W204 - Service Intervals

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Shailesh

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Sep 8, 2016
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26
Car
C180 W204
Hi

I have W204 C180 Dec 2011 reg date
Just had B service @ 60k miles completed

Went to check the next service, it is showing as 9000

I thought the service interval was 15000 or 12 months,which ever came first

Any one can advise why the Service Assist is showing 9k?
thanks
 
have you done 6000miles since the last service???
 
The service intervals on these has reduced over the years. Cynics might say this is a handy way of increasing dealer revenue streams from servicing, but a more charitable interpretation is that experience with these modern engines has indicated lots of problems due to the degradation of engine oil[ even the modern synthetic ones] and/or its migration/deposition in parts of the engine where it shouldn't be ---variable inlet manifold, turbocharger, EGR system, crankcase breather etc etc. Some engines may well run to 15,000 miles without an oil/filter change - under certain running conditions--e.g. lots of hot motorway miles- but life for the majority is spent not fully warmed up running rich. -So manufacturers have been inclined to err on the safe side for service intervals to combat this. :dk:

IIRC latest revised service intervals are indeed 9,000 or 12months for the W204
 
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That's what I follow on my 2013 S204 C250 CDI (for the Greek climate):

- Engine oil/filter every 12.500km (7.770m) "recommended by MB every 25.000km"
- Engine air/fuel filters every 50.000km (31.070m) "recommended by MB every 75.000km"
- Cabin filter every year
- Transmission oil/filter every 80.000km (49.710m) "recommended by MB every 125.000km"
- Differential fluid every 100.000km (62.140m) "lifetime by MB"
- Brake fluid every 2 years

I do about 35-40.000km annually mostly on motorways.
 
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If revised service intervals really will cure some of the weaknesses in engine durability like timing chan problems then I'm all for it. An oil change is very cheap insurance although perhaps not so much at MB prices. Why couldn't they have left the service interval the same but interspersed with a an oil change and nothing but an oil change which shouldn't cost much.
 
Hi

The 9,000 was on the day service was completed, I checked when i picked up the car.

Thanks every one
 
On the W203, when resetting the service indicator after the car was serviced, there were two option to choose from - standard oil which meant ASSYST would show 9,000 till next service; or long-life oil which meant ASSYST showed 13,000 till next service.

I was told at the time that the difference isn't actually in the oil which is 229.3 or 229.5 in either case, but in the oil filter - the 'long-life' setting should only be selected if a fleece oil filter was used (and not paper oil filter which does not last as long).

My W203 never did anything near 9,000 between services, so the whole issue was purely academic for me at the time.... I am merely repeating what I read and was told.

Said that, I am not sure if ASSYST on the W204 had the same two settings (standard oil and long-life oil) when resetting the service indicator.

Worth checking - it should be in the instrument cluster 'secret' menu.
 
I was told at the time that the difference isn't actually in the oil which is 229.3 or 229.5 in either case, but in the oil filter - the 'long-life' setting should only be selected if a fleece oil filter was used (and not paper oil filter which does not last as long).

That's interesting. Until now I'd thought that fleece filters were just an Americanism because they are always harping on about them. This is the first time I've heard it mentioned here. What is it about fleece filters that is supposed to make them last longer; is it time or mileage that is the limiting factor on normal filters.

I think I remain sceptical and I'm now inclined to see it as an MBism. Not that it matters as I don't run even 9000 miles between oil changes.

My W204 does ask if you have used 229.3 or 229.5 which might give different intervals.
 
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...My W204 does ask if you have used 229.3 or 229.5 which might give different intervals.

You are correct, I think I got it wrong initially - what I should have said is that the service indicator should be set to 229.5 only if the fleece oil filter (not paper) was also fitted. Again, this was verbal and online - but I don't recall seeing an actual MB doc about this. And, like you, I never get to 9,000 miles between oil changes anyeay, so didn't really look into this very closely.
 
You are correct, I think I got it wrong initially - what I should have said is that the service indicator should be set to 229.5 only if the fleece oil filter (not paper) was also fitted. Again, this was verbal and online -

I don't believe that is correct either, the service indicator should be set for whichever oil is used, normally 229.5 is fully synthetic and 229.3 may not be. The filter has nothing to do with it.

Russ
 
I don't believe that is correct either, the service indicator should be set for whichever oil is used, normally 229.5 is fully synthetic and 229.3 may not be. The filter has nothing to do with it.

Russ

You may very well be right - as I said.... I do not know.
 
I'll give it shot.

Fleece filters were introduced when MB's service regime was such that long drain intervals in terms of mileage and up to 2 years max. was considered acceptable. Now that they have changed to 12 months regardless of mileage I think fleece filters are no longer required.

Of course if fleece filters are more efficient in terms of filtration of small particles they are still a good thing but where do you buy one in the UK. I don't see any reference to them by parts suppliers.
 
Back to the OP.... the answer might be that the service indicator was reset to 229.3 instead of to 229.5, but this needs to be confirmed by checking ASSYST.
 
Hi

any idea how i check ASSYST for grade of oil?

thanks every one for the comments/help
 
interesting thread this ... in answer to the orig question.. regardless of miles.. your car should be serviced every year ...especially if u have a service contract it must be done otherwise it negates the continuation warranty for MB,s free mechanical breakdown cover ...unless someone can advise otherwise.. ??.. so it doesn't matter if I do 4k or 9k a year ??!!...mine goes in for its B service on Monday.. so if anyone wants to know exactly what was done I can adv then... foxy52
 
So the issue will be if 9,000 miles are done before the year is over, you end up doing the service early.

How ever if it was 15,000 miles (as I thought it was) and 12 months comes first then no issue.

Hence knowing what is correct.
 

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