Are you close enough to a State line that you could to out of state to have the work done?
There was a comment that I read that seems to be true "If you own a old Mercedes you are either rich or a Mechanic".
In the particular case I would give the Mercedes Dealer a call and see what their charge would be.
I used to be a Diesel Mechanic and my pressure rises when I read about overcharging for jobs.
And, even with the high prices they often do a bad job.
Your best defense is to start learning some new skills!
Nope. The closest state line is actually Mexico. Not going there. There are mechanics that charge less, but even the cheapest mechanics that might not be diesel or MB familiar will charge at least $75 or $80 an hour. I trust my indy guy to do the job right and haven't had a problem yet.
The MB dealer near me is good for parts price wise. I recently bought discs and rotors for my w203 and did the install. Parts from the dealer were about the same price as peachparts and autohausaz. However the labor rate at the dealer is $135 per hour. Marble floors and free coffee don't pay for themselves....The indy's know this and charge $90 knowing that its good business. I believe that much of the higher labor rates in SD stem from high real estate costs.
It's not so much a lack of skills. Moreso lack of space, garage, facilities, time, etc. (I don't even have a flat driveway/workspace that will allow me to put the car on stands). I can do a lot of things and have learned a ton owning a w123 for a few years. Yet, a valve job is a $120 once every couple years. Not a huge expense to me. The only major expense I've had in more than two years is a steering box replacement. Boy did I paid for that one.
