Honest Advice You Can Trust

When it comes to taking care of a luxury car such as a Mercedes Benz, receiving reliable advice from service providers is crucial. At AustStar Motors, an independent Mercedes service centre, we have established a reputation for providing honest guidance to our clients. Our business ethos prioritises building and maintaining long-term relationships with customers, rather than upselling and meeting quotas like some dealership service departments. Our focus on honesty creates an environment where transparency is valued.

The team at AustStar Motors, including Theo, Andrew, John, and our skilled technicians, all work with the goal of ensuring customer satisfaction and straightforward communication. We provide customers with insights into their vehicle’s condition and discuss necessary repairs or maintenance tasks without exaggeration. This transparent approach builds trust, as customers know they can rely on our judiciously considered recommendations.

Earning this level of trust takes time and consistency. With nearly 32 years of experience serving Brisbane and the surrounding areas, we have established ourselves as a reliable and honest advisor in the automotive community. Our advice is always aimed at promoting the longevity and optimal performance of our clients’ vehicles, rather than maximising revenue for ourselves. This approach benefits our clients, as they are empowered to make informed decisions about their vehicle’s care, and it reinforces our reputation as a trusted service provider.

At AustStar Motors, our commitment to honesty extends beyond verbal advice. We are transparent about our pricing and provide clear explanations of service charges. In an industry where trust can be just as valuable as the services provided, we stand out for our unwavering commitment to providing honest advice that our clients can rely on. We take pride in our reputation and strive to maintain it by delivering excellent service and fostering lasting relationships with our clients.

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The Differences Between Mercedes A and B Services

Breaking Down the Differences Between Mercedes A and B Services

When driving a Mercedes, it’s important to keep up with regular maintenance. You may be familiar with the terms Mercedes A and B Services, but do you know what they entail? In this article, we’ll outline the differences between A and B Services to ensure your car receives the proper care.
From oil changes to tyre rotations, we’ll take a look at the critical services that each one covers.

Mercedes A and B Services are typically divided into two distinct categories: Service A Minor and Service B Major. Each Service type has various service codes that identify the necessary service items, like A1 to A9.

Additionally, you may notice a number or letter after the A/B on your service menu, which indicates a different level of service is needed based on time and kilometres the car has been driven. This can help provide a more accurate cost estimation for servicing, as it specifies any additional items that need to be replaced.

For example, an A7 service includes Item 1 -Service scope for all models, Item 3 – Replace engine oil and filter and Item 20 – Transmission Service 50,000km or 3 years, whichever comes first. There are too many and varied to list them all but we are more than happy to advise you when you ring or email for a quote on your next service.

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Rats feasting on your engine wiring

Rats Feasting on Engine Wires - AustStar Blog

Theo gives his thoughts on the subject….

Lately we have had customers coming in with electrical faults and we have discovered that the engine bay harness has been eaten by rats. When we questioned where they are living, two out of three are living in riverside apartments.

The rats living around the river edge are looking for a lovely warm environment which is your nice cosy engine bay.

We have advised our customers, after we have repaired the wiring, to go to Bunnings or your local hardware and buy some rat bait. Just one or two baits would be sufficient and place them around your engine bay. That will stop them from continuing into the next area of your car which is probably the cabin and you don’t want them in there because they can do some very expensive and destructive damage in that area.

When questioned whether customer’s have claimed this damage on insurance, Theo has said that at this stage the extent of damage hasn’t been expensive enough to worry about insurance. Some of the electrical repairs have been caught early enough, so that we can repair them at a reasonable cost. Some of the costs, to date have been around the $700 or $800 mark.

Luckily, the complaints from the customers have come in early enough where they have brought on engine lights and irregular running of the engine ect. and we discovered the problem straight away.

The second customer with the similar complaint was a lot easier because it was around two weeks later and we said it was probably just another rat attack, as a joke, and sure enough, it was. This one was not as severe .

We asked Theo what to do to avoid this sort of rodent feast altogether, before it happens and he suggests that if you are living in that type of environment, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be near a river, is to check your engine bay and the first telltale sign is the pungent urine odour, and the beginning of leaves and twigs being visible which the rats use to construct their nests.

Buy your rat baits and put them in your engine bay if you have a suspicion that your car is parked in a vulnerable area.

This is the first time that we have seen this sort of damage, in the last few months, in a long time. A few years ago, we had a real bad case where it was an insurance claim and it was thousands of dollars to repair. This one was on the other side of the coin, with these customers living on an acreage property and they would have been the field rats and not the inner city water rats that we are seeing from the river.

Any size rat will do the damage, for whatever reason, they are attracted to whatever is in the wiring looms of cars, not just Mercedes Benz. They eat through the wiring and into the insulation and so on.

Please check with your insurance company if you would like any further information or to see if you are covered for this sort of rodent damage, especially if you are living in those riverside suburbs.

Have you had an issue like this and need it checked?

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