W203 C270CDi coolant change interval??

[Rory]

So this is a late 2004 (therefore facelift car) went in for its first MOT today.

In the past I've discussed servicing with the dealer, and when I booked it in for MOT we also had a little discussion, and I've always been told it needed a coolant change at 3yrs. I was somewhat surprised as many cars are 10 yrs now.

However when I took it in they said it only needs doing every 15 years. That's a bit of a difference!

Anyone else know what the correct interval is?

 

[BlackC55]

15 years.

 

[Dieselman]

Coolant every 3 years.

 

[BlackC55]

Not according to Mb on that 203.

It is unbelievable but the interval is 15 years.

 

[Dieselman]

Interesting, the old interval was 3 years. I wonder what protection the inhibitors are providing at that age?

 

[BlackC55]

The old interval was 3 years. It changed.

They must have done their research????

 

[Rory]

As I mentioned earlier, I know a lot of cars are on 10yrs now, but I wasn't too surprised to be told it was 3yrs on this car as it's quite an old engine.

I hate this about the dealers (not just MB) - they've been adamant it needed changing and now it doesn't, so it leaves you feeling uncertain. I have ServicePlus so it makes no difference either way, except that a factor when I took it was the annual things they said needing doing - brake fluid, coolant and ATF. I queried the 4yr ATF change and they went all wobbly about that too.


Funnily enough the Service Advisor used to work at Honda and had justified the high 3yr service price on our Jazz by saying it needed the fuel filter changing. When I queried why it wasn't on the bill when I picked the car up she said 'oh, it doesn't need doing on Jazz'. Yet the bill was still as quoted.

 

[1998K]

The old interval was 3 years. It changed.

They must have done their research????

research and improvement on the engine/cooling system but keeping the same coolant fluid of some years ago?

Please, could you confirm this?

thanks