ML (W163) Service time

[Gucci]

The service indicator on my car says major service needed in 4200 miles. That would mean 16,000 miles between services...is that right?

 

[BlackC55]

10k normally. But it may go further due to useage quality of oil etc.

 

[Dieter]

Hi,

First service for my old ML was @ 18,000 miles approx.

I believe ASSYST is reset to 13,500 miles following a service so with lots of non-stressful (for the car) driving 16,000 miles seems fine.

What I found was that for the second service ASSYST counted down with mileage Why? I don't know, although I believe the there is more than one 'reset' option.

Cheers

 

[wobbly]

With mine it was about 11,000 miles between services.

 

[Carrotchomper]

My new Audi showed 7k before next service when I purchased it 2 months ago.

It shows 4500k now!

Which would not be excessive, except I have covered about 500-1000 miles.

I think this indicates a careful previous owner, although I like to think I'm driving the bugger properly now! :bannana: Last week when I was driving to and from Hq on VERY entertaining B-Roads I think everything declined significantly. Fuel consumption especially...:bannana:

In to the body shop next week, having all the obvious stone chips on the front and every other ding on the car seen to for £70+vat. And a very comprehensive valet for £50 +VAT.

Not a bad deal I thinks?!

 

[hawk20]

Hi,


I believe ASSYST is reset to 13,500 miles following a service so with lots of non-stressful (for the car) driving 16,000 miles seems fine.

What I found was that for the second service ASSYST counted down with mileage Why? I don't know, although I believe the there is more than one 'reset' option.

Cheers

I can tell you why and EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS. When they service your car they reset ASSYST and have to set whether they used normal oil or synthetic. If 'normal oil' is set by them, (even if they actually used synthetic as recommended by Mercedes) it will do a fixed distance till the next service, probably 10,000 miles approx. And every time you do 100 miles the distance to next service will drop by 100 miles. No variation due to the way you drive.

Whereas, if they correctly set it for synthetic oil, it will vary the mileage to next service depending on the way you drive, types of journey and so on. AND then you may do 15-18k between services in some circumstances. They made this mistake on my A service and warning notices have been posted!!!!!

Hope this helps.

 

[Dieter]

Originally Posted by Hawk20

"They made this mistake.............."

Hi,

Mistake or on purpose or don't they know ? Is it in the Dealers best (short term) interest to do otherwise?

Cheers,

 

[hawk20]

Originally Posted by Hawk20

"They made this mistake.............."

Hi,

Mistake or on purpose or don't they know ? Is it in the Dealers best (short term) interest to do otherwise?

Cheers,

No. Don't be too cynical. The guys who do the service don't own the dealership and don't get the profit. It was a simple mistake. They've been really good to me over the years and looked after my various Mercs really well. First time anything like this has happened.

 

[whitenemesis]

I believe ASSYST is a date based system. It works on the average miles per hr you do to calculate the miles to the next service.

 

[hawk20]

I believe ASSYST is a date based system. It works on the average miles per hr you do to calculate the miles to the next service.

It is actually a lot more complicated than that. It monitors how you drive and is affected by whether you do mainly short runs or long runs etc, your speed, and other factors including the type of oil used (as I mentioned in an earlier posting).

 

[whitenemesis]

I think thats what MB want you to believe. But my experience is its more time based. A throw away comment by the service tech only reinforces my opinion. Definately how it started out, monitoring oil condition but now seems to have been "corrupted" to give a more regular service interval. IMHO

 

[BlackC55]

I can tell you why and EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS. When they service your car they reset ASSYST and have to set whether they used normal oil or synthetic. If 'normal oil' is set by them, (even if they actually used synthetic as recommended by Mercedes) it will do a fixed distance till the next service, probably 10,000 miles approx. And every time you do 100 miles the distance to next service will drop by 100 miles. No variation due to the way you drive.

Whereas, if they correctly set it for synthetic oil, it will vary the mileage to next service depending on the way you drive, types of journey and so on. AND then you may do 15-18k between services in some circumstances. They made this mistake on my A service and warning notices have been posted!!!!!

Hope this helps.

That is not true. The reset done by techs on 210,211,202,203,220,208,209,129 with service assyst there is no option to "select" fully synthetic oil. This is incorrect information. You cannot select this option as it doesnot exist.

The service interval is deemed by:

Quality of oil

Time spent warming up

Quantity of oil

Type of driving style

ETC

DO NOT try and tell people on this forum incorrct information it really annoys me.

 

[Gucci]

Blimey

 

[Dieter]

Hi BC55,

As you appear to be extremely knowledgible concerning ASSYST please explain to me how first cycle is circa 18,000 miles and second cycle counts down with mileage (circa 13,000)?

First cycle set at factory (I presume) and second cycle reset by Dealer.

I hasten to add that my patterns of driving over these two cycles did NOT vary dramatically.

Cheers,

 

[BlackC55]

Sorry for being so aggressive. I sincerly apologise.

I was having a bad day and was very stressed.

It very much depends on so many factors. The oil that your car had from the factory may be of higher quality than from the dealer. Therefore the assyst system will count down more slowly.

The time of year may also effect the counting down also due to temperature differences. In winter the oil will warm up more slowly.

You can tell with some interrogation of the assyst system the history of use. The information is normally stored in the instrument cluster.

Hope this helps and again I apologise for my aggression.

 

[hawk20]

That is not true. The reset done by techs on 210,211,202,203,220,208,209,129 with service assyst there is no option to "select" fully synthetic oil. This is incorrect information. You cannot select this option as it doesnot exist.

The service interval is deemed by:

Quality of oil

Time spent warming up

Quantity of oil

Type of driving style

ETC

DO NOT try and tell people on this forum incorrct information it really annoys me.

The information is from a top engineer, specialising in diagnostics for Mercedes, and who is not likely to make this up is he? My car is an S320cdi. BTW they had the car back in to correct the error at no charge to me. They would hardly do that would they, if no such settings existed?

 

[television]

I am so pleased that this is sorted, I have never known Hawk to make a wild incorrect posting, surely the guys employed by the dealerships doing the actual services are not the brightest buttons in the book, just trained to carry out these routine jobs. It would be easy for the guy doing it to say the wrong thing, to try and cover for his mistake. The actual wording on the paper is Oil grade/viscosity

I have seen many postings around the world where incorrect re setting has taken place causing concern to the owners. Me never trusting anyone always think that it is a ploy to make more money. For the average female driver they would not know better and take the incorrect setting at face value.

 

[Rory]

That is not true. The reset done by techs on 210,211,202,203,220,208,209,129 with service assyst there is no option to "select" fully synthetic oil. This is incorrect information. You cannot select this option as it doesnot exist.

The service interval is deemed by:

Quality of oil

Time spent warming up

Quantity of oil

Type of driving style

ETC

DO NOT try and tell people on this forum incorrct information it really annoys me.

I have reset my W203 (54 plate facelift model) myself using the multi-function display. The oil options are Standard, 229.3 and 229.5.

However, much to my surprise, it made no difference whichever oil type was selected - it always reset to 13,000 miles. Whether it would have made any difference in how fast the mileage depleted, I don't know.

I did read an article the other day about ASSYST and that said that only 6 cyl engines (mine is 5) have the oil quality sensor. However it was an oldish article and maybe that's changed.

Of course, all new MB's (C & above) are on fixed interval servicing of 15,500 miles or 12 months. My car had it's first service at 18000 (and that was 1000 miles early, but I chickened out!) for its first service and is heading for its second at about 17000.
My dealer wanted me to switch to fixed interval servicing, but I declined his kind offer!

 

[hawk20]

I have reset my W203 (54 plate facelift model) myself using the multi-function display. The oil options are Standard, 229.3 and 229.5.

However, much to my surprise, it made no difference whichever oil type was selected - it always reset to 13,000 miles. Whether it would have made any difference in how fast the mileage depleted, I don't know.
.

Yes. That is precisely the point that the Mercedes diagnostician made. If they set that Synthetic oil has been used it will adjust the interval depending on driving style and so on. If they don't it won't.

In answer to Dieter, the second service can come up quicker even though your driving style is similar. Many factors are involved but after the first service (usually A service) the next will be different (probably B service) and some items are affected more by time than just driving style. So said the man from Mercedes when I asked the same question.

In answer to BlackC55 many thanks for the apology. Fully accepted. We all have a bad day sometimes. Try this one which I find hard to imagine. Friend of my wife last week had to go to the funeral of her husband who died quite young (heart). While at the funeral police came and asked her to identify a body from a car crash. It was her son.

Life can be a bitch.

 

[BlackC55]

I have just checked some info of mine. I made a mistake and I was wrong and I am sorry. Not all of the service re-sets have the option to select the oil quality but some do. When I made that post I had just had a huge arguement with my GF and drank 10 pints down the pub and I am stressing about work and suchlike I was not thinking straight.

I do feel really guilty about posting that reply because I was the one that was wrong.

Hope you forgive me