Confused with service intervals (A&B)

[omega1]

Hi all,

I've just got the duplicate service book for my C220 and am confused with what is meant to be due and when!

Am I right in thinking that the car is going to tell me when it needs to go in for a service? At the moment it is saying A service due in 2100 miles, but in the service book it points out other things after certain miles (mine has 53000)...

So... Do I not worry about this and just book it in when the service is due?

Also, looking at the service book, the services seem pretty standard, does this mean the price is always the same (understanding that they do not need to do anything extra?)

Thanks

 

[jimti]

with my car owned for 5 years it has never needed a B service according to the readout on the car, but each time I take it for a service they tell me they don't take too much notice of the computer and do whatever is needed because of mileage and condition, the price will always depend on what needs doing..
due to the age of my car they do a "Whitehouse" service which is cheaper than the Mercedes service, from what I can gather, it is the same people doing the same job, but for less money, this could be because they understand I am more likely to take the car to an independent site than an owner of a new car if the price is to high

 

[Rory]

The details of what needs doing are in the service book, but it's a complicated matrix of time and mileage.

The dealer puts your car's VIN and mileage into a system which produces an ESS - Electronic Service sheet. You can access on online version here - Mercedes-Benz ESS

 

[stwat]

It just goes to show what a load of crap this 'integrated self monitoring service system thingy whatsitcalled', is. Just like the, 'sealed for life' gearboxes and doing away with engine and gearbox dip sticks!

What on earth were they thinking when they thought this ****e would be a good idea?

The fact that you can extend your service intervals(that your computer tells you about)by simply topping up your engine oil means that there must be many cars out there in an horrendous state because they have never been properly serviced in their lives

Just imagine all the other items that should have been serviced/replaced that have not been seen to, simply because the computer tells the owner that a service is not yet necessary, even though many parts will be well beyond the point of replacement!

Crazy, and i pity the second/third/fourth owners of these Mercedes that will have to pick up the slack of all these cars that have been badly neglected because of this

Sorry if this post offends anyone.


Stu

 

[omega1]

The details of what needs doing are in the service book, but it's a complicated matrix of time and mileage.

Indeed!

 

[wemorgan]

I thought that the extended service intervals were for example, up to 20k miles or 2 years whichever comes first. So it's not as if 3-4 years can pass without the car going to the garage.

Also I thought that the oil used in these cars is not the same as used in cars that are serviced annually. So it's not just a case of topping-up oil to satisfy an extended service interval, but rather having specially made oil designed to withstand several years of use.

All serviceable items are still checked and changed regularly, but just to a a different procedure then before.

Having said that I'm not a huge fan of extended service intervals as I suspect it has more to do with minimising leasing costs than improving car longevity.

My old Audi A2 diesel could go 30k miles or 2 years between services. But I still changed the oil myself after 15k miles. It seemed a small price to pay considering how much I paid for the car.

 

[MLingus]

It just goes to show what a load of crap this 'integrated self monitoring service system thingy whatsitcalled', is. Just like the, 'sealed for life' gearboxes and doing away with engine and gearbox dip sticks!

What on earth were they thinking when they thought this ****e would be a good idea?

The fact that you can extend your service intervals(that your computer tells you about)by simply topping up your engine oil means that there must be many cars out there in an horrendous state because they have never been properly serviced in their lives

Just imagine all the other items that should have been serviced/replaced that have not been seen to, simply because the computer tells the owner that a service is not yet necessary, even though many parts will be well beyond the point of replacement!

Crazy, and i pity the second/third/fourth owners of these Mercedes that will have to pick up the slack of all these cars that have been badly neglected because of this

Sorry if this post offends anyone.


Stu

I totally agree with you Stu
I think the third or fourth owner usually will be stung badly if the car's maintenance has been neglected.Not just Mercedes,but every other manufacturer
Mind you,there's been many occasions I've seen new cars on the hard shoulders of the motorways