Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe1

@driver100 said:
If I had to do that many repairs I'd use indies too. Usually I use get an oil change once a year. Whatever I would save using an indie I would probably lose if I trade in, they like to be able to say the car was serviced at the dealers, it makes the car more valuable.

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Only to those who believe in such things.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

It never rain but it pours.

Having for the time being given up on the idea of replacing the rusted cargo van with a pick up I am now faced with keeping the old hooptie running. It needs a downstream O2 sensor which trips the CEL every time it rains. I may also want to fix an air bag light and no AC problem which I inherited from the previous owner.

So as I’m pondering how much money to throw at these problems I started smelling burning brake pads. Sure enough the driver’s side rear has a strong odor and the wheel was noticeably hot (I wasn’t stupid enough to actually touch the disk) so I may have a hung up caliper.

They say it’s cheaper to fix the old vehicle rather than buy new but this one seems to be testing the limits.

jmonroe1

@capriracer said:
I'm the guy who breaks the statistics on plugs. I've had 2 out of 4 fail.

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If I had your luck I wouldn’t like plugs either. Then again maybe the damage done to your tires was beyond repair. There is a limit to what plugs can repair and that applies to the tire patch method also.

jmonroe

Michaell

oldfarmer50 said:

It never rain but it pours.

Having for the time being given up on the idea of replacing the rusted cargo van with a pick up I am now faced with keeping the old hooptie running. It needs a downstream O2 sensor which trips the CEL every time it rains. I may also want to fix an air bag light and no AC problem which I inherited from the previous owner.

So as I’m pondering how much money to throw at these problems I started smelling burning brake pads. Sure enough the driver’s side rear has a strong odor and the wheel was noticeably hot (I wasn’t stupid enough to actually touch the disk) so I may have a hung up caliper.

They say it’s cheaper to fix the old vehicle rather than buy new but this one seems to be testing the limits.

Ouch. At some point you'll just need to throw in the towel and get something new(er).

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

So this morning a light came on "Check Tire Pressure".
I thought it meant the air pressure was getting low, but it said check and then reset your RFT warning light.
I was close to my MB dealer so I took it in.
They took a nail out of the right front tire, and said it could be patched since it is on the bottom.
I could make an appointment for 5 days to 3 weeks. What, rent a car for 3 weeks to fix a flat!
I talked them into doing it tomorrow, I might have to leave it there all day since they have to do it before jobs.
It is busy since it is Friday and Monday is a holiday.
No one wants to spend time fixing a flat when they can be putting on a new set of tires and make more $$$s
I hate RFTs. I would be much better off if I had a spare.
And, what if I was on a trip and this happened in some small town somewhere......stay in the Roach motel for 3 or 4 nights!

As noted earlier, my MB dealer replaced a tire, straightened a wheel, performed a Service A, and replaced the rear pads in under 4 hours- and it was not a scheduled appointment.
I'd demand your dealer provide free soup at a minimum.

Could it be that because there are fewer MB dealers in Canada, each one services a larger area and therefore has more customers?

Not sure that dealers are created equal...

Exactly. The last I heard it is the largest MB dealer in North America and they are busy to the max, even on Friday morning they had at least 6 salesmen on patrol. The costs to operate must be enormous.....no free service...but I did get a free coffee.
In case anyone forgot:

While I was there I checked around the showroom which must have about 15 to 20 cars on display, including at least 6 Q EV models that are in the $150000 to $200000+ range.

————————————————
Being the largest doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best/fastest for customer satisfaction, as you found out. The last place I want to go for service is a place that’s busier than a one armed paper hanger.

jmonroe

But my dealer is 15 minutes away, the next closest dealer is about 40 minutes away, and the next one about an hour away. It isn't like there is one on each corner. The population of greater Toronto is over 6 million people.......there aren't very many friendly little country Mercedes dealers around here........like none!

Well, if you’re happy with dealer prices I guess there’s no alternative for you. My coworker who also drives for the Mercedes dealers often tells us of the multi thousand dollar repair bills he submits to the owners of cars for routine repairs like brake jobs. That’s a high premium for a bowl of soup.

I almost never use the dealer except when the repair is something that only they can do. Instead, I have gathered a cadre of indie shops for minor and major repairs as well as places who specialize in transmissions, body work and upholstery.

It really depends on the dealer; the pricing at my BMW and M-B dealers are very reasonable (and in the case of my BMW dealer my costs are essentially zero since I use my BMW MasterCard reward cards).
Based on my experience with both marques I find the stories of "multi thousand-dollar repair bills" for brake jobs to be extremely questionable- unless we are talking about AMG ceramic brakes or similar.

driver100

I took the car in at 8 a.m. MrsD100 picked me up at 9 a.m. and took me to my tennis game. I went to breakfast after, one guy took me there in his 2004 Mercedes 2 seater. The dealer called at 11 a.m. that the patch was on. My tennis friend took me to the dealer....I paid $100 plus tax.....but I know it was done right and the car drives beautifully....and they gave it a really good wash, and I had a free coffee.
Inside the showroom:

Friends car that took me there....with blacked out chrome:

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

It never rain but it pours.

Having for the time being given up on the idea of replacing the rusted cargo van with a pick up I am now faced with keeping the old hooptie running. It needs a downstream O2 sensor which trips the CEL every time it rains. I may also want to fix an air bag light and no AC problem which I inherited from the previous owner.

So as I’m pondering how much money to throw at these problems I started smelling burning brake pads. Sure enough the driver’s side rear has a strong odor and the wheel was noticeably hot (I wasn’t stupid enough to actually touch the disk) so I may have a hung up caliper.

They say it’s cheaper to fix the old vehicle rather than buy new but this one seems to be testing the limits.

oldfarmer....you have to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
I think at this stage you got more than your money's worth from the van.......now the odds are it will be a money pit.

driver100

btw....that $100 for a patch was CDN, about $70 U.S.
I did like this little number in the showroom, for a mere $200k

ab348

driver100 said:

I took the car in at 8 a.m. MrsD100 picked me up at 9 a.m. and took me to my tennis game. I went to breakfast after, one guy took me there in his 2004 Mercedes 2 seater. The dealer called at 11 a.m. that the patch was on. My tennis friend took me to the dealer....I paid $100 plus tax.....but I know it was done right and the car drives beautifully....and they gave it a really good wash, and I had a free coffee.

What? No free bowl of soup? 😁

roadburner

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I took the car in at 8 a.m. MrsD100 picked me up at 9 a.m. and took me to my tennis game. I went to breakfast after, one guy took me there in his 2004 Mercedes 2 seater. The dealer called at 11 a.m. that the patch was on. My tennis friend took me to the dealer....I paid $100 plus tax.....but I know it was done right and the car drives beautifully....and they gave it a really good wash, and I had a free coffee.

What? No free bowl of soup? 😁

He didn't have a "guy" to hold the spoon for him.

jmonroe1

@roadburner said:
He didn't have a "guy" to hold the spoon for him.

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Cruel, just CRUEL.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

@ab348 said:
What? No free bowl of soup? 😁

————————————————
Maybe he opted for the discounted tire patch repair instead.

jmonroe

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I took the car in at 8 a.m. MrsD100 picked me up at 9 a.m. and took me to my tennis game. I went to breakfast after, one guy took me there in his 2004 Mercedes 2 seater. The dealer called at 11 a.m. that the patch was on. My tennis friend took me to the dealer....I paid $100 plus tax.....but I know it was done right and the car drives beautifully....and they gave it a really good wash, and I had a free coffee.

What? No free bowl of soup? 😁

No soup at 9 a.m.! Actually they have a skeleton staff on Saturdays, so the lady who makes the food wasn't there. But, one of the customer service ladies made me a coffee.
I did bring my own peanut butter sandwich though, that went well with the coffee.

Sandman6472

Kyfdx, I feel the same about my Golf as you do about your GTI...I love it! In no hurry to get rid of it though I always am looking. Just does everything right, is the perfect size, fits on my side of the garage...just the perfect vehicle for me, still. At just over 74,200 on the clock, just not ready to spend $30K on something new. And since I don't drive more than 40 miles per week on average, just is worth keeping. All it needs is it's yearly oil change/filter/tire rotation done this month & all will be good. That one tire on front that is showing wear, will end up on the rear, so can wait until next year to deal with it.

laurasdada

Sad day, Wednesday. I took the much better half to a picnic-ish dinner on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Took the 'vert, of course, listening to assorted rock and or roll music you kids just think that is all the rage.
Hop in the car to take the long way home, and... my free SXM subscription expired! So, without much fanfare for this common man, I'm back to FM radio and the ~8gb of music I've ripped to the hard drive. A moment, please.

A more fun moment today, I'm in a line in the left turn lane only, traffic is moving but the light turns orange with 3-4 cars ahead of me. I ain't gonna make it so I slowly cruise up to the now red, which is no big deal as, again, I'm topless and soaking up the sun. But I glance in the rear view and the woman behind me in the beat up Buick Rendezvous (my goodness is that an unattractive thing) is having an absolute screaming fit, arms waiving wildly, mouth wide open, no doubt singing my praises. Once fully stopped, I slowly turn my head and flash her a warm smile and tip my cap. As a gentleman should.
Light turns green, I make my left, she makes her U, again with what appears to be several arms gesticulating wildly. Sorry for those lost 70 seconds, ma'am, hope you weren't late for your brain surgery appointment.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

So this morning a light came on "Check Tire Pressure".
I thought it meant the air pressure was getting low, but it said check and then reset your RFT warning light.
I was close to my MB dealer so I took it in.
They took a nail out of the right front tire, and said it could be patched since it is on the bottom.
I could make an appointment for 5 days to 3 weeks. What, rent a car for 3 weeks to fix a flat!
I talked them into doing it tomorrow, I might have to leave it there all day since they have to do it before jobs.
It is busy since it is Friday and Monday is a holiday.
No one wants to spend time fixing a flat when they can be putting on a new set of tires and make more $$$s
I hate RFTs. I would be much better off if I had a spare.
And, what if I was on a trip and this happened in some small town somewhere......stay in the Roach motel for 3 or 4 nights!

As noted earlier, my MB dealer replaced a tire, straightened a wheel, performed a Service A, and replaced the rear pads in under 4 hours- and it was not a scheduled appointment.
I'd demand your dealer provide free soup at a minimum.

Could it be that because there are fewer MB dealers in Canada, each one services a larger area and therefore has more customers?

Not sure that dealers are created equal...

Exactly. The last I heard it is the largest MB dealer in North America and they are busy to the max, even on Friday morning they had at least 6 salesmen on patrol. The costs to operate must be enormous.....no free service...but I did get a free coffee.
In case anyone forgot:

While I was there I checked around the showroom which must have about 15 to 20 cars on display, including at least 6 Q EV models that are in the $150000 to $200000+ range.

————————————————
Being the largest doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best/fastest for customer satisfaction, as you found out. The last place I want to go for service is a place that’s busier than a one armed paper hanger.

jmonroe

But my dealer is 15 minutes away, the next closest dealer is about 40 minutes away, and the next one about an hour away. It isn't like there is one on each corner. The population of greater Toronto is over 6 million people.......there aren't very many friendly little country Mercedes dealers around here........like none!

Well, if you’re happy with dealer prices I guess there’s no alternative for you. My coworker who also drives for the Mercedes dealers often tells us of the multi thousand dollar repair bills he submits to the owners of cars for routine repairs like brake jobs. That’s a high premium for a bowl of soup.

I almost never use the dealer except when the repair is something that only they can do. Instead, I have gathered a cadre of indie shops for minor and major repairs as well as places who specialize in transmissions, body work and upholstery.

It really depends on the dealer; the pricing at my BMW and M-B dealers are very reasonable (and in the case of my BMW dealer my costs are essentially zero since I use my BMW MasterCard reward cards).
Based on my experience with both marques I find the stories of "multi thousand-dollar repair bills" for brake jobs to be extremely questionable- unless we are talking about AMG ceramic brakes or similar.

Conversely, I’ve been told by various Mercedes and BMW owners and employees that the $2k brake job indeed is real. Were these sources exaggerating or forgetting to mention other services preformed? Perhaps but I know from experience that even on domestic cars it costs me more at a dealer for the same service as I get at the neighborhood shop.

Maybe your shops are giving you a discount because of your club memberships or your status in the community. My old shop used to give me a fleet discount and parts at cost because of all the business I gave him.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

It never rain but it pours.

Having for the time being given up on the idea of replacing the rusted cargo van with a pick up I am now faced with keeping the old hooptie running. It needs a downstream O2 sensor which trips the CEL every time it rains. I may also want to fix an air bag light and no AC problem which I inherited from the previous owner.

So as I’m pondering how much money to throw at these problems I started smelling burning brake pads. Sure enough the driver’s side rear has a strong odor and the wheel was noticeably hot (I wasn’t stupid enough to actually touch the disk) so I may have a hung up caliper.

They say it’s cheaper to fix the old vehicle rather than buy new but this one seems to be testing the limits.

oldfarmer....you have to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
I think at this stage you got more than your money's worth from the van.......now the odds are it will be a money pit.

Well, the airbag light and the non working AC were like that when I bought it in 2016. The O2 sensor doesn’t need replacing until inspection in October so only the sticking brake is of any immediate concern.

The beauty of hoopties is they don’t have to be fancy, just functional.

driver100

laurasdada said:

But I glance in the rear view and the woman behind me in the beat up Buick Rendezvous (my goodness is that an unattractive thing) is having an absolute screaming fit, .

Yeh, and those Rendezvous aren't very attractive either

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

It never rain but it pours.

Having for the time being given up on the idea of replacing the rusted cargo van with a pick up I am now faced with keeping the old hooptie running. It needs a downstream O2 sensor which trips the CEL every time it rains. I may also want to fix an air bag light and no AC problem which I inherited from the previous owner.

So as I’m pondering how much money to throw at these problems I started smelling burning brake pads. Sure enough the driver’s side rear has a strong odor and the wheel was noticeably hot (I wasn’t stupid enough to actually touch the disk) so I may have a hung up caliper.

They say it’s cheaper to fix the old vehicle rather than buy new but this one seems to be testing the limits.

oldfarmer....you have to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
I think at this stage you got more than your money's worth from the van.......now the odds are it will be a money pit.

Well, the airbag light and the non working AC were like that when I bought it in 2016. The O2 sensor doesn’t need replacing until inspection in October so only the sticking brake is of any immediate concern.

The beauty of hoopties is they don’t have to be fancy, just functional.

Oh it sounds fine. When I had almost hoopties, my rule was I'd pay for up to 2 and possibly 3 major repairs....but I found that if I did 3 or 4, it was a negative....the last repair ended up being a waste of money.

28firefighter

$70 US for a tire patch? Goodness.

I think at most I’ve paid $20-$25 and typically it’s been free at discount tire or Les schwab.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

So this morning a light came on "Check Tire Pressure".
I thought it meant the air pressure was getting low, but it said check and then reset your RFT warning light.
I was close to my MB dealer so I took it in.
They took a nail out of the right front tire, and said it could be patched since it is on the bottom.
I could make an appointment for 5 days to 3 weeks. What, rent a car for 3 weeks to fix a flat!
I talked them into doing it tomorrow, I might have to leave it there all day since they have to do it before jobs.
It is busy since it is Friday and Monday is a holiday.
No one wants to spend time fixing a flat when they can be putting on a new set of tires and make more $$$s
I hate RFTs. I would be much better off if I had a spare.
And, what if I was on a trip and this happened in some small town somewhere......stay in the Roach motel for 3 or 4 nights!

As noted earlier, my MB dealer replaced a tire, straightened a wheel, performed a Service A, and replaced the rear pads in under 4 hours- and it was not a scheduled appointment.
I'd demand your dealer provide free soup at a minimum.

Could it be that because there are fewer MB dealers in Canada, each one services a larger area and therefore has more customers?

Not sure that dealers are created equal...

Exactly. The last I heard it is the largest MB dealer in North America and they are busy to the max, even on Friday morning they had at least 6 salesmen on patrol. The costs to operate must be enormous.....no free service...but I did get a free coffee.
In case anyone forgot:

While I was there I checked around the showroom which must have about 15 to 20 cars on display, including at least 6 Q EV models that are in the $150000 to $200000+ range.

————————————————
Being the largest doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best/fastest for customer satisfaction, as you found out. The last place I want to go for service is a place that’s busier than a one armed paper hanger.

jmonroe

But my dealer is 15 minutes away, the next closest dealer is about 40 minutes away, and the next one about an hour away. It isn't like there is one on each corner. The population of greater Toronto is over 6 million people.......there aren't very many friendly little country Mercedes dealers around here........like none!

Well, if you’re happy with dealer prices I guess there’s no alternative for you. My coworker who also drives for the Mercedes dealers often tells us of the multi thousand dollar repair bills he submits to the owners of cars for routine repairs like brake jobs. That’s a high premium for a bowl of soup.

I almost never use the dealer except when the repair is something that only they can do. Instead, I have gathered a cadre of indie shops for minor and major repairs as well as places who specialize in transmissions, body work and upholstery.

It really depends on the dealer; the pricing at my BMW and M-B dealers are very reasonable (and in the case of my BMW dealer my costs are essentially zero since I use my BMW MasterCard reward cards).
Based on my experience with both marques I find the stories of "multi thousand-dollar repair bills" for brake jobs to be extremely questionable- unless we are talking about AMG ceramic brakes or similar.

Conversely, I’ve been told by various Mercedes and BMW owners and employees that the $2k brake job indeed is real. Were these sources exaggerating or forgetting to mention other services preformed? Perhaps but I know from experience that even on domestic cars it costs me more at a dealer for the same service as I get at the neighborhood shop.

Maybe your shops are giving you a discount because of your club memberships or your status in the community. My old shop used to give me a fleet discount and parts at cost because of all the business I gave him.

There are dealers that gouge their customers- and on most cars they would be doing exactly that to charge over $2k for a four-wheel brake job. It just isn't realistic- although there are always a few people who seem to relish getting screwed.

jmonroe1

@roadburner said:
There are dealers that gouge their customers- and on most cars they would be doing exactly that to charge over $2k for a four-wheel brake job. It just isn't realistic- although there are always a few people who seem to relish getting screwed.

————————————————
That is true. Just imagine how much their backs and ankles hurt. Probably don’t know life any other way.

jmonroe

driver100

28firefighter said:

$70 US for a tire patch? Goodness.

I think at most I’ve paid $20-$25 and typically it’s been free at discount tire or Les schwab.

Generally, things are more expensive in Canada. Wages are higher, competition is not as keen, we pay more as costs and taxes are higher, our health care is covered. Generally countries with more social benefits......pay higher rates, it's just the way it is. One of my friends will be getting a hip replacement, I believe it costs about $30 to $40000 in the U.S., he will it have it done and it will not cost him anything (he has to wait for 9 months).

qbrozen

@driver100 said:
btw....that $100 for a patch was CDN, about $70 U.S.
I did like this little number in the showroom, for a mere $200k

Thought that was a pic of a Hyundai until I read the pricetag

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

$70 US for a tire patch? Goodness.

I think at most I’ve paid $20-$25 and typically it’s been free at discount tire or Les schwab.

Generally, things are more expensive in Canada. Wages are higher, competition is not as keen, we pay more as costs and taxes are higher, our health care is covered. Generally countries with more social benefits......pay higher rates, it's just the way it is. One of my friends will be getting a hip replacement, I believe it costs about $30 to $40000 in the U.S., he will it have it done and it will not cost him anything (he has to wait for 9 months).

My buddy at work got both hips done and his Medicare and supplement policy paid for it all. Even my cut rate insurance would pay for all but a couple hundred.

jmonroe1

@driver100 said:
Generally, things are more expensive in Canada. Wages are higher, competition is not as keen, we pay more as costs and taxes are higher, our health care is covered. Generally countries with more social benefits......pay higher rates, it's just the way it is. One of my friends will be getting a hip replacement, I believe it costs about $30 to $40000 in the U.S., he will it have it done and it will not cost him anything (he has to wait for 9 months).

————————————————
More proof that there ain’t nothin free. Insurance in the US pays a LOT for operations. I never heard of anyone with insurance that payed 30 to 40 grand for a hip replacement. My sister-in-law didn’t pay a dime for hers about 10 years ago.

jmonroe

roadburner

“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free.”
― P.J. O'Rourke

Michaell

Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

jmonroe1

@Michaell said:
Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

————————————————
I don’t know about MB but from what I’ve been told, a dealer can retrieve a lot of info about the cars they sell from the VIN. And savvy folks can do it too with a VIN.

jmonroe

Michaell

jmonroe1 said:

@Michaell said:

Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

————————————————

I don’t know about MB but from what I’ve been told, a dealer can retrieve a lot of info about the cars they sell from the VIN. And savvy folks can do it too with a VIN.

jmonroe

I'm thinking much the same thing. The friend in question is a HS buddy (not the one who texted me).

roadburner

Michaell said:

Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

I know BMW and Mini dealers can order keys and have them delivered fairly quickly. The owner has to provide definitive proof of ownership such as the title.

Michaell

roadburner said:

Michaell said:

Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

I know BMW and Mini dealers can order keys and have them delivered fairly quickly. The owner has to provide definitive proof of ownership such as the title.

I don’t think that would be a problem.

driver100

roadburner said:

“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free.”
― P.J. O'Rourke

I probably come out behind as far as free health care is concerned, I pay in more than I recover. But, at least I know I won't get wiped out by a huge medical bill. I am glad my friend will have his $40000 hip surgery, for "free".

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

$70 US for a tire patch? Goodness.

I think at most I’ve paid $20-$25 and typically it’s been free at discount tire or Les schwab.

Generally, things are more expensive in Canada. Wages are higher, competition is not as keen, we pay more as costs and taxes are higher, our health care is covered. Generally countries with more social benefits......pay higher rates, it's just the way it is. One of my friends will be getting a hip replacement, I believe it costs about $30 to $40000 in the U.S., he will it have it done and it will not cost him anything (he has to wait for 9 months).

My buddy at work got both hips done and his Medicare and supplement policy paid for it all. Even my cut rate insurance would pay for all but a couple hundred.

At any age? You don't have to be a senior and there isn't a supplement or insurance. It's paid for through taxes. Not nice, but it is like insurance and you hardly notice it being taken from you.
Think about a poor family and the kids are sick. The parents can go to a doctor or hospital and not worry about how they will be able to pay the medical bill.

driver100

Michaell said:

Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

I don't think so. One day I came home and I couldn't find my key. I called the dealer and they could get me a new key for about $650 CDN, probably $400 USD. You have to go in person and they need proof it is really you and you're the owner of the car.
If you look online you can find guys that can make wannabe keys...but only for older models, not the latest models.
After a few hours I remembered I picked up some clothes and put them in a drawer, sure enough the key was still in my hand and it was under my clothes....whewwww - a close one!

roadburner

I bought a raffle ticket to win this- a C63 S Final Edition. Funny thing, AMG has discovered the error of its ways and will likely return to putting V8s in their top models instead of the I4s that are now found in new C63 sedans.

driver100

qbrozen said:

@driver100 said:

btw....that $100 for a patch was CDN, about $70 U.S.

I did like this little number in the showroom, for a mere $200k

Thought that was a pic of a Hyundai until I read the pricetag

Just buy a Hyundai then, and save $170000 !

kyfdx

Part B + supplement + Part D = approx $300/mo. premium.

Out of pocket for doctors and hospital charges: $250/yr (part B deductible). Supplement policy picks up everything that Medicare doesn’t.

It’s a pretty sweet deal, compared to the costs before Medicare eligibility.

oldfarmer50

Michaell said:

Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

I know that customers often jet off to vacations without returning the keys. I’ve seen the Mobil locksmith come in and make up new ones and I don’t recall seeing them rekey the ignition or doors.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

$70 US for a tire patch? Goodness.

I think at most I’ve paid $20-$25 and typically it’s been free at discount tire or Les schwab.

Generally, things are more expensive in Canada. Wages are higher, competition is not as keen, we pay more as costs and taxes are higher, our health care is covered. Generally countries with more social benefits......pay higher rates, it's just the way it is. One of my friends will be getting a hip replacement, I believe it costs about $30 to $40000 in the U.S., he will it have it done and it will not cost him anything (he has to wait for 9 months).

My buddy at work got both hips done and his Medicare and supplement policy paid for it all. Even my cut rate insurance would pay for all but a couple hundred.

At any age? You don't have to be a senior and there isn't a supplement or insurance. It's paid for through taxes. Not nice, but it is like insurance and you hardly notice it being taken from you.
Think about a poor family and the kids are sick. The parents can go to a doctor or hospital and not worry about how they will be able to pay the medical bill.

It would depend on what insurance your employer provided. As I said my buddy got his free because he was a teacher. I was a bus driver so I had to buy my own for about $50/mo. No dental coverage but they will reimburse $750 a year.

Younger people can buy really cheap health insurance through a health care cooperative. People with little or no income get MediCAID through the government.

tjc78

Our insurance is the top tier my wife’s job offers and our out of pocket is $720 a month (not taxed at least). It sounds high, but probably a third of what it would cost without the employer subsidy.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

$70 US for a tire patch? Goodness.

I think at most I’ve paid $20-$25 and typically it’s been free at discount tire or Les schwab.

Generally, things are more expensive in Canada. Wages are higher, competition is not as keen, we pay more as costs and taxes are higher, our health care is covered. Generally countries with more social benefits......pay higher rates, it's just the way it is. One of my friends will be getting a hip replacement, I believe it costs about $30 to $40000 in the U.S., he will it have it done and it will not cost him anything (he has to wait for 9 months).

My buddy at work got both hips done and his Medicare and supplement policy paid for it all. Even my cut rate insurance would pay for all but a couple hundred.

At any age? You don't have to be a senior and there isn't a supplement or insurance. It's paid for through taxes. Not nice, but it is like insurance and you hardly notice it being taken from you.
Think about a poor family and the kids are sick. The parents can go to a doctor or hospital and not worry about how they will be able to pay the medical bill.

It would depend on what insurance your employer provided. As I said my buddy got his free because he was a teacher. I was a bus driver so I had to buy my own for about $50/mo. No dental coverage but they will reimburse $750 a year.

Younger people can buy really cheap health insurance through a health care cooperative. People with little or no income get MediCAID through the government.

I hear lots of complaints from the Floridians about the cost of health insurance, and figuring out what plan is best for them. I have also heard of people paying hospital bills of 10s of $1000s. Are those exceptions and most people have reasonable plans?

fintail

Impressive dealership, looks fancier than anything I have seen in the PNW. MB dealers here are pretty low key.

SLK32 AMG is rare assuming the badge is correct (wheels are correct, but not in that color). Not particularly valuable yet, but seldom-seen.

driver100 said:

I took the car in at 8 a.m. MrsD100 picked me up at 9 a.m. and took me to my tennis game. I went to breakfast after, one guy took me there in his 2004 Mercedes 2 seater. The dealer called at 11 a.m. that the patch was on. My tennis friend took me to the dealer....I paid $100 plus tax.....but I know it was done right and the car drives beautifully....and they gave it a really good wash, and I had a free coffee.
Inside the showroom:

fintail

Michaell said:

Question for my MB owning friends. My buddy in CA texted me today and asked if a person loses all their keys to their car, will they need to get new locks as well?

Unlikely . Assuming it is a newer (post 1995 or so when MB started using an electronic key) ,new keys can be issued with a VIN, but you'll also need registration/ownership docs, and the process might not be instant.

The electronic fobs can be a couple hundred bucks a pop, I think.

kyfdx

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

28firefighter said:

$70 US for a tire patch? Goodness.

I think at most I’ve paid $20-$25 and typically it’s been free at discount tire or Les schwab.

Generally, things are more expensive in Canada. Wages are higher, competition is not as keen, we pay more as costs and taxes are higher, our health care is covered. Generally countries with more social benefits......pay higher rates, it's just the way it is. One of my friends will be getting a hip replacement, I believe it costs about $30 to $40000 in the U.S., he will it have it done and it will not cost him anything (he has to wait for 9 months).

My buddy at work got both hips done and his Medicare and supplement policy paid for it all. Even my cut rate insurance would pay for all but a couple hundred.

At any age? You don't have to be a senior and there isn't a supplement or insurance. It's paid for through taxes. Not nice, but it is like insurance and you hardly notice it being taken from you.
Think about a poor family and the kids are sick. The parents can go to a doctor or hospital and not worry about how they will be able to pay the medical bill.

It would depend on what insurance your employer provided. As I said my buddy got his free because he was a teacher. I was a bus driver so I had to buy my own for about $50/mo. No dental coverage but they will reimburse $750 a year.

Younger people can buy really cheap health insurance through a health care cooperative. People with little or no income get MediCAID through the government.

I hear lots of complaints from the Floridians about the cost of health insurance, and figuring out what plan is best for them. I have also heard of people paying hospital bills of 10s of $1000s. Are those exceptions and most people have reasonable plans?

Most plans for non-Medicare recipients must conform to the Affordable Care Act. Those generally come with high deductibles ($2300-$9000), and high annual max OOP ($5000-$13000). So, even an outpatient arthroscopic knee surgery might run $4K to $9K, out of pocket.

Those on Medicare who sign up for an Advantage plan (aka Part C), might also have similar deductibles and out of pockets. These plans are heavily advertised, and while lower premiums, they have the same drawbacks as ACA plans. High deductibles and high max OOPs.

Medicare + Medicare supplement plan = low, low OOP costs, annually, at the cost of slightly higher premiums. It's the best deal going.

fintail

roadburner said:

“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free.”
― P.J. O'Rourke

Unfortunately, our per-capita costs are far higher than in places with universal systems.

Every cent I and my employer pays for coverage, along with my deductibles and copays, are just taxes masquerading as some kind of free market. And heaven forbid there's something serious, then financial ruin can be the result.

fintail

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

So this morning a light came on "Check Tire Pressure".
I thought it meant the air pressure was getting low, but it said check and then reset your RFT warning light.
I was close to my MB dealer so I took it in.
They took a nail out of the right front tire, and said it could be patched since it is on the bottom.
I could make an appointment for 5 days to 3 weeks. What, rent a car for 3 weeks to fix a flat!
I talked them into doing it tomorrow, I might have to leave it there all day since they have to do it before jobs.
It is busy since it is Friday and Monday is a holiday.
No one wants to spend time fixing a flat when they can be putting on a new set of tires and make more $$$s
I hate RFTs. I would be much better off if I had a spare.
And, what if I was on a trip and this happened in some small town somewhere......stay in the Roach motel for 3 or 4 nights!

As noted earlier, my MB dealer replaced a tire, straightened a wheel, performed a Service A, and replaced the rear pads in under 4 hours- and it was not a scheduled appointment.
I'd demand your dealer provide free soup at a minimum.

Could it be that because there are fewer MB dealers in Canada, each one services a larger area and therefore has more customers?

Not sure that dealers are created equal...

Exactly. The last I heard it is the largest MB dealer in North America and they are busy to the max, even on Friday morning they had at least 6 salesmen on patrol. The costs to operate must be enormous.....no free service...but I did get a free coffee.
In case anyone forgot:

While I was there I checked around the showroom which must have about 15 to 20 cars on display, including at least 6 Q EV models that are in the $150000 to $200000+ range.

————————————————
Being the largest doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best/fastest for customer satisfaction, as you found out. The last place I want to go for service is a place that’s busier than a one armed paper hanger.

jmonroe

But my dealer is 15 minutes away, the next closest dealer is about 40 minutes away, and the next one about an hour away. It isn't like there is one on each corner. The population of greater Toronto is over 6 million people.......there aren't very many friendly little country Mercedes dealers around here........like none!

Well, if you’re happy with dealer prices I guess there’s no alternative for you. My coworker who also drives for the Mercedes dealers often tells us of the multi thousand dollar repair bills he submits to the owners of cars for routine repairs like brake jobs. That’s a high premium for a bowl of soup.

I almost never use the dealer except when the repair is something that only they can do. Instead, I have gathered a cadre of indie shops for minor and major repairs as well as places who specialize in transmissions, body work and upholstery.

It really depends on the dealer; the pricing at my BMW and M-B dealers are very reasonable (and in the case of my BMW dealer my costs are essentially zero since I use my BMW MasterCard reward cards).
Based on my experience with both marques I find the stories of "multi thousand-dollar repair bills" for brake jobs to be extremely questionable- unless we are talking about AMG ceramic brakes or similar.

Conversely, I’ve been told by various Mercedes and BMW owners and employees that the $2k brake job indeed is real. Were these sources exaggerating or forgetting to mention other services preformed? Perhaps but I know from experience that even on domestic cars it costs me more at a dealer for the same service as I get at the neighborhood shop.

Maybe your shops are giving you a discount because of your club memberships or your status in the community. My old shop used to give me a fleet discount and parts at cost because of all the business I gave him.

Maybe for an AMG or M car that needed rotors or a full rebuild. In my experience, for routine servicing and consumables, the dealer is close to indy prices. It is big work on older models where you don't want to go to a dealer. You'll save real money having the transmission or engine done on a 1995 car at the indy.

Michaell

MB Key update - my friend was asked to bring his car to the dealer, and it would take about a week for the keys to arrive and for it to be programmed. This is in LA, where MBs are like Camrys.

Insurance - my wife had to file a BK in her first marriage due to health costs. Her (then) husband was a roofer and managed to fall off the roof on a job. I don't think they were insured at all, and the bills were too much to handle.

explorerx4

I was on COBRA for about 7 months before I became eligible for Medicare.
Was able to pay my premiums out of my HSA, which was convenient since I wasn't working.

kyfdx

explorerx4 said:

I was on COBRA for about 7 months before I became eligible for Medicare.
Was able to pay my premiums out of my HSA, which was convenient since I wasn't working.

When I retired, I went on COBRA for 18 months, before taking company retiree coverage.. Saved about $500/mo.