Mercedes Oil Change Cost: Why So High?

Mercedes oil changes cost more due to complex designs, underbody covers, special oils, and dealership labor. Understanding the process explains the higher bill and service intricacy.

According to an in-depth break down by FCP Euro, the cost of a Mercedes oil adjustment at a dealership can vary “somewhere in between $180-$ 450” depending on design, engine dimension, and area. That premium is driven not just by greater labor rates, yet additionally by bundled services, extra oil quantities, and sometimes several drain factors or filter adjustments.

The High Cost Explained

For gearheads or everyday owners, the takeaway is clear: understanding what happens below the auto helps explain the billing. That $200+ Mercedes oil adjustment is greater than simply oil and filter, and consists of labor to eliminate a shield, drainpipe complicated systems, replace one-time-use plastic drainpipe connects, and ensure spec-correct fluid.

“We obtained these strange little teeny screws,” he mentions as his video camera navigates around the skid plate that has to be removed to access the drain plug and eliminate the oil. “Individuals are like, ‘Oh, oil change on a Mercedes, so costly.’ Yeah, this is why.”

They additionally enhance service intricacy: service technicians should eliminate them, commonly using lifts, prior to accessing the oil pan or filter.

If you drive a Toyota or other simpler design, the comparison is plain: fewer under-body covers, less bolts, less complex gain access to, lower cost. The following time you hear a person state “my oil change cost $XX,” you’ll know a little bit even more of what entered into it.

Skid Plates and Complexity

Why does a high-end SUV need getting rid of a large skid plate simply to do routine upkeep? The solutions depend on the general style philosophy. Underbody covers improve the rules of aerodynamics, lower sound, and safeguard the drivetrain and engine elements from roadway debris and sprinkle. Nonetheless, they also raise service complexity: technicians must eliminate them, usually using lifts, prior to accessing the oil frying pan or filter.

Simply put, when Regalado jokes “all this for the drainpipe plug,” he’s touching on the reality of high-end vehicle solution: more time under the auto, more taking down up front, and certainly extra dollars on the invoice.

Underneath the GLS 450, and numerous various other lorries from the Stuttgart marque, lies not just the engine oil pan and filter however likewise a skid plate or plastic treatment, which must be removed before the real oil change work begins. That suggests getting rid of several bolts, in some cases 8 or more screws, to gain access. One discussion forum thread also flags a “skid plate charge” for eliminating the screws as part of an oil modification.

DIY vs. Dealership Service

DIYers may save money, yet require to consider complexity: is a lift called for? Do you have access to the proper filter cartridge? Are the bolts re-torqued properly? And for service warranty owners, utilizing the wrong specification oil might void your insurance coverage.

The clip from South Carolina lube technology Austen Regalado (@austen. regalado), which has been seen greater than 845,000 times, shows him taking care of the underside of a Mercedes-Benz GLS 450s, and the greater time and labor threshold for executing a regular oil adjustment on the German model.

It’s additionally worth keeping in mind that quick-lube stores might not make use of the correct oil spec or have the correct tools. One blog site cautions that “a great deal of Mercedes-Benz cars have multiple drainpipe points … which implies more time to make the changes.”

Oil Specifications Matter

Furthermore, several modern-day Mercedes engines require complete artificial oil that fulfills strict MB specifications, such as MB 229.5, and commonly require bigger quantities as a result of twin-turbo arrangements or V-configurations. Combine that with dealership labor prices and greater expectations for tooling and training, and you have a dish for sticker label shock at the service counter.

“We obtained these unusual little teensy bolts,” he directs out as his camera navigates around the skid plate that has actually to be eliminated to access the drainpipe plug and eliminate the oil. Below the GLS 450, and numerous various other cars from the Stuttgart marque, lies not just the engine oil frying pan and filter however additionally a skid plate or plastic treatment, which need to be gotten rid of before the actual oil change work begins. One discussion forum thread also flags a “skid plate charge” for eliminating the screws as part of an oil adjustment.

And for guarantee owners, making use of the incorrect specification oil may nullify your insurance coverage.

Call it a cars and truck society clash. German high-end satisfied Japanese functionality when a Toyota tech tried to change the oil on a Mercedes-Benz SUV, and uncovered that even routine maintenance can become a design face-off.