Has it been serviced?

[Blowpipe]

Just bought a MY2013 C207 from a main dealer, it's done a tadge over 20k miles. When I viewed it on Saturday there was a 'Service due' indicator showing 180 days before the next. The salesman reckoned at the time that the service wouldn't be part of the sale as it was a way off, fair enough.

Picked the car up on Wednesday and he mentioned that the service had now been done by them, and sure enough the service indicator has been reset and now shows a year before the next one is due. He also said they'd done the paint protection as well. Excellent so far.

Being a slightly suspicious bod I checked the oil when I got home. It wasn't clear at all, quite dirty.

I've flagged up my concern with the salesman and await a response, but is there anything else I can look at in the interim?

 

[tromppost]

You said it's was a main dealer, just call service dept and ask them ??

 

[Blowpipe]

Rather not at the moment as they may have been party to this - if the service indicator has simply been reset at the request of the sales team then I'm not going to get an honest answer.

 

[V8 Supercharger]

Could be quite possible that they've reset the indicator, logged a service on the computer but havnt actually touched or changed a single thing.

The service dept. would simply look on the computer and tell you wether its been done or not depending on what it shows there.

 

[Blowpipe]

That's my fear. Still awaiting a call back, but I'll be looking at the oil filter in the daylight tomorrow to see what condition that's in.

 

[V8 Supercharger]

That would also be my fear as dealers dont give anything away for free. Its all about cost cutting and saving, even with them.

I would understand it to be excellent customer service if it was 18 days left, but id be very suspicious at nearly 6 months still left.

 

[geraldrobins]

Is it a petrol car? The oil never seems to look clean in a diesel

 

[AMadGit]

Is the service book stamped with the new service?


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[Blowpipe]

Is it a petrol car? The oil never seems to look clean in a diesel

Diesel.

 

[Blowpipe]

Is the service book stamped with the new service?


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They said they don't do stamped service books any more as all the data is computerised centrally. There's a 'Service booklet' in the document pouch that simply states what's required for each service on the different MB models. I have just found print outs of the previous owner's service history which is encouraging as one was done this Spring at 14k.

Knocking the service indicator out of kilter will possibly cause issues. IF the work was done I'm tempted to ignore it and service according to age next Spring - over servicing never did any harm, though technically the year's warranty I got with the car could be invalidated if servicing wasn't done as per manufacturer's schedule.

 

[MWCLS]

Mainly why I have taken my car out of MB servicing.. plus a family experience with a new car.. slap dash, liars to boot.

 

[Jonesy161]

Bit confused with this one, why would a main dealer knock you back in the first instance because the next service was too far ahead, then lie to you by saying they had done it.
There's absolutely no logical reason for then not servicing it for you.

 

[Blowpipe]

Bit confused with this one, why would a main dealer knock you back in the first instance because the next service was too far ahead, then lie to you by saying they had done it.
There's absolutely no logical reason for then not servicing it for you.

You're confused? Me too! It's odd; I didn't show any deal breaking disappointment as it was in the final stages of the sales chat and I got his point.

My main concern is that the oil condition tells a different story - but as has been said before may be different for diesels, though the dealer to home mileage was under ten miles - is this enough to make fresh oil turn near black on a car with 20k?

The service reset is the main issue, as if the work hasn't been done I could now (in theory) run it six months past the sensible service date.

 

[Rory]

My main concern is that the oil condition tells a different story - but as has been said before may be different for diesels, though the dealer to home mileage was under ten miles - is this enough to make fresh oil turn near black on a car with 20k?

The service reset is the main issue, as if the work hasn't been done I could now (in theory) run it six months past the sensible service date.

The oil will go black almost instantly the car is run.

This sort of uncertaintly would drive me bonkers but in reality it doesn't really matter. "Servicing" at this age is an oil and filter change and some checks. The cars used to run to nearly 20K /2yrs between services and nothing has changed on them since Mercedes brought it back to fixed interval.

With no physical service book you should get some sort of confirmation - invoice or print out of service history - in case proof is needed for warranty purposes.

 

[Blowpipe]

The oil will go black almost instantly the car is run.

This sort of uncertaintly would drive me bonkers but in reality it doesn't really matter. "Servicing" at this age is an oil and filter change and some checks. The cars used to run to nearly 20K /2yrs between services and nothing has changed on them since Mercedes brought it back to fixed interval.

With no physical service book you should get some sort of confirmation - invoice or print out of service history - in case proof is needed for warranty purposes.

Coming around to that thinking - finding the spring service invoice has been reassuring. If they can provide documentary evidence of a service to back up the reset service indicator then I'll cross fingers and have it done this time next year.

I'm rather hoping they'll offer another oil/filter change FOC to remove any doubt.

 

[gIzzE]

Did you get a print out of the service history when you got the car?

It should have been serviced at 12 months, 24 months and would be due again sometime in 2016 if it is a 2013 car.
Maybe it has not had its second service or not done by Mercedes, so they panicked and quickly did one now?

The oil being black means bugger all, they don't even drain it out, they suck about 90% out and then top up, all from the top.

Electronic service records are crap, even main dealers presume it has been done.

When I bought my E350 it was a right balls up. We haggled from £31500 to £28500, and then they couldn't find the 36k mile service, it simply hadn't been done. I then said I didn't want the car, they agreed they couldn't sell it as an approved used car so we agreed on £23k and they would service it, including transmission fluid with new brakes and tyres all round.
That I was happy with.
When I collected it, the car was showing L/KM in the OBC, I changed it to MPG and the odometer suddenly showed 23,600 and something, the car obviously hadn't had the 36k mile service as it had only done 24k.
The salesman went very red and said "If you keep quiet I will too". Result!

 

[Blowpipe]

I'm not surprised.

The guy I dealt with was rather new to the franchise, and over the two days contact revealed that the dealership relies on volume as profit margins are very slim. Sales staff turnover is significant.

For my E320 I've used an ex MB mechanic who works from an equipped van coming to my house - he's very good. For me the benefit is supplying tea and watching him work at his own pace. I asked if he wanted recommendations on this site; he deferred as he's got more work than he can handle.

I'll update on developments.

 

[TheFoX]

Depends which service it was. I bet it was the cheap A service, and by doing it now, will force you to have the more expensive B service six months earlier than expected.

They may not have done you any favours having the car serviced earlier. No dealer will do anything unless it benefits them.

As others have said, oil becomes dirty looking as soon as the car is started up, because existing deposits of oil mix with the new stuff, making it look old.

Did the car come with a warranty (probably a one year warranty)? If so, don't worry too much. Also, oil is replaced annually, or at a given mileage. This is a conservative figure, as no manufacturer would push the limits of an oil change. Oil could, conceivably, last two years before degrading to the point of uselessness, and even then, some old cars simply have their oil topped up as and when, rather than a full drain and refill (not a good idea, mind you, but that is what some people are like).

I wouldn't worry too much about the six month interval if it is running on the same oil, but watch the dealer like a hawk. They have canny ways of scamming money out of us with ridiculous extras that we don't always need.

 

[190]

I had a similar experience buying my 5 year old C180K with the non franchise dealer spinning me a tale that the oil could go to a maximum of 2 years. I hadn't been near an MB dealer for 20 years so I didn't know they had reverted back to set mileage and a maximum service interval of 1 year. But yes the dealer tried it on until I spotted the display telling me a service was due in 30 days. Oil goes dirty long before it needs changing because the detergents in the oil are doing their job of keeping the engine clean. It's not my experience that oil goes dirty instantly though, and on petrol engines at least I'm sure I'd be able to tell if an oil change had been carried out.

Having done a vacuum oil change myself, as far as I could tell by carefully measuring the volume I got all of the oil out and there certainly wasn't enough left in to make the new oil dirty straight away.

 

[gIzzE]

Oil on a Diesel will go black the moment you start the car.