S211 servicing puzzle

[GordonTarling]

I bought my current car (S211) in March last year. At time of purchase, it had 11000 miles on it and it was exactly a year old. Its first service (A) was performed the day before I collected it. Since then, I've done another 7000 miles, so it's now showing 18,000 miles. 4 days ago, it started telling me that a C service was due in 28 days time. Now, I know that Assyst will revert to elapsed time if the miles aren't covered, but a C service after only 11 months and 7000 miles seems ridiculous to me. My last car (S210) used to go 18 months and/or up to 18,000 miles between services, so what's going on with the new one?

 

[Fizzer]

I'm not sure I like thia Assyst either, until this month it was saying that I had around 5000 miles to go before the A service then, about the 15th of January, it started to tell me that I had 30 days, and counting, until the A service. I still only have 11300 miles on the car and whilst I know it could be beneficial to have an annual service I only do up to 12000 miles a year so it seems a bit excessive (by the time its done 30000 it will be "needing" its 3rd service).
My brother in laws Peugeot has 20000 miles service intervals. Surely as the "better" car my Mercedes should be able to do at least 15000 - 16000 miles between services. As its on a PCP I am reluctant to ignore it, seems like a great money spinner for the dealers. .
My wifes Z4 only needs servicing every 2 years on an extended service plan (it only does 2000 miles a year on average) I'd have thought that Mercedes could do something similar.

 

[blaser24nig]

I bought my current car (S211) in March last year. At time of purchase, it had 11000 miles on it and it was exactly a year old. Its first service (A) was performed the day before I collected it. Since then, I've done another 7000 miles, so it's now showing 18,000 miles. 4 days ago, it started telling me that a C service was due in 28 days time. Now, I know that Assyst will revert to elapsed time if the miles aren't covered, but a C service after only 11 months and 7000 miles seems ridiculous to me. My last car (S210) used to go 18 months and/or up to 18,000 miles between services, so what's going on with the new one?

As has been said in may posts on here, The service used to be the 18 months or 18000 miles which ever comes first but this was changed late 06'/07' and I think its now 15000miles or 12 months which ever comes first and as you are reaching your 12 month limit its counting down. And yes it is a money spinner for the STEALERS.

 

[st4]

As has been said in may posts on here, The service used to be the 18 months or 18000 miles which ever comes first but this was changed late 06'/07' and I think its now 15000miles or 12 months which ever comes first and as you are reaching your 12 month limit its counting down. And yes it is a money spinner for the STEALERS.

Exactly correct, its 12 months 15k miles which ever comes the sooner.

However, it is a money spinner, but 18k is a long distance to getting the car serviced, and more frequent changes of oil and maitanence will see the car last longer.

Thats why BMWs have more engine troubles than the MBs, its a nice made car, but the long life servicing is not good for them and by 80k miles niggling faults appear like shot turbos.

I have mine done every 10k miles.

 

[GordonTarling]

Yes, it's definitely been changed in favour of the stealers. I could have lived with 12 month intervals, but 11 months is, I feel, taking the mickey. Also, why a C service? I'd have thought a B would have been due after an A! I may try adding some oil and see what effect that has.

 

[Rory]

I gather the letters are pretty meaningless. I think you'll find a C is the same as an A, although your car probably requires a service more in line with a B!

Have a look on the ESS: Mercedes-Benz ESS

They did simplify (ie cut out!) some of the work required when the schedules changed to annual and MB leaned on the dealers to reduce the cost. B services, for example, used to be £450 or so and under the new regime most dealers will do them for around £320.

 

[st4]

Yes, it's definitely been changed in favour of the stealers. I could have lived with 12 month intervals, but 11 months is, I feel, taking the mickey. Also, why a C service? I'd have thought a B would have been due after an A! I may try adding some oil and see what effect that has.

Is it not counting down the days? You have 30 days then it counts down with ruthless german efficiency to day 0 then sends you to "the cooler" if you do not service it

 

[Fizzer]

Exactly correct, its 12 months 15k miles which ever comes the sooner.

However, it is a money spinner, but 18k is a long distance to getting the car serviced, and more frequent changes of oil and maitanence will see the car last longer.

Thats why BMWs have more engine troubles than the MBs, its a nice made car, but the long life servicing is not good for them and by 80k miles niggling faults appear like shot turbos.

I have mine done every 10k miles.

That ok then..we've had the Z for 2 years and put 3000 miles on it. If things start to go wrong at 80k that should give us around 53 years of trouble free, summer, motoring :bannana::bannana: lol. No turbo on 2004 3.0, its a fairly simply made thing really, it can have a few, thankfully small, electrical hiccups when its been stood for a couple of months but has always started first turn of the key and the hiccups (passenger seatbelt warning going off and phone not connecting) have rectified after a few miles. Its not my favourite TBH but SWMBO has, so far, resisted all efforts to swap for a SLK

 

[cornerstone]

The w211 has a different service schedule to the w210. Its called service assyst plus. The service will display on the dash from 'a' to 'h' (not in order) and on occasions will also have a '+' symbol in there too. The idea was that the vehicle will produce the job sheet via the Star machine when connected. Should have been a faultless system as the vehicle logs all the driving parameters and conditions and adjusts the service schedule as it sees fit. Main problem is that most people would like a vague idea of what the service will cost before booking in. Without plugging it in and printing the service sheet it was impossible to be sure what was going to be required. The dealers ditched this and had a new service programme written for them to enable them to estimate costs. We still use the plug in method, its more accurate to what the vehicle requires.