In the main internal engine diagnostics article, we stressed the importance of good maintenance for engine longevity. Service is your business, so you already know how important regular maintenance is not only for the engine, but for all the systems in a vehicle. Have you ever made the effort to explain this to your customers?

Your customers bought a Mercedes-Benz for its safety and reliability. If you ask them, most will tell you that they expect their cars to be 100% reliable, and get (rightly) upset when it isn’t. They use their cars to live their lives: earn money at work, transport the family, get groceries, and other basic needs. So for most people, their car is their most important possession, even more so than their house: You can live in your car, but you can’t drive your house to work.

For these reasons, regular maintenance is critically important to keeping the car reliable. It’s also a chance for your experienced Mercedes-Benz technician to check all of the vehicle systems for potential issues that might compromise reliability or safety.

Genuine Mercedes-Benz maintenance components and fluids really are the best.  This is partly because the engineers who designed the vehicles in the first place help specify the characteristics of the products.  But beyond that, the company runs a continuous testing program, tracks the results, and turns them into statistics. The Mercedes-Benz Genuine Parts Testing Program is much more comprehensive and appropriate to our market than you probably know. The testing is designed to measure the actual impact the quality of the part or fluid has on the customer.  In other words, for real-world situations, not for some ivory-tower ideal.

Testing is done in the U.S., which assures that the findings are really market-appropriate.  This country has special conditions (there’s nothing in Europe equal to Death Valley, for example), different fuel blends, bigger engines, and unique regulations.  This is true road testing; it’s not done on a dynamometer.   

In every case, Mercedes-Benz employs independent laboratories to be sure the results are from an objective third party and are not skewed by brand loyalty.

Here are some examples of the testing and the products it results in:

Air Filters:

Air filters are tested for 2,000 miles over the same route.  The tests have proved that the use of Genuine air filters has a substantial impact on fuel efficiency.  Especially with diesels, performance goes down when an aftermarket part is installed.

Benefits of the use of Genuine Mercedes-Benz air filters include:

• Up to 60% more airflow
• High-quality filter material that holds up well against snow, water, and other harsh road conditions
• Protects the engine from harmful dirt particles, gravel, and other debris
• The soft rubber gasket fits perfectly and seals tightly, helping prevent unfiltered air from entering the engine
• Captures 28% more soot over its lifetime than other brands
• Lasts up to 3X longer than some after-market alternative

Oil Filters:

Genuine Mercedes-Benz oil filters offer great benefits:

• Last up to 45% longer than aftermarket parts
• Proven reliability even under harsh conditions
• Filter out hazardous dirt particles as small as .5 micron
• Made with high-quality fleece material that resists deformation

Cabin Filters:

The time required for the installation of cabin filters adds up.  Genuine Mercedes-Benz units can be installed more quickly because they don’t have to be modified to make them fit, and sealing is optimized.  The seal is tested for blow-by with special equipment that measures particles in the air.

Benefits:

• Up to 2X better filtration over the course of the part’s lifetime
• Removes up to 150% more potentially harmful particles smaller than .1 micron than aftermarket versions
• Made with high-quality charcoal layers

Windshield Wipers:

With Genuine M-B parts, their curve matches that of the windscreen of each model, so the pressure on the blade/glass interface is optimized.  While competing wiper blades are made of poured rubber, Genuine Mercedes-Benz blades are extruded, which gives better performance and a 20% lower wear rate — they’re tested for 1.5M cycles!  Many also have a helpful wear indicator that changes color when replacement is needed, which amounts to a great sales tool.

Installation can be easier and faster, too, without all the confusion of the various attachment parts of aftermarket versions.  If you look at it over the course of a year, this can add up to hundreds of dollars worth of labor.

To sum up the benefits:

• Genuine blades can provide up to 800,000 more wiping cycles than aftermarket brands
• Resist extreme ice, snow, and rain conditions
• Most equipped with maintenance indicator
• Precise curvature and pressure points are unique to each model

Brakes Parts

In a previous StarTuned® article, we explained why Genuine Mercedes-Benz brake parts were the best things to use because they were engineered and tailored for the characteristics of the specific model involved, not just generically one-size-fits-all.  Also, they receive rigorous testing in real-world traffic conditions.

Benefits include:

• Genuine Mercedes-Benz brakes tested lowest in vibration versus aftermarket components
• As few as one brake noise event per month, compared to up to 200 with other brands
• Consistent braking performance regardless of driving conditions
• High-quality back plate construction resists corrosion
• Soft pads eliminate virtually all brake noises

Beyond maintenance

But maintenance isn’t the only part of achieving your “service on time” goal that gets a boost from using Genuine Mercedes-Benz components and fluids.  Think repair parts.  Fast and easy availability and perfect fit and function also contribute.

MBUSA offers a powerful tool that can streamline your parts-sourcing research efforts:  The EPC (Electronic Parts Catalog), a comprehensive and easy-to-use parts look-up system.  It’s a big help and time-saver in searching for exactly the right part, assuring that you’ll always get the correct thing the first time (which is often not the case in the aftermarket).  This will go a long way toward avoiding the scheduling disasters that can make customers unhappy with you.  Visit http://epc.startekinfo.com (EDIT: https://www.startekinfo.com/home).  The download is included in your STAR TekInfo subscription.  We believe you’ll actually enjoy using it.

Something that’s not often mentioned is the problem you may have finding a specific part for an older model — Mercedes-Benz owners typically keep their vehicles for a long, long time, so it’s likely that you’ll often have cars in your bays that qualify as vintage, or even classic.  You can waste a lot of time and end up frustrated searching for parts for these venerable vehicles from the aftermarket, whereas the EPC covers them in detail, and inventories are scrupulously maintained even for what are sometimes called “heritage automobiles.”

There’s more to electronic parts sourcing aids.  MBUSA has launched the new mbwholesaleparts.com.  Among its useful features are model designation charts and technical information resources that will help you order the right parts and make installations easier.

Those electronic aids combined with the superior quality, competitive pricing, and excellent warranty protection you get when you make the commendable decision to purchase genuine Mercedes-Benz parts will contribute to your peace of mind and reputation.

Value

Mercedes-Benz doesn’t have an arrogant take-it-or-leave-it parts pricing policy, as some other auto makers do.  The company does yearly evaluations to make sure its prices are competitive.  It’s often found that certain parts, fuel filters for instance, are more expensive from aftermarket suppliers.  And there’s never an issue with quality, fit, or warranty protection when you go genuine.

We’ve talked about Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts many times before in StarTuned^®, but not only are these the best parts for your customer’s cars, they’re the best for you, the independent service center, as well. They keep your customers happy (and coming back), and in the rare case where something goes wrong, the Genuine Parts Limited Warranty is there to back you up solidly.  You see, the parts themselves are engineered by Mercedes-Benz to perform exactly as the vehicle designers wanted, they fit perfectly to save you installation time, and independent testing shows they are just plain better. After all, “the best or nothing” isn’t just a catchphrase, it’s a way of life.

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