[RohanDheman]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

When I asked him if the parts are genuine, he claimed that they are not Mercedes branded, but are OEM, from the suppliers of Mercedes.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

It's a polished way of saying non-genuine.

In my case, since only the oil and air filters were replaced, they were both from Hengst- which is a fairly reputable brand and a good alternate. Oil used was Mobil1 and he used a vacuum device to change it.

If you want to get these on your own for your peace of mind, these are available in the spares market (behind Khan market) easily and are a fraction of the cost of what Mercedes charges. From what i have read, Hengst is considered an OEM replacements and of good quality.

Patel Auto is really good too but they are only fractionally cheaper than going to the authorized workshop. For basic service for out of warranty cars, this is a good alternative in my opinion.

Cheers!
Rohan

[Sanidhya mukund]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

As a fact, I have never owned a MB until recently and am not aware how they work. But seeing some other posts in the ownership threads, MB India keeps a fat margin. It will be a good idea to send the car to the dealership, ask for an estimate and if you find the prices higher get the works done from outside. You can get some partial work so they don't charge you just for the estimate or if everything is expensive, just pay them for estimation. This estimate should have all the part numbers clearly which you can order online from EU / US distributors. Again, I have not done but should not be difficult as there are no restrictions. If you have a business account with DHL etc, and have an IEC, it will be even easier else they will simply clear on your personal name.

Patel Auto is one name that many people recommend when it comes to MB. They used to be an official service centre many years ago and I got a chance to speak to one of their owners. Seem nice and a contended guy to me, they are into third generation in this business and will even source parts. I was at their place few months ago for a different reasons and saw multiple premium vehicles from Mercedes to Porsche & Bentley. There was an MB Ambulance of SPG being repaired as well. Worth a try in future.

For the first 6 years of my ownership, I stuck to the dealership. Since my running has been pretty low, I did not face too many issues other than an ABS sensor faliure and dead battery, both of which were fixed by the authorised service centre. However, recently, the lockdown had caused my car to have a bit of a rodent issue, and when I sent it to the authorised workshop, they quoted 66k for the repair, of which 28k was just for opening the dashboard [ wasn't even required! ]. The rat had bitten the cover of the wiper reservoir, and had died inside the reservoir. they wanted to replace the entire reservoir, rather than cleaning it and replacing just the cap. My driver suggested me to get the work done at a garage he knew of, so I got the car released from the ASS, but just for the estimate, I had to pay 5-8K. The garage that eventually did the work [ Javed automobiles, Palika Bhavan] did the whole thing for under 5k, because the rat had not touched any wires. They were able to source the reservoir cap as a separate part. But I must admit that I wasn't too impressed with the final fit and finish. To remove the dead rat, they had to remove the washer reservoir, for which they dismantled the entire front end, and after fitting it back, they left quite a few panel gaps. After this experience, I decided to stick to the MBASS. but on my last service, they charged 50k just for the service, and also suggested quite a few replacements, [ engine mounts etc.]. This was when I realised that it is no longer worth spending that much money on servicing, because the car has now depreciated to just 1/3 of the price we paid for it. If you look at the bill of the service, it mentions quite a lot of random things that they write to inflate the bill. ''TRIM ENRICHMENT'', ''GC RESTORATION'' and similar stuff that doesn't really help the car in anyway.
Yes, it is possible to source parts from abroad, but then again, there is the risk of being scammed. Also, shipping, customs etc. are all very bothersome, and just not worth the efforts, because there is always the risk of ending up with defective parts.
Regarding Patel Auto, I haven't tried them personally yet, but a friend of mine who visits them for his B180 says that they charge just a few thousands less than the MBASS.

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

In my case, since only the oil and air filters were replaced, they were both from Hengst- which is a fairly reputable brand and a good alternate. Oil used was Mobil1 and he used a vacuum device to change it.

If you want to get these on your own for your peace of mind, these are available in the spares market (behind Khan market) easily and are a fraction of the cost of what Mercedes charges. From what i have read, Hengst is considered an OEM replacements and of good quality.

Patel Auto is really good too but they are only fractionally cheaper than going to the authorized workshop. For basic service for out of warranty cars, this is a good alternative in my opinion.

Cheers!
Rohan

I have been to the area behind Khan Market, and I see quite a few high end cars getting repaired there. But the thing is, even those guys cannot guarantee if the parts are genuine or not. There are way to many fakes available in the aftermarket. I once had my Ford Ikons clutch replaced at Khan market, and they claimed to use 'VALEO' parts, but the car broke down again within 100 kms of driving. Eventually had to shell out 17k at the ford dealership. Had a similar experience with fake Monroe shock absorbers being installed in my Ikon for 18k. here also, I had to get the work done again at the FASS, and ended up paying 35k more. In both these instances, I was told that the parts were fakes, and they had simply stamped 'VALEO' and 'MONROE' on some random, cheap quality parts. It is difficult to tell if the Mechanics tried to scam me or if the parts dealer scammed the mechanic.
Even if the product is branded 'Hengst', us customers have no way of determining if the part is genuine or not. As I said, all we can do is trust the mechanic. I f we consider the quality of parts being used by all non authorised mechanics to be the same, then the only thing to look for is skill ,which Gulsher Ali of Merk motors has, by virtue of his 13 years of experience at T and T motors. Patel auto is even better, but then they are also nearly as expensive as MB dealers.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

If you want to get these on your own for your peace of mind, these are available in the spares market

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

But the thing is, even those guys cannot guarantee if the parts are genuine or not. There are way to many fakes available in the aftermarket.

I will agree, many such shops will sell only lookalikes. Am not aware even of one shop who will say No to Fakes, most guys will tell that they can source anything and everything. I will avoid.

it is possible to source parts from abroad, but then again, there is the risk of being scammed. Also, shipping, customs etc. are all very bothersome, and just not worth the efforts, because there is always the risk of ending up with defective parts.

No, it should be straightforward. Try with common parts like Air/ Oil filters. Many forums will have feedback on such sellers.

Patel Auto is really good too but they are only fractionally cheaper than going to the authorized workshop.Regarding Patel Auto, I haven't tried them personally yet, but a friend of mine who visits them for his B180 says that they charge just a few thousands less than the MBASS.

Ahh, I was not aware. Thanks for updating.

There's a larger service center opened by the newer dealership - Global Star at Okhla. Maybe some of you guys can give a try and post the feedback.

[RohanDheman]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

There's a larger service center opened by the newer dealership - Global Star at Okhla. Maybe some of you guys can give a try and post the feedback.

Our service agreement for the new E is with them. I will update here or drop a PM regarding them once the car goes in for its first inspection.

Cheers
Rohan

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by katil.garage

Lately I've been noticing a bit of a rattle coming from the rear passenger side when going over bumps. The car has only been driven 7600km carefully. Also I still find the suspension to be crashy when going over bumps at normal speeds, is it normal? It's a 2018 C200 W205.

The rattles can be for various reasons. Our W205 C220d has been in the workshop multiple times and all visits had some rattle or the other with a big culprit being the sunroof.
While the interiors look and feel great, it doesn't inspire the same long term confidence as say our F30 3 series.

Regarding ride - I feel the same. In fact, I feel the suspension is a little soft which coupled with RFTs makes it bouncy and stiff kneed. Hoping to change tyres because till date I can't understand all the people raving about the ride quality.

[katil.garage]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

The rattles can be for various reasons. Our W205 C220d has been in the workshop multiple times and all visits had some rattle or the other with a big culprit being the sunroof.
While the interiors look and feel great, it doesn't inspire the same long term confidence as say our F30 3 series.

Regarding ride - I feel the same. In fact, I feel the suspension is a little soft which coupled with RFTs makes it bouncy and stiff kneed. Hoping to change tyres because till date I can't understand all the people raving about the ride quality.

Exactly! I feel the suspension of my 23000km old Nexon to be more silent and compliant than the C, and that car is driven hard! Should have bought the Lexus ES instead.

How successful were the workshop guys in diagnosing the various rattles that your car had?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by katil.garage

How successful were the workshop guys in diagnosing the various rattles that your car had?

Fairly successful, but there is always something that comes up. The other Germans have gone through / go through the same drive but have held up better.

Switching to tubeless tyres in Dec 1st week : hoping it helps with the ride & rattles.

[Desmodromic]

I am considering buying a 2015 E250 which has done 105,000KM. The car has been company maintained. Usage has largely been in the city according to the driver of the car. The car is being sold at Honda City money.

What are the key issues to look out for?

What would be the maintenance expenses that i would need to budget for? What should i keep aside for the same?

Is it possible to buy an extended warranty for a 5 year old car if the warranty expired in july?

I would be using this car for 12000km/year


Thanks in advance

[sgm]

Premature brake pad wear

I would like to get your feedback on the brake pad wearing out too soon on the C-class. Some have reported that they had to change it even before 10k KM and 15-20k KM seems to be the norm. Is the same issue seen in other models also? I’m wondering if this is to do with the part design alone or does the driving habit also contribute to it?

Generally within the city usage, at traffic signals

In a manual vehicle/DCT/AMT, we change D->N and engage hand brake

In CVT, you remain in D and engage hand brake

In a TC with conventional handbrake, you remain in D and engage handbrake

When there is no conventional handbrake, ideally we should be using electronic parking brake but I was advised to remain in D and apply the “Hold” function, so we are using the foot-pedal brakes and not the hand brakes. Am I correct here ?

When I checked the brake usage difference, it is NIL as expected when electronic parking brake is used (hand brake equivalent) but gear selector in “P” mode, the brake usage is like 10% and it is higher with "D" and Hold function.
Any technical insights? Is the driving habit correct ?

In the Center console display, check Menu -> Vehicle -> DYNAMIC SELECT -> Vehicle Data for the live data to have a check on this.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Originally Posted by Desmodromic

I am considering buying a 2015 E250 which has done 105,000KM. The car has been company maintained. Usage has largely been in the city according to the driver of the car. The car is being sold at Honda City money.

What are the key issues to look out for?

What would be the maintenance expenses that i would need to budget for? What should i keep aside for the same?

Is it possible to buy an extended warranty for a 5 year old car if the warranty expired in july?

I would be using this car for 12000km/year


Thanks in advance

The car has been driven for 1.05 lakh Kms in the city in the last 5 years, which most probably means that this car has seen loads of heavy traffic.
If these had been highway miles, I would still give it a second glance, but given the fact that these are miles covered in stop-go city traffic, the mechanicals would have taken a considerable amount of abuse.
Also, since you yourself plan to use the car for 12000 Km/year, it's not the best idea to buy a car that already has loads of miles on it. Agreed that these cars are known to have high mileage as German taxis, but please consider that those cars run on smooth German Autobahns, but in India, the car would have seen some less than stellar roads. If I were you, I would give this car a miss.

Now to answer your other questions:

1. The W212 is quite a reliable car. But in a high mileage example, one may face steering wheel vibrations, worn out engine mounts, electrical issues, worn out interior trim among others.
If this car has the OM651 engine, then also check the injectors. A few years ago, I had heard about injector failures on this particular engine. Also, please check if the transmission oil has been changed or not. It needs to be changed every 40K km, and if not done at the right time, it could lead to very expensive gearbox repairs.
Other than the above, a car that has run so much requires a detailed inspection of the tyres, brakes, suspension, axles, stabiliser bars etc.

2. There is no specific figure that can be given. The amount of money that has to be spent depends on how much work the car needs, and where you decide to get it done, an independent shop or the authorized MB dealer.
General servicing should cost you anywhere between 30-45k at the MB dealership, and around 15-25K at a good independent garage.

3. No, you cannot buy extended warranty for a car that is already out of warranty.

My suggestion: Look for an example with fewer miles. Since you plan to use the car quite a bit, does not make sense to buy a worn out car. It is much more likely to become a liability than a machine you can enjoy.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by sgm

Premature brake pad wear

I would like to get your feedback on the brake pad wearing out too soon on the C-class. Some have reported that they had to change it even before 10k KM and 15-20k KM seems to be the norm. Is the same issue seen in other models also? I’m wondering if this is to do with the part design alone or does the driving habit also contribute to it?

Generally within the city usage, at traffic signals

In a manual vehicle/DCT/AMT, we change D->N and engage hand brake

In CVT, you remain in D and engage hand brake

In a TC with conventional handbrake, you remain in D and engage handbrake

When there is no conventional handbrake, ideally we should be using electronic parking brake but I was advised to remain in D and apply the “Hold” function, so we are using the foot-pedal brakes and not the hand brakes. Am I correct here ?

When I checked the brake usage difference, it is NIL as expected when electronic parking brake is used (hand brake equivalent) but gear selector in “P” mode, the brake usage is like 10% and it is higher with "D" and Hold function.
Any technical insights? Is the driving habit correct ?

In the Center console display, check Menu -> Vehicle -> DYNAMIC SELECT -> Vehicle Data for the live data to have a check on this.

I think you are mixing up multiple things. Once the vehicle is stationary, there is no wear on the brakes so applying foot brake or parking-brake should not matter.

Brake wear happens when they are used to slow down the vehicle. First thing to understand is that brakes are the cheapest to service in these cars, so don't overthink and just use brakes as you normally would in any other car.

If you anticipate the traffic and take your foot off the accelerator in advance, you will save both brakes and fuel. Because these cars gain speeds very quickly and people do tend to drive aggressively, it is not surprising that the brakes do wear out very quickly.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Desmodromic

I am considering buying a 2015 E250 which has done 105,000KM.
What are the key issues to look out for?

Is it possible to buy an extended warranty for a 5 year old car if the warranty expired in july?

I would be using this car for 12000km/year

Thanks in advance

The car has run quite a bit : and mainly in city could mean higher wear and tear of bits like brakes, suspension, etc.
Go through the service records and check what all has been done, and when - the engine is fairly reliable but overtime the electronics and wear and tear bits will catch you out.

Do you have access to a good mechanic who has experience sourcing GENUINE parts and has worked on similar vehicles?

And will this be your only vehicle?

If the answers to the above are NO then I would pay a little more to find something newer.
Remember parts are expensive, so you may just recover the additional outlay by buying a lesser run vehicle.

Originally Posted by sgm

Premature brake pad wear

I would like to get your feedback on the brake pad wearing out too soon on the C-class. Some have reported that they had to change it even before 10k KM and 15-20k KM seems to be the norm. Is the same issue seen in other models also? I’m wondering if this is to do with the part design alone or does the driving habit also contribute to it?

Generally within the city usage, at traffic signals

When there is no conventional handbrake, ideally we should be using electronic parking brake but I was advised to remain in D and apply the “Hold” function, so we are using the foot-pedal brakes and not the hand brakes. Am I correct here ?

This seems to be common, across other mercedes vehicles too with a brake pad change nearing the 20K mark.
I remember Sahil mentioning the same about his S Class, and some friends have reported similarly.
Even our C220d saw front brakes wearing out at 10k which was surprising, but the rears are going strong & front seem to be decent too at the moment.

Having used other automatics - this is definitely on the lower side, but made up by the excellent brake feel.
Changing gears to Neutral at traffic could help but don't think it'll add much life.

[Merc_Freak]

Hi everyone. I own a 2013 E200 and the car has just clocked over 22,000 kms since new. But I just noticed that at the same time last year the Odo read 19900 kms which means the car ran a stupendously low 2100 kms this year. This is partly because of the lockdown, and partly because I have other cars at home for everyday use (safari, City, 520d). I’m now wondering if this will have any negative impact on the car ? I would like to hear other bhpian’s opinions on this.

[katil.garage]

Originally Posted by Merc_Freak

Hi everyone. I own a 2013 E200 and the car has just clocked over 22,000 kms since new. But I just noticed that at the same time last year the Odo read 19900 kms which means the car ran a stupendously low 2100 kms this year. This is partly because of the lockdown, and partly because I have other cars at home for everyday use (safari, City, 520d). I’m now wondering if this will have any negative impact on the car ? I would like to hear other bhpian’s opinions on this.

I don't think that should affect it as our own W205 C200 has done just 8K in 2.5 years with long periods of sitting unused.

I have some questions though, since your car in now over 7 years, is zero dep insurance still available? If yes, then till what age do they provide it?

And do spare part costs reduce with age for stuff like bumpers, fenders etc. that may take a regular beating in our indian traffic? If not, then how do people maintain these after zero dep insurance expires?

[Merc_Freak]

Originally Posted by katil.garage

I don't think that should affect it as our own W205 C200 has done just 8K in 2.5 years with long periods of sitting unused.

I have some questions though, since your car in now over 7 years, is zero dep insurance still available? If yes, then till what age do they provide it?

And do spare part costs reduce with age for stuff like bumpers, fenders etc. that may take a regular beating in our indian traffic? If not, then how do people maintain these after zero dep insurance expires?

Thanks for your advice. In my case, zero dep insurance was not available after the first 3 years of ownership. And about the spare parts, sadly their costs don't reduce as last year I had a minor rear collision with a bus, and only the right side of the bumper was damaged. But the Mercedes workshop in okhla quoted 1.2L+labour+GST for it ! I then got it done from an independent workshop in vasant vihar. Hope this helps.