I'm told by a local MB tech that he can do an W140 evap in about half the time that that dealer charges. He says its not particularly hard, but it is labor intensive cuz of all the stuff that has to be moved. He also says that once you've done one, the work goes considerably faster. I know that on my car, there are things that have to be done "just so", or it will take forever. So, I'd agree, this is probably a money maker for the dealers. I'm sure its not the only one.
I've not done mine, and with any luck, may never have to. But, after studying this car in depth, I'd much rather do this job than chase a random electrical gremlin in the powertrain data bus. Grab a case of beer, take a week off from work, and spin some wrenches. If anyone on the forum has done their own, it would make a great "do it yourself" article.
Heck, once you get to it, it doesn't look bad at all.
