Mercedes Servicing

[garry1503]

I have an E320 Diesel on an 03 plate. Should the amount of miles between services be quite consistent (assuming the driving pattern remains constant) or is it possible that it might vary by as much as 50%. I did 14,500 miles after buying the car 2nd hand at 30,000 miles on the clock and then following a rather expensive service the car is suggesting that it will need another service after just 9,000 miles. Is this possible or should I be suspicious.

Your input and experience on this would be most welcome.

Thanks,

garry1503

 

[jberks]

There are 2 settings on the assyst system. One is 9500 miles but the other, if fully synthetic oil is used, can be around 13,000. Ask your dealer why they didn't set it to that.

 

[rmhodgson]

It's not that simple

As I understand it the next scheduled service shows as 9,000 (or 13,000) immediately following a service. But then the assyst system decrements the remaining distance slower or quicker than actual miles done depending on your driving patterns - clever eh ! I believe gentle long distance drivers can go as far as 17,000 miles between services. There is also an overriding time limit so if the car is used very little a service will ve requested after (I think) two years irrespective of mileage.

Hope that helps.

 

[maddog]

Thats seems to be how ASSYST has worked on mine , it comes out from the dealers with 13,000 miles to go but takes a long time to drop from that milage at all , if i let my car go until ASSYST let me i reckon i would get 15-17000 miles between services .

It takes me almost 2 years to do that and i service my car every 18mths or so always have a fair few miles left to run before i should take it in.

Thats said the dealer who serviced it last Feb has written to get me to book it in but i still have over 8000 miles left before its due according to ASSYST.

 

[carabind]

As I understand it the next scheduled service shows as 9,000 (or 13,000) immediately following a service. But then the assyst system decrements the remaining distance slower or quicker than actual miles done depending on your driving patterns - clever eh ! I believe gentle long distance drivers can go as far as 17,000 miles between services. There is also an overriding time limit so if the car is used very little a service will ve requested after (I think) two years irrespective of mileage.

Hope that helps.

that may work like that on the 210s, but not on my 211. I also got the clock reset wrongly to 9,500 miles on second service(1st service they set it correctly to 12,700) , dealer admitted it and tried to reset it , but couldn't do so. They said "Don't Worry, the interval will increase over time...." guess what, it hasn't depaite 98% motoway driving . emailed the DP and complained, asking would I still be under warranty if we ignored the "service needed now" message for another 3k miles, they verbally agreed, but Ishould have got it in writing
anyway won't be going back to them again if I can help them. No wonder they call them stealers. Now, anyone know if the indies can reset Service assytt properly on a 211? PS the 9.5k and 12.5K miles equate to 15k and 20K kilometers

 

[amb67]

Hi,

My 203 220CDI went 19k between services, it was all motorway miles mind. The 320CDI engine does tend to be a litle harder on the oils etc... and I would put mine in for an oil change at 13k if ASSYST wasn't telling me to do so already.

 

[garry1503]

Thanks for all your responses. Gives me more information to learn more about ASSYST and to confront my dealer on this.

Thanks again.

 

[carabind]

Thanks for all your responses. Gives me more information to learn more about ASSYST and to confront my dealer on this.

Thanks again.

Le us know how you get on. I never got a proper explaination or rectification from my local dealer !!

 

[amb67]

The retailers don't know anything about ASSYST, well not the ones I have dealt with.

ASSYST calculates the time and mileage interval to next service via all of the engine and gearbox sensors. This means that it calculates turns of the ignition key, gear selections, RPM, journey time and distance, oil condition etc.....

From this information it works out how hard the engine, gearbox and differential have had to work during that journey and adjusts the service interval time and mileage accordingly.

That is why when you start off on a journey it can say 12000 miles to next service, you may travel 1000 miles and it still says 11500 miles to next service.

Hope this helps

 

[euclidb2]

it depends which oil is used,even tho all are fully synthetic and approved by mb,shell helix ultra AB 5W-30(DC229.5 or229.51)is a longlife oil specifically manufactured for the E-class 2002 onwards,this will give an interval of 12,500 miles,the one used by mb dealers is shell helix ultra 5W-40 (229.3 or229.31)which will give an interval of 9,320 miles,i brought the same thing up with service manager after having my e-class serviced,told me to bring it back after a couple of months and will reset assyt,giving interval i should have had in first place.my argument was, they had not used the correct oil designed for the e-class and should inform customers for £10-£15 more they could get another 3,000 miles or more between intervals and at least give them a choice, log on to smithandallan.com 4litre is £28.70 plus vat,if you research deep into these forums as i did you will find plenty of answers

 

[euclidb2]

just a thought,but i have some oil in my garage approved by mb to specification 229.1 which i topped a c-class up with,but is now used only for my lawnmower,it cost £6.99 plus vat for 5 litre from a well known trade market in sheffield about 5 years ago,makes you think, dunt it?

 

[Rory]

it depends which oil is used,even tho all are fully synthetic and approved by mb,shell helix ultra AB 5W-30(DC229.5 or229.51)is a longlife oil specifically manufactured for the E-class 2002 onwards,this will give an interval of 12,500 miles,the one used by mb dealers is shell helix ultra 5W-40 (229.3 or229.31)which will give an interval of 9,320 miles,

I think the problem is that they do use (and charge for) the correct 229.5 oil but they don't (either deliberately or by ommission) don't tell ASSYST that've used 229.5 so it resets to the lower mileage.