[W126 Coupe] Did I get my $'s worth?

airedale at sbcglobal.net airedale at sbcglobal.net
Sat Sep 24 08:00:12 EDT 2005


 ;-) Ken, had no idea what that icon meant, even most of the faces I see are beyond me. Sounds like you have a nice low mileage SEC. On the positive side is the parts availability on these great cars as well as most other MB's. I had a '86 Mustang Convertible V-6 that I ended up getting the last motor mounts in existence in the US for from Ford. No one took the time to make them aftermarket. It was impossible to get a tail light lens for that car I was told. I guess I just feel fortunate with the abundance of parts available for these cars.
Best Wishes,
John
----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ken Cribbs 
  To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists 
  Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2005 5:41 AM
  Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] Did I get my $'s worth?


  At 07:44 PM 9/23/2005, you wrote:

    The rate to have my Isuzu Axiom worked on today at the dealership was $89.00 per hour. Most people know when they are being screwed 

  Not me; I'm not a mechanic, John, and I don't do any of my own repairs, so I'm at the mercy of the repair shop and my trust level.


    and most people ask for an estimate before they have work done. 

  I did get an estimate, but again, I had no way of knowing whether it was reasonable/customary or otherwise.  (The final price ended up within $50 of the estimate.)


    It is easy enough to check the price of parts on line. 

  Yes, provided you know what parts to look for.  But in my position, all I had was a phone call from the repair shop telling me what they thought needed to be done, and an estimate of how much it would cost.  Not being a mechanic or even a do-it-yourselfer, I couldn't possibly have known which parts would need to be ordered to complete the recommended repairs.  


    I would guess from the variety of service you had done there was some significant troubleshooting & inspection time involved. 

  You're probably correct -- I certainly don't have the background to know differently.


    I will not apologize for being "existential" with my answer 

  No apology was sought or expected, for Pete's sake.  (Didn't you understand the wink-smiling emoticon?)  My "existential" comment was an attempt at humor and levity, so lighten up, please?


    but you know you are going to find someone who will tell you they know someone who would have done it for less.

  Yes, as my posting said: that's exactly what prompted me to post the question in the first place.

  We're obviously not speaking the same language.  I give up.  Peace.

  --Ken


    John ----- Original Message ----- 

      From: Ken Cribbs 

      To: Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists 

      Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 11:53 PM

      Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] Did I get my $'s worth?


      Ah, c'mon, John, it wasn't an existential question, but a practical one. ;-)  


      sure, I'd be "happy" with the peace of mind regardless of price, but that doesn't mean I want to get suckered.  And I don't know enough about MB repairs to be able to judge whether the charges I paid are reasonable and customary, or inflated -- so I'm asking the illustrious experts on this list for their input.  


      (FWIW, my question arises because a friend who also owns an older-but-cherry Benz tells me that the shop I use charges significantly more than the shop he uses.  I don't have any basis for comparison, as we haven't had the same repairs performed.  Both shops claim to be charging "standard" rates at $85/hr).


      Anyone?


      At 06:31 PM 9/23/2005, you wrote:

        Are you happy? Do you have the peace of mind knowing nothing else needs to be done? Those go a long way, you can always find someone to do it cheaper.

        John 
          ----- Original Message ----- 
          From: Ken Cribbs 
          To: mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com 
          Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 11:19 PM 
          Subject: [W126 Coupe] Did I get my $'s worth?

          I just had the following work done on my 1988 560 SEC, at 54,400 miles: 
          remove/replace coolant expansion tank, replace coolant level sensor 
          remove/replace leaking power steering low pressure hoses, power steering filter and container cover gasket 
          change air and fuel filters, replace fuel accumulator and fuel pump check valves 
          remove/replace front and rear drive shaft flex coupling 
          change brake fluid, blow out drain hoses 
          lube door seals, lube linkages 
          The itemized parts were: 
          coolant expansion tank                    $61.25 
          coolant level sensor                        38.75 
          1 gallon coolant                                     10.00 
          power steering low pressure hose                   25.00 
          power steering filter                       11.00 
          1 cover gasket                                  4.95 
          5 hose clamps @ $1.95                          9.75 
          air filter                                            38.00 
          smog ___ filter                              12.20 
          fuel filter kit                              39.00 
          44K injection filter cleaner               19.50 
          fuel accumulator                                   197.00 
          2 fuel pump check valves @ $22.50           45.00 
          2 drive shaft flex couplings @ $112.00  224.00 
          brake fluid                                   10.50 
          [illegible]                                      4.15 
          radiator cap                                     7.95 
          shop supply charge                             25.00 
                  TOTAL PARTS/SUPPLIES:   $758.00 
          The total labor charge was $595.00, for a grand total of $1,378.00.

          Is this MB-only shop charging fairly for the parts and services provided?  


          --Ken 


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