Willie, you came to the right place. The Indy vs. Dealer issue has been kicked around here on the Forum for quite a while. IMHO, independant shops are great for general repair work. Every so often though, you'll need someone with more experience working on later model MB's, and a dealer will be your best bet. The tough part is knowing how to decide which choice to make. That's where the Shop Forum comes in very handy.

Concerning you A/C problem, I believe a qualified indy is your best bet.