Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

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?

I had to pay off a $50k hospital bill, so I guess I was an exception. I had no health insurance for 17 years because I couldn’t afford it.

I suppose it varies by state. Hospitals in the US can’t deny emergency care due to lack of insurance but they can come after you later. If you have resources like a house they can take that (ask me how I know). If you’re truly low income with no resources they really can’t do anything.

Sandman6472

I know for my gall bladder surgery in 2018, before I was on Medicare, costs upwards of $160K when all was said & done. The hospital bill came to about $148K and they refused to negotiate with me because I wasn't a deadbeat with no insurance. My portion came out to be just over $4200 and again I offered to negotiate with a check right then & there. Asked the guy what would happen if I didn't have my own insurance & he said they would just write it off. Again, tried to negotiate & he basically laughed in my face! Asked what was the minimum amount I could pay monthly which is exactly what I did. Sure, I could've written him a check for the full amount right then but figured why should I. Took me a little over two years but got it done.
About 15 months after the surgery, got a bill in the mail from a doctors office which I felt I didn't owe. This was right during the height of the pandemic where many were working from home. Turns out, the wrong codes were used originally so the bill went unpaid for months. The first couple of folks I spoke with were clueless & just wasted my time. Guy #3 was the charm as he noticed right away the wrong codes were put in, so he corrected them & proceeded to tell me my balance was now zero, which made me quite happy. All it took was getting the right guy to put i the correct codes to get my insurance to pay the bill they should've done all along!
Luckily, I'm now on Medicare plus our secondary insurance & costs are almost nil out of pocket.

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

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.

I know that my buddy’s place has one labor rate for MBs less than 10 years old and a higher rate for older cars.

tjc78

@oldfarmer50 said:
I had to pay off a $50k hospital bill, so I guess I was an exception. I had no health insurance for 17 years because I couldn’t afford it.

I suppose it varies by state. Hospitals in the US can’t deny emergency care due to lack of insurance but they can come after you later. If you have resources like a house they can take that (ask me how I know). If you’re truly low income with no resources they really can’t do anything.

I was extremely lucky that when I went through my Cancer BS and the birth of my kids I had amazing insurance that covered everything 100%. No copays, no coinsurance, no deductibles. Nothing.

Those plans are pretty much gone due to costs from what I understand.

stickguy

when our son was born our company policy paid 100%. no deductibles. It cost us $3.60, because my wife wanted a phone in the room and that was $1.90/day.

driver100

fintail said:

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:

The dealership has a virtual golf facility, a hair salon, a nails and cosmetic area, a showroom downstairs that features about 15 pre-owned MBs.
Thanks for the info about the SLK32 AMG. That is his fun car, he doesn't expect to make money on it. He just did all of the blackout badging including the grill and wheels. Normally I am not a fan of that, but I think it really makes it look like a 2023 instead of a 2004.

driver100

Michaell said:

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.

The key went exactly as it should. If the car is about 8 to 10 years old there are probably guys who can copy the fob....and they do it for about half the price. One friend found a guy to make one, it was half price, and he drove to her house to make the new fob. Not a lot of checking credentials either.

RE; Cost of Hospital: That is the type of story I have heard about. That is why I prefer universal healthcare. It is really like insurance.....pay a premium with higher taxes, but you know you won't get a huge medical bill.

When we travel we have health insurance as our Ontario insurance won't cover us when we are outside the country. One friend passed out on the golf course, one night in a Tampa hospital cost $12000 to do all the tests. Another friend couldn't move for 2 weeks, and he was in a bed the whole time. He was still in bad shape but the insurance company flew him back to a hospital here in a little Piper Cub type plane with a nurse....the hospital bill was over $120000!

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

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?

I had to pay off a $50k hospital bill, so I guess I was an exception. I had no health insurance for 17 years because I couldn’t afford it.

I suppose it varies by state. Hospitals in the US can’t deny emergency care due to lack of insurance but they can come after you later. If you have resources like a house they can take that (ask me how I know). If you’re truly low income with no resources they really can’t do anything.

That wouldn't have happened here......no $50000 hospital bill, whether you have the money or not.

fintail

Sounds on par with the big dealership attached to the MB Museum in Unterturkheim. In the posh Seattle suburb where I used to live, the dealership had none of that - free snacks if you were lucky. The dealership here doesn't have free snacks nor loaner cars. They are kind of stuck in a tough place, built before population here boomed in the past decade but ownership seems unwilling or unable to expand, so they are constantly busy - servicing usually requires booking at least a month ahead. Next closest dealer is 2+ hours away, so kind of a captive market for some things.

I assume the SLK stuff is all wrap and can be undone. In another 10-15 years that car will be a special interest collectible - not high dollar, but not an ordinary used car.

driver100 said:

fintail said:

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:

The dealership has a virtual golf facility, a hair salon, a nails and cosmetic area, a showroom downstairs that features about 15 pre-owned MBs.
Thanks for the info about the SLK32 AMG. That is his fun car, he doesn't expect to make money on it. He just did all of the blackout badging including the grill and wheels. Normally I am not a fan of that, but I think it really makes it look like a 2023 instead of a 2004.

fintail

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

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.

I know that my buddy’s place has one labor rate for MBs less than 10 years old and a higher rate for older cars.

Probably due to certain older cars being harder to work on, especially for young techs. MB had some troublesome overcomplicated cars around the turn of the century. On top of that, eventually pre-OBD cars are going to be problematic, give it another 10-20 years.

Still, indys are known for being a better option for more vintage cars where the tech isn't so complicated, yet they aren't antiques. 80s-90s cars especially. I can't imagine taking my old car to the dealer, with its overhead and labor rates.

fintail

oldfarmer50 said:

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?

I had to pay off a $50k hospital bill, so I guess I was an exception. I had no health insurance for 17 years because I couldn’t afford it.

I suppose it varies by state. Hospitals in the US can’t deny emergency care due to lack of insurance but they can come after you later. If you have resources like a house they can take that (ask me how I know). If you’re truly low income with no resources they really can’t do anything.

Stinks you had to go through that. Your experience shows where the system is broken. BK or losing a residence (I assume) via medical debt shows a system lacking in morals and/or ethics IMO.

I'm on a plan where the premium is OK relative to some offerings or what I have seen in the marketplace, but the coverage is odd. I think deductible is $3500, but copay doesn't cover much, so you can reach that deductible fast. I recently had an issue where I thought about seeing a specialist, but they were apparently booked out for many weeks. I went to an urgent care facility, in-network, but insurance only covered ~10% - HSA came in handy. Oddly, prescription coverage is strong, what supposedly cost insurance something like $150 cost me $8. It's all just too complicated and inefficient - people I know in Switzerland and Germany shake their heads at tales from here.

My mom is in her mid 70s, using Medicare, and she is pleased with it. She retired late (70) primarily because she was afraid to lose her employer plan and go to Medicare, but it was much less drama than she expected,

driver100

fintail said:

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

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.

I know that my buddy’s place has one labor rate for MBs less than 10 years old and a higher rate for older cars.

Probably due to certain older cars being harder to work on, especially for young techs. MB had some troublesome overcomplicated cars around the turn of the century. On top of that, eventually pre-OBD cars are going to be problematic, give it another 10-20 years.

Still, indys are known for being a better option for more vintage cars where the tech isn't so complicated, yet they aren't antiques. 80s-90s cars especially. I can't imagine taking my old car to the dealer, with its overhead and labor rates.

A friend in Florida has a 1984 BMW that he bought in Germany when he was stationed there as a Navy pilot, He brought it back to the U.S. He says he gets work at an indie dealer because it costs less, and the new car dealerships don't want to mess around with an old car....locate parts, figure out how to deal with them etc. An indie guy can figure all that out, and may have worked on these cars at one time.

The black SLK has no wrap. It was black, and he added the black out pieces, he ordered each item and then removed the old chrome part and applied the blackout items.

The BMW in Florida looks exactly like this;

roadburner

fintail said:

Sounds on par with the big dealership attached to the MB Museum in Unterturkheim. In the posh Seattle suburb where I used to live, the dealership had none of that - free snacks if you were lucky. The dealership here doesn't have free snacks nor loaner cars. They are kind of stuck in a tough place, built before population here boomed in the past decade but ownership seems unwilling or unable to expand, so they are constantly busy - servicing usually requires booking at least a month ahead. Next closest dealer is 2+ hours away, so kind of a captive market for some things.

My local dealer has a very nice facility. They do offer loaners and it has a small cafe area. Needless to say, what impresses me is their emphasis on performance.

ab348

I dunno how you folks in the USA can keep track of all those acronyms and what they offer.

You want to know how good the Canadian health care system is? A few years back, the then-Premier (I.e Governor) of Newfoundland discovered that he needed a heart bypass operation. Being an independently wealthy fellow, he got referred to one of the top surgeons in NYC and paid the 6 figure bill out of pocket.

stickguy

good. more openings for poor people.

ronsteve

@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.

Last couple tire patches I’ve had (one in 2019 and one this past spring) have been $25-35.

mjfloyd1

@stickguy said:
when our son was born our company policy paid 100%. no deductibles. It cost us $3.60, because my wife wanted a phone in the room and that was $1.90/day.

Methinks the math works out to $3.80😂

mjfloyd1

@ab348 said:
I dunno how you folks in the USA can keep track of all those acronyms and what they offer.

You want to know how good the Canadian health care system is? A few years back, the then-Premier (I.e Governor) of Newfoundland discovered that he needed a heart bypass operation. Being an independently wealthy fellow, he got referred to one of the top surgeons in NYC and paid the 6 figure bill out of pocket.

I’ve had a Canadian guy come here for coronary artery bypass surgery (son worked at the University here) because he didn’t want to wait and had cash. He paid in full.

mjfloyd1

Father / daughter ceramic coating day. It gets the rear glass replaced tomorrow because it doesn’t seem to seal rain out. Mine had the seal replaced but they are replacing the glass on hers. I assume the water damaged the rear defroster??

imidazol97

I see a local store has rubber drip pans for under a water heater along with metal. Is there an advantage to one type over the other.

jmonroe1

@mjfloyd1 said:

@stickguy said:
when our son was born our company policy paid 100%. no deductibles. It cost us $3.60, because my wife wanted a phone in the room and that was $1.90/day.

Methinks the math works out to $3.80😂

————————————————
I thought the same thing but maybe his wife was discharged earlier than the standard discharge time. So, got a rebate. Nah, they’d never do something like that. Forget about what I just said.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

@imidazol97 said:
I see a local store has rubber drip pans for under a water heater along with metal. Is there an advantage to one type over the other.

————————————————
RUST ?

jmonroe

driver100

mjfloyd1 said:

@ab348 said:

I dunno how you folks in the USA can keep track of all those acronyms and what they offer.

You want to know how good the Canadian health care system is? A few years back, the then-Premier (I.e Governor) of Newfoundland discovered that he needed a heart bypass operation. Being an independently wealthy fellow, he got referred to one of the top surgeons in NYC and paid the 6 figure bill out of pocket.

I’ve had a Canadian guy come here for coronary artery bypass surgery (son worked at the University here) because he didn’t want to wait and had cash. He paid in full.

Canadians can do that. Some go to countries like India for knees and hips for faster service. One problem is that if you need check-ups or repairs done etc., you will have to go back to where you had the surgery done. If you have the money......anything is possible!

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

@mjfloyd1 said:

@stickguy said:

when our son was born our company policy paid 100%. no deductibles. It cost us $3.60, because my wife wanted a phone in the room and that was $1.90/day.

Methinks the math works out to $3.80😂

————————————————

I thought the same thing but maybe his wife was discharged earlier than the standard discharge time. So, got a rebate. Nah, they’d never do something like that. Forget about what I just said.

jmonroe

Maybe there's a discount on the second day!

Michaell

driver100 said:

mjfloyd1 said:

@ab348 said:

I dunno how you folks in the USA can keep track of all those acronyms and what they offer.

You want to know how good the Canadian health care system is? A few years back, the then-Premier (I.e Governor) of Newfoundland discovered that he needed a heart bypass operation. Being an independently wealthy fellow, he got referred to one of the top surgeons in NYC and paid the 6 figure bill out of pocket.

I’ve had a Canadian guy come here for coronary artery bypass surgery (son worked at the University here) because he didn’t want to wait and had cash. He paid in full.

Canadians can do that. Some go to countries like India for knees and hips for faster service. One problem is that if you need check-ups or repairs done etc., you will have to go back to where you had the surgery done. If you have the money......anything is possible!

US Citizens do the same thing - it's called "medical tourism" and Mexico, India and other Southeast Asian countries are popular destinations.

In fact, there was a news article a month or two ago where some of these tourists were kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel, by accident. They were quickly released.

28firefighter

Re insurance, I’m on a very expensive biologic medication that gets infused every 8 weeks. Rack rate for my care just for that would be $250k a year.

I’ve been very lucky that my most recent and new employers have outstanding coverage. I cover myself, my wife, and son for under $200/month and have a max $3600 out of pocket for the family. Certainly makes the calculus for changing jobs more than just whatever the comp is.

fintail

driver100 said:

fintail said:

oldfarmer50 said:

fintail said:

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.

I know that my buddy’s place has one labor rate for MBs less than 10 years old and a higher rate for older cars.

Probably due to certain older cars being harder to work on, especially for young techs. MB had some troublesome overcomplicated cars around the turn of the century. On top of that, eventually pre-OBD cars are going to be problematic, give it another 10-20 years.

Still, indys are known for being a better option for more vintage cars where the tech isn't so complicated, yet they aren't antiques. 80s-90s cars especially. I can't imagine taking my old car to the dealer, with its overhead and labor rates.

A friend in Florida has a 1984 BMW that he bought in Germany when he was stationed there as a Navy pilot, He brought it back to the U.S. He says he gets work at an indie dealer because it costs less, and the new car dealerships don't want to mess around with an old car....locate parts, figure out how to deal with them etc. An indie guy can figure all that out, and may have worked on these cars at one time.

The black SLK has no wrap. It was black, and he added the black out pieces, he ordered each item and then removed the old chrome part and applied the blackout items.

The BMW in Florida looks exactly like this;

So he changed the emblems and maybe had the wheels coated? That can all be undone. If the next owner is a MB purist they will want to undo the updating.

That BMW is an E30, kind of a minor classic or special interest car, valuable in M3 form. That's something I see with many indys - they usually have at least one older mechanic who isn't scared of an old car. Although the place I was taking my old car to had the sad experience of the old tech passing away, so now they don't take old MBs.

fintail

roadburner said:

fintail said:

Sounds on par with the big dealership attached to the MB Museum in Unterturkheim. In the posh Seattle suburb where I used to live, the dealership had none of that - free snacks if you were lucky. The dealership here doesn't have free snacks nor loaner cars. They are kind of stuck in a tough place, built before population here boomed in the past decade but ownership seems unwilling or unable to expand, so they are constantly busy - servicing usually requires booking at least a month ahead. Next closest dealer is 2+ hours away, so kind of a captive market for some things.

My local dealer has a very nice facility. They do offer loaners and it has a small cafe area. Needless to say, what impresses me is their emphasis on performance.

Metro with 1MM+ population and maybe a mild climate will help with that. I've seen some higher spec vehicles here, especially G Wagens I suspect for local old money or rich transplants in north Idaho. Not many AMG sports car models though, and I have seen exactly one current model E63 wagon on the road here since I moved here. In the Seattle area dealer however, there was a special AMG section of the showroom, and almost anything might show up.

I will say the local dealer has been friendly and efficient in servicing my modern car, haven't had an issue.

stickguy

got ambitious and put engine and cabin filters in the Amazon cart. Should be next weeks project (at least the engine one, that requires getting multiple tools out, and watching a youtube video to figure out how to unearth is since a few panels and tubes have to come off, with the promise of broken clips as a bonus). I do have to take it in for an oil change (hopefully this week) and yes, if they make me a reasonable offer I will let them do it instead!

the cabin filter, that is about a 3 minute no tool job. Probably does not even need one since I last ordered one May 2022, so probably about 8k or so miles ago? And since it lives in the garage not likely to collect much debris in there. But it is cheap so might as well.

venture

stickguy said:

got ambitious and put engine and cabin filters in the Amazon cart. Should be next weeks project (at least the engine one, that requires getting multiple tools out, and watching a youtube video to figure out how to unearth is since a few panels and tubes have to come off, with the promise of broken clips as a bonus). I do have to take it in for an oil change (hopefully this week) and yes, if they make me a reasonable offer I will let them do it instead!

the cabin filter, that is about a 3 minute no tool job. Probably does not even need one since I last ordered one May 2022, so probably about 8k or so miles ago? And since it lives in the garage not likely to collect much debris in there. But it is cheap so might as well.

I remember when there was no cabin air filter, and yet here we are.

driver100

@fintail
RE: SLK: Personally, I would have left it as it was. But he is having fun with it and likes the updated look. No plan to sell or make money from it....unless he gets tired of it.
RE: 1984 BMW E3, Sometimes he has to order parts from other countries, usually from dealers or people in Germany. The last part I heard about was a speedometer mechanism.

The car looks like new.....but, it isn't easy keeping it on the road.

kyfdx

driver100 said:

@fintail
RE: SLK: Personally, I would have left it as it was. But he is having fun with it and likes the updated look. No plan to sell or make money from it....unless he gets tired of it.
RE: 1984 BMW E3, Sometimes he has to order parts from other countries, usually from dealers or people in Germany. The last part I heard about was a speedometer mechanism.

The car looks like new.....but, it isn't easy keeping it on the road.

'80s BMWs weren't easy or cheap to keep on the road in the '80s, either. Service required every 3 months or 3750 miles. When I saw the stack of service records from the first four years of our '87 325iS (acquired in 2011), it almost made me throw up.

graphicguy

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.

Hard to part with a trusted (using that term loosely) vehicle. But, at some point, the aggravation level exceeds the value the hooptie provides. Now, understand the last vehicle I owned out of warranty I flipped before they needed to be vacuumed out. So, consider my advice along the lines of "for what it's worth".

stickguy

Little different here being a work tool. Lower standards!

qbrozen

speaking of work, I'll be making a move soon.

I went through the interview process for the same job at a different company. I am going to give notice at my current gig. Either I'll get the other job OR I'm going to dive headlong into the car biz and anything else I need to do (such as sub teaching). Wife says I'm too damned miserable where I am and need to end it. I'm going to wait till after we get back from vacation, though. Might as well get paid while I'm away.

driver100

kyfdx said:

driver100 said:

@fintail
RE: SLK: Personally, I would have left it as it was. But he is having fun with it and likes the updated look. No plan to sell or make money from it....unless he gets tired of it.
RE: 1984 BMW E3, Sometimes he has to order parts from other countries, usually from dealers or people in Germany. The last part I heard about was a speedometer mechanism.

The car looks like new.....but, it isn't easy keeping it on the road.

'80s BMWs weren't easy or cheap to keep on the road in the '80s, either. Service required every 3 months or 3750 miles. When I saw the stack of service records from the first four years of our '87 325iS (acquired in 2011), it almost made me throw up.

Understood, doesn't BMW stand for BringMyWallet", Big Money Works, Bayerische Motoren Werk, . Bavarian Money Waster?
Service every 3 months or 3750 miles though, what a pain!

driver100

qbrozen said:

speaking of work, I'll be making a move soon.

I went through the interview process for the same job at a different company. I am going to give notice at my current gig. Either I'll get the other job OR I'm going to dive headlong into the car biz and anything else I need to do (such as sub teaching). Wife says I'm too damned miserable where I am and need to end it. I'm going to wait till after we get back from vacation, though. Might as well get paid while I'm away.

Sorry to hear that. I have had the best of jobs and the worst of jobs, so I know how awful it feels to be working at a place you aren't happy with. Good luck....go for it, make the change, things usually work out for the best.

sda

@qbrozen said:
speaking of work, I'll be making a move soon.

I went through the interview process for the same job at a different company. I am going to give notice at my current gig. Either I'll get the other job OR I'm going to dive headlong into the car biz and anything else I need to do (such as sub teaching). Wife says I'm too damned miserable where I am and need to end it. I'm going to wait till after we get back from vacation, though. Might as well get paid while I'm away.

Best of luck. Life is too short to be miserable especially when you have some control over it.

sda

@breld , Sorry to learn about your dog. We are currently giving a daily shot and every other day an IV to one of our golden doodles as she has a severe bladder infection that has not responded to antibiotics. Sweet BMW!

fintail

driver100 said:

@fintail
RE: SLK: Personally, I would have left it as it was. But he is having fun with it and likes the updated look. No plan to sell or make money from it....unless he gets tired of it.
RE: 1984 BMW E3, Sometimes he has to order parts from other countries, usually from dealers or people in Germany. The last part I heard about was a speedometer mechanism.

The car looks like new.....but, it isn't easy keeping it on the road.

Modifications being easy to reverse are key. Many MB purists are critical of cars that simply have incorrect wheels or an updated radio head unit. Those issues anyway can usually be remedied for relatively little money.

You gotta pay to play with German cars.

qbrozen

@kyfdx said:
'80s BMWs weren't easy or cheap to keep on the road in the '80s, either. Service required every 3 months or 3750 miles. When I saw the stack of service records from the first four years of our '87 325iS (acquired in 2011), it almost made me throw up.

Our ‘87 325 was darned cheap. I’m sure if I took it to a bimmer dealer, it would be a different story.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

@kyfdx said:

'80s BMWs weren't easy or cheap to keep on the road in the '80s, either. Service required every 3 months or 3750 miles. When I saw the stack of service records from the first four years of our '87 325iS (acquired in 2011), it almost made me throw up.

Our ‘87 325 was darned cheap. I’m sure if I took it to a bimmer dealer, it would be a different story.

I meant when new…. 🙂

jmonroe1

venture said:

stickguy said:

got ambitious and put engine and cabin filters in the Amazon cart. Should be next weeks project (at least the engine one, that requires getting multiple tools out, and watching a youtube video to figure out how to unearth is since a few panels and tubes have to come off, with the promise of broken clips as a bonus). I do have to take it in for an oil change (hopefully this week) and yes, if they make me a reasonable offer I will let them do it instead!

the cabin filter, that is about a 3 minute no tool job. Probably does not even need one since I last ordered one May 2022, so probably about 8k or so miles ago? And since it lives in the garage not likely to collect much debris in there. But it is cheap so might as well.

I remember when there was no cabin air filter, and yet here we are.

————————————————
Yep, I remember those days too but maybe it’s better this way. Like I’ve said before, “if I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself”.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

speaking of work, I'll be making a move soon.

I went through the interview process for the same job at a different company. I am going to give notice at my current gig. Either I'll get the other job OR I'm going to dive headlong into the car biz and anything else I need to do (such as sub teaching). Wife says I'm too damned miserable where I am and need to end it. I'm going to wait till after we get back from vacation, though. Might as well get paid while I'm away.

Sorry to hear that. I have had the best of jobs and the worst of jobs, so I know how awful it feels to be working at a place you aren't happy with. Good luck....go for it, make the change, things usually work out for the best.

————————————————
Are you talking about the old employer?

jmonroe

tjc78

Ok - so for something completely different.

There is a homesteader on a social platform that has one of those robotic mowers (like a Roomba). He is putting it on live stream and has made $2750 over the course of four days (four hours a day).

Why are people watching a lawn mower and donating gifts for the privilege of doing so?

SMH

Michaell

Funny, I was just reading an article this weekend about these things. Apparently, they are better for your lawn than a regular mower, as they run more frequently and only take off a small bit of the leaf with each pass. And, they can be programmed to run at night.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

Ok - so for something completely different.

There is a homesteader on a social platform that has one of those robotic mowers (like a Roomba). He is putting it on live stream and has made $2750 over the course of four days (four hours a day).

Why are people watching a lawn mower and donating gifts for the privilege of doing so?

SMH

————————————————
I hear what you’re saying but how can that be verified?

jmonroe

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

Funny, I was just reading an article this weekend about these things. Apparently, they are better for your lawn than a regular mower, as they run more frequently and only take off a small bit of the leaf with each pass. And, they can be programmed to run at night.

————————————————
In some neighborhoods if you ran it at night you better have a Doberman watching it.

jmonroe

Michaell

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

Funny, I was just reading an article this weekend about these things. Apparently, they are better for your lawn than a regular mower, as they run more frequently and only take off a small bit of the leaf with each pass. And, they can be programmed to run at night.

————————————————
In some neighborhoods if you ran it at night you better have a Doberman watching it.

jmonroe

I assume it would be for the back yard only. As expensive as they are, I'm not sure I'd ever let it run unattended, anywhere.

qbrozen

let me know when they make one that can cover 4 acres. I have a robovac that can't even handle more than 1 room, and you'd better make sure the floor is completely clear of any obstacles if you don't want to find it stuck rather than doing its job. So I don't have much faith in a robo lawn mower, that's for sure.