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E280CDI Service Warning after 6000 miles and 3months?!?

Wookiepelt

Active Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
67
Location
London, UK
Car
W211 E280 CDI Sport Estate
Got into the car this morning to go to the shops and got prompted on my display that servicing was due in 29 days!

Now this car is only 3+ months old (Register June 08') and only done 6000 miles. What's up?!?
 
When was the car built? Sound like it's a year old and the service indicator wasn't reset at the PDI.
Dealer should reset for you (or service it free).
 
i would guess that the dealer has had the car sitting for a while i would take it back and get them to reset the days since registration this should put it right
 
I agree you should get the dealer to re-set the service mileage.
When you do lots of regular miles the service due will come up in miles. When you use the car infrequently the service due will come up in days. I had a estimate of over 600 days come up after hardly using the car for a month:eek:
There is a school of thought that the cars are now somewhat more inteligent than some of the dealers:rolleyes:
 
Thanks for all the responses and hints.

I was told by the dealer when I got the car that the first servicing was required after12 months or 15,500 miles, whichever came first. So you can imagine my surprise this morning when this alert popped up.

Tried to call today but got no response from the service side, probably because its a Saturday. Will try again first thing Monday morning.
 
This happened in my GL, 5 months from registration and 3500 miles. The dealer reset the service indicator and it now says a B service due in 12000 miles. Apparantly it happens because the indicator may well be set from build and not from registration.
 
You'll find some answers here: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=37644

Basically, the dealer should set the car to count from 1st registration. If they forget to do this when doing the PDI it will start counting from the build date -which can be some while beforehand.

It is a simple matter to put it right on the STAR machine all dealers have.
 
This happened in my GL, 5 months from registration and 3500 miles. The dealer reset the service indicator and it now says a B service due in 12000 miles. Apparantly it happens because the indicator may well be set from build and not from registration.

Assuming is the same as some other Mercs, the services should alternate A & B, so sounds like they simply pressed the reset button to reset the mileage so the next service flipped to a B.

IIRC your car is on a 2yr PCP? In that case it would be worth insisting the dealer only does an A service - it will save you a couple of hundred pounds. They may kick up a fuss about it but my car asked for a B as it's first service and the dealer cheerfully did an A, they said ASSYST is only a guide.
 
Update...

Called the dealer this morning and they came back saying that it was reset issue (as mentioned by others here). They told me to pop in anytime during normal the service department's opening hours (8am to 4pm) and they'll sort it out on the spot while I wait.

Will get this done next week when work schedule permits.
 
Assuming is the same as some other Mercs, the services should alternate A & B, so sounds like they simply pressed the reset button to reset the mileage so the next service flipped to a B.

IIRC your car is on a 2yr PCP? In that case it would be worth insisting the dealer only does an A service - it will save you a couple of hundred pounds. They may kick up a fuss about it but my car asked for a B as it's first service and the dealer cheerfully did an A, they said ASSYST is only a guide.

The E class does not just have A and B services. Can do C, D, E and onwards.

Secondly, you won't save by saying do A rather than B any more as they now use computer diagnostics to produce an electronic service sheet which tells them what needs doing.

His problem as I posted earlier is: -
Basically, the dealer should set the car to count from 1st registration. If they forget to do this when doing the PDI it will start counting from the build date -which can be some while beforehand.

It is a simple matter to put it right on the STAR machine all dealers have.
 
The E class does not just have A and B services. Can do C, D, E and onwards.
peterg1965 has a GL, not an an E.
Secondly, you won't save by saying do A rather than B any more as they now use computer diagnostics to produce an electronic service sheet which tells them what needs doing.
He will save as the basic service A cost is £200 cheaper than a B service, and he'll save by only having to have one service during the time he has the car. The only tangible difference between an A and a B service is that the pollen filter gets changed.
The ESS lists additional work required over and above the service.
It is a simple matter to put it right on the STAR machine all dealers have.
Yes, but unfortunately the dealers don't seem to find it so simple (of course it benefits them to act dumb).
 
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peterg1965 has a GL, not an an E.

He will save as the basic service A cost is £200 cheaper than a B service, and he'll save by only having to have one service during the time he has the car. The only tangible difference between an A and a B service is that the pollen filter gets changed.
The ESS lists additional work required over and above the service.

Yes, but unfortunately the dealers don't seem to find it so simple (of course it benefits them to act dumb).
Nobody charges £200 for a pollen filter.

The ESS lists the work to be done during the service. Hence the name: Electronic Service Sheet. You have to have the work done that the ESS shows or you infringe the guarantee.

It is not dealers being dumb. It is mechanics not yet being used to the new system.

Under the new 1 year or 15,500 miles system I wonder what will happen at the end of a PCP. Will someone really be able to hand the car back one day early with the cluster saying 'service due in 1 day' and get away without being charged for that service. Seems a bit unlikely?
 
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Nobody charges £200 for a pollen filter.
I didn't say they did.
The ESS lists the work to be done during the service. Hence the name: Electronic Service Sheet. You have to have the work done that the ESS shows or you infringe the guarantee.
I don't think that's correct. ASSYST could produce a situation where on 2 identical Mercs (age and mileage) one would ask for an A serice and the other a B - it depends on the typs of use the cars have had.
The ESS shows the requested service, plus the additional work. In any case, you don't even have to have the car serviced at an MB dealer and a non-franchised dealer wouldn't have access to the system.
It is not dealers being dumb. It is mechanics not yet being used to the new system.
I was being generous - it's the dealers stealing from people.
 
I don't think that's correct. ASSYST could produce a situation where on 2 identical Mercs (age and mileage) one would ask for an A serice and the other a B - it depends on the typs of use the cars have had.
The ESS shows the requested service, plus the additional work. In any case, you don't even have to have the car serviced at an MB dealer and a non-franchised dealer wouldn't have access to the system.

I was being generous - it's the dealers stealing from people.
Two cars may have different work needed due to different useage. But you have to have that work done if you read the warranty. That is at an MB dealer.
 
This is what you said: -
"He will save as the basic service A cost is £200 cheaper than a B service, The only tangible difference between an A and a B service is that the pollen filter gets changed."

I repeat, nobody charges £200 to change a pollen filter.
 
"Originally Posted by hawk20
It is not dealers being dumb. It is mechanics not yet being used to the new system."

Yes, but unfortunately the dealers don't seem to find it so simple (of course it benefits them to act dumb).

Good thing my dealer and service manager appear to know exactly what to do. They indicated that this was a simple 10-minute jobby for the techs and should be done by the time I finish my cup of coffee. I might even have time to have a browse through their CL and SL collection in the showroom! :D
 
So the dealer fails to prepare your prestige vehicle correctly, then expect YOU to be inconvenienced while they rectify their incompetence.

Welcome to the world of Mercedes dealers.
 
So the dealer fails to prepare your prestige vehicle correctly, then expect YOU to be inconvenienced while they rectify their incompetence.

Welcome to the world of Mercedes dealers.

But they can't undo what they did wrong. :devil:

The car will get serviced, this happened to me. They paid for a taxi to and from work, serviced the car FOC and billed it to used cars.
 
This is what you said: -
"He will save as the basic service A cost is £200 cheaper than a B service, The only tangible difference between an A and a B service is that the pollen filter gets changed."

I repeat, nobody charges £200 to change a pollen filter.

(my bold)

Look through the service schedule for A & B services - the only tangible difference is the pollen filter change.

By tangible I mean actual physical difference - they don't change the plugs, or the air filter, or the brake fluid etc etc, those are all "additional work".

Typical dealer A service charge is around £260 and for B service it's £460. My dealer will do a B service for £299. That's because there's in reality little difference between an A & B service (except the pollen filter change).
 

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