Service Extras on low mileage car

[MikeInWimbledon]

The responses you have on here correlate to maybe less than 5% of the car buying population (others may describe them as obsessed or OCD or pedantic); ime most buyers of used cars will take at most a cursory glance at the service history (how many "stamps") and will not delve into the detail of whether the brake fluid was changed or not. I bet most cars on the road have not had a brake fluid change in years and years - when did you last hear someone say that their brake fluid boiled? I'm not advocating not getting it done; just that it is not quite as critical as some would make out.

Well said. Time after time on here we see quality of service history at detailed level completely ignored.

As for voiding warranty, who has seen a warranty ever voided because of omission of some minor element of the schedule?

Servicing matters, but don't expect a low mileage, eight year old S500 from some wealthy embassy or multi-motor international multimillionaire to have been serviced exactly to plan.

 

[Headhurts]

Mercedes would be better just including these items in the service and not calling them extras with additional pricing in my opinion.

Robin

 

[markjay]

...I bet most cars on the road have not had a brake fluid change in years and years - when did you last hear someone say that their brake fluid boiled?...

No, but you do hear people say that they needed new callipers because of leaks or seized pistons due to corrosion...

 

[markjay]

Mercedes would be better just including these items in the service and not calling them extras with additional pricing in my opinion.

Robin

That's what everyone else does... at least that's my experience with Vauxhall, Toyota, Suzuki, Kia, Hyundai, and Renault.

I remember reading somewhere MB claiming that their setup is better-suited for fleet car management (or taxi use etc) where cars may do high annual mileage at which point some of the additional service items will no longer correlate directly with annual services. This may be true, but then MB are not the only car manufacturer that relies heavily on fleet and business sales, and others don't do this.

 

[markjay]

The responses you have on here correlate to maybe less than 5% of the car buying population (others may describe them as obsessed or OCD or pedantic); ime most buyers of used cars will take at most a cursory glance at the service history (how many "stamps") and will not delve into the detail of whether the brake fluid was changed or not. I bet most cars on the road have not had a brake fluid change in years and years - when did you last hear someone say that their brake fluid boiled? I'm not advocating not getting it done; just that it is not quite as critical as some would make out.

Agreed, though when buying a second-hand car the saleslerson will likely not dwell too ling on the service history, but when valuing your car for trade-in you can expect a lot of sucking air through gritted teeth.......

 

[Fastcar155]

That's what everyone else does... at least that's my experience with Vauxhall, Toyota, Suzuki, Kia, Hyundai, and Renault.

I remember reading somewhere MB claiming that their setup is better-suited for fleet car management (or taxi use etc) where cars may do high annual mileage at which point some of the additional service items will no longer correlate directly with annual services. This may be true, but then MB are not the only car manufacturer that relies heavily on fleet and business sales, and others don't do this.

Mercedes have lost of the taxi business in Portugal.Skoda superb and Dacia rule the roost.

 

[markjay]

Mercedes have lost of the taxi business in Portugal.Skoda superb and Dacia rule the roost.

It's ot just taxis - next time you see a Merc, check if the license plate starts with the letter K... if it does then chances are that the car was originally supplied by Mercedes-Benz Fleet and Business, and not by Mercedes-Benz Retail. Most likely on a business lease.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Agreed, though when buying a second-hand car the saleslerson will likely not dwell too ling on the service history, but when valuing your car for trade-in you can expect a lot of sucking air through gritted teeth.......

They don't though....I never did as long as the servicing was annual or at the correct miles if a high miles car that was good enough.....Good enough for 99% of buyers too.

As for seized calipers being caused by missed brake fluid changes mentioned above....well I've seen just as many of them fail with the bi-annual fluid change done as without. Far more often caused by failure of the outer piston seal letting moisture and dirt in than moisture in the brake fluid.

 

[markjay]

...I've seen just as many of them fail with the bi-annual fluid change done as without....

Surely you don't know that........

 

[ALFAitalia]

Well I can only go on what customers have said as far as having changed the fliud....so yes they could be lying.. But I've taken more than a few seized callipers apart and very rarely is the corrosion on the fluid side of the inner seal. Which is why most of the calipers I've replaced for people over the years, I have rebuilt and sold on! I've NEVER replaced one of my own calipers.....always repaired them. But due to the time taken to do a good job its cheaper for customers to buy a new caliper in most cases.....especially if they need paint.

 

[rf065]

As for seized calipers being caused by missed brake fluid changes mentioned above....well I've seen just as many of them fail with the bi-annual fluid change done as without.

My CLK was serviced at much cost by Mercedes for the first 10 years of its life and it needed 3 calipers replaced in that time, depite brake fluid changes every two years.
In the end the rust was its downfall though, despite 2 resprays paid for under warranty.

 

[JanetBurgess]

Hello everyone! I am new here.

 

[ernie]

Hello everyone! I am new here.

Welcome, Janet!
If/when you need help, start a new thread in the appropriate place.

Ernie

 

[cws196]

Hello everyone! I am new here.

Hi Janet from the US with a BMW - please tell us what spam you have planned for the forum???

 

[Mickyh7]

If people had took the time to read the OPs first thread, this might not have gone 3 pages!
He said, in his first post that his car had only done 5480 miles. Not 50,000 plus.
The Devil is always in the Detail!