C230 Sport Coup

When I try to check my oil level, using the display ever since my A service,
1st and only, it says "PERF. SERV. ON TIME" message on the display, after telling me to wait while it checks the oil.
Now this happens with car warm, cold, whatever.
I never got it before the A service.
It's not listed in the manual for c230K coupe.

I've called 2 dealerships, gotten 3 different answers, and called
the Mercedes customer service and they can't answer it either.
For certain it's 2 quarts low from looking at the dipstick, and I used the test feature I read about here to get a reading of the actual oil level.... 5 quarts.

Also the oil looks a bit dirty for only having 2K miles since it being changed. It's hard for me to trust the dealer completely based on
other experiences involving vehicles in my lifetime, (not MBZ, and not with this dealer) where more damage was done than good by less than competant people.

So, while I'm a little suspicous by nature, from past experiences,
I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, that they didn't cut corners....but what gives with this message? And why does the oil look like it's never been changed?

It never happened before taking it in for service, it's not listed in the manual (this code), and the 4th response which I got from 1800-formercedes was that "you must have changed the software on your car" (no), "I don't see that code listed". So the issue is going up to a higher level to tell me what it means....

But of course, likely someone here has seen it.
It is a little disconcerting that no one at Mercedes can't say what the heck this means, or that I get 4 different answers from supposedly highly trained people.

My car is not modified in any way.
I have not had the software messed with by anyone, and only the dealer has touched the car.

awiner

Straight from the manual,

"The message PERF. SERV. ON TIME (preform service [engine oil level check] on time) will be displayed if the required waiting period has not been observed after stopping the engine:

* with engine at operational temperature approx. 5 minutes.

* with engine not at operational temperature up to approx. 30 minutes.

The engine oil level check can be repeated after a short time."


If this is happening all the time, I'd say it is defiantly strange.

Lynn

Awiner that may be straight from your manual but it is not what the 2002 Sports Coupe manual says.

It says, "The message "OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD" will be displayed if if the required waiting period has not been observed after stopping the engine:
-with engine at operational temperature approximately 5 minutes."

Quoted from page 141 of the 2002 C coupe manual.

The C coupe manual is wrong. My car gives the same message as C230 Sport Coup's car. It would be nice if it weren't. "OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD" makes a hell of a lot more sense than "PERF. SERV. ON TIME".

C230 Sport Coup

So in actuality, I won't see
"OBSERVE..." etc. ?

Yeh I read the manual...
and in fact I had to read it to the service rep. who said he didn't know what it meant, and I read all the possible codes for that function, and that one ( PERF SERV) wasn't listed.

And in fact MBUSA stated I must have changed my software?!
So, maybe seems like a stupid question, but it's not in the manual, and is not listed as a valid code by MBUSA for my vehicle.
But I did read the other threads.

Seems to me I never ever saw this before they did the A service, and now I cannot get it to tell me how much oil is needed under any circumstances, so I guess I have to agree with
Buell in another thread. Don't trust the computer. Use the dipstick.

I did find out they used only SIX quarts of oil for the oil change, cheap *******s, instead of 7.5 which would explain why I only show 5 quarts in diag mode 2K miles later.

I should've asked why they shorted me on oil!
Next time I'm checking it before I leave.

Lynn

I see the "PERF. SERV. ON TIME" message on my car and it hasn't had Sevice A yet. Like I said there is a misprint in the manual.

I don't think the 7.4 quart oil capacity is correct in the manual either. I did have an oil change at 2500 miles and they put in 6 quarts. The dipstick showed it was full, as well as the MFD.

Deb

Hi Guys,
Maybe I'm reading that differently from you all, but the way I've always interpreted that message is that the engine oil level is ok and to "perform the next service on time", i.e., in 8,000 or 6,000 or however many more miles until the next service.
I'm not at all confident about that interpretation, but that is what it says to me.
Deb

phoenix_iii

Was this ever figured out?

When should oil temp be taken with the stick, warm or cold?

=)

willtillery

The message is displayed when the vehicle has been running and not off for more than 5mins... The reasoning is there is oil that will settle into the pan ... Let it sit for 5 mins after running the motor and you should get a reading. (What ever happened to the old fashioned dipstick?)

W203E35

Kosta Martino

Cold always!

Kosta Martino

If u want to be sure go to e MB service! They dont put other engine oil or put less than needed, if smth happens to the engine u go to them with the payment bill and a layer by your side in europe mb gives about 20k km with the same oil, and i have done 27k and nothing happened and the oil was still good, it could do even 30k in total ! So to be sure go there for everything

annas dad

Did anyone ever figure out anything about what this message means and how to clear it? My 2005 S500 has the same thing and the function to check the oil from the dash will not work because of the way that this message interferes.

C230 Sport Coup

Yeah, you must let the car sit for some period after running, and then
it will display the oil level, like 5-10 minutes after engine is stopped.
GIves time for oil to flow back into the sump.
Wow, I asked this question 19 years ago. Still on the forum, still have the car,
though it's parked right now, needs some fixing.
New alternator, new supercharger and an issue with the fan going on by itself.
I'll get to it eventually.