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  #1  
Old 01-17-2005, 09:36 PM
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Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
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Thumbs down $45 air filter?!? Geez!!

Damn!! I went to the new M-B dealer in town to get the mileages on my cars verified for the purpose of obtaining the high mileage badges from MBUSA. While I was waiting for the service consultant to come out, I decided to just purchase an air filter for the 300SD since it needs a new one and I don't have any at home right now. The parts guy gave me the ultimate shock: $45 for an air filter!!! $45 for the same air filter I can get online for $15, except it won't be in an M-B box!!

I know dealers charge very high prices for their goods and services but this was excessive by far!

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  #2  
Old 01-17-2005, 09:38 PM
vwbuge's Avatar
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You should have asked him for the price for a CA spec air filter. You're eyes REALLY would have popped out of their sockets.
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  #3  
Old 01-17-2005, 09:42 PM
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I hope you didn't buy it......you could have had Phill FedEx you one for less.
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  #4  
Old 01-18-2005, 06:50 AM
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Actually I wish I had purchased that air filter because that would have meant that I have more money than brains but unfortunately that isn't the case yet. I always get most of my M-B parts from Fastlane anyway, this was just going to be an exception, but I guess the dealer didn't really want it to occur. Last night I ordered the air filter as well as some other items to give me free shipping.
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  #5  
Old 01-18-2005, 09:43 AM
I told you so!
 
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I often try to bargain when it comes to dealer parts. You have to know the internet price (plus shipping) and offer that price to the vendor. Sometimes they go for it, sometimes they don't, it's worth a try. I'm not sure how MB dealers react.

Here in the Motor City I often ask what the price is for company employees when I'm at the dealer (I have connections, just in case I need it when it's an expensive part). They often give it to me at the employee price. They still make enough profit.
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  #6  
Old 01-18-2005, 09:47 AM
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Well for one thing, M-B dealers typically don't negotiate. And even when they do, their cost for the parts normally exceeds the online retail price. The Parts Manager that I was dealing with told me that he doesn't have a 100% markup on air filters, so that means his cost couldn't have been lower than $20. That already exceeds what I paid for the filter online. MBUSA which sells them the parts marks them up heavily before the dealers do their own markup, resulting in stratopheric prices that I definitely won't pay.
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1999 Mercedes-Benz S600, 103K miles - garage queen
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, 89K miles - daily driver
2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver
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  #7  
Old 01-18-2005, 10:32 AM
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Location: PA
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braverichard,

How did you determine your car needed a new air filter? Do any tests or you just thought it needed a new filter?

P E H
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  #8  
Old 01-18-2005, 02:30 PM
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Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
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The air filter is something so cheap I that I change it every 5,000 miles. Mine has been in use for nearly 6,000 miles now because I've been so busy to even get to it. It probably doesn't need any new one as the car's performance isn't worse by any means at all. But I'm sure its got oil all over it by now.

By the way, isn't 5,000 miles the recommended air filter change interval? And what tests were you referring to?
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2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited, 31K - daily driver
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  #9  
Old 01-18-2005, 02:42 PM
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Buying filters from the dealer is such a waste, I made the mistake and bought a PS filter from them. It was a Mann filter in a MB box and cost twice as much as Fastlane sells them for. Mann, Heignst, and Bosch pretty much make all of the filters for these cars. MB just puts them in a nice box.

Actually I think the change intervial on the air filter is 20k-30k. I do mine once a year or every 10k-15k. Just blow it out with an air compressor and turn it around.
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  #10  
Old 01-19-2005, 12:00 AM
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Thumbs down

Damn! The "Fram" brand at the local parts house is about $10.
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  #11  
Old 01-21-2005, 05:53 PM
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Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
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Air filter seems fine after all

I checked my air filter and it was actually really clean. So I'll just add the new one I purchased to my stock of M-B parts. The entire air cleaner assembly was very clean as well, really impressive considering that when I got the car it was dirty and the air filter had a lot of oil on it. Nice to get a car and put it in the state you wish to have it and then maintain it that way. However I did discover I have some work to do: one of the air cleaner assembly mounts is broken... you can actually lift the air cleaner assembly from that end. Looks like that's the cause of all that vibrations in my engine compartment.

On another note, last time I performed an oil change I left the oil level at the maximum level on the dipstick. I checked the oil today for the first time in 2,800 miles and discovered the level had gone down to the minimum mark. It required two quarts of oil to get it back to the maximum mark. Right now I don't know if it is consuming oil or not. I have several leaks from underneath (oil pan gasket and turbo seals I think) and the valve cover gasket is leaking as well so I don't know if they are enough to account for two quarts of oil. I know the car consistently leaves marks on my driveway. While I had no leaks - before I started using Amsoil which I know caused the leaks - there was absolutely no oil consumption. Can anyone tell me, based on experience, if such leaks are enough to cause such a reduction in the volume of oil in the engine? Thanks.

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