Servicing - now fixed interval & for older cars.

[Rory]

I know this has been mooted for a while, but I haven't seen it written anywhere previously.

I got a service reminder from my local dealer today as it’s a year since it was serviced. It’s done about 10K in the last year (waaay less than I expected, I use our Jazz most of the time, and only take the Merc on long work journeys) and still 6K to go, according to ASSYST.

The dealer is now suggesting that I can stay on ASSYST, or I might like to take up the opportunity to move to fixed intervals of 15,500 miles or 12 mths (whichever is first).

How nice of them!

 

[Blobcat]

If I read this correctly the dealer is not making enough money from servicing so is asking if you can bring the car in more often.

 

[124coupe]

They need to be careful here - in our fleet the Merc CDIs (on long-life oil) are asking for service every 13,700 or so (Assyst gradually extends from the 12,500 shown after the service) and the BMW 525/530D DPFs every 18-19000 (or 2 years for the office-based shiny bums).

Merc trying to make the service annual regardless will hit cost of ownership (again). The difference adds up.

The 15,500 would be good for me though as I do lots of miles.

What's your car?

 

[Rory]

I have an Oct 04 C270CDi.

It would have gone to almost 20K before its first service (at just over a year old) but I gave in and had it done at 18K.

It's funny really, for my wife's cars I've also ensured they had an annual service - the Jazz requires one but her previous Clio was every 2 yrs and the dealer really didn't like doing it every year!

On the Merc, I just think that each service costs so much then it should have as few as possible.

When this was first announced for new cars, MB said people didn't like the uncertainty of variable intervals, yet Audi and BMW owners seems to cope. I suspect it was more to with the servicing generally being required at lower mileages than people expected. I've certainly seen other comments that mileage to service gets lower after the first service, just as mine has done.

 

[124coupe]

Hmmm, my E280CDI is a DPF car so uses the expensive oil - I wonder what my letter will suggest as the service interval if I get one?