My Wish Came Through (haha)

[Vinceng]

 

Just curious, have you ever toggle too much while driving that it went beyond Neutral gear that the Reverse gear was engaged instead? I am not sure if there is safety design built in that prevent gear stick from being toggled from Drive to Reverse directly. Not dare to try haha.

 

 

JDM Toyota Sienta has this issue but not the Thai assembled ones distributed by Borneo Motors where the gears are located lower.

[Heartlander]

Tink he mentioned b4 somewhere he undergoing MLC n wanted a badge....lol

Yes true to certain extend. I am not hard up on the badge but just exploring the possibility of fulfilling this dream. If due diligence showed not worth it, then I will definitely abandon the idea as I am a very practical person. I would just say that things work in mysterious way, as SO MANY stars had aligned to make this a possibility! 

 

But now here I am.

 

The purpose of my sharing is that if you are looking for a compact ride with $80k budget, can really consider this ride if you want something different that can offer much more. You have to sacrifice about 3 years of ownership upfront, but what you can get is definitely beyond the class of car that you can get otherwise. And who knows, because the scrap value is very low, you could just extend it for another 5 years if the car condition is still good without feeling the pinch. You could even renew it and offload in the market for some profit if the market condition is right haha.

[Vratenza]

I started a separate thread on this gear shifter topic as I find that alot of merc owners will be interested in this issue. 

 

http://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2711890-mercedes-gear-shifter-steering-mounted/

 

Precisely the adjustment to be made! and frankly the space saved is not that much to begin with haha. 

 

Actually my wife got hers while I was still on the lookout for my ride. Back then everything was still abit fluid. My wife actually wanted a new Jazz/Fit or a 2 year old Vitara, but after driving for a few days adamant that we get another B180 partly because she like it a lot and also partly because of this gear stick thingy. She thought it is dangerous to toggle the wrong stick while driving, which I agreed as it happened a few times back then, so better to have 2 of the same to minimise this occurances. So it is a win-win kind of decision.

 

Just curious, have you ever toggle too much while driving that it went beyond Neutral gear that the Reverse gear was engaged instead? I am not sure if there is safety design built in that prevent gear stick from being toggled from Drive to Reverse directly. Not dare to try haha.

How about if need to activate wiper? Muscle memory will auto dictate you to toggle the right stick haha.

 

Edited September 20, 2018 by Vratenza

[Amazon777]

Yes true to certain extend. I am not hard up on the badge but just exploring the possibility of fulfilling this dream. If due diligence showed not worth it, then I will definitely abandon the idea as I am a very practical person. I would just say that things work in mysterious way, as SO MANY stars had aligned to make this a possibility!

 

But now here I am.

 

The purpose of my sharing is that if you are looking for a compact ride with $80k budget, can really consider this ride if you want something different that can offer much more. You have to sacrifice about 3 years of ownership upfront, but what you can get is definitely beyond the class of car that you can get otherwise. And who knows, because the scrap value is very low, you could just extend it for another 5 years if the car condition is still good without feeling the pinch. You could even renew it and offload in the market for some profit if the market condition is right haha.

If the Merc is just below 3yrs, can extend 2yrs warranty with CnC for $2K. I bought a W205 which was just past 3yrs mark do not qualified for the extended warranty. CnC dont have this scheme in the past, just launched early this year. Edited September 20, 2018 by Amazon777

[Heartlander]

If the Merc is just below 3yrs, can extend 2yrs warranty with CnC for $2K. I bought a W205 which was just past 3yrs mark do not qualified for the extended warranty. CnC dont have this scheme in the past, just launched early this year.

Thanks very much for sharing this info. But then how much benefit can I get extending my warranty? 

 

One of my ride will be eligible, so would be keen if worth it. 

[1fast1]

Congrats on your new purchases, wishing you many hours of happy motoring.

 

Two Mercs, same model? Not my personal cup of tea (I like variety), but if it makes you happy, that's the most important.

 

The last guy I knew who did this was my good friend (who's also the boss of Anika), he and his dad bought two E63S AMGs at the same time. I was at the delivery party, there was a pole dancer and everything. Scandalised my innocent mind.

[Heartlander]

Congrats on your new purchases, wishing you many hours of happy motoring.

 

Two Mercs, same model? Not my personal cup of tea (I like variety), but if it makes you happy, that's the most important.

 

The last guy I knew who did this was my good friend (who's also the boss of Anika), he and his dad bought two E63S AMGs at the same time. I was at the delivery party, there was a pole dancer and everything. Scandalised my innocent mind.

Thanks. Just 2 used and cheap cars that I got lah.

 

But even then though is among the lowest rung, really amazed by what I can get against the usual jap/Korean alternatives. So far no regrets taking this un-usual route, think I should be one of the very few people to do it haha.

 

Anyway seems like seldom see you posting nowadays. Living a too good life to come this forum haha?

[1fast1]

Thanks. Just 2 used and cheap cars that I got lah.

 

But even then though is among the lowest rung, really amazed by what I can get against the usual jap/Korean alternatives. So far no regrets taking this un-usual route, think I should be one of the very few people to do it haha.

 

Anyway seems like seldom see you posting nowadays. Living a too good life to come this forum haha?

Lol, just took a long break. Felt like posting again, so I did. I might change my mind again haha.

[Heartlander]

Ok allow me to share another related event. Sorry for another WOT.

 

I have been finding out info on servicing, the exact cost. Have heard sharings from colleagues who own Mercedes rides as well as reading online. Ultimately proven to be not so accurate the more I probed. It is really amazing many Mercedes owners that I know do not know much about servicing and costs. Just pay lor, that is what I often got. Not really helpful.

 

After calling the C&C servicing hotline, and together with what I searched and heard, managed to piece together the picture. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Basically there are 3 levels of servicing - I termed them A, B, C. A is just for lubrication services, done at 10k/20k or 15k, 40k/50k or 45k, etc,. B is for more thorough servicing, at 30k, 90k, etc. C is for full service, at 60k, 120km, etc. There is a confusing part for service A, as it can be done once or twice during the interval depending on fancy of owners, eg just after 30k B servicing, can do A at 40k, then A again at 50k before the C servicing at 60k, or just do a A at 45km that's it. Hope you get the picture.

 

Then come to the cost. If done at C&C, A=$500, B=$1100, C=$2200. Can buy the Star maintenance package of 3 or 5 services which are equivalent to service A. The services can be used for B or C but have to pay the differences. And that is just for general servicing, without replacement parts costs. I nearly fell on the floor knowing it, as my colleagues really have been clueless in their advice, sorry to be blunt, only know how to use the service credits to pay and pay. So it is definitely higher than the normal servicing costs for typical jap/Korean rides. The highest I paid before was for previous Biante which I paid close to $800 for 60k servicing.

 

So I called up Chip Soon at Tampines for some figure to see the difference if service at outside workshop as it is near my house at east side and has many positive reviews from Mercedes owners. Now that my B180 already warranty over, nothing to stop me from going out so to speak. From the call, the cost doing it there for 60k servicing would come to $1300 with GST. I asked to confirm that the workshop follows all the procedures, used the genuine parts, and has all the necessary diagnostic equipment, and it will take only 5 hours to complete. So I decided to take up the service package from Chip Soon as I have nothing against my money in the bank.

 

So I went there early reaching just before 9am, and surprised to be greeted by a mechanic already working, who explained the costs to me, that the company uses only genuine Mercedes parts and follow all procedure and have all the necessary tools. Then he took my ride with me for a drive to hear about the weird noise I have been hearing. Along the way, chit chat to find out that he was formerly from C&C and left because of low pay. Really low pay. And he shared that actually parts replacement for Mercedes is not expensive unless done at C&C. Using genuine parts, eg, brake disc and pads costs are about the same as typical jap rides. After the drive, he concurred that there is abnormal sound from bonnet at certain road. Then he proceeded to jack up  the car to do preliminary check which I was able to hang around to learn how to spot whether the parts need to be replaced or not, something definitely not possible if done at C&C. Turned out that I need to replace also the rear disc and brake pads, which the mechanic took the trouble to show me the condition why need to replace. Was advised that the replacement costs would come to about $500, which I later googled to be reasonable. Also he showed me a engine mounting that had crumbled and that could be why giving the weird noise, costing about $200. Also the battery need to be replaced as the diagnostic tool showed it having only 15% life. Changed to a Varta original Mercedes battery at $320, sure to cost much more at C&C.

 

So total spent about $2650. To me that is quite some money to pay for a servicing but to be fair, the brake discs and pads + engine mounting + battery, on top of misc engine flushing and aircon flushing that I approved to do, already took up half that cost. The tear-and-wear parts sure have to pay at certain juncture of car ownership, be it on conti or jap or Korean rides. I am sure if to do that C&C the costs will come to >$4k which would be a bigger shock. Must see that it is not this much at every servicing, but for major ones only.

 

So my advice for those who keen to take this route, please be prepared to pay more for servicing. You can mitigate by doing it outside such as Chip Soon where the costs would be about halved. At Chip Soon, service A=$220, B=$500, C=$1200 inclusive of all the necessary parts such as cabin filter, Shell Ultra 5W40 engine oil, oil filter, etc, still palatable if you love Mercedes cars as only slightly more ex than doing servicing at typical Jap/Korean AD workshops such as Mazda. The key thing is that the parts are all genuine and the workshop has all the necessary tools. I saw quite a few B180 and B200 while there, so it must be doing something correct lah. On top of that, get ready to pay for tear-and-wear parts.

 

So this would most probably be one of my last posts here, as the transformation journey is almost completed. Hope this sharing has helped to de-mystify some of the misconceptions we have about Mercedes servicing here, that it must be very expensive to upkeep. Definitely true if done at C&C, but definitely manageable if done at proper outside workshops. And hopefully more will buy the used B-class rides, or even other Mercedes rides, as really good quality for the price compare to typical alternatives from Jap/korea. Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

[TameDriver]

Thanks. Two used rides but surprisingly like new condition. Conti seems to be able to age much better than jap rides.

 

Definitely true about the insurance part. No choice haha.

 

Two very contrast colour haha.

 

 

Congrats on ur purchases. Read ur latest post on the servicing costs.

 

I think u missed out mentioning the most important thing....checking the age of the tyres & its conditions.

Basically, tyre change recommended every 3 years or 40,000km.

 

Although ur 3 year old preowneds may have lower mileages & the tire threads still good, the rubber will harden & will affect braking distance & grip (esp on wet roads).

 

So, for Safety & peace of mind, this is one cost that you should not stinge on.

Happy driving !

[Heartlander]

Congrats on ur purchases. Read ur latest post on the servicing costs.

 

I think u missed out mentioning the most important thing....checking the age of the tyres & its conditions.

Basically, tyre change recommended every 3 years or 40,000km.

 

Although ur 3 year old preowneds may have lower mileages & the tire threads still good, the rubber will harden & will affect braking distance & grip (esp on wet roads).

 

So, for Safety & peace of mind, this is one cost that you should not stinge on.

Happy driving !

Thanks for pointing it out.

 

I did not need to worry about the tyres on my car as its YOM is mid of 2017, still very new.

 

I changed that for my wife to Michelin PS4 at $140/tyre soon after handing over as its YOM was in early 2014! Would be getting that next year as the tyres are good in my experience.

[Heartlander]

Just this morning it came to me that how come my ride got a B for STA evaluation but it failed to detect the broken engine mounting and also the worn-out rear disc and brake pads. True that the bad battery was flagged out as failed in the report, but the 2 major tear-and-wear items were not mentioned in the report at all.

 

So the conclusion is that do not trust the STA report too much, but just use it as a reference. Basically it is more on checking road-worthiness and not on tear-and-wear items, which the car can still move despite the condition. No wonder I have read that there are car being welded together and still can get a B haha, not sure how true it is. Also read that the grade can be "bought" one.

 

And my observation when dealing with used car dealers in my recent encounters is that when I approached them about their car condition, they always eager to tell me they can send the cars to do inspection or already done, yet when I try to sell my previous car to them, none of them demanded for the car to go through the inspection. This really speak about the effectiveness of the procedure in evaluating the car haha. Think a prolong test-drive to look out for abnormal noise and making sure the drive is smooth is something that is more important and must do, if you cannot get a trusted mechanic to do it for you. Alternatively, if you are getting a used Merc, pay for it to be evaluated by the C&C workshop:

 

https://www.mercedes-benz.com.sg/passengercars/being-an-owner/service-and-maintenance/genuine-parts.module.html

 

Another inspection centre, AA, seems to be more comprehensive and respected but I cannot comment as have no experience with it. Cheers.

Edited September 28, 2018 by Heartlander

[Mkl22]

Now then you know that whatever STA report that the used car dealer provides or ask you to pay is a complete waste of time and money.

 

Anyway engine and Aircon flushing is not necessary. It’s just another revenue generator for the workshop. Like you said, follow manufacturer service items. I have never seen any manufacturer in the entire world to say an engine or Aircon flush is needed as a service item!

 

Yes Mercedes parts are not that expensive, but c&c certainly is. We have the luxury of the main Daimler parts centre located in Singapore which if I’m not wrong services SEA and Australia New Zealand. So for models within the last 15years, parts is totally not an issue. And usually if you place an emergency pick, the part can come within 2days. If not air freight from Germany will take around 2-3weeks. Sometimes even faster. But air freight is usually only for the rarer models and more unique parts.

 

C&C is also a distributor and they also get the parts from the Daimler warehouse. To reduce inventory cost, I doubt very much that they carry any parts themselves.

 

Forget about going back to c&c, you only waste time and money there. Outside workshops are equally if not more competent.

[Heartlander]

Now then you know that whatever STA report that the used car dealer provides or ask you to pay is a complete waste of time and money.

Actually I have been reading about this for awhile. I know most remarked that they are not to be trusted. But to me is better than nothing haha.

Anyway engine and Aircon flushing is not necessary. It’s just another revenue generator for the workshop. Like you said, follow manufacturer service items. I have never seen any manufacturer in the entire world to say an engine or Aircon flush is needed as a service item!

Understand. Most of us would want better for our car, even though we know the effect is not really much. I have tried engine additives for Mazda previously as it did improved the response, so just gave it a try lah. Anyway only cost < $100 haha. For aircon flushing, I felt aircon not that cold though the mechanic did share that there is heater so definitely cannot compare to typical jap cars. So just gave it a try as really no idea how the previous owner has abused the car so pampered it sbit more now.

Yes Mercedes parts are not that expensive, but c&c certainly is. We have the luxury of the main Daimler parts centre located in Singapore which if I’m not wrong services SEA and Australia New Zealand. So for models within the last 15years, parts is totally not an issue. And usually if you place an emergency pick, the part can come within 2days. If not air freight from Germany will take around 2-3weeks. Sometimes even faster. But air freight is usually only for the rarer models and more unique parts.

Thanks for sharing, and the affirmation the Mercedes parts are not cheap.

C&C is also a distributor and they also get the parts from the Daimler warehouse. To reduce inventory cost, I doubt very much that they carry any parts themselves.

 

Forget about going back to c&c, you only waste time and money there. Outside workshops are equally if not more competent.

 

 

[Mkl22]

Most Japanese cars have climate control as well, so a heater is also there.

[1fast1]

 

It's not better than nothing. A false sense of security can be worse than nothing.

 

STA inspections of used cars is like flushing your money down the toilet. Not to mention the time wasted. Only the grossest defects can be detected, which you can probably pick up yourself.

 

Always get an inspection by a trusted specialist workshop that knows the make and model. If you're not sure, do a search (or ask a question) at an enthusiast form like sgmerc.

Edited September 28, 2018 by Turboflat4

[Heartlander]

It's not better than nothing. A false sense of security can be worse than nothing.

 

STA inspections of used cars is like flushing your money down the toilet. Not to mention the time wasted. Only the grossest defects can be detected, which you can probably pick up yourself.

 

Always get an inspection by a trusted specialist workshop that knows the make and model. If you're not sure, do a search (or ask a question) at an enthusiast form like sgmerc.

Understand and agree with what you have shared.

 

But I would still think it is of some value for someone who has very little knowledge on cars and do not have a trusted mechanic because he never own any cars before thus do not have any relationship with any workshop thus do not have the privilege of having a trusted mechanic to do comprehensive checks for him. Don't laught because most of us fall into this category even after owning cars for many years haha. Most of us only buy cars from AD and AD workshops do not do this kind of checks even if you approach the mechanics privately. One exception I just know of is Mercedes Benz that provide used car checks service but I do not bother to call up to ask as I do not think it is cheap.

 

I agree very much that the STA report can only indicate road worthiness, which is a very low bar to begin with. To me is still better than none for certain category of people, just need to know the limitation and not to have false hope of security. I still end up paying some money to service the tear-and wear parts which would not be flagged out by the report, hopefully not more to come soon.

 

Now may I ask you one question: what is the actual FC of your Mac 12C? Stated 8.5km/L on paper right? Of course this is something so trivial for someone who owns such cars that have century sprint of about 3s. Just very curious as do not know anyone else with such rides haha. Cheers.

[1fast1]

Understand and agree with what you have shared.

 

But I would still think it is of some value for someone who has very little knowledge on cars and do not have a trusted mechanic because he never own any cars before thus do not have any relationship with any workshop thus do not have the privilege of having a trusted mechanic to do comprehensive checks for him. Don't laught because most of us fall into this category even after owning cars for many years haha. Most of us only buy cars from AD and AD workshops do not do this kind of checks even if you approach the mechanics privately. One exception I just know of is Mercedes Benz that provide used car checks service but I do not bother to call up to ask as I do not think it is cheap.

 

I agree very much that the STA report can only indicate road worthiness, which is a very low bar to begin with. To me is still better than none for certain category of people, just need to know the limitation and not to have false hope of security. I still end up paying some money to service the tear-and wear parts which would not be flagged out by the report, hopefully not more to come soon.

 

Now may I ask you one question: what is the actual FC of your Mac 12C? Stated 8.5km/L on paper right? Of course this is something so trivial for someone who owns such cars that have century sprint of about 3s. Just very curious as do not know anyone else with such rides haha. Cheers.

Yeah I get where you're coming from. But that's why new buyers should make friends with old birds to guide them.

 

The way I drive (handling on sport, powertrain on track and pure manual shifts after warmup), my FC is atrocious. I think slightly less than 6km/l though I haven't calculated. I go wide open throttle frequently and I accelerate ...er...within the limit wink wink lol.

 

If I left it fully in normal mode with auto shifts, my FC would be better but I still don't think I can hit 7km/l. My foot is too heavy for that. With a lighter foot I can achieve 7+ but I would die of frustration haha.

 

I don't worry about FC. Life's too short.

 

EDIT: Blardy hell, even worse than I thought.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Turboflat4