MB Medic Mercedes-Benz Repair Guides, Service, How To DIY
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In this guide (10 sections)
Just because you drive a Mercedes-Benz or any late-model car doesn’t mean that you need to pay for every auto repair and maintenance. In this article, we discuss several car repair services that you can get completely free. We aim to help you save money for maintaining and repairing your car. After all, who doesn’t love free stuff, especially car service?
If you live in the United States, you can get several services for free. What exactly do we mean? Here are all the free services at Pep Boys, Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Mr. Tire, and more.
Free Check Engine Light Service
Get the check engine light fault codes scanned for free. Whether you have a misfire or evap system leak, your auto parts store can scan the car for free and tell you what is wrong with your vehicle. Autozone, PepBoys, Advance Auto Parts, O’Reilly, and even some auto repair shops offer this service for free. You don’t need to pay a $120/hr rate for a service that only takes 5 minutes, and you can quickly get it for free.
We recommend that all car owners have at least a simple OBD II reader; they cost less than $20 and come in handy if your check engine light comes on during a long trip. Check out these best-selling OBD II scanners on Amazon. If you don’t have an OBD-II scanner and the check engine light is on, head to your auto parts store, and they will scan it for free.
While this is an excellent free service, they will only scan the engine control unit (ECU), which is the unit that triggers the check engine light/service engine soon light. The auto parts store scanners can not scan other systems in your car; you need a more powerful scanner to troubleshoot your vehicle further. Also, they will retrieve the fault codes, but in most cases will not erase the light due to the store’s policy.
If you do your car repairs and maintenance, consider investing in an OBD II scanner that can read and erase the check engine light and the transmission, SRS, ETS, ABS, Traction Control, A/C, and airbag. A good choice is the YOUCANIC full system scanner with bidirectional support.
While these scanners work the same way that the OBD-II scanner at Advance Auto Parts and AutoZone work, they can access almost all of the control systems on your car, not just the check engine light from the ECU. Watch, for example, how easy it is to check and clear the Airbag SRS fault codes using a full system scanner like the one mentioned above.
Free Electrical System Test and Diagnosis
Advance Auto Parts, Autozone, PepBoys will test the alternator, starter, battery, and other components for free. They can complete a load test on your alternator and battery to see if these parts are functioning correctly. Whether the alternator is not generating enough ampere or the battery is not charging, you will get a printout of the diagnostic results.
Borrow Auto Repair Tools for Free
You can borrow a surprising range of tools for free, from ball joint kits to spring compressors. Go to Advance Auto Parts or AutoZone and ask to borrow the tools you need to service your Mercedes-Benz or car. Are you looking for a pressure gauge? They have that too. You must leave a deposit for the tools you borrow, but it is returned to you in full as long as you return your items within 90 days. Here is a list of all the tool categories you can borrow free from Advance Auto Parts. 
You don’t even have to worry if the tools break. You can still return them to the store for a full refund.
Free Oil and Battery Recycle Service
You can take the old oil to Advance Auto Parts or Autozone and get it recycled for free. They will take the old battery back for free. They may even give you money for the core, so don’t forget to ask. If you think the battery has some life left, you can have them recharge and then test the battery. If the battery is good, take it back. If not, then the store can keep it.
Free Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Visibility is a very important safety factor when you drive. You do not need to pay an installation fee. If you need new wiper blades, buy them at your local auto parts store, such as Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys, or Autozone, and they will install them for free. Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz uses a unique wiper design on some models, so you may not find wipers for certain cars at your auto parts store. Before you head to your dealer to pay over $50 for a set of wiper blades, check Amazon. They usually have even those hard-to-find wiper blades.
Free Brake Inspection
Not all auto parts stores offer this service, but Pep Boys does. If your brakes are squeaking or grinding or you are unsure if you need new brakes, and live near a Pep Boys, take your car there to have them check out your vehicle. They will inspect the brakes for free and tell you if you need new brakes and rotors.
Free Alignment Check
This service is free at Pep Boys and Mr. Tire. They will put your car on the alignment machine and check your toe-in, toe-out, caster, and camber. Check your alignment for free if your tires have been wearing unevenly or you don’t feel that your car is handling just right.
Free Flat Tire Repair
If you bought your tires at your local tire shop, they usually offer lifetime flat tire repair. But even if you didn’t purchase your tires at your local tire service center, you can still get FREE flat tire repair. Several tire installation shops that you will find nationwide are:
Some of these stores will also offer FREE tire rotation. 😉
How to get the most out of a free inspection
Everything on this list is genuinely free, and most of it is also the front end of a sales conversation. That is not a reason to skip any of it, but it changes how you should use it. Ask for the numbers rather than the verdict: the measured pad thickness instead of “your brakes are low”, the printed alignment readings instead of “it needs an alignment”, the load test result instead of “the battery is bad”. Those figures are yours once you have them, and they travel.
With the measurements written down you can do two useful things. You can decide for yourself whether the work needs doing now or at the next service, and you can take the same figures somewhere else for a price. A free inspection that ends with you authorizing work on the spot, before you have seen a number or a second quote, has cost you more than it saved.
Saying no is also fine. Declining the work does not void the free check, you are not obliged to have the repair done wherever the inspection happened, and the people doing it expect a share of customers to leave. The one claim worth stopping for is a shop telling you the car is not safe to drive away, and that is also the moment to ask them to show you what they are looking at.
Conclusion
Always call the auto part store or the repair shop to verify the complimentary car service. Confirming the free service before you drop off the car is recommended. Store policies change all the time. Typically the auto parts store would want you to buy the parts there, or the auto service centers mentioned here would like to perform further service at their shop. Ask questions and understand what is being offered for free and what is not.
Before you buy parts, scan every control module, not just the engine. It shows the root fault behind the warning lights and tells you whether the problem is still active. See how to do a full health check.
