Service A and Service B
 

I am at a Freightliner Service Center getting a right rear turn signal bulb replaced. Since I am here I asked the service advisor how much for a service B. He quoted $281.00. My service advisor over at Mercedes is quoting over a grand. What am I missing?


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Make sure they are using the correct, synthetic oil to start.

Find out what is included in the quoted price from Freightliner, and verify that it includes everything you want done under Service B.

Unless Freightliner as access to your maintenance manual, they may not know what is included. They handle a lot more engine types than just Mercedes turbo-diesels.

Service B varies substantially depending on mileage and vehicle age. Here is the list per Mercedes:

Maintenance Service A

Change oil and filter, replace with*synthetic oil.
Check interior/exterior lights, test horn and winshield wipe/wash functions.
Tighten door checks/lubricate door and hood hinges/catches.
Inspection tire condition, rotate if applicable. Check/adjust tire pressures and torque wheels.
Check and*correct levels of antifreeze, brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission and washer fluid.
Inspect condition of belts.
Inspect condition of all hoses.
inspect*condition of brake pads and brake rotors.
Inspection of vehicle for leaks: engine, transmission, steering, cooling, and differential.
Inspect exhaust system.
Road test vehicle.
Reset maintenance computer.

Maintenance Service B - All items under Service A, PLUS:

Check headlamp adjustment; correct if necessary.
Inspect seat belts for proper operation.
Replace wiper blades.
Replace*cabin dust filter.
Perform charging system and battery test.
Replace fuel filter with water sparator.
Test glow plugs.
Replace air cleaner element.
Adjust parking brake.
Check front axle and steering components.
Visually check vehicle underbody and driveline.
*
Brake Fluid Flush
Evacuate old brake fluid from reservoir.
Refill system with fresh brake fluid and pressure-bleed lines and calipers.
Recommended every other year.

Cooling System Service
Drain cooling system and refill system with fresh Mercedes-Benz Antifreeze / Anticorrosion agent, diluted with water to proper strength.
Pressure test cooling system and ck for leaks.
recommended every*3 years.

Rotate & Balance Tires
Perform computerized spin balance of all four wheels.
inspect tires for uneven wear and tire condition.*
Rotate tires upon re-installation.
Road test vehicle.

Transmission Service
Drain old fluid from transmission and oil pan.
Replace transmission oil filter and oil pan gasket.
Refill with Mercedes-Benz*synthetic*transmission fluid.
Flush torque converter.
Recommended every 30,000 miles.

Differential Service
Drain old lubricant and inspect for abnormal wear and metal shavings.
Refill with synthetic gear oil.
Recommended every 60,000 miles.

Computer Diagnostic Scan
Scan all vehicle systems for fault and event codes.
Provide printed documentation of results.

Air Conditioning Service
Recover all refrigerant in the system; record the weight of refrigerant removed.
Place system under vacuum to check its integrity and prepare for system recharge.
Refill system with factory specified quantity of refrigerant.
Test for proper operation.

My vehicle has 16000 miles and will be 3 years old this June. What do I need?


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All of service A, plus initial list under B and brake fluid change out. If you believe your annual mileage will remain low in the coming year, then cooling system flush should also be done.

I really wasn't expecting anyone to respond so quickly. Thank you.


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Mercedes dealer service charges are certainly high. I've had some experience with Mercedes automobiles, not with the diesel vans. Typical A and B service done at a dealer will run about 350 and 800 respectively (where I live). Normally you will end up with one of each annually if you drive an average of 20K miles per year.

It is not necessary to have the service schedules done at a Mercedes dealer. It is perfectly appropriate to have the work done at a GM dealer (etc), supplying your own oil (usually Mobil 1 true synthetic), miscellaneous lubricants, and filters (from NAPA) etc. This can save you significant dollars on the price charged by the Mercedes dealer. It is necessary however to abide by the schedules meticulously, and all work done must have good records. This is particularly important during the warranty period (and any period of purchased extended warranty).

Can't Pass this Up
 

To Get Out More!!!!

Being an owner of an independent Mercedes/BMW/Mini Service center, I would be more inclined to find an independent to work on your Sprinter before I ever considered taking mine to a GM dealer. Most domestic dealer techs do not even have a basic set of metric tools. As far as supplying your own parts and lubricants, you should check-out what the shops policies are on that. For legal liability and warranty reasons our shop policy does not install or use customer supplied parts. I would seek out either factory parts or OEM supplier parts (Hengst/Mahle) over unknown repackaged parts from unknown origins. There are real fitment and quality differences. Think about it, why did you purchase a quality vehicle? To be safe, dependable and long lasting. Why cheap-out on filters and fluids. How much are you really saving? Granted, the M/B dealers are stupidly over priced but don't let that dissuade you from taking care of the vehicle utilizing the most knowledgeable techs who are trained and familiar with what they are doing, using the best/correct parts and fluids and proper diagnostic/programing computers, not P-Code readers. The days of non-specialized vehicle service and repair are long gone. Find yourself a qualified independent to work with you on maintaining your vehicle to keep your investment running properly and lasting a long time.
If you are in Alberta, you have a great independent friend of mine, Jerry Passman. Here is his website: https://www.albertaeuropeanmotorworks.ca
Your can not go wrong with Jerry.
Just my thoughts.
Road Jager

RoadJager

Thanks for the info. I'll look up your associate Jerry.

Incidentally, I've always used the Hengst filters from NAPA.

What is a reasonable price for Service A ?

The OP may be employed. If that's the case, (s)he may have limited capacity in that respect.

.

This is about what routine service costs me at Peterbilt. The dealerships are ridiculously costly.

Tire dealerships will rotate and balance tires for free, if you purchase them there, and you can do this anywhere in the country.


Maggie

Do I venture away from the dealer that had previously serviced the vehicle (Mercedes) and try the local Peterbilt or Freightliner (terrible reviews)?

We purchased a 2008 AI with 26K miles this past April. The previous owner had maintenance/service done at Mercedes of Greensboro...expensive! It will need brakes, tires and service soon. Are these vehicles common enough that most diesel centers can service them? Who is qualified to install the tires? I have the Alcoa rims and heard they are soft and damage easily when changing tires. I want to save $ but also want someone trustworthy.

On a side note, I have serviced my gas vehicles (filters, brakes, fluids, belts). This is my first diesel and would like to be as comfortable at routine service. I am learning a ton thanks to everyone here. My limitations are time...that thing called work takes most of it. Advice on self service?

You could check around and see if there is an independent shop that has a history of servicing Sprinters. I wouldn't use anyone who has not done Sprinter serving in the past. Regarding tire servicing make sure the shop you use for new tires has the right equipment to balance the Sprinter 3500 wheels with the large center hole in the middle. It takes a special adapter on most balancing machines.


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

I finally found an independent repair shop but they said they can't do the service for me 😑

Thanks for the tips... especially the one on the tires. I did not know that. Looks like I will not have a "one stop shop" if I want to save a few bucks! I found a local certified MB shop but they were not comfortable with the tires and referred me back to the MB dealer.

k9jackie, Thanks for the head up on your experience. It may not be as easy as I had hoped.