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Originally Posted by ksing44
...1. Then I am going to change my ways and go to a very highly recommended independent mechanic.
...2. I have heard that all Mercedes cars tend to leak and that it really isn’t a Mercedes if it doesn’t leak a bit.
...3. As for my interior cosmetic issues, I patched up the steering wheel again and it seems OK. Last time it was very nice for about 6 months, so I guess it will be fine again for another 6-months. I am just conditioning the seats regularly now, so I should be OK as long as the cracking in the leather seats doesn’t turn into actual rips.
...4. A year from now, I wouldn’t mind dropping a couple of thousand dollars in repairs, but I just paid about that much for the water pump, the transmission stuff, and the 90K check up, so I just don’t want to spend that much money on the car right now. I was starting to feel that that the car was going to be a money pit.
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1. Ah, now you've got the requisite "older MB" attititude!
2. These vehicles do like to "mark their territory."
3. RE: leather care, go to
www.colorplus.com and you can get leather dye which perfectly matches your leather -- it's in stock (no custom mixing fees!) I have a worn area on my outboard seat bolster which I re-dye about once a year (takes all of 10 min.) and looks nearly new again. I do the steering wheel every couple years.
4. The way I figure it, I expect to spend $1500-2000/year on maintenance and repairs. Taking $1800 as an average, that equates to $150/month. Where are you going to find another vehicle with the handling, safety, and overall solidity for that price?
One other thing -- while it's good to be discriminating about big repairs, DON'T neglect maintenance (like fluid replacements, inspections, etc.). A good independent tech will do this for you for a reasonable price, and he/she will be able to catch things early and prevent big bills down the road.