Service Intervals

[BGM]

Hello,

I am currently considering ordering a new A-Class (swapping from what over there.. under my name) and can't find any information on service charges / intervals.

On my BMW it is condition based, and i love it. I use a motorway frequently and the car gets good long runs all the time so i have had a very infrequent servicing experience.

How do MB work please? Is it a similar system? Is it fixed interval? Is it a hybrid perhaps? Which might be bad i.e. service costs £x but then they sting you for y and z that also need attending to..

Thanks for and info you can offer.

Ty.

 

[The _Don]

I think it will be every year or approx 15k miles whichever comes first.

 

[gIzzE]

Unfortunately it is yearly or 15k miles as said above, the BMW diesels can be up to 22k miles and 2 years if you do loads of steady driving.

 

[Kingy68]

Yep - One year or 15k miles whicever comes first. Just had the C class done at 12 months old. The Merc OBC actually counts down days in the whereas our BMW could alter depending on (long) journeys, but was normally approx. 17k miles.

 

[BGM]

oh well, that is a shame

I guess there are two schools of thought regarding servicing anyway.. some people rave about CBS, and others hate it.. although i think it's typically people who don't 'monitor' it that get surprised by it...

Ok, so annually, or 15k thats cool... what sort of pricing structure are we looking at here there? I am guessing in side the MB dealer network it is typically something along the lines of £120+ per hour as a base line (same as BMW), is it the same £15 a litre for oil etc? Do they let you supply your own?

New A-Class service numbers don't seem to have been published yet.

Thanks all.

 

[BTB 500]

I suspect the policy on supplying your own oil varies depending on the dealership and *might* be more tricky with cars that are under M-B warranty.

M-B Guildford are happy for me to supply my own Mobil 1 (bought from Costco) when they service my SL, which saves me about £60 a time

 

[BGM]

I suspect the policy on supplying your own oil varies depending on the dealership and *might* be more tricky with cars that are under M-B warranty.

M-B Guildford are happy for me to supply my own Mobil 1 (bought from Costco) when they service my SL, which saves me about £60 a time

heh, BMW were ok about my 3er when that was under warranty... plus, i'd probably end up taking it to MB Guildford anyway

soo... quick look on the MB site and they 'fixed price' so is this always say £299 (plucked from the air!) and anything else is just under warranty?

their site is clear as mud really

 

[markjay]

MB actually dropped the BMW-style flexible service schedules in favour of fixed annual schedule around 2007. Not due to any major technological changes to engines or lubricants, but simply to make it easier for fleet buyers to schedule car servicing well in advance.

 

[markjay]

heh, BMW were ok about my 3er when that was under warranty... plus, i'd probably end up taking it to MB Guildford anyway

soo... quick look on the MB site and they 'fixed price' so is this always say £299 (plucked from the air!) and anything else is just under warranty?

their site is clear as mud really

It is only under warranty if it is not a service item or a wear-and-tear item.

So air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter, spark plugs (for petrol engines), engine coolant, break fluid, ATF, brake discs and pads, all need to be changed from time to time and are neither included in the fixed service costs nor covered by warranty.

 

[BGM]

just as I thought, not as fixed price as they make out.. heh

Looks like I'll just have to factor in a lot more cash than with the bimmer for servicing, annoying!

 

[portal_96]

It is only under warranty if it is not a service item or a wear-and-tear item.

So air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter, spark plugs (for petrol engines), engine coolant, break fluid, ATF, brake discs and pads, all need to be changed from time to time and are neither included in the fixed service costs nor covered by warranty.

So the service plan you can get, presumably is pretty much labour only and not any service parts from what your saying?

 

[BGM]

So the service plan you can get, presumably is pretty much labour only and not any service parts from what your saying?

this ^

sounds like a raw deal imo

 

[markjay]

I did not actually sign up to MB's service plan, but from what I understand it covers everything that falls under the category of scheduled servicing.

So if MB's ESS system says you'd car is due an ATF or spark plug change or brake fluid change etc, it will indeed be done FOC under the service plan.

Which is why it makes sense to sign up just before a major service is due.

However it will only cover scheduled service items - i.e. those that are being replaced at given mileage or age and not based on condition. So brake discs and pads, or battery, for example, are wear-and-tear items and will not be covered (nor will they show up on ESS because they are replaced based on condition and not at pre-prescribed intervals).

 

[markjay]

PS - ESS = Electronic Service Sheet.

It is open to the public so if you Google MB ESS and follow the link you will be able to see what your car will require at the next service.

 

[gIzzE]

BMW break their packages down into the following...

BMW Service Inclusive
- Oil service

- Oil top-ups between services

- Vehicle-check and standard inspections

- Micro filter

- Renew spark plugs

- Renew brake fluid

- Fuel filter (diesel models only)

BMW Service Inclusive Plus
- Renew front brake pads and discs

- Renew rear brake pads and discs

- Renew clutch assembly

- Renew wiper blade rubbers



Service Inclusive
Series Price
1 / X1 £300
3 / X3 / Z4 £350
5 / 5GT / 6 / X5 / X6 £400
M Cars £1,000


Service Inclusive Plus
Series Price
1 / X1 £1,285
3 / X3 / Z4 £1,380
5 / 5GT / 6 / X5 / X6 £1,550
M Cars £1,000
M Cars £3,400

BMW UK : Service packages

I wonder how that compares with paying for services as and when it is needed, and with Mercedes?

My old man has a 5GT at the moment, and at 2 years old and 35k miles it has had 2 services, including filters and brake fluid etc. and he is up to £500 nearly.
So with another oil service which will be £140 he will be at £640 or thereabouts, so £240 worse off than taking the service inclusive package when new.


Mercedes charge around £30 a month for three years worth of servicing on a fixed price. So around £1100 for 3 years or 45k miles.

My last service at Mercedes was around £600, this was a B service along with brake fluid and filters.
That was the E320cdi.
After years in BMWs that certainly hurt a little.

Mercedes should offer somthing like the service inclusive plan, everyone else does now, it gives you 5 years of worry free motoring and tends to keep you in the dealer network, I know after 5 years worth of BMW stamps I would not try and save £50 here and there, I would rather keep the full main dealer history.
But with Mercedes you don't even get a book anymore, so I think service receipts say more, and the difference between main dealer and indys with Mercedes is massive.
not much incentive to stick with them.

 

[Rory]

MB actually dropped the BMW-style flexible service schedules in favour of fixed annual schedule around 2007. Not due to any major technological changes to engines or lubricants, but simply to make it easier for fleet buyers to schedule car servicing well in advance.

They said at the time it was to do with the predictability of the cost as the previous method made it impossible to do running costs calculations. I don't know why that doesn't seem to have bothered Audi or BMW though.

 

[Rory]

Mercedes charge around £30 a month for three years worth of servicing on a fixed price. So around £1100 for 3 years or 45k miles.

Mercedes pricing for the service packages is just outrageous, especially bearing in mind they'll be paying the dealer a pitiful rate for doing the work. There's also no incentive to take the package, possibly except if you live in the London area where the dealers keep servicing prices high.

 

[BTB 500]

M-B service package on our Vito was £525 (plus VAT) for 5 years/70k miles, which I thought was OK. That was back in 2007 though ... it's just expired

 

[Rory]

M-B service package on our Vito was £525 (plus VAT) for 5 years/70k miles, which I thought was OK. That was back in 2007 though ... it's just expired

Yep, that was good. Same thing on an MB car would be more like £1800.

 

[BTB 500]

Wonder what they'd charge on a Viano 3.0 CDI then, which is identical to the Vito apart from trim?