Service interval stopped increasing after service

[JohnM]

Bought a W211 E320 CDi last year, with 6k on the clock. Was showing first service (B) due at 12.5k or so, but I figured that since my daily commute is 40 miles each way, nearly all motorway, this would rack up steadily. Sure enough, first service ended up due at just under 16k miles. When the car came back after the service it was showing next service (C) due at approx 25k miles, which I gather is because the interval resets to 15,000km = 9,321 miles, and I expected that again this would steadily increase and the next service would end up somewhere the other side of 32k. Except it hasn't increased. At all. 5,000 miles later it is still showing the C service is due at exactly 9,321 miles after it had its first service.

Now, that can't be right, so I'd like to know if anyone else has seen this happen. My journey is exactly the same as before the service, and no matter how long a journey I make the mileage at which the next service is due is ending up the same.

I've heard there may be settings in Assyst that the dealer could alter that might shorten the service interval, so I contacted MB to see what they had to say. They claim there is nothing the dealer could do to stop Assyst behaving as it should, BUT the dealer might have entered the wrong oil type (semi-synth instead of fully synth) which might have a small effect. They seem to be heading down a "that's normal" path, but it seems pretty abnormal to me! Are there oil and/or fuel or other settings that could cause Assyst to stop extending the interval? I guess it is possible they didn't bother changing the oil (!) and so the oil quality sensor is not happy? All seems pretty fishy to me.

 

[R2D2]

So youve travelled 5000 miles and it still hasnt gone down ie. currently you will have driven 14000 miles before your next service. That is how ASSYST works mine always says 10,000 miles and counts down to 0 but this time I will have actually driven about 11500 by the time it gets to zero. sounds fine to me, if I'm understanding you correctly.

 

[JohnM]

So youve travelled 5000 miles and it still hasnt gone down ie. currently you will have driven 14000 miles before your next service. That is how ASSYST works mine always says 10,000 miles and counts down to 0 but this time I will have actually driven about 11500 by the time it gets to zero. sounds fine to me, if I'm understanding you correctly.

Sadly not, what I mean is the interval to the next service is counting down at exactly the same rate the mileage is counting up, so it will be due at the same total mileage, the total is 9,321 miles after the mileage at which it was serviced. Previously the interval would count down slower than mileage counted up so the mileage at which the next service was due would get steadily higher, usually would gain about 10 miles after a 40 mile trip. Something has happened to change that, but not sure what.

 

[R2D2]

sometimes it does do that. Lots of cold startsat thistime of the year doesnt help? I'djust keep an eye on it for a while.

 

[Brian WH]

Mine is creaping up but slowly on the second service.

First at 17000, second showing 9700 = 26700.
Now showing = 27300

 

[mark.t]

miles

did 300 miles the other week service miles 4600 to go after the 300 mile 4400 to go it might be the weather the engine has to work harder

 

[adam1]

Mine says 6000 miles to service E.

Bought it at 12000 miles, when it said 12000 miles to next service. Driven it 6000miles approx in 14 months. For me it seems the car counts to actual miles driven. Sometimes i don't drive it for weeks and the countdown is the same. So basically you can end up paying for one service every 2 years....still haven't paid for a service since i bought it...owning an E class is not as expensive as i thought......now the extended warranty...thats another thing..........

 

[hash]

well my e270 auto e211 said 1598 at the beginning of the week, on a daily commute of 60 miles, 50 motorway 10 miles fast dual carriage way, i lose around 80 miles per day from assyst

kenny

 

[DITTRICH]

...my w202 c230k 1999 counts down from 10,000 miles in blocks of 100 miles. However, the actual mileage travelled varies.
Actual Mileage Travelled + count Down Mileage Remaining = Next Service Due.
What JohnM is saying is that this calculation always produces the same result.
This seems strange to me and I think he is right to wonder what is going on.

Given that motorway miles travelled produce a smaller figure for countdown miles, and hence an increasing Next Service Due figures, Perhaps a blast along the motorway is called for just to check that there is a problem (200-300 miles). ie figures no produced by co-incidence.

So you have to consider where the "calculator" gets all its inputs from...

1 Oil sensor(s)?
2 Mileage counter?
3 The calculator itself
4 Number of engine starts from cold(?)

Actually, the calculator is probably okay as it is working, but I would suspect that some of the inputs aren't okay eg oil sensor info.

Regards

Les

 

[JohnM]

Given that motorway miles travelled produce a smaller figure for countdown miles, and hence an increasing Next Service Due figures, Perhaps a blast along the motorway is called for just to check that there is a problem (200-300 miles). ie figures no produced by co-incidence.

Well as it happens I did just shy of 300 motorway miles yesterday, and with light traffic so steady cruise nearly all the way. And still no change, next service due at exactly the same mileage. Maybe the oil quality sensor went on the blink at the service? MB say dealer will get the car in and check it over to see if they can find anything (like whether they bothered to service it when they last had it for service )

 

[Dieter]

Hi John,

Have noticed exactly same phenomenon with my ML. First service @ 16,792 miles (still with 1900 miles to go but 18mths with same oil seemed excessive!). Since 'A' service with no driving style/pattern change etc. ASSYSTreading down as odometer reads up.

I also wondered whether Dealers could set system to 'fixed' mileage as opposed to a 'true' monitoring system?

Does anyone know if there are 'multiple' ASSYST reset functions?

However it still works out at two services ( A and B) in three years and 30,000 miles of motoring so it 'ain't' too bad (but there's still the underlying principle of 'possible' removal of choice by Dealers?)

Cheers,

Dieter