I own two 98 Mercedes that have been serviced by the dealer since new. I am getting really tired of paying outrageous prices for the dealer 10,000 mile checks. All that really seems to be needed is oil change and a check of fluids for which I pay a handsome price. Can I get away with doing only this and through a local oil change place and get away from the dealership? Can these place reset my odometer maintenance schedule? One car has 125,000 (S class) and had its 100,000 check (with a hefty price tag) and the other has 70,000 (SLK).
I would suggest finding a reputable independent mechanic who knows Mercedes, not an “oil change place”. If your city is big enough to have an MB dealership, there are likely to be several qualified indys around. Look right here on the Car Talk site: http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/
Yes indeed…Step one is finding an independent Benz shop. You should have done that the moment the warranty was over. They don’t require any more maintenance than a Buick…They just want you to THINK they do.
Mercedes are cars. Cars do not need to be serviced by dealers. Independent shops are no better or worse than dealers, but are almost always less expensive.
As for what should be done, a list should be in your owner’s manual. You should make sure all of the items listed in the owner’s manual gets done. When someone suggest something not on that list is usually is only needed for their profit, not for the car’s good.
Stay away from the quick-change oil places. There are far too many horror stories on this message board about them.