Servicing Problems: Important.

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littlebrooklyn

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Let's be clear. 1. If they didn't reset it, then it will call for a service in June.
2.If they tell you in writing that a service is not due until a year from when you bought it they will either turn out to be right or wrong and the car will either call for a service or it won't. If it does, and you do not have one done, then that infringes the guarantee.

By the way, if they connect the STAR diagnostics kit (like a laptop that plugs into the car) it will show you now how many days since oil changed and how many days till an oil change is due. I saw this myself on mine just this last Friday.

What you need them to say in writing is that if the car calls for a service in June they will pay for it!

Thanks for that again Hawk. Do they charge much to connect to the STAR diagnostics kit and is it only main dealers that have them? I doubt very much that the car has had an oil change with such a low mileage. Even now it's only done 450 miles, not much for a car that is nearly 10mths old!
 
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hawk20

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Thanks for that again Hawk. Do they charge much to connect to the STAR diagnostics kit and is it only main dealers that have them? I doubt very much that the car has had an oil change with such a low mileage. Even now it's only done 450 miles, not much for a car that is nearly 10mths old!

I think quite a few 'indies' have STAR.
 

3146bj

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hawk20, thanks for the info. A couple of points of interest. Here most Merc's are ay least 2 months old when they roll off the ship. New cars on sale now are still October, November 2007 build dates. Some other makes go back as far as February 2007 (VW for example)

The 15000 mile fixed service interval compares well with here where it is 15000 kilometres. So we are servicing more often in similar or easier driving conditions to get the same warranty cover.

Any thoughts from anybody (particularly anybody from MB reading this)?
 
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hawk20

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The 1 year fixed may suit Mercedes admin-wise and so on, but it makes no sense for customers. You may buy a car 9 months from build date (not even knowing that) and find it needs a service in 3 months time.
 

littlebrooklyn

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Wht can't you go to a proper MB dealer?

I haven't heard one good word about our local MB dealer, which is why I don't want to take the car there. I also read that as long as you take your car to an indie that will stamp your service book then the warranty is still okay. Cannot see the point in paying out more money than we have to.
 
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hawk20

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I haven't heard one good word about our local MB dealer, which is why I don't want to take the car there. I also read that as long as you take your car to an indie that will stamp your service book then the warranty is still okay. Cannot see the point in paying out more money than we have to.

An A service is only one hour's labour. And for that you keep FullMBSH for when you sell, you get free breakdown cover (for me and my wife the AA want £150 for full cover and another £100 for Euro cover its all in with MB). So it is good value.

Plus you get all the service updates/recall changes/software updates that you won't get from an indie. For the first 3 years at least it is important IMO to use MB servicing. Dealers have greatly improved on all surveys.

According to What Car thousands of cars in UK are driving round with problems they need not have and potential safety issues too because they have not gone to their main dealer to have all the updates/recalls done.
 
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littlebrooklyn

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For the first 3 years at least it is important IMO to use MB servicing. Dealers have greatly improved on all surveys.

According to What Car thousands of cars in UK are driving round with problems they need not have and potential safety issues too because they have not gone to their main dealer to have all the updates/recalls done.

Did not realise that, maybe we will have to find another MB dealer that is nearby :D
 
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hawk20

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Did not realise that, maybe we will have to find another MB dealer that is nearby :D

I think that is a good idea. Or have a nice day out in Southampton and I'll get one of the good guys to do your next service. 'A' service is only about 1 hour. New Forest, the sea, good eating, and West Quay the biggest indoor shopping Mall in Europe all nearby
 

Alex M Grieve

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The excellent posts by Hawk and others explain very clearly the situation. Sadly, we are all conforming to snags which have arisen due to idiosyncrasies in a system (ASSYST) which was intended to help us, and which because of these problems, is doing anything but. If this is allowed to stand as the "rule" - and the warranties of cars not serviced excessively in compliance with it are voided, it raises issues of excessive cost, waste and environmental damage. I do believe that "if the rules are too difficult they should be re-examined and, if appropriate, changed". It sounds as though the more recent trend to "one year or 15,500 miles, whichever is sooner" tacitly accepts the vagaries of the ASSYST problem, but deals with them in a rather "worst case scenario".
My driving pattern and habits have not changed. Indeed, I have moved from a petrol C200K to a diesel C Class, so if anything, things should be better, not worse.
I originally asked the dealership about this. They looked perplexed and were astonished that I had chosen to challenge the rules. They recommended that I speak to MB UK Customer Services, which I did with an identical outcome. They recommended, as I had challenged the engineering justification, that I contact MB UK Research and Development to receive an explanation for the technical reasons behind the increased frequency of servicing and the doubling of costs.
I wrote to them, very much along the lines of my posting. They did not acknowledge my letter, far less reply to it.
I remain highly skeptical. Is there an issue here for Trading Standards?
 

Alex M Grieve

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Servicing problems, important

:rolleyes:The excellent posts by Hawk and others explain very clearly the situation. Sadly, we are all conforming to snags which have arisen due to idiosyncrasies in a system (ASSYST) which was intended to help us, and which because of these problems, is doing anything but. If this is allowed to stand as the "rule" - and the warranties of cars not serviced excessively in compliance with it are voided, it raises issues of excessive cost, waste and environmental damage. I do believe that "if the rules are too difficult they should be re-examined and, if appropriate, changed". It sounds as though the more recent trend to "one year or 15,500 miles, whichever is sooner" tacitly accepts the vagaries of the ASSYST problem, but deals with them in a rather "worst case scenario".
My driving pattern and habits have not changed. Indeed, I have moved from a petrol C200K to a diesel C Class, so if anything, things should be better, not worse.
I originally asked the dealership about this. They looked perplexed and were astonished that I had chosen to challenge the rules. They recommended that I speak to MB UK Customer Services, which I did with an identical outcome. They recommended, as I had challenged the engineering justification, that I contact MB UK Research and Development to receive an explanation for the technical reasons behind the increased frequency of servicing and the doubling of costs.
I wrote to them, very much along the lines of my posting. They did not acknowledge my letter, far less reply to it.
I remain highly skeptical. Is there an issue here for Trading Standards?
 
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hawk20

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:rolleyes:The excellent posts by Hawk and others explain very clearly the situation. Sadly, we are all conforming to snags which have arisen due to idiosyncrasies in a system (ASSYST) which was intended to help us, and which because of these problems, is doing anything but. If this is allowed to stand as the "rule" - and the warranties of cars not serviced excessively in compliance with it are voided, it raises issues of excessive cost, waste and environmental damage. I do believe that "if the rules are too difficult they should be re-examined and, if appropriate, changed". It sounds as though the more recent trend to "one year or 15,500 miles, whichever is sooner" tacitly accepts the vagaries of the ASSYST problem, but deals with them in a rather "worst case scenario".
My driving pattern and habits have not changed. Indeed, I have moved from a petrol C200K to a diesel C Class, so if anything, things should be better, not worse.
I originally asked the dealership about this. They looked perplexed and were astonished that I had chosen to challenge the rules. They recommended that I speak to MB UK Customer Services, which I did with an identical outcome. They recommended, as I had challenged the engineering justification, that I contact MB UK Research and Development to receive an explanation for the technical reasons behind the increased frequency of servicing and the doubling of costs.
I wrote to them, very much along the lines of my posting. They did not acknowledge my letter, far less reply to it.
I remain highly skeptical. Is there an issue here for Trading Standards?

I should write to: -
Dermot Kelly M.D.
DaimlerChrysler UK Ltd.
Tongwell
MK15 8BA Milton Keynes,
Buckinghamshire
Great Britain
 

rlangham

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My car is a C Coupe 230 K bought May 2001. i do low mileage

So far I have had it serviced (at the same dealer) every other year when the ASSYST informs we one is due, as follows

April 2003, 7624 miles, Service A
February 2005 , 14798 miles, Service B
April 2007 2007, 24652 miles, Service B*

* I asked for A, but they did B and also replaced the thrust ams and anti-roll bar bushing as they said this was necessary. Since then I took it to the dealer for a routine matter and they told me the solenoid was leaking and that I needed work that could cost 1500 or more. I had this checked out elsewhere and was told there was no proble, In fact iIhad the battery replaced recently by Mobilo-Lifeand the electronics test that was then carried out indicated no problems

My ASSYST has just informed me that I need a service in 30 days, i.e. just over 12 months since the last one, and I have only completed a further 1200 miles mainly stop and start.

1. Is this correct or has the setting been incorrectly adjusted at the Last service.

2. If I don't get it serviced is there a problem. I have to get an MOT pretty soon.

3.If I get it serviced at a garage that does Mercedes but is not registered with them will I forfeit my mobilo-life rights.
 

Alex M Grieve

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Hi Hawk,

Thanks for the contact particulars for Mr Kelly. I will reroute my enquiry and report back.

P.S. I am new around eher. Wot's a Sticky?
 

SLinKyjoe

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. Wot's a Sticky?

If you look on the general forum you see all the threads. At the top of the board are several which are "Stuck". That means that always stay on top irresepective of when the last post was made.

Makes them easy to find.

We have to be careful how many become stickys as they could take up the whole page. Useful, and important ones get stuck.

If we find out about a recall, that would be stuck, and left for a bout a year or so then unstuck.

The current events, have the latest meetings stuck, to keep them in view.
 

Alex M Grieve

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As promised, I wrote to:
Dermot Kelly M.D.
DaimlerChrysler UK Ltd.
on Hawk20's recommendation. Predictably, someone less senior dealt with my letter.

An extremely pleasant and well informed chap from MB UK telephoned me this morning. We had a lengthy and very congeneal discussion, during which we acknowleged that we would not be able to alter each others point of view, and generally concluded:
1. there seemed to be no presuasive engineering reason for changing the servicing frequency for low mileage cars from two yearly to yearly
2. there is a general anxiety within MB about cars only being seen by the dealership every 2 years, but this may relate mainly to cars owned by people who either don't know how to open the bonnet, or who rarely do
3. the durability of cars, improved metallurgy, longer lasting lubricants and better quality in manufacture generally point towards longer servicing intervals rather than shorter and this change by MB is counterintuitive to these considerations
4. the change was mandated by MB in Germany, and is to be implemented in the UK
5. MB UK are however to field, deal with and resolve any questions such as mine on the issue. If my question was passed on to MB in Germany they would send it back to MB UK for action, notwithstanding that MB UK are not empowered to alter the decision
6. servicing, even in the warranty period, may be carried out by a MB specialist without prejudice to the warranty
7. in any subsequent warranty claim, however, if MB felt that correct work had not been done, or that work had been done correctly, or that approved MB parts had not been used then any of these events might prejudice a warranty claim.
So I conclude:
a. the servicing frequency has been chaged and that is a matter of fact which MB are not prepared to discuss
b. servicing low mileage cars annualy rather than two yearly must be done to ensure continuous warranty
c. using a specialist rather than a franchised outlet does not invalidate the warranty
d. the owner best be sure that the specialist in question is using up to date information and tools (supplied by MB) and that the work is being done comprehensively and correctly.
I did suggest that my enquiry might be forwarded to MB in Germany for information rather than for immediate action. I am sure that all manufacturers enjoy feedback from their customers to help inform their future strategy! I did not get the impression that was likely to happen!
So there you have it, from the horses mouth.
 

Chas

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ON OLDER CARS WITH VARIABLE SERVICE INTERVALS VIA ASSYST.
If you use relatively cheap oil while being serviced then ASSYST will count down from 10,000 and that is what it should do.

If, however, you use high quality synthetic oil as recommended in the handbook, when being serviced, then ASSYST will vary the interval between services depending on many factors (short runs, motorway cruising, driving hard, topping up the oil etc -all affect the miles between services) and you may get as much as 15k to 18k between services. (Even more in rare cases)

BUT N.B., ASSYST will only go to variable service intervals if the dealer resets to show that synthetic oil has been used. If they forget, it won't.

If you have been serviced with synthetic oils check that the distance to next service is varying and not just counting down from 10,000. Even ask the dealer to make sure they reset for synthetic oils.


Thanks for an excellent post.

Will my S320 (2001) fall under the Older cars category?

thanks
 
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