ASSYST, ASSYST Plus and Servicing

[Blobcat]

Talking with my local service manager the ASSYST Plus fitted to the newer MBs is no longer being followed for servicing. They still rely on the car deciding when it needs servicing but they are no longer going by all the letters it throws up - anything from A to H. They put the car details into their own system and service it based on what their system tells them to do.

For any new/ish (from around Oct 2006) MBs the servicing is now based on 15K miles or annual depending upon what comes up first.

For the older models with the standard ASSYST system they are still following the A / B as decided by the ASSYST. One thing I have noticed is that post my B service the ASSYST is counting down almost mile for mile where previously it would count down 100 miles for every ~150 miles covered. If it continues to do this I will be speaking with the Service Manager and finding out if they have 'downgraded' the ASSYST in my car to get more services.

 

[Blobcat]

I have just checked my ASSYST and it is showing 10,800 miles to the next service. I have covered and 2,222 miles since the last service, so my ASSYST is now counting down mile for mile :x. It has never done that before so my suspicions that it has been upgraded in some way appear to be founded.
I will be having a discussing with the service manager on Monday and post the outcome back here.

 

[Chris_J]

His response will be "we couldn't fault it sir".

 

[Blobcat]

His response will be "we couldn't fault it sir".

That is one thing I don't expect! I have known the Service Manager for over 4 yrs and he knows better than to try that on.

 

[steve.link]

Blobcat,

My W211 is doing exactly the same - counting down mile for mile. When I queried it I got the usul "fob off" - "its the computer in the car sir" or something similar. It really anoys me that they can tamper with these settings without advising the customer what they are doing.

 

[Blobcat]

The W211s have almost all done this from new, the W210s however have wound out to ~18K from a start of 13K.

 

[steve.link]

My car was new in Dec 05 - used mainly on motorways for long runs etc. It went until 15k for its first A service.

The assyst was reset to 12500 miles exactly 1500 miles ago and the next service is now C in 1100 miles time

 

[Shambolic]

If you look back at some of my early posts you will see my assyst went down quicker than Klinsman in the box it seemed to be a bit random.
Th car has only now done 12K from new 27 months old and assyst is now 5400 to next service!!!

 

[BrianM]

I've just had a D service done at the main dealers on my 2004 E320 CDI. They've reset the ASSYST service indicator and it shows "Service C due in 12424 miles". How random is that? Is this what normally happens i.e. a 'non round' number. Previously, on my E240, the service indicator reset to 10,000 miles after a service.

I've done 120 miles since the ASSYST service indicator was reset and the due mileage of the next service hasn't changed at all. Perhaps it's too soon to see but it looks like it's going to countdown through exactly 12,242 miles to the next service. My E240 used to start off at 10,000 miles to next service but by the time the next service was due it would typically have done 11,000 -12,000 miles so obviously something different is happening.

 

[Hibbo]

Is 12,424 miles 20,000km? ****** Europeans eh?

 

[steve.link]

Mine was also set to 12424 miles- I just rounded it up for the post. I believe it is based on 20k km

 

[kft]

Mine goes in on Thursday for a D service. 12,300 for the first service, then 9,300 to this one I am waiting with interest to see how many miles to the next service. If it is less than 12k I think I may just phone Mercedes helpline and see what comments thay have to make.

 

[hawk20]

My A service did not come till 15,000 miles but since then sticks to exactly 10,000 miles to the next service. Does not alter depending on type of use. I queried this with service manager and he discovered that mechanic had not set to show using synthetic oil. On cheap oil it is 10k miles. On synthetic can be extended a lot depemding on use. He has reset it and will now do a lot more miles before B service comes up.

 

[television]

Your service intervals Hawk are much longer than on my SL , though not quite up to the 2nd service I think it will come at 22k. I have not decided yet if I will have it done,or if I shall do my own.

malcolm

 

[mioba]

the first service on my w220 was a B @ 15K miles. I just had an A done at 22K, although the car was 3K off its service (It had been 2 years since the first service).
I supplied mobil 1 and the counter reads 10K till next service maybe i need to talk to the dealer about this!!
I also got chatting to the service manager about MB going back to annual service (as its been mentioned on here a few time) he said basically it would cost MB too much to re-program assyst fitted cars, so on these cars service intervals will be determined assyst.

 

[television]

I was wrong in my earlier posting, the 1st A was done at 9k miles in 11-03 the second B at 11k miles in 03-05 and it is now at 20k miles.

malcolm

 

[Hibbo]

Could dealers possibly be accidentally failing to extend the service intervals that posh oils command? Surely not, as this would result in more work and revenue for them!

I have not decided yet if I will have it done,or if I shall do my own.

malcolm

Don't give them another penny of your hard-earned cash Malcolm. Dealer servicing offers incomprehensibly APPALLING value for money, when you look at the work involved. The ONLY reason people pay £500 to have their oil changed is to keep the FMBSH up so as to not lose any more money when they come to sell. A simple nod towards this forum will show that your SL has been better maintained than anything on a dealer's forecourt. As for the 30-year 'rust warranty', how much would 7 years' worth of MB oil changes cost compared with the cost of 7 years of DIY oil changes and a bodyshop bill? Do the math Hawky!

 

[television]

Could dealers possibly be accidentally failing to extend the service intervals that posh oils command? Surely not, as this would result in more work and revenue for them!



Don't give them another penny of your hard-earned cash Malcolm. Dealer servicing offers incomprehensibly APPALLING value for money, when you look at the work involved. The ONLY reason people pay £500 to have their oil changed is to keep the FMBSH up so as to not lose any more money when they come to sell. A simple nod towards this forum will show that your SL has been better maintained than anything on a dealer's forecourt. As for the 30-year 'rust warranty', how much would 7 years' worth of MB oil changes cost compared with the cost of 7 years of DIY oil changes and a bodyshop bill? Do the math Hawky!

Thanks Hibbo, and thats the way I will go, you are right that I do have a little standing here on the forum. It would also break my heart if they scratched or dented it.

When they hooked it up to the STAR diag tester they hook the the tester over the drivers mirror with two straps,, there was a piece of grit in the canvas strap that scratched the mirror cover.

The car will be near mint when I sell it, and the last one sold instantly.

Thanks, Malcolm

 

[hawk20]

Could dealers possibly be accidentally failing to extend the service intervals that posh oils command? Surely not, as this would result in more work and revenue for them!



Don't give them another penny of your hard-earned cash Malcolm. Dealer servicing offers incomprehensibly APPALLING value for money, when you look at the work involved. The ONLY reason people pay £500 to have their oil changed is to keep the FMBSH up so as to not lose any more money when they come to sell. A simple nod towards this forum will show that your SL has been better maintained than anything on a dealer's forecourt. As for the 30-year 'rust warranty', how much would 7 years' worth of MB oil changes cost compared with the cost of 7 years of DIY oil changes and a bodyshop bill? Do the math Hawky!

First, the guys who service your car do not get the revenue or the profit. They get a wage or salary. I see no incentive for them to cheat us.

Second, it is not £500 to change the oil. My first service, due after 15k miles, only cost £85 in labour plus vat -making about £100 for labour. Total bill was £235 inc Vat. On the B service there will be about 2 hours of labour.

I have done the maths. Servicing costs about 2.5 pence per mile. A minor cost in the total order of things. In addition, I get free breakdown cover via MobiloLife (that would cost £150 per annum for me and my wife) and free cover in Europe -which would cost another £100 per year or so from the AA. Fabulous value IMO.

 

[Chris_J]

So whilst my car has counted down religiously from 10,000 miles, mile for mile, it shouldn't have been? It supposedly has Mobil 1 in there too. The first service on the car is logged at 15,000 miles.