A-Class service woes

[J400uk]

Hi,

The A150 today decided that it needs a 'service c' (whatever that is) in 28-days, even though it deffinetely said 7000 miles to next service before :s

The car is a 2007MY 56-reg Avantgarde 5dr that has covered just 11k, and was last serviced in January 2008 @ 7k

Does anyone have any ides if the system is just playing up or if it actually needs a service?

Thanks in advance.

 

[J400uk]

Just had a look on net myself and it would appear that the interval on the A150 is 15,500 miles or 18-months, whichever comes sonnest, so I guess that makes sense why it now wants a service.

Can anyone tell me how much a Service C will cost? I gather that it is basicly just an oil change.

Also I'm unsure whether to take it to MB Direct or to a franchised dealer. If anyone could reccomend one in Herts that would be great

 

[outsmartsmart]

Just checked last week on my E class E320CDi as that needs a 'c' service soon and main dealer price for that is £220 if that gives any indication to you?

 

[ShoeQueen]

Dartford dealer wanted to charge me £450 notes for my last service which was a 'D' service ... took it to MB Warrington as I was going to be in Cheshire that weekend and had it done for £230 in october last year.. funny thing is now the next service is showing as a 'C'

 

[hawk20]

Don't worry whether it shows A, B or C service due. In practice they do A then B alternately on cars with annual servicing (or 15,500 miles w.i.t.s). And the diagnostics tell them what jobs need doing on an Electronic Service Sheet. Mine said C service due for quite a while and then changed to A service due.

BTW it is normal to switch from miles to next service to days to next service. Does this with about 30 days to go.

 

[Rory]

Just had a look on net myself and it would appear that the interval on the A150 is 15,500 miles or 18-months, whichever comes sonnest, so I guess that makes sense why it now wants a service.

Can anyone tell me how much a Service C will cost? I gather that it is basicly just an oil change.

Also I'm unsure whether to take it to MB Direct or to a franchised dealer. If anyone could reccomend one in Herts that would be great

I'm not aware that there's ever been an 18mth interval.

Newer (around 2007 MY cars, but the changeover point seems a bit random) are on fixed intervals. I did think A & B Class petrol cars were 12,500 miles or 12mths but the MB website says all are 15,500/12mths (but other information there is wrong).

As you've gone over 12mths, your car must be on ASSYST variable servicing, so the interval will vary according to how it's used. Nobody really understands how ASSYST works, but it allegedly takes into account how many cold starts the car does and the oil quality etc.

It doesn't really matter whether you use a "normal" dealer or MB Direct. Shop around and see who is cheapest / most convenient. Make sure they use fully synthetic oil to maintain the maximum possible service interval.

 

[hawk20]

I'm not aware that there's ever been an 18mth interval.

Newer (around 2007 MY cars, but the changeover point seems a bit random) are on fixed intervals. I did think A & B Class petrol cars were 12,500 miles or 12mths but the MB website says all are 15,500/12mths (but other information there is wrong).

As you've gone over 12mths, your car must be on ASSYST variable servicing, so the interval will vary according to how it's used. Nobody really understands how ASSYST works, but it allegedly takes into account how many cold starts the car does and the oil quality etc.
.

From production at some point in 2006, all main models are on fixed service intervals: 12 months or 15,500 miles.

As his car is 2007, I would expect it to be fixed interval, unless it was old stock. OP should ask his local dealer to check build date and which service system he has.

If it is on variable ASSYST, lots know how it works. It takes into account length of journey, type of journey (motorway cruising or round town), cold starts, whether or not you top up the oil and all sorts of factors which MB believe will sensibly affect the optimum interval to next service.

However, many business users wanted fixed intervals so as to make budgeting easier and more predictable, so MB changed to fixed intervals. I like the new system because I do 12-15k miles per annum and think servicng every year is sensible for me. But if I were a low mileage owner, I would naturally prefer the old system.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

On variable ASSYST, lots know how it works. It takes into account length of journey, type of journey (motorway cruising or round town), cold starts, whether or not you top up the oil and all sorts of factors which MB believe will sensibly affect the optimum interval to next service.

MB changed to fixed intervals. But if I were a low mileage owner, I would naturally prefer the old system.

Absolutely correct on both points. :neutral:

 

[Rory]

As his car is 2007, I would expect it to be fixed interval, unless it was old stock. OP should ask his local dealer to check build date and which service system he has.

It self-evidently can't be on fixed interval or it would have called for a service after 12mths.

If it is on variable ASSYST, lots know how it works. It takes into account length of journey, type of journey (motorway cruising or round town), cold starts, whether or not you top up the oil and all sorts of factors which MB believe will sensibly affect the optimum interval to next service.

Many suspect that ASSYST actually works by measuring average fuel consumption - which isn't an unreasonable proxy for all the things you mentioned. It's also been suggested that it checks oil quality using a di-electric sensor but that's a very uncertain process. It will notice the oil being topped up, but only if you wait until the computer demands more oil - so it's likely to be simply making an assumption based on the addition of new oil.

 

[J400uk]

Cheers for the replies.

It is deffinetely a 2007MY (the spec and option codes confirm this) but it was built in 2006, so probably one of the last cars with ASSYST.

As I said the last service was January 2008 and its only calling for another one now, hasnt had any work done on it in between.

I read somewhere that although ASSYST is mileage and usage based, the maximum the car can last between services is 18-months, which must be what has happened here.

 

[Rory]

I read somewhere that although ASSYST is mileage and usage based, the maximum the car can last between services is 18-months, which must be what has happened here.

It's possible it's 18mths on an A Class, but, before fixed servicing, the max interval was always said to be 2yrs, and my C Class was spot on 2yrs to the day between its last 2 services.

 

[hawk20]

It's possible it's 18mths on an A Class, but, before fixed servicing, the max interval was always said to be 2yrs, and my C Class was spot on 2yrs to the day between its last 2 services.

No. I have owned two A class cars both first registered in 2007 like the OP's car. And my brother has an A class as does my eldest daughter. Sometime in 2006 cars produced changed to fixed service intervals - one year or 15,500 miles.

Provided the car has been set up correctly, that is what it should be experiencing. But as ever the new system caused confusion with some mechanics and not all were set up correctly. They need to use STAR to set the first date of registration and other data.

A few older A class cars had faulty instrument clusters which called for services at the wrong time -usually too soon. The clusters were changed under guarantee if any problems were notified to a dealer. I suggest the OP goes in and gets his fully checked under warranty.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=5325

 

[Rory]

A few older A class cars had faulty instrument clusters

The cars referred to in the HJ link are MY 2000 - ancient history, and nothing whatsoever to do with MY 2007 cars.

And the OP isn't looking at his first service, when original setup would be relevant, but his second service. It's coming up 16mths after the first service so therefore the car cannot be on annual servicing (which is a good thing for the OP or his car would need even more frequent servicing).

It is confusing, but Mercedes seem to prefer it that way, with nobody ever able to give a straight answer to anything. As you acknowledge, even the mechanics can't get it right.

 

[hawk20]

The cars referred to in the HJ link are MY 2000 - ancient history, and nothing whatsoever to do with MY 2007 cars.

And the OP isn't looking at his first service, when original setup would be relevant, but his second service. It's coming up 16mths after the first service so therefore the car cannot be on annual servicing (which is a good thing for the OP or his car would need even more frequent servicing).

It is confusing, but Mercedes seem to prefer it that way, with nobody ever able to give a straight answer to anything. As you acknowledge, even the mechanics can't get it right.

I know that about the Honest John links. Point is that he may have a faulty cluster. Should get checked. ALL 2007 build A class cars had annual servicing.

If his was not set up right when new, it may never have been set up correctly. On my current E class, when I bought it at 6k miles, I took it in to my excellent local dealer to have it checked on STAR (and to change oil and filter) and it had not been set correctly. They reset it and now it is fine.

Mercedes have changed the system to make it simple and easy to understand.

I have never said the 'mechanics can't get it right'. I have said when the system was changing over SOME mechanics made mistakes when setting it up in STAR. Is your Mercedes cup ever half full?

 

[Rory]

Mercedes have changed the system to make it simple and easy to understand.

...and more expensive for owners.

I have said when the system was changing over SOME mechanics made mistakes when setting it up in STAR.

Funny that with mine being on ServicePlus, ASSYST works perfectly. My dealer did send a general mailer postcard inviting owners to switch to fixed interval servicing. I gleefully accepted, only for the dealer to unfortunately remember that the car was on ServicePlus so they couldn't do it. Who says it's not all just a big con?

 

[J400uk]

Thanks again for the replies. It will be booked in for a service to be done in just under a months time.

Point is that he may have a faulty cluster. Should get checked. ALL 2007 build A class cars had annual servicing.

I think we are confusing each other here, the car is a 2007 Model Year but it was built in 2006 and registered on a 56-plate in September the same year. It wasn't old stock, just one of the last to have ASSYST rather than fixed servicing I think.

Having said that though, even if this car was put on ASSYST by mistake, I would rather it stayed that way as it does less than 5000 miles a year so fixed servicing would work out more expensive.

 

[hawk20]

...and more expensive for owners.



Funny that with mine being on ServicePlus, ASSYST works perfectly. My dealer did send a general mailer postcard inviting owners to switch to fixed interval servicing. I gleefully accepted, only for the dealer to unfortunately remember that the car was on ServicePlus so they couldn't do it. Who says it's not all just a big con?

I do. Most dealers make very little money. In fact many are losing money and were even before the recession.

Personally I want dealers to survive and thrive. I want enough near me to have a choice where to go for servicing and sales. I like having showrooms to visit, cars to see and sit in, and the availabilty of demonstrators to try out. So I am happy to pay to have my car serviced by them.

I also like the fact that if I have a complex problem they have access to MB technical for advice and diagnosis -which has been used successfully for me in the past. And I like the fact that they do continual updates and improvements free when I go in for services. Lastly it seems to me important that enough of us use MB servicing for there to be continual feedback to the factory about how the cars are behaving in the real world. This leads to design improvements over time to all our benefits.

 

[Rory]

Most dealers make very little money. In fact many are losing money and were even before the recession.

If they were losing money before then that shows how seriously screwed up their business model is.

Reasonably priced service contracts would have the dealerships stuffed full of customers, instead of using indies and local non-specialist garages. The current basic service contract prices that MB have replaced ServicePlus with are absolutely insane.

 

[television]

While at my MB dealer yesterday, I got talking to a couple in a 2 year old SL , their problem was that after 3 days they had to use the key to get into the car, I took me ½ hour to explain how the car worked and that they did have a fault.
A salesman joined us, and he called out the techie. I explained the whole system again to him and how to check, and he agreed to take the car in for a week to do the testing.

While this was going on they had a 203 with the Valeo problem, once again I chirped in to find out why they do not drain the boxes correctly. He said there is no way that it can be done, so I told him of how we just slacken a cooler pipe and spin the engine to empty out the old fluid, he said what a good idea, but I am not allowed to as it is not in the book.

We had a coffee and chat, but the sad thing was that I knew more about the whole thing than him