ASSYST Sevice intervals: Con or stupidity??

[Satch]

I am very, very annoyed.

Many W211/S211 turbo diesel owners have noted that their miles between services are a lot lower than expected and differ from that of others. I recently had a “C” service and instead of the 12,500 miles start point (20k km) expected found that I ended up with 9200 odd (15k km) and others have suffered similar effects.

So I have delved. There is a user (i.e. Dealer definable) setting in ASSYST to distinguish between “conventional” oil and full synthetic oil, “MB 229.5” per my system. However, the published spec for my car is MB 229.3 which is something my ASSYST does not have a setting for! This directly impacts upon the miles to next service.

So I changed the setting to MB 229.5 and yes, a further 5k km appeared. Forgive me for being bitter but for 7.5 litres @ at £11.00 plus VAT per litre for Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel I see nothing conventional in that. It meets both MB 229.3 and MB 229.5 unless someone at MB UK or Mobil wants to tell me different.

Now there are a number of possible reasons for this and none are particularly welcome, especially for high mile users At the very least confusion exists over oil specs and ASSYST is thus unable to do what is supposed to. In effect MB might as well set a routine 15k km (10k mile) oil change with damn expensive full synthetic which per the MB 229.5 spec is supposed last 30k km. (20k km is the spec for MB 229.3!)

I will be posing a few questions on Monday of both my dealer and MB UK and would suggest that others might care to do the same.

If you want to try this do so at your own risk. Need to be 100% sure you have the right oil spec. in the engine and this is only for a W211/S211 as far as I know:

It is under Item 13 in the “Additional Work “ menu. You get into that after pressing the odometer reset button for 5 seconds whilst in the main “time/miles to next service” details (the spanner!) menu that is behind the temperature display.

Annoyed? No, in fact I feel cheated

 

[JohnM]

Blimey!!! Good find Satch. For info, I have been kicking this very problem back and forth with MB Customer Service and MB Watford since Xmas! The very first thing I asked about was whether someone had set the wrong oil type - "No, it has definitely been set to fully synthetic" - they even had the car back and checked that. I am hopping mad with these useless morons, having just had another service yesterday, 9000 miles after the last one Come Monday morning I am going to chew their bloody ears off.

 

[MSG2004]

please let me know how you get on. does this apply to petrol models as well? Thanks.

 

[glojo]

So I have delved. There is a user (i.e. Dealer definable) setting in ASSYST to distinguish between “conventional” oil and full synthetic oil, “MB 229.5” per my system. However, the published spec for my car is MB 229.3 which is something my ASSYST does not have a setting for! This directly impacts upon the miles to next service.

Well done Satch, :bannana: :bannana: :bannana: :bannana:
WHY though MUST we (you) the consumer be doing the groundwork. Hopefully you will both keep us informed.

Regards,
John

 

[Satch]

Here is the Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Data Sheet:

http://www.mobil.com/UK-English/Lubes/PDS/EUXXENPVLMOMobil1TurboDiesel_0W40.asp

Meets MB 229.3 and 229.5 so questions need to be asked!

 

[Satch]

please let me know how you get on. does this apply to petrol models as well? Thanks.

Yes. The oil in a petrol engine has a somewhat easier life than that in a turbo diesel. If your oil meets the required MB spec exactly the same should apply to petrol, in fact the service intervals are usually longer than we soot-burners get

 

[MSG2004]

Thanks.....................

 

[prprandall51]

You can read more about the hidden Assyst settings from this post on a USA site. Warning: I am not saying that the USA FSS system is identical to the UK Assyst system - but it seems to be to me.

http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=92554&highlight=fss

 

[Satch]

You can read more about the hidden Assyst settings from this post on a USA site. Warning: I am not saying that the USA FSS system is identical to the UK Assyst system - but it seems to be to me.

http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=92554&highlight=fss

Broken link!

 

[prprandall51]

Link to FSS

Try that - same link address but possibly formatted correctly this time

 

[hash]

well i have just tried this and now read 9350 up from around 6800 ish not bad, checked the documenst when it was services it states upgrade to mobil 1, then they fitted castrol slx, whcih is a fully synthetic oil

intrestingly when i did this is changed from a service to a service b is this good? i.e cheaper !!!

 

[Shude]

intrestingly when i did this is changed from a service to a service b is this good? i.e cheaper !!!

B service has additional items on top of the A service schedule. Before you shout "OH NO!" it probably means that your next service would have been just before the miles/years required for a B and now you're over that interval it's B-service time. B-service is a couple of hundred over the A-service, more if your stealership mysteriously works out that you need a fuel filter, spark plugs and any other service items they can stitch you up for

 

[Brian WH]

So I changed the setting to MB 229.5 and yes, a further 5k km appeared.
If you want to try this do so at your own risk. Need to be 100% sure you have the right oil spec. in the engine and this is only for a W211/S211 as far as I know:

It is under Item 13 in the “Additional Work “ menu. You get into that after pressing the odometer reset button for 5 seconds whilst in the main “time/miles to next service” details (the spanner!) menu that is behind the temperature display.

I have just looked at mine and cannot access how to change anything. The book tells you how to get into the menu but not how to change the oil setting??? I cannot get past items then list of items.

Please explain further step by step, or is this a dealer setting??

 

[hash]

brian all i did was once your in the additonal work menu, select item 13, then press the bottom button on the left hand side of the steering wheel it will then say confirmend it, mine changed

i did not acutally see the item changed so hope this was right but the interval went up!!

thanks

kenny

 

[Satch]

well i have just tried this and now read 9350 up from around 6800 ish not bad, checked the documenst when it was services it states upgrade to mobil 1, then they fitted castrol slx, whcih is a fully synthetic oil

intrestingly when i did this is changed from a service to a service b is this good? i.e cheaper !!!

You have to be very careful here. Not all synthetic oils are to MB 229.5.

The data sheet shows Castrol SLX as meeting "only" MB229.3. That is still damn good by any standard. It is bound to cause confusion to have settings only for "Conventional" and "MB229.5" in ASSYST and then a raft of oils on the market where you would be entitled to think they are to the higher standard but have to scan the fine print to find out.

Given the huge **** up over oil specs which led to MB USA having to cough many millions in compensation for sludged engines, suspect that bound to lead to caution in the settings and the shorter service intervals.

If the ASSYST (or FSS+ if you prefer) system cannot do what is says on the box because it cannot actually cope with varying oils and the default 15k KM setting is being put on, then might as well be honest about it and go back to fixed mileage oil changes.

http://129.35.64.91/bpglis/lubtds.nsf/technicaldata/E0F4AD7C48A80D5480256DB70032C3FB?OpenDocument

May be that they have not got around to getting that particular oil approved to MB 229.5 but equally it is all rather confusing as MB 229.3 is supposed to get you up to 20,000 km anyway! There is a clear disconnect between the required MB oil specs and the FSS+ settings and capabilities so I think they are erring on the side of caution.

And annoying me.


MB sheet 229.3 approved oils

for passenger cars with petrol and diesel engines with extended drain interval indicator FSS up to 20,000 km, or 40,000 km - 25,000 mi, min. 1.0% fuel saving compared to 229.1, based on ACEA A3 B3.


MB sheet 229.31 approved oils; LA "low ash" Oils

This is a new spec pioneered by Mercedes for passenger cars with diesel engines with EURO 4 soot particle filters, e.g. W211 E200 CDI, E220 CDI. The spec was introduced 7/2003. They are called LA "low ash" oils, low on sulphated ash, phosphorus and sulphur to limit particle filter pollution. Oils high in e.g. ZDDP additive can not qualify

MB sheet 229.5 approved oils; "MB Longlife Service Oils"

for passenger cars with petrol and diesel engines with extended drain intervals beyond 229.3 oils, to 30,000 km, min 1.8% fuel saving, first oils introduced summer 2002. 229.5 engine oils must be used with fleece oil filter designed for use with 229.5 engine oils.

 

[Satch]

I have just looked at mine and cannot access how to change anything. The book tells you how to get into the menu but not how to change the oil setting??? I cannot get past items then list of items.

Please explain further step by step, or is this a dealer setting??

Missed that post!

Having pressed reset button for 5 sec. you will get a menu of 4 items. Use + - buttons to select "Additional Work"

Press "page down" button (shaded square behind clear square)

+- buttons to get to Service 13. Press "page down"

Two options should appear

Standard Oil
229.5

Select appropriate one using +- and press "page down"

Notes:
Takes a few seconds for some of the settings to appear. May not work on all cars! Depends on FSS version
Make sure that "Service 13" is actually an oil change in your service booklet. Seems to be different on some

 

[RichardM]

Does anyone know if you can reduce the time till next service somehow?

I want to make sure I get the car serviced just before I buy it off Daimler finance.

 

[MSG2004]

as many engine start stops as poss, just trn eninge on for 5 mins and let it cool for half an hour.

 

[Brian WH]

Does anyone know if you can reduce the time till next service somehow?

I want to make sure I get the car serviced just before I buy it off Daimler finance.

Nothing to stop you doing it early is there???

 

[Brian WH]

Missed that post!

Having pressed reset button for 5 sec. you will get a menu of 4 items. Use + - buttons to select "Additional Work"

Press "page down" button (shaded square behind clear square)

+- buttons to get to Service 13. Press "page down"

Two options should appear

Standard Oil
229.5

Select appropriate one using +- and press "page down"

Notes:
Takes a few seconds for some of the settings to appear. May not work on all cars! Depends on FSS version
Make sure that "Service 13" is actually an oil change in your service booklet. Seems to be different on some

Doesn't work on mine-W211 2003??????