E320 with 115K miles and my flex disks, front control arm bushings, and gaskets are original and doing fine. Other members have had problems with their bushings and flex disks and had to replace them. I did recently replace my engine mounts. My front and rear main seals are leaking but not bad enough to replace them at this point.

If you trust your mechanic then I would ask him the question "what if I don't replace the bushing and gaskets?" What was the outcome with the new flex disks? Does the car shift correctly?