Thoughts on AMG ownership

[Party Pete]

Hi there. I am seriously considering a second hand low mileage C63 and am interested in the experience of people on here who have owned AMG cars. In particular, I am interested in routine maintenance costs, in particular things like replacement rotors and the like which don't come up every day, but can be pretty expensive. I am not naive in this with my wife having an SLK already so I am used to Mercedes high servicing costs, but I am looking for any ideas of how much worse than a normal Merc the AMGs might be run. Finally, I understand that the 6.2 motor doesn't mind slurping some oil so I am also interested in what experience owners might have in this regards.

Cheers,

Peter.

[jaykay]

There are a few current and ex AMG owners on here so I am sure they will make comment sometime...

Good luck I am sure you will love it when you get your ass in one...

[Party Pete]

Thanks. I've driven a couple and yes, they are pretty awesome.

[jaykay]

What year / $ you lookin at ?

Another suggestion is talk to Sonny at Autowerx (sponsor here) as he deals with them everyday and would have a lot of info / advice...

[Party Pete]

2009 or 2010 and low mileage.

[jaykay]

If you can go a 10 model that would be better. When I was researching buying one Sonny told me the 10 engine has more power than the earlier models and a tune does wonders for them....

[sjhugh]

Oil usage is usually only during the break-in period or the first few thousand kilometres, after that it goes away.
Most second hand cars will have already gone through this.
The car will warn you once it requires about a litre of oil.
MB will do this on the spot for free. Just drive the car into a service centre and about a half an hour later (plus coffee and lunch) it will be ready.
Or alternatively keep some oil on hand at home and top it up yourself.
Mine only needed topping up twice in the first couple of months and has been fine ever since.


The MY2010 model will have more luxury than the 2009 model. There is a noticeable improvement in the entertainment system from 2010 onwards.


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[sjhugh]

There are cheaper alternatives than MB service centres when it comes to replacing expensive items like brake rotors and such.

Both genuine and aftermarket parts can be easily sourced from the USA and Germany for a fraction of the cost compared to here.
For example you’ll notice items like brake rotors for an AMG sourced from the USA will be a lot cheaper than say HSV rotors replaced at a Holden service centre.

Also if you are looking to save a bit of money, aftermarket servicing is the way to go.


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[Wonky]

http://amgmarket.com/2011/10/mercedes-benz-faces-class-action-lawsuits-for-amg-v8-engines/ :bawl:

[itsme4g63]

if no warantee & no aftermarket or extended warantee available? Then no.

[Pickles]

Owning an AMG is indeed special.....it's a bit of a "different" world.
I guess buying one is not much different than buying any car.....make sure you get a good one.....I suppose the ramifications of NOT buying a good one can be a bit harder on the hip pocket than with some other brands.....so warranty "could" be worthy of consideration.
With that in mind, buying a car from one of the big M.B. Dealers may not be a bad idea......and surprisingly, they doesn't appear to be much difference between Dealer & Private pricing.
Obviously the lower the Ks the better.....all book, ownership history etc to be present.
What is your budget?
Good luck, Pickles.

[jaykay]

If you are after warranty on one then look for the "Approved Pre-Owned" with the Mercedes logo on dealers cars as they give you 2 years warranty so if the car is out of or just about out of warranty this could be peace of mind for you. You may pay a bit more but that is the risk you take....

[mjrandom]

Not sure if MB do the same as BMW but some of their "Approved pre-owned" BMWs (M3) were ex journo fleet cars. Avoid those big time. I looked one over (without being aware of the history) and commented how it had new brake rotors, pads, tyres etc and only had 15,000km on the clock. The salesman was honest and showed me the old rotors. Yep it had been hammered. One of the others I looked at (and nearly bought) was the el Presidente's personal car that was about 6 months old, very few ks, presented as new, and had the full M catalog installed.

[matthewfnorbert]

agree. after owning vehicles with these sort of brake/rotor/tyre packages there are many options for common sense servicing and parts.
i have even had MB replace the ABS module 11,000kms out of warranty as goodwill despite not having it serviced by them from day one.

regardless, they are not cheap but you can make your own luck..

saw a brand new C63 coupe "black" (in red!) today ready for delivery, very nice!


There are cheaper alternatives than MB service centres when it comes to replacing expensive items like brake rotors and such.

Both genuine and aftermarket parts can be easily sourced from the USA and Germany for a fraction of the cost compared to here.
For example you’ll notice items like brake rotors for an AMG sourced from the USA will be a lot cheaper than say HSV rotors replaced at a Holden service centre.

Also if you are looking to save a bit of money, aftermarket servicing is the way to go.


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[VNV8]

Just out of interest, how much can be DIY'd with these things? I imagine everything is torx bolts, but apart from that how cramped/complicated are they?

[Party Pete]

Thanks guys for the comments. I am definitely thinking low mileage and Mercedes approved with warranty. My interest is more aimed at normal maintenance and wear items and whether Merc is charging significantly more for these sort of items than they do for non-amg cars. With rotors for example, what sort of thousands are we talking about for a front set when they eventually need replacing? As I said, I have got used to Mercedes normal high service costs for my wife's SLK but there has to be an outer limit to how badly you are prepared to be burned even with Mercedes.

[Ausmartin1]

Just out of interest, how much can be DIY'd with these things? I imagine everything is torx bolts, but apart from that how cramped/complicated are they?

I'm not sure the tools would be the major worry.....
try the hand held computer set up you need to release the brakes to perform regular services - is what I hear from ex MB mechanics!
Non dealers have equivalent high tech tools to work around it.

[Speedy Gonzales]

I'm not sure the tools would be the major worry.....
try the hand held computer set up you need to release the brakes to perform regular services - is what I hear from ex MB mechanics!
Non dealers have equivalent high tech tools to work around it.

True, its the scan tool and checker, they can cost heaps but of course, buy them in UK or US as with all the parts, Im lucky to have a master AMG tech who did his Benz training in Germany, my impression is, Benz dont want any grease monkey to work on an AMG, they want a pro

[itsme4g63]

Yes, alot of the european car manufacturers design their cars to be worked on with proprietary tooling, and all utilize bolts opposite of all other manufacturers, like torx and socket head cap screws, so you would need a new toolset off the bat plus whatever special tooling needed to do simple things like bleeding brakes. The cars are meant to be services by a dealer...... Basically you gotta pay to play kind of mantra.