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  #1  
Old 12-12-2002, 10:12 PM
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Any oil change OK?

Forgive me for what is probably a stupid question --- but I haven't had my Mercedes long, and I want to take good care of it...but I don't want to spend more than is necessary, either.

SO can anyone tell me if I should go with the $53 oil change at the MB dealer, or is the $25 Jiffy Lube special OK?

I'm taking my car to the dealer tomorrow morning to have the coolant flushed in order to prepare for winter storage (outdoor, under a cover). I know I should have the oil changed, but is there anything tricky about MB oil changes that would merit me paying double for the dealer to do it?

Thanks so much for any advice!
Vicki
pearsonzoo@yahoo.com

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Old 12-12-2002, 10:44 PM
Holson Adi's Avatar
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OEM Filter maybe?

The oil they use?

Well I kinda take it to the dealer because they never overfill the crankcase, they do a quick and good job at it, and they wash and vacuum the car clean (and cleans those dirty wheels really well).

besides those ultra-fast-lube places often told me that I need to pay more because 1) it's a benz 2) it needs a lot of oil
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Old 12-12-2002, 10:53 PM
BlackE55
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Peace of mind perhaps and there's nothing tricky about it.

Not to "dis" dealers, but if you can find a competent, trusted independent shop with good references from other MB owners, they typically charge about the same as the Jiffy Joints and should stock "Mann" filters.

Does the $53 include the coolant flush as well? If so, that's a decent price!

On a side note, I once took a car (non MB) to Jiffy-Lube during my lunch break. Sure they changed the oil, but I watched as they searched for the dipstick, fumbled with trans dipstick and knocked a plug wire loose.

I saw it all happen and as a test drove around the block, came back and told them my car was missing. Just for kicks I wanted to see if the could remedy the problem.

They opened the hood and didn't see that the plug wire nearest the dipstick had been knocked loose. They gave me some line that "the car must need a tune-up and/or one of the plugs is fouled" !! I calmly pointed to the disco'd wire and popped it back on. The embarrassed manager came out and gave me a coupon for my next oil change. "No thanks, I won't ever come back here again!" -- and walked out.

Last edited by BlackE55; 12-12-2002 at 11:00 PM.
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Old 12-12-2002, 10:55 PM
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OK. Thank you so much for the advice! My husband thinks I'm ridiculous for wanting to do any winter storage prep on the car at all, let alone spend $$ at the dealer, but he also lets cheapness cloud his vision very often!
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Old 12-12-2002, 11:06 PM
BlackE55
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Vicki,

Also make sure you change the oil again when you get it out of storage. If it's for a few months, disconnect the positive battery terminal too. Fill the gas tank up and add fuel stablizer. Hopefully you have a cover that's good in foul weather.

California Car Cover makes a great one for the outdoors, called the "Noah". They make a lighter cover, the top line product "Superweave" made of "Nextec". Close to $300!
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Old 12-12-2002, 11:11 PM
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I just ordered a custom-fit Noah cover a week or so ago! I researched it heavily, and that seemed to be the cover of choice, so I'm glad to see your recommendation.

And no, the $53 is only for the oil change. It's $110 for the coolant flush. I do like this dealers' service department. I brought the car in when I bought it (used) and asked them to tell me everything that was wrong and what needed to be fixed. They could have really taken advantage of me, but I felt they were very honest, and told me my car was in great shape!
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Old 12-13-2002, 07:17 AM
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Actually $53 is a VERY good price for a deal oil change! Mine charges $85 + the last time I checked, which was why I bought a Topsider.

The franchise quick lube places don't stock my filter size so I always had to bring my own, when I used to frequent them. Then I heard too many horror stories about overfilling crankcases, or forgetting to fill crankcases. The latter is a real nasty situation. If they start your car without oil and let it run a bit before they realize their mistake, it can cause very serious damage to bearings and probably other surfaces, but they won't show up for many miles so you won't know immediately.

Pay the $53 at the dealer and feel good about it (or find an independent MB mechanic).
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Old 12-13-2002, 07:35 AM
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Spend the extra $$ and let the dealer do it. Stay away from those fast oil change places. Also, you may want to pick up a bottle of SatBil from a local auto parts place and pour into the tank prior to parking. Make sure you run the car long enough after pouring it in to let it get through the system.
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  #9  
Old 12-13-2002, 08:30 AM
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Fill the gas tank up to prevent excess moisture build up.
Forget the quick lube places. They won't stock the filters. An independent foreign car (Mercedes preferably) can do the oil change for less if it's just an oil change you want. The dealer is probably including a lube and check of all fluids including differential.

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