Two consecutive B services required?

[BTB 500]

Our 2007 Vito (FMBSH from new) has variable time/mileage based servicing, and covering around 9k miles a year it generally requests a service (via the cluster) every 24 months. It's currently asking for a B service in around 500 miles, but looking back the last one it had was also a B ('Maintenance') service??

 

[Funkyboy]

Our 2007 Vito (FMBSH from new) has variable time/mileage based servicing, and covering around 9k miles a year it generally requests a service (via the cluster) every 24 months. It's currently asking for a B service in around 500 miles, but looking back the last one it had was also a B ('Maintenance') service??

Was last service at main dealer?

 

[BTB 500]

Was last service at main dealer?

Yup. I still have the invoice so will query this when I book it in ... was just wondering if there could be any legit reason for it though.

 

[markjay]

My 2006 W203 had flexible Assist, and would go up to 18 months between services, but it was always alternating between A and B.

Maybe the service indicator was reset twice by mistake during the last service?

 

[Will]

My other thought is was it only due an ‘A’ last time, did they bill you for a ‘B’ instead (I’m sure you’d have queried that last time)

Have you had a look at the ESS for your vehicle?

 

[BTB 500]

My other thought is was it only due an ‘A’ last time, did they bill you for a ‘B’ instead (I’m sure you’d have queried that last time)

Have you had a look at the ESS for your vehicle?

It definitely had a B service last time (normal MB itemised bill), and an A before that. As far as I know ESS only applies to passenger cars? I could pretend it's a Viano I guess!

 

[BTB 500]

Maybe the service indicator was reset twice by mistake during the last service?

That would be my guess at the moment, although I'm not sure how easy it would be to do that by mistake.

 

[Will]

Didn’t you have a new cluster or some issues with the cluster in the past - could that be possibly related?

 

[BTB 500]

Didn’t you have a new cluster or some issues with the cluster in the past - could that be possibly related?

Good idea, but the last service was about a year after the cluster had been replaced.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Been a while since I had a car on variable servicing, but I had two consecutive B services a couple of times when I topped up with oil between services.

It extended the number of days to go until the next service but switched it from an A to a B. If I remember right it went to the full two years, or close to.

If I remember right my conclusion was that if the variable service interval was less than 18 months then the pattern was A B A B A, and if 18-24 months then B B B B B.

 

[Riva811]

I had two consecutive B services as well. Its just that some items fall under B but weren't due last time around

 

[Rory]

I've had my car since 5mths old and I remember booking it for its first service and just before I took it in it flipped to a B. Dealer hummed and harred about and did an A. The car would have been about 18mths old.

 

[BTB 500]

OK thanks guys I will query it when I book it in.

 

[Rory]

In practice there's little difference - the B service checks are supposed to be more in depth but dealers do their own vehicle heath checks (which are really just hunting for more work) anyway. On my car the only practical differences are the pollen filter and key battery change, and they never did the keys unless I reminded them.

 

[BTB 500]

An A service is basically just an oil change and visual inspection.

The last B included engine air & fuel filters, cabin pollen filter, brake fluid change, etc. ... not convinced it would need those again.

 

[Funkyboy]

Yup. I still have the invoice so will query this when I book it in ... was just wondering if there could be any legit reason for it though.

Looks like they never reset the service indicator correctly then. It asks what service was done IE full service or other.
Speak with service dept as if it was done it obviously doesn't need the extra items this time

 

[Rory]

An A service is basically just an oil change and visual inspection.

The last B included engine air & fuel filters, cabin pollen filter, brake fluid change, etc. ... not convinced it would need those again.

Maybe it's different on Vito, but the only thing on that list that's part of a B service is pollen filter, which I included.

The other stuff is time / mileage based and called for as additional work - so on a higher mileage vehicle they should only be needed every other B service.

 

[BTB 500]

The other stuff is time / mileage based and called for as additional work - so on a higher mileage vehicle they should only be needed every other B service.

But they are done as part of a B service (if due)? I don't think I've ever seen them come up during a A (on any of our vehicles).

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

But they are done as part of a B service (if due)? I don't think I've ever seen them come up during a A (on any of our vehicles).

Probably because they fall on even years, eg second or fourth service.

 

[Teego]

Nice little earners, MB service schedules. All smoke and mirrors.