"Mercedes-Benz" is a trademark of Mercedes-Benz of North America, Mercedes-Benz USA LLC and other Mercedes-Benz corporations. The word "Mercedes-Benz" is solely used to identify a make of automobile. It does not imply or indicate any affiliation or relationship between Stephens Service Center and the manufacturer or its dealers.
e know it's tough for a lot of people. With so many things demanding your attention it's no wonder people don't want to think about their car if it's running normal. A month ago, a new customer called about a problem with their 2003 C240. This same customer had called us a few months earlier about a whining noise while they were driving. At the time we told them that we needed to see the car in order to understand the problem. I could tell they really didn't want to show us the car because they were afraid we might find something they would have to fix. After all, if you really don't know what's
wrong, maybe the problem really isn't there.
On their second call, they tried to explain the problem
again, but with more details. I explained to them there
really isn't any way to know for sure what the problem is,
without seeing the car. There are just to many things that can
make a noise like they described. (We know that people want
to know how much it will cost, without feeling like they are
obligated to have it fixed. We know shops play dirty tricks to get the customer over a barrel. Fortunately we have enough work and don't have to earn a living by doing this to people. "It is what it is! If you fix it fine. If you don't; at least you won't think we're trying to push you into something you don't want. Seriously, we refuse to live like that and you won't get an "attitude" from us.) As we talked, they began to give me more information about the problem. I told them there could be a potential problem caused by radiator leaking Antifreeze into the Transmission by way of the Oil Cooler in the Radiator. The Antifreeze causes the Torque Converter in the Transmission to make a noise like they were describing. I told them if they continued to drive it, it could ruin the Transmission if, this was really the problem. I told them a Transmission cost $5000 to $6000. Mercedes-Benz will not pay for the repair after the warranty period.
Today the customer had the car towed in, the Transmission had failed. The Radiator was in fact, the problem. These days it's hard to know who to trust any more. But we like showing customer's what it takes to repair their car. Frankly, it's the easiest way to build trust. Your welcome to stick your head under the car and see for yourself what we have to do. It's never pleasant hearing you need a major repair. At least when you see it with your own eyes, you have the confidence you really do need the repair. We don't give customers the "insurance" excuse. If a shop tells you their insurance won't allow you in the shop, it's a big clue that they don't know what they are doing and they don't want you to see that they don't.
We had a customer come in the other day with their 1999 ML320 for a routine "Service A". While we were changing the oil, we saw the Tie Rod boots were torn and the joints themselves were very loose. The car had 130000 miles and we don't normally see the Tie Rods this loose. When we told the owner about the problem, and they ask if they could wait until the next service to replace them. We told him that this was a serious safety issue and they must be replaced now. When he picked up the car we showed him the old Tie Rods. He was shocked at their condition and very glad we insisted that they be replaced. He then ask a question we don't normally hear. He ask why we checked the Tie Rods in the first place, when he just came in for a oil change? He occasionally had other shops change the oil and said no one had ever mentioned anything like this on any of his other oil changes.
We see mailings and service menu's from other shops. They all save this type of inspection for their bigger service. An experienced mechanic can do this sort of inspection with just a glance. It's as simple as opening your eye's. With decades of experience, he's even able to "sense" when something is wrong. We've never given a second thought to charging extra for doing this. Why would someone put their, & others, at risk? You never know how mechanical failure might turn out. It could be one of our loved ones that ends up involved in a resulting accident. Life has a funny way of getting even. Some shops will wait until a bigger service for these inspections. We think when it's time for the bigger service, money is better spent actually doing something rather then "Checking" things. Checking things is important but the things they say they check, and charge for, doesn't really get to the point of a Major Service. We check these same things on every service for free and spend the customer's money on actually doing something. What good does it do to "Check" the Power Steering oil for example. When it's time for it to be changed? How are we doing the customer any favor by looking at dirty oil and some how implying that we did something useful?
There is also the matter of "who decides when a part should be replaced?" When is a part truly bad enough to replace? Some mechanics will try to restore a car to the way it was when it was new. I've heard more then a mechanics say, "if they can't afford the repair they shouldn't be driving a Mercedes." Obviously that's a pretty self serving thing to say. This attitude is one of the biggest reasons we'll see a new customer. Owners get sick of feeling like they have to replace half the car every time it goes in for service. For example, we know that some shops want to replace the brake rotors every time the brake pads need to be changed. Brake rotors only need to be replaced when they've worn below their minimum thickness or they are warped. Unnecessarily replacing parts takes money away from fixing things that really need to be repaired. Customers will only spend so much on repairs and then they get rid of the car. We know that people would keep their Mercedes longer if they felt like they had confidence in the repairs. It's one reason why owners question if the repair can wait until another day. Trust is a funny thing. You can't see it coming.... but you sure can see it go.
We saw a customer the other day, that couldn't get their gas cap back on. (This normally happens because one half of the cap didn't engage the neck correctly as it was turned. Once the white plastic part in the cap is misaligned, you can't get it on. The white plastic part needs to be realigned & it will work again. Normally we just twist it back into alignment with a large pair of pliers.)
This customer had been to another Mercedes-Benz Service Department and was told they needed a new $2000 gas tank. (The problem seems to be bigger then we first thought. Since posting this, we have gotten a number of calls from other owners around the country, that have been getting the same $2000 estimate.) We looked at the cap, and the white plastic part was not lined up correctly. However, realigning it did not fix the problem. On this particular car, the tabs in the neck of the gas tank were bent. Mercedes-Benz has a service bulletin about this problem. There is a updated part that fits into the neck that allows the cap to catch correctly and close. Other models just need the tabs in the neck bent back to the original position. Problem solved.
We take pride in the ability to look at a problem and fixing it without wasteful parts. We didn't just start doing this because of the lousy economy. We've done this for over 40 years. There is something fundamentally wrong with charging so much to fix something that can be repaired so simply.
This is a direct reprint of what the California DMV says a car dealer must do to "certify" a used car. Is this what you thought it meant when a car dealer said their cars were "certified"? Feel free to hold us to a higher standard.
"The dealer must perform a complete inspection of the vehicle and must provide consumers with a copy of the inspection report. Dealers are prohibited from advertising a vehicle as "certified" if:
- .
- The title was branded as a Lemon Law Buyback, manufacturer repurchase, salvage, junk, non-repairable, flood, or similar designation. The vehicle has frame damage or was sold "as is."
- The seller failed to provide the buyer with a complete inspection report of all components inspected.
- Odometer does not indicate the actual mileage of the vehicle.
- The vehicle was purchased under state or federal warranty law (repurchased by the manufacture or dealer).
- The vehicle was damaged by accident, fire, or flood unless repaired to safe operational condition prior to sale."
Don't you worry though, the California DMV will help you if you get burned!
When we service your car, there is more to it then what you might think. One of the things we keep a close eye on, is your battery. Everybody knows that modern car's have lots of computers. These computers need a constant and steady supply of power. The battery is ask to supply power for a lot more then just starting the car. When you shut the engine off, the computers stay powered up for different amounts of time. Some will shut down right away, while others can stay on for 10 minutes to an hour. The battery has to have plenty of reserve "deep discharge" capabilities. If the battery is over four years old, the lead plates in the battery start getting sulfated. That means there is a film of sulfation on the lead plates that prevent the electrons from the alternator entering the lead plates. Mercedes-Benz made a great tester that is very simple to use and is extremely accurate. It can tell us if the lead plates are getting to sulfated and thus near the end of its life.
We never want the battery to unexpectedly die. If the battery dies in an uncontrolled manner, a voltage spike can damage the car's computers. If you ever have a dead battery, you should just have the car towed with a "Flatbed Tow Truck".
We perform the diagnostic test on your battery every time we service your Mercedes-Benz. We're not trying to sell more batteries, we just don't want you to be stuck with a dead battery. If you think your battery might be getting old, just stop by and we'll connect the tester. We don't even mind if you watch how it works. It spells it out on the tools screen if it's good or bad. No guesswork.
If your car needs a battery, we only use genuine Mercedes-Benz batteries. They have more amperage then any other battery made. When the system is under peek load, smaller aftermarket batteries can't deliver the proper amperage. That's one reason for intermittent electrical problems. Aftermarket batteries also don't have vent tubes, which are very important for batteries that go in the Mercedes-Benz.
Excellence in any endeavor can be attained only by the labor of a lifetime;
it is not to be purchased at a lesser price.
You must make up your mind at the very beginning.
Your name will stand for Excellence!
