I recently received a full refund on my last service from my local main dealer.
Just a bit of background information. I've got a 2005 C220CDI which I bought second hand when 6 months old, with 12,000 miles on the clock and approx 1,800 miles indicated by ASSYST until it's first service. Shortly after, the oil filter cover had come loose causing me to have to replenish approx 1.5 litres of oil. This then immediatley increased the next service due date in ASSYST by a couple of thousand miles.
The first service was done at approximately 16,500 miles as indicated by ASSYST at the main dealer.
ASSYST was reset to count down from 10,000 miles.
A couple of days later I had one of those courtesy calls (don't know if all main dealers do it or not). The usual sort of, Was I happy with the work done?, Was the car nice & clean? etc etc. until one of the last questions, 'Did I think it was good value?'. No! (My actual answer was somewhat more detailed and explained that the only reason I had it serviced by them was to keep it under warranty. When the warranty's out, I'm doing it myself.)
At approx 11,500 miles further on (when indicated by ASSYST) she had her second service.
Again ASSYST was reset to count down from 10,000 miles.
Same courtesy call, same answers!
At a further 11,500 miles she had her third service (approx 6 months before the end of the warranty)
Again ASSYST was reset to count down from 10,000 miles.
Didn't get a courtesy call this time! (Probably worked out they could cut-and-paste my answers).
My turn to service her this time! ASSYST indicated a service was due.
Did all the usual stuff including changing the oil and filter.
I reset ASSYST using the steering wheel buttons as per the owners manual and had a start point of 10,000 miles.
Great, this is easy, thought nothing more of it, drove around for approx 1000 miles until ..............
I read through this thread http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=37644 on servicing that caused me to question the 10,000 start point for ASSYST.
I then read this thread http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=42108 which shows you with the hidden menu how you can select the correct grade of oil used when resetting ASSYST.
I immediately followed the procedure (for 229.51 oil) and had a new start point of 13,000 miles.
I'd been going in for servicing some 3000+ miles too early each time. The main dealer had also used 229.51 oil (or at least that's what I'd been billed for). If I'd had start points of 13,000 for the first two services, I would have had a futher 6000+ miles, which would have taken me beyond the end of the warranty period, and I wouldn't have had the third service done by the dealer.
Right then. Back to the dealers to complain.
I pointed all the above out to them.
They initially started by saying that 10,000 was the correct start point for ASSYST.
"Not for 229.51 oil", I replied (Mobil 1 ESP).
They said, "Mobil 1 ESP was 229.31, not 229.51". "No it isn't", I replied.
They retrieved a can from the workshop and claimed that we're both right because it had 229.31 and 229.51 on the can. FFS.
Their argument then changed, asking what evidence have they got that it wasn't set to 13,000 miles in the first place.
So, firstly claiming that 10,000 was the correct setting, then, how do they know it wasn't set to 13,000 !!!!!
I told him because I saw the reset point at 10,000 miles each time, and asked if he was he questioning my integrity.
He replied he wasn't and asked me what I wanted them to do. A full refund of the third service (of course).
He said they couldn't do that and offered me a free next service.
I informed him that was only really worth the cost of the oil and filter to me, and I wanted the full cost of the last service refunded, some £300+.
A couple of days later I received a letter asking if they could run a few tests to see what data was in the instrument cluster.
So, not questioning my integrity eh?
I wasn't the slightest bit concerned at what they would find, but, slightly concerned at what they would potentially do the the data that was not going to support their case but mine. I rang my very good friend from the forum to discuss what was in there and what they could potentially alter. He suggested he came down for the day with his Star machine and we'd have a look. This then turned into a mini-meet with another good friend from the forum!
We explored around a bit with Star and came across the following:
There's a table in the instrument cluster that contains current settings thus (all distances are in km)
The line we're interested in is the 'Current quality factor for engine oil' set to 1.33, which gives a 13,000 mile reset start point.
and also the following table:
The column we're interest in is the 'Product of quality factors', which in my case shows that at PDI it was set correctly with a countdown from 13,000 miles. The next three lines are where it was main dealer serviced (different to supplying dealer) with countdown from 10,000 each time. The fifth line is where I'd serviced it, realised it could be reset to count from 13,000, and did so to give the current settings in the ASSYST settings table. (This is why there's a short 1000 mile service in line 5).(When it's serviced again the current ASSYST settings will then become a sixth line in the Oil change table with 1.33 in the final column.)
I gave the car to the main dealer to 'test'. The only table they could find was the current ASSYST settings and thus claimed it was, and had been, set correctly for all their servicing. "Pull up the 'Oil change table'", I suggested. Genuine blank looks along the lines of 'what the hell was I talking about'. When I provided them with my printout their only answer was that I'd obtained it using a pirated Star (which I hadn't). (Pirated or otherwise, the information is what it is, however obtained.) They couldn't find the table with their Star (draw your own conclusions). I left them with a phototcopy of the 'Oil change table' thinking it doesn't get any more black and white and this will be the end of the matter.
It took a 'Letter Before Action', some 10 days later before they very politely sent me a cheque for the third service (some £300+).
A big thank you to the members of the forum for the invaluable information to enable me to get a refund, with a particular thank you to two of the big hitters on the forum for their specific assistance.
Just a bit of background information. I've got a 2005 C220CDI which I bought second hand when 6 months old, with 12,000 miles on the clock and approx 1,800 miles indicated by ASSYST until it's first service. Shortly after, the oil filter cover had come loose causing me to have to replenish approx 1.5 litres of oil. This then immediatley increased the next service due date in ASSYST by a couple of thousand miles.
The first service was done at approximately 16,500 miles as indicated by ASSYST at the main dealer.
ASSYST was reset to count down from 10,000 miles.
A couple of days later I had one of those courtesy calls (don't know if all main dealers do it or not). The usual sort of, Was I happy with the work done?, Was the car nice & clean? etc etc. until one of the last questions, 'Did I think it was good value?'. No! (My actual answer was somewhat more detailed and explained that the only reason I had it serviced by them was to keep it under warranty. When the warranty's out, I'm doing it myself.)
At approx 11,500 miles further on (when indicated by ASSYST) she had her second service.
Again ASSYST was reset to count down from 10,000 miles.
Same courtesy call, same answers!
At a further 11,500 miles she had her third service (approx 6 months before the end of the warranty)
Again ASSYST was reset to count down from 10,000 miles.
Didn't get a courtesy call this time! (Probably worked out they could cut-and-paste my answers).
My turn to service her this time! ASSYST indicated a service was due.
Did all the usual stuff including changing the oil and filter.
I reset ASSYST using the steering wheel buttons as per the owners manual and had a start point of 10,000 miles.
Great, this is easy, thought nothing more of it, drove around for approx 1000 miles until ..............
I read through this thread http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=37644 on servicing that caused me to question the 10,000 start point for ASSYST.
I then read this thread http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=42108 which shows you with the hidden menu how you can select the correct grade of oil used when resetting ASSYST.
I immediately followed the procedure (for 229.51 oil) and had a new start point of 13,000 miles.
I'd been going in for servicing some 3000+ miles too early each time. The main dealer had also used 229.51 oil (or at least that's what I'd been billed for). If I'd had start points of 13,000 for the first two services, I would have had a futher 6000+ miles, which would have taken me beyond the end of the warranty period, and I wouldn't have had the third service done by the dealer.
Right then. Back to the dealers to complain.
I pointed all the above out to them.
They initially started by saying that 10,000 was the correct start point for ASSYST.
"Not for 229.51 oil", I replied (Mobil 1 ESP).
They said, "Mobil 1 ESP was 229.31, not 229.51". "No it isn't", I replied.
They retrieved a can from the workshop and claimed that we're both right because it had 229.31 and 229.51 on the can. FFS.
Their argument then changed, asking what evidence have they got that it wasn't set to 13,000 miles in the first place.
So, firstly claiming that 10,000 was the correct setting, then, how do they know it wasn't set to 13,000 !!!!!
I told him because I saw the reset point at 10,000 miles each time, and asked if he was he questioning my integrity.
He replied he wasn't and asked me what I wanted them to do. A full refund of the third service (of course).
He said they couldn't do that and offered me a free next service.
I informed him that was only really worth the cost of the oil and filter to me, and I wanted the full cost of the last service refunded, some £300+.
A couple of days later I received a letter asking if they could run a few tests to see what data was in the instrument cluster.
So, not questioning my integrity eh?
I wasn't the slightest bit concerned at what they would find, but, slightly concerned at what they would potentially do the the data that was not going to support their case but mine. I rang my very good friend from the forum to discuss what was in there and what they could potentially alter. He suggested he came down for the day with his Star machine and we'd have a look. This then turned into a mini-meet with another good friend from the forum!
We explored around a bit with Star and came across the following:
There's a table in the instrument cluster that contains current settings thus (all distances are in km)
The line we're interested in is the 'Current quality factor for engine oil' set to 1.33, which gives a 13,000 mile reset start point.
and also the following table:
The column we're interest in is the 'Product of quality factors', which in my case shows that at PDI it was set correctly with a countdown from 13,000 miles. The next three lines are where it was main dealer serviced (different to supplying dealer) with countdown from 10,000 each time. The fifth line is where I'd serviced it, realised it could be reset to count from 13,000, and did so to give the current settings in the ASSYST settings table. (This is why there's a short 1000 mile service in line 5).(When it's serviced again the current ASSYST settings will then become a sixth line in the Oil change table with 1.33 in the final column.)
I gave the car to the main dealer to 'test'. The only table they could find was the current ASSYST settings and thus claimed it was, and had been, set correctly for all their servicing. "Pull up the 'Oil change table'", I suggested. Genuine blank looks along the lines of 'what the hell was I talking about'. When I provided them with my printout their only answer was that I'd obtained it using a pirated Star (which I hadn't). (Pirated or otherwise, the information is what it is, however obtained.) They couldn't find the table with their Star (draw your own conclusions). I left them with a phototcopy of the 'Oil change table' thinking it doesn't get any more black and white and this will be the end of the matter.
It took a 'Letter Before Action', some 10 days later before they very politely sent me a cheque for the third service (some £300+).
A big thank you to the members of the forum for the invaluable information to enable me to get a refund, with a particular thank you to two of the big hitters on the forum for their specific assistance.
