W221 Service reset

[Teshie]

Have just done a full service on my car, oil filter, fuel filter, air filters and gearbox filter and fluid

Once all was complete, I reset the service indicator using the steering wheel buttons but for some reason it will only reset to next service in 5000 miles and not 15000 miles

Any ideas???

 

[Conquistador]

The car calculates the needed services. If you reset the service indicator and don't do the proper service it throws everything out of sequence. The services then won't go A, B, C, D... and so on. It's a calculation of how long its supposed to take for the service to be completed. I would wait a while and reset it again.

 

[Teshie]

The car calculates the needed services. If you reset the service indicator and don't do the proper service it throws everything out of sequence. The services then won't go A, B, C, D... and so on. It's a calculation of how long its supposed to take for the service to be completed. I would wait a while and reset it again.

I've tried numerous times to set it with no luck. When I reset it reads 5000 miles to A service or 5000 mile to B service
When my indie serviced the gearbox he plugged it in to an Autologic box and it did exactly the same

 

[V12]

Had a similar problem on a W211 and it was only sorted by putting it on star and doing it properly.

 

[Conquistador]

I've never reset the service light myself on a W221 but is the car smart enough to reset for the next scheduled service?

So if you are doing a Service C, complete it then reset the service indicator, will it reset it so the next service is Service D? Or will it reset all the way back to Service A? Or will it reset so Service C is the next scheduled service?

 

[V12]

From memory, the lettering goes from A-H and denotes how many hours it will take.
A=1
B=2
etc

Generally it will alternate between A and a higher letter, mine has been A, B, A, B, A I think!

The car does all the hard work in calculating what's next. You can also have a look on the mercedes ESS website. Input your vehicles details and it will tell you what is due next time around.

From another thread, may be helpful to know!

Up to (around) 2007 MB used flexible service schedule, so a low-mileage car could see the service indicator come-up in around 15-18 months (not fixed). The system checks how many starts, journey length, engine temperature etc etc to guesstimate the condition of the engine oil.

Some diesel engines have an oil quality sensor which measures the amount of water in the oil by checking the electrical resistance of an oil sample - but as far as I understand this is not used for the service scheduling system, so in fact the oil condition is not tested directly, but rather estimated based on the car's usage history.

However, in (around) 2007 MB changed this to fixed service schedule, i.e. every 12 months. This was merely an administrative change to aid fleet buyers and leasing companies in working-out the service schedule and service cost in advance.

Either way, this only applies to low-mileage car - obviously if the car exceeds the specified mileage between service intervals, the service indicator will come up sooner.

Said that, for cars with oil quantity sensor (i.e. electronic/dipstick-less oil level checking), the service scheduling system will know whenever oil has been added and will take it into account as the new oil 'refreshes' the old oil - so if the car consumes oil, or has a leak, and you have to regularly add engine oil, you may find that the mileage between servicing is miraculously increased...

 

[Teshie]

From memory, the lettering goes from A-H and denotes how many hours it will take. A=1 B=2 etc Generally it will alternate between A and a higher letter, mine has been A, B, A, B, A I think! The car does all the hard work in calculating what's next. You can also have a look on the mercedes ESS website. Input your vehicles details and it will tell you what is due next time around. From another thread, may be helpful to know!

Mine alternates between A&B services only 5000 miles for each one