Service Extras on low mileage car

[Headhurts]

I have a 2021 GLC300 Premium Plus that has only travelled 5480 miles and been garaged from new, the ‘B’ service is due in the next week or so.

I do use main dealer in Norwich and an online quote gives a basic service at £494.80 and extras as brake fluid change £110.76 and dust filter £35.64 so if included a total of £641.20.

I am torn as to include the extras on such a low mileage car, my thoughts being that having read the sticky on servicing it would appear I will not get Mobilo or the perforation warranty and would it affect the resale value to potential buyers.

I am drawn to including the extras, I can afford it although I dislike paying out more than is necessary so would like to know the views of forum members.

I did check out a Mercedes service plan which comes out at £1032 for 2 services which is not a big enough saving for me to commit to a plan.

Robin

 

[markjay]

How would it affect the new car warranty? A 2021 car will be under warranty until 2024.

 

[Headhurts]

How would it affect the new car warranty? A 2021 car will be under warranty until 2024.

There is a sticky by st13phil that says as copied below

The final element is what Mercedes call ‘Recommended Additional Items’. The term ‘recommended’ is something of a misnomer because they are a mandatory part of the ‘Manufacturer’s Recommended Service Schedule’ and if they are not carried out then the free roadside assistance cover (Mobilo) and the 30-year perforation and corrosion warranty will not be renewed, even if the service is carried out by a Main Dealer. Recommended Additional Items include things such as brake fluid change (every other year from year two), spark plugs (generally repeated every fourth service), automatic gearbox fluid (ATF) change (at model-dependent intervals), etc

Robin

 

[Skd884]

Hi you own a circa 40k car and want to skimp on £145 on looking after the car to mb say so, makes no sense

My c204 owned from new has a fmbsh including every additional item due despite low miles.

 

[Headhurts]

Hi you own a circa 40k car and want to skimp on £145 on looking after the car to mb say so, makes no sense.

You may be correct but I did say that I was swaying towards getting the extras done, it’s just strange to me calling these items extras if in reality they are required, I have not come across this before, my last few cars have been new and I have just booked then in for a service and I cannot remember these extras coming up before, these only came to light when I went through the online booking process so wonder if these extras are really required on higher mileage/use cars.

Robin

 

[jasonh]

I agree with your logic - some extras really won't need doing. However brake fluid degrades over time so that will need doing.

The problem you have is resale and warranty. You just have to have it all done to ensure your warranty is not voided and when you come to sell you get the best price.

 

[markjay]

There is a sticky by st13phil that says as copied below

The final element is what Mercedes call ‘Recommended Additional Items’. The term ‘recommended’ is something of a misnomer because they are a mandatory part of the ‘Manufacturer’s Recommended Service Schedule’ and if they are not carried out then the free roadside assistance cover (Mobilo) and the 30-year perforation and corrosion warranty will not be renewed, even if the service is carried out by a Main Dealer. Recommended Additional Items include things such as brake fluid change (every other year from year two), spark plugs (generally repeated every fourth service), automatic gearbox fluid (ATF) change (at model-dependent intervals), etc

Robin

The question is, what does the warranty say? I am guessing there will be reference to 'following the manufacturer's recommend service schedule' or words to that effect. That been said, only related items should be affected by this, i.e. if the air filter is not replaced as per schedule then the manufacturer can't reject a claim regarding transmission failure, etc.

 

[Skd884]

Hi you own a circa 40k car and want to skimp on £145 on looking after the car to mb say so, makes no sense

My c204 owned from new has a fmbsh including every additional item due despite low miles.

As has my w204 recently acquired from a member here.

 

[190]

Unless you intend to keep the car long term there isn't much choice but to pay now for the excessive MB servicing costs or pay later when the car is sold for a lower price with non MB service history.

This issue is one of the reasons I'm unlikely to buy another new car because I simply wouldn't be prepared to pay for MB servicing as doing very low annual miles makes time based servicing costs disproportionately expensive for the use you get out of the car. If I was to have my car MB serviced, the servicing cost would match or exceed the cost of fuel used for the miles driven which seems a ludicrous situation. My solution is to keep cars long term, service them adequately from an engineering point of view, but not worry too much about service history.

My sons Porsche has a high cost for an individual service but only every two years making it cheaper than servicing a comparable MB.
What's annoying is that what's best for any individuals use of a car is almost irrelevant. Buyers don't care that the car they are buying has been serviced adequately from an engineering point of view, they only care that it meets the manufactures service history requirements. When MB did up to 2 year service intervals, it was a better proposition for low annual miles users.

 

[Rory]

The change to fixed annual servicing put me off changing my car. I recall looking at service costs on GLC 220d a few years ago and the second year service came up at £900 on MyService using my local dealer.

It's a complete rip-off really, servicing is amazingly profitable for dealers. I'm sure the pricing is only held where it is to try and make ServiceCare seem like a good deal.

 

[leef44]

I agree with 190 above. It's a choice you make. If you buy a newer car then it is best to go through the process.
With a newer car there are parts which need to run in and I feel it is worth keeping to the service plan to ensure the longevity of the vehicle.
In depends how long you keep the car for. I don't think it would affect resale value because you will see have the dealer stamp and invoice showing that it has been serviced on schedule.

For example, in the older days, you would have performance vehicles which would have a 1000 miles running in oil change. They would use a more "aggressive" oil which takes out any "rough" edges in the engine then change it out for normal running oil after that. Often on a new engine, it could use up more oil at the start and instruction manuals would warn of this and say that it is normal for a new car.

I don't know about brake fluid, whether it would lose more of its lubricating qualities more quickly on a new car which would mean that mileage is not so relevant.

This is just my opinion, I am not a mechanic or mechanical engineer so this advice is only worth 2 pence.

 

[Benzowner]

Brake fluid is hygroscopic and regardless of miles absorbs moisture. This can result in brake fade as the moisture gets hot and boils, don't skimp on the brake fluid change.

 

[Headhurts]

I had to travel into Norwich today so decided to pop into the dealership and book the car in for its Second year service.

As the car is on personalised plates it was not showing so the very helpful gentleman popped out took the VIN then fed it into the system and checked what is required.

Apparently there is an update to the control module for the mild hybrid system.

I said that I wanted the brake fluid and cabin filter added to the basic service we booked the car in on an agreed date I was then told the price would be £494.80?

I (stupidly) said he must be wrong so he checked again and said that is the price coming up for the ‘B’ service with the extras, I still looked puzzled so he agreed to lock the agreed price and extras into the system.

Not a bad result, we shall see on the day.

Robin

 

[ALFAitalia]

Brake fluid is hygroscopic and regardless of miles absorbs moisture. This can result in brake fade as the moisture gets hot and boils, don't skimp on the brake fluid change.

True.....but have you ever heard of that happening to anyone thats not on a track day (and they probably had newish fluid anyway if they were going to a track day). I've changed fluid that was like cola in colour...brakes still worked fine....the risk is water damage/corrosion to internal parts of ABS control units and the like if left for ages. Its the car makers that stipulate bi annual fluid changes not the fluid makers. It will last a minimum of 3 years in normal use....how do I know that?....well because Honda and one or two other far Eastern car makers only specify a change every THREE years. I do change mine every two years, sometimes less if I have the brakes apart....but that's because I do it myself....I certainly would not get it done that often if I had to pay someone else to do it.
As far as warranty being void for not having all the recommended parts changed....again nonsense and it would not stand up in court. They would have to prove that it had a direct effect on the failed item. So saying they wont honour the corrosion warranty because you did not fit a recommended pollen filter 3 years ago clearly rubbish. They can say what they want....but they are not above the law. They can cancel the Mobilo though if its in the small print. RAC/AA is not that expensive though.
Its been discussed on another thread about a FMBSH helping with PX and/or private sale private sales prices......and many said that it makes little or no difference whether is indy or not 100% complete or on time. Even if it did I doubt the difference would equal what you had saved by not going to Merc for your servicing or having all the "recommended" extras. There are many instances on this very forum where corrosion warranty ( and subframe failure) has been honoured with a very patchy history. Is there really anyone who would only pay less than market value if it missed a pollen filter change or had a 3 year brake fluid change when it had hardly been used......judging by some of the posts on here ....maybe.....but out in the real world where true petrol heads are few and far between ...most people (and even dealers) would not care less.
If you happy paying full whack and having all the extras every service....that's fine......but others don't want to of might want to save some cash.......and that's fine too....after all you don't have to buy their car when the time comes if you are not happy with the less than perfect history!!!!

 

[Skd884]

I had to travel into Norwich today so decided to pop into the dealership and book the car in for its Second year service.

As the car is on personalised plates it was not showing so the very helpful gentleman popped out took the VIN then fed it into the system and checked what is required.

Apparently there is an update to the control module for the mild hybrid system.

I said that I wanted the brake fluid and cabin filter added to the basic service we booked the car in on an agreed date I was then told the price would be £494.80?

I (stupidly) said he must be wrong so he checked again and said that is the price coming up for the ‘B’ service with the extras, I still looked puzzled so he agreed to lock the agreed price and extras into the system.

Not a bad result, we shall see on the day.

Robin

I did think 494 sounded steep just for the service, good result !

The price shown on the system includes the extras required.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I have not come across this before, my last few cars have been new and I have just booked then in for a service and I cannot remember these extras coming up before

They do it ithis way because they’re mileage and/or time dependent and so different use pattens will trigger them at different times.

If you phoned to book then they probably have you the total price, whereas as you’ve seen booking online gives you a breakdown of those costs and a total.

 

[190]

Very much agree on a 3 year brake fluid change being adequate. 3 years would be perfectly fine and that can be borne out by testing the fluid which I've done. On the bike I do it every year because the system volume is very low and everything is much more exposed to the rain including the master cylinder reservoir.

If you were to read a US based car forum, they would be puzzled about our concern because it's not unheard of for some of them to never change the brake fluid. One possible reason they get away with it is because DOT 3 is still used to some extent and Brake fluid gets more hygroscopic as you up the spec so that DOT 4 is more hygroscopic than DOT 3 and DOT 5.1 is worse still. There is also the issue of corrosion inhibitors becoming exhausted so I don't agree with extended brake fluid changes but every 2 years is unnecessary, especially at £110.76 a go. A test and change when needed approach would be more rational for brake fluid changes.

 

[markjay]

I think it's obvious that any service schedule based purely on mileage and time is, at best, a guestimate.

Firstly, it does not take into account the ambient conditions (temperature and moisture, dust in the air, etc), the usage profile (short journeys vs long journeys), engine operating hours, driving style, etc etc. The flexible service schedule of old tried to address these issues to some extent, by trying to work out the condition of the engine oil based on the number of engine starts and the duration between starts (indicating engine temp) etc, but this isn't very accurate either and was mostly causing a headache to fleet managers when cars needed servicing at different (and unpredictable) times.

Then, the actual condition of the service items is not taken into account. Some models do have an 'oil quality sensor', but this only measures the oil's water content, which in itself does not provide a reliable analysis, and most cars do not have even that. Large commercial fleets will typically send an oil sample to be analysed in a lab before deciding if the engine oil needs changing.

My point isn't that service schedules should be ignored, or that it's OK to 'cut corners' - what I am trying to say is that a discussion regrading the 'need' to replace this or that service item is, largely, a shot in the dark. There's just not enough information available to make this decision. 'Low annual mileage' isn't really sufficient (and it could be argued that cars that are not driven often actually require more servicing - e.g. the oil will get contaminated with water and petrol due to not reaching operating temperatures for long enough etc).

Personally, I follow the manufacturer's service schedule to the dot. Simply because to my mind there's just not enough information to justify a deviation, so it's a logical conclusion rather than one based on engineering.

 

[mioba]

One would raise a brow at a new 40k car where the owner skimped on brake fluid and air filter. Its illogical.

If you want to keep the price down. Source your own oil at half MB cost and stick it in boot and tell them to use it

MB have being doing cars for a while, there is a reason for a service schedule, its to keep you on the road and not the roadside a.o

 

[Headhurts]

One would raise a brow at a new 40k car where the owner skimped on brake fluid and air filter. Its illogical.

If you want to keep the price down. Source your own oil at half MB cost and stick it in boot and tell them to use it

MB have being doing cars for a while, there is a reason for a service schedule, its to keep you on the road and not the roadside a.o

Doesn’t everyone want to keep prices down in this economic climate, I’m merely asking the question as to if a car that has yet to do 6000 miles and garaged all it’s life would need the extras.

The extras bit I had not come across before but this is the first time I had tried online booking normally I do as I did yesterday and pop in to see the bookings team.

It seems stupid to me that if the changing of brake fluid is so vital at 2 years why would Mercedes not stipulate it as part of the service instead of an extra, and the other extra is a cabin filter not air filter.

There is a fair amount of knowledge on the forum so I thank everyone for their input which is varied.

I wondered if the car was a part exchange and the dealership had to service the car would they carry out a brake fluid change on a low mileage car especially where it’s not stipulated as necessary just optional?

Robin