Sprinter Mechanic in Detroit/Toledo area

raynchk

Seasoned Expediter
Can anyone recommend a good Sprinter/Mercedes mechanic in the Detroit or Toledo area? Dealerships are impossible to work with.
Thanks
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Can anyone recommend a good Sprinter/Mercedes mechanic in the Detroit or Toledo area? Dealerships are impossible to work with.
Thanks

Did you call the Mercedes dealers in the area like the one in Bloomfield Hills or the one in Novi Michigan? I know that they service a few of the G wagons, so I can see that they may service the Sprinter. Do not go to the Dodge dealer here in Redford, and I heard mixed reviews about the dealer in Westland who sells a lot of these.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Dodges rules are simple ...Only an Alpha dealer AKA: Sprinter authorized dealer can work on your Sprinter...All others are forbidden....they won't even change your oil.
 

raynchk

Seasoned Expediter
Did you call the Mercedes dealers in the area like the one in Bloomfield Hills or the one in Novi Michigan? I know that they service a few of the G wagons, so I can see that they may service the Sprinter. Do not go to the Dodge dealer here in Redford, and I heard mixed reviews about the dealer in Westland who sells a lot of these.

Greg, I'd like to find someone who has a shop, not necessarily a dealer. I've got a great Mercedes mechanic, unfortunately he's in Florida... so I avoid him like the plague :). Ideally I could have some filters shipped to my mechanic, and keep some Mobil 1 on-hand, pay him storage and I'd be way ahead..
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
It would be nice to find an "independent" Merecedes mechanic. With the black box to read a Sprinters computer!!
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
OVM, I think you can get a ScanGaugeII - Trip Computers + Digital Gauges + Scan Tool that will read the codes.. It should also be the same codes as Mercedes, no? Check out the Sprinter group on Yahoo, they are always listing scan guages that read the codes.

One would think they'd be the same...but knowing Dodge....they prolly have different software to make you buy thier reader.

Funny story.... a guy went to a Merecedes mechcanic and had an injector put in (Merecedes is the same as a Sprinter) It wouldn't start!! Seems they have different part numbers...he had to enter the Sprinter part number into the computer before it woulld start.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
The computer software is not an issue. Most of the service software can read the codes, and show what is wrong. The dealers software can write to the ECM and the body computer.

As for the independent dealers, I would still call the two Mercedes dealers, talk to their service managers and ask them if they can recommend a mechanic - they may be able to help you out. All Mercedes dealers have access to repair info and parts for all Mercedes vehicles and a few can even order Dodge parts that the dealer says are not longer for sale. I know that I can order parts for vehicles even coming under the gray market laws here but the dealers refuse to service them because they lost a sale - parts are a little different. You last bet would be calling Mercedes and seeing if they know of a mechanic. I used to be registered with them and got a few new customers through their system.

You know I really wish that Mercedes would bring their entire truck line here to the states.

Makes me want to go back to Mercedes training with all this money being thrown around.

As for Dodge and the Alpha dealer, come on OVM, up here they still haven't figured out what customer service is and how to not argue with the customer or charge them for things they didn't do. I gave up on American car dealerships a long time ago.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Greg said..."As for Dodge and the Alpha dealer, come on OVM, up here they still haven't figured out what customer service is and how to not argue with the customer or charge them for things they didn't do. I gave up on American car dealerships a long time ago."


The phrase "Alpha Dealer" I picked up from just a Dodge dealer...

In Tucson it was $90.00 for the reader ( diagonistic) with tax $107.00....Now whats Arizonas' state tax? I am thinking State, County, and City tax combined!!! For a whooping 19%!!!
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
I heard the term before, it seems that they use somethings to impress the 'customers' that they care.

As for the Diag, I paid about the same for my truck at the dealer. The thing is, and I don't know if other software does this but the dealer's stuff does access the ABS and the body computer (I am wondering if it has a body computer) and spits out information about those controllers. I have only seen one that will do this for the CAN/euro vehicles but I may also be mistaken.
 

vipra

Expert Expediter
I've been going to this one for 3 years Galeana's Van :censoredsign: Dodge
I've had no problems with them, they're fast and efficient, they've fixed every problem the first time, they don't tell you that you need something done that doesn't actually need to be done, and oil changes are only $80 with synthetic oil.
 

RLENT

Veteran Expediter
Definitely a reasonable price for a dealer on the oil changes - I do my own and I have $65+ in it for the oil and filter. Nice to see someone out there is reasonable and honest - keep givin' 'em the business.
 
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