Iridium Plugs

Merc went for its annual Merc main dealer service today. It’s done 27k miles and is 4 years old.

Apart from the oil and filter change (and a whole load of other nonsense they add it to make the price not seem quite as obscene) they offered me:
- brake fluid change
- air filter change
- iridium plugs change

I took the fluid change as fluid degrades with age and the air filter change because, well, I’d expect it to be part of a service anyway but declined the plugs - after all, the car has only done 27k and, depending on brand, iridium plugs are meant to be good for up to 100k miles and I can’t see them degrading with age.

That’s fine, the bloke said, but you’ll lose your Mercedes Assistance cover!

So, there I am faced with paying £310 for 6 plugs that don’t need changing or losing (forever, presumably) the Merc breakdown cover. I declined and will call Merc UK on Monday.

I like Mercs to drive but I hate dealing with any part of their after sales.

Wow, talk about bullying tactics. And £310 for 6 plugs!?! Thats £51 each.
I'll never moan again about coupes being expensive to maintain.

What does the service manual say about spark plug changes? Are Iridium the only option?

When you say "they offered", do they mean that it is part of the required maintenance at that point in time? If it is not, then the treat of removing a service cannot be right?

I assume that the £310 includes fitting at Mercedes dealer rates? The plugs are probably half that total?

It was an “option”

Yup - might include some labour - can’t imagine its that hard on a front-engined V6 though. They had completed the £400 oil, filter and brake fluid change by 9am...

As I recall, on the old S type Jag V6, you had to remove the inlet manifold to access the plugs. It might not be as easy as you think on yours

TBH - the price isn’t my gripe - it’s changing plugs at 27k - or not, and being held to ransom.

That said, YouTube shows that plug replacement on the V6 is as simple as you could imagine: plastic covers off, couple of pipes to remove, then coil packs and plugs.

Funny, I have an S-Type with those difficult to access plugs

Jaguar also used iridium plugs and stipulated a mileage related change on their Vehicle Maintenance Sheet. Time was not an issue for plugs.

I changed them myself when the car was about 11 years old but probably only had covered 40k miles because I was worried that they might get progressively harder to get out the longer I left them in.

My iridium NGK plugs are removed every 25k on a SEAT, but recommended to be changed at 75k, when i had the 80k service, was advised good for another 20k. Mine are in a VW TSI engine.

27k change for a MB sounds bonkers.

The plot thickens slightly: Merc say that you do not lose your breakdown cover if you choose not to do optional items. Sytner dealerships are wrong to be saying this.

When I raised it with Sytners (Merc Swindon) the lady I spoke to said they’d been telling customers this for at least the last year (the length of time she’d worked there). This raises the question of how many customers have been misled and sold work that wasn’t necessary.

So the saga continues. After a month of messing about, Mercedes say that it is correct that if you don’t have the “optional” service items done, you lose your breakdown cover, your accident recovery and your 30-year anti-perforation warranty.

He explained that it is “optional” because you can choose not to do it. I retorted that I can “choose” not to service the car at all so I can’t see the difference.

Personally I think that it’s just a scam to make servicing costs seem less and possibly to reduce the cost of the service plans they sell (these “optional” items bring extras).

As I have AA cover anyway and, by servicing the car at any point in the future, you can restore the cover they give, it’s all a total nonsense.