MB servicing at MB direct

[carabind]

Needed a third “C” service, won’t trust the local stealer after last time and just found out that MB direct also do servicing as well as sell cars. Given I bought my car from them two years ago, though they might be a good substitute. As the car has covered 36K miles and this is its third service, I expected lots of things would need doing and was expecting a phone call from them all morning , but they stuck to what I wanted which was a c service and a brake fluid change – more so because they were very busy I suspect.

Price was 20% less that the normal stealer, - they told me a c service only applies in germany ?? and what I got was actually a a service?? I was happy with what they did, service booked all stamped up which is great, though service assist changed to 9300 to next service than 12500 as I had hoped
Also they cleaned the car, but it came back dirtier than I left it. At least I can sort that myself.

Anyway, they quoted a few advisories which needed allegedly at 37k miles – tranny fluid change (£200+), combination filter (is this the air filer) and fuel filter. Though they agreed leaving these till next service would not invalidate the warranty.

So a couple of questions – this combination filter – is this the air filter as this has never been changed? I did ask, but they reckoned a message would flash up on the computer when this needed changing – don't sound right to me, that, the cars not that clever? Is this a DIY job? Or can I leave alone as this seems to be a long term service item.

Also, coolant/antifreeze. Not mentioned at all by them , but with the same stuff in there since 2005,I would like to change it. I guess this is DIY, do I use pukka MB antifreeze, or is there a better alternative about that won't invalidate warranty ? And how much would I need – it is a E220 CDI (2005)

 

[Ron Palfrey]

I used MB antifreeze when I did my C280. Found it was not significantly more expensive than other quality products so I decided to plump for the proper stuff. A 5 litre container was enough for my car mixed as per the instuctions on the label, and I had a little left over. I can't see your car having a much larger coolant capacity so the same size container should do you too.

 

[Daeths]

Air filter £20 from MB and a 10 minute job inlcuding getting the tools out the garage.

If it's not been done, whilst they do last ages for the sake £20 I'd do it anyway. Did mine last weekend and the mpg is up 12% (based upon the computer MPG readout)

 

[Rory]

Combination filter is the pollen filter, not the air filter.
Coolant is probably on a 15yr change.
ATF may or may not need doing - my late 2004 C270CDi didn't need it. If you're thinking of keeping the car for a long time then it may be worth getting it done anyway.

All the work (except the ATF change, that's a new thing) should be listed by mileage/age in the service book, although it takes some deciphering.

 

[carabind]

Thanks chaps.I'll check the air filter this weekend and 99% certain to change it next weekend, even just a 3% improvement in MPG will payback within 6k miles, and I'll also have a go at the antifreeze before next winter.
How much is 5L of MB stuff? Or would a name like Bluecol be OK?
and where is the best place to drain ?
Are there block or rad taps, or do I just disconnect the bottom hose?

Where is the pollen filer, by the way??

And unfortunately my service books carries no service work data at all, just mentions service assyst which is where the car tells the MB compueter excactly what needs doing when it is plugged in at service time. If it did, I'd do most of this work myself before taking it to the dealer

 

[carabind]

Forgot to mention in my original message - any one else have a 2005 e class which has a brake recall this week ? I got a call from my local stealer (the one I now avoid) on Friday, telling me that they needed the car if for 5/30 mins for a check/wiring harness clipping and labelling.

I mentioned the car had been serviced (by MB direct) the previuos day (ie thursday!) and they had made no mention of a brake recall at all. Their response was that .......well there was some excuse that MB direct is not part of the same group as they are. So do the dealer network get recall notes that MB direct dealers don't see??
Though unspoken, she seemed agast that I had discovered MB direct do servicing and I had the temerity to take the car elsewhere....rather than to them.

So I committed to taking it later next week, but anyone know anything about this ? Or is the local stealer doing something strange?? She did quote a recall code and it is FOC, but knowing that lot, they'll be looking for an excuse to tuck me up for something like new pads and discs while I'm in there. They tried that with tyres last time, which lasted another 10k miles and were still perfectly egal when I swapped them before Xmas

 

[euclidb2]

as rory says combination filter is pollen filter,anti-freeze is changed every 15 years(according to mb service book),b/fluid change every 2 years,air filter is a simple diy job,as for oil change intervals this is dependant on oil specification,while an mb approved oil is used the specification will most likely be mb229.3 or 229.31 which will give a s/interval of 9,320 miles,the specification of the oil manufactured specifically for the new E-class 2002 onwards(to quote shell) is 229.5 or 229.51 which will give s/interval of 12,500 miles,the former will have been used,had the same argument myself don't let them kid you,the extra cost is probably £15,my argument with mb dealer was i should have been given choice!was told by s/manager to bring car back in few months and they would re-set s/meter,giving me a few thousand miles more between next service.All my services have been D,if you look in hand/service manual it will tell you how to bring up service codes/what needs doing on dash using controls on steering wheel.

 

[Rory]

MB Direct ought to have done the recall work already - when you take the car to a dealer an Electronic Service Sheet is generated and that should list all the work required.

Regarding the mileage to next service, they may well have used the correct oil, but haven't told ASSYST of that fact, so it resets to the lower mileage. You can change it yourself, I think, and the mileage should then change.

 

[euclidb2]

MB Direct ought to have done the recall work already - when you take the car to a dealer an Electronic Service Sheet is generated and that should list all the work required.

Regarding the mileage to next service, they may well have used the correct oil, but haven't told ASSYST of that fact, so it resets to the lower mileage. You can change it yourself, I think, and the mileage should then change.

Think your'e wrong rory, they may say they have used correct oil but it will be of wrong specification,229.3/229.31,the right spec is 229.5/229.51,which is a long life oil ASSYST does have to be told when fully synthetic is used but it does not do any good when wrong spec is used,you can reset yourself but only with proper tool.For more info on oil spec find post/thread by 124 coupe(23.09 2006)he's the man!

 

[Rory]

Think your'e wrong rory, they may say they have used correct oil but it will be of wrong specification,229.3/229.31,the right spec is 229.5/229.51,which is a long life oil ASSYST does have to be told when fully synthetic is used but it does not do any good when wrong spec is used,you can reset yourself but only with proper tool.For more info on oil spec find post/thread by 124 coupe(23.09 2006)he's the man!

Hmm - it's all very confusing, but 229.3 is fully synth anyway, and I'm not sure there are any 229.3 specific oils - they're usually 229.5 (and therefore also 229.3). It's possible that a 229.1 oil was used. The oil type should be noted in the service book and on the invoice.
See this thread, which also makes the point that of course there's no reason whay the car couldn't be changed to 15,500 mile fixed interval servicing (my dealer offered me that) http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=30715

I don't think it needs a tool to reset the oil type - I've certainly seen it mentioned in a thread that you go into the ASSYST service menu, select the right oil type and and the mileage jumps up.
ETA: Here's the thread I was thinking of: http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=30715

 

[carabind]

they've put mobile semi synthetic in mine no mention of what 229 number on invoice or service book.just mobile SS 5-40W But its nearly £12.00 a liter ! So should be good stuff??
I cannot reset the oil type, there is a limited access/view to the service menu, but no easy/obvious way to rest - think its needs doing by a star machine? I seem to be on fixd 9300 miles servicing at the moment. Can I insist that MB add the software mod to take this to 25,000 kilos ? It is still under warranty.

 

[carabind]

any ideas, anyone?

 

[carabind]

this gets worse and worse - now the dealers can't even agree between them what needs doing on my car.

It was serviced last week at a MB direct workshop , but just the following day I had a call from my local dealer (wonlt say who for the moment) wanting it in for a recall (SBC harness)I pointed out it had been serviced just the previous day and the manchester dealer had not mentioned a recall.
Only response that my local MB garage and MB direct aren't part of the same group. Bit weak that but I let it go......but come on, what difference does that make ? Don't they all interface into MB surely and get the same data at the same time?
If not then hat is pretty poor

So I brought the car yesterday morning for the remedial work , and whilst waiting, I took the opportunity to ring MB Direct and challenge them as to why they hadn't picked the recall. They investigated and told me even whist my car was waiting to be looked at, there was no recalls outstanding at all on my car, and couldn't explain why my car had been called in !!


So when the work was done, I spoke to the service depatment ad said what MB direct had told me.
They couldn't explain why their system shows a recall is due, (system was down......oh dear!!) but MB Direct doesn't.
And they didn't offer to contact or help resolve with MB direct, as I think that would just expose further flaws in the system
I am now totally confused and though the work been done, I don't know why I am getting conflicting information from the two MB sites.


I don't even care now who's is right or wrong, I just want to get to the truth as I am getting feed up with dealing with dealers . I am changing my car soon, and I was looking at getting another E or possibly C class . To be truthful, though the car itself is fine and I'd have another tomorrow, these dealer issues are starting to put me right off MB all together.
I haven't got the time or energy for an debate over work performed by either of theme everytime I need to bring the car in (even though I acknowledge one of them may not actually be at fault here )

I have emailed the dealer principal, and am awaiting a response, they're probably in "how are we going to explain away this one, this time" mode............ Am I just unlucky? Should I get that Chrysler 300C instead ? ?

 

[Rory]

What I find remarkable, is that now I've got ServicePlus, my car hardly needs anything doing to it!

I spoke to my dealer before I bought ServicePlus, and my car was going to need pads and disks quite soon, coolant change at 3 yrs and ATF change at 37,500 miles.

When I took it in for its B service the pads and disks are fine, the coolant is on a 15yr change cycle and the ATF change came in on cars slightly younger than mine. Amazing!
When I collected the car it seems they changed the oil and pollen filter, and fitted new wiper blades (that I'd requested). That was it. Trying to figure out what needs doing by reading the service book is a nightmare matrix of models/mileages/years. The dealer does work of the ESS (Electronic Service Sheet) based on the VIN number and the age/mileage. The one for my car just had the routine stuff on it but was otherwise blank.

I'm ever cynical, but I wonder what would have happened it I'd been paying, rather than ServicePlus?

 

[euclidb2]

Hmm - it's all very confusing, but 229.3 is fully synth anyway, and I'm not sure there are any 229.3 specific oils - they're usually 229.5 (and therefore also 229.3). It's possible that a 229.1 oil was used. The oil type should be noted in the service book and on the invoice.
See this thread, which also makes the point that of course there's no reason whay the car couldn't be changed to 15,500 mile fixed interval servicing (my dealer offered me that) http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=30715

I don't think it needs a tool to reset the oil type - I've certainly seen it mentioned in a thread that you go into the ASSYST service menu, select the right oil type and and the mileage jumps up.
ETA: Here's the thread I was thinking of: http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=30715

there are 229.3 oils readily available,my mb dealer even gave me a litre of shell helix fully synth' to top up with free!(after paying for service)i have 5 litre of 229.1 spec in garage what i used to top c-class up with ,i use it in my lawnmower now.your dealer is probably using correct spec(229.5-229.51)have you noticed how many s/intervals are around 9,320miles?wrong spec.....you can buy tool to re-set, online quite easily (around £30-£40)it plugs into socket underneath dash .I may be wrong but i think you could re-set c-class the way you mention.

 

[carabind]

can you give some info on this re-set tool , as I am half inclined to have a go, and reset to as long as poss!! I see a 38 pin socket is quoted, byut no mention of how to service the variuos servuce intervals as an option (15/20/25k kilometers)

 

[seabadger]

No reset tool needed. Go into Service Menu (see page 310 of your handbook) select the oil type and the corresponding sevice interval comes up. See Rory's post - last post on previous page for more reassurance.

The air filter element change interval on my 320 CDi is 4 years. It never got done whilst MB serviced the car during warranty. I did it at 85,000 miles when the car was 3.5 years old. It is a massive element and it wasn't too dirty. Made no difference to MPG which is good. I can get 49mpg if I pusssyfoot down the motorway on a 90 minute run. It cost £15.96 plus VAT.

The extended service interval on MB 229.5 oil is 13,500 miles. If you top up the oil during the last 2000 miles before service the Assyst may give you an additional 2000 miles before service required. Don't know how or why but it makes you feel better!

 

[carabind]

all my page 310 has on it is the warning triangle and where to find it stored in the boot!
I recognise what you say but I think you are thinking of a E210 - my car is a 2005 E211?? Any ideas

 

[seabadger]

Well mines a W211 and I've done it.

You must have a later reprinted book - it's in the chapter Operation > Service > Reading off the worshop code and resetting the service indicator.

Have a poke at those reset buttons on you dash - and good luck!

Best wishes Seabadger

 

[carabind]

Thanks SB, but no mention of workshop codes or resetting assyst in my handbook at all. I've had a play at the reset button, and though I get into the service menu, I can't change the mileage interval or say a service has been done - any ideas? can you quote what I need to do?
In fact, thinking back, the local stealer couldn't even do this when I challenged them to change the indication from 9.5k to 12.5k miles - all they could do is get it back to 9.5k miles when I brought the car back 1k miles later.....