C0d3Sp4c3

My wife’s 2013 C250 is exactly one year old with 2,845 miles. Today I drove the car but was greeted with “Service A is due in 5 days”. What is there really in Service A other than Oil Change? I have two 5-Quart jug of Mobil 1 (0W-40) + OEM oil filter acquired 4 months ago in anticipation. I know some of you are a DIY like me and not willing to get ripped off by Stealership. This is our first MB car and thought I should ask your opinion. Do I really need to change oil with such low mileage or do you change oil annually, regardless?
Btw, car is not lease if that matters. Your input counts and I take full responsibility…

Sportstick

Oil deteriorates by time as well as by mileage, so the annual change is proper. I cannot speak for all dealers, but mine does a thorough review of all major systems. In my first A service, the tech found a weak cell in the battery and replaced the battery under warranty. Do you have the equipment and knowledge to check the rest of the car? Lastly, you need at least one $100 visit per year at your dealer to maintain your MB Roadside Service privileges. Using the dealer also builds a relationship which can be helpful later on. My dealer just goodwilled a $700 repair, even though I'm out of warranty, because I'm a consistent customer over five years. For a car of this cost, dealer service seems a wise investment.

JWH321

Annually, no matter how low the mileage. And I do it myself.

vic viper

So how much does the "stealership" charge you?, for a basic Service A we charge approx $250, it must be really tough to pay that much dough?

spyked

Take it to the dealer first time. Also, you've got at least two TSBs they will do. One for TCU/ECU software update, and one for COMAND update.

But in general, I've always heard one year is minimum (except for BMW/MINI for some reason). Oil that was in your car at time of assembly could have been sitting around, and who knows how long your car was around before you bought it (build date vs. delivery date).

stratman1954

+1

Pete7874

Yes, you do because you don't want to give MBUSA a reason to deny you warranty coverage for not performing basic maintenance on schedule.

As for the oil itself, it can probably last longer than that, but it's beside the point in this case, unfortunately.

C0d3Sp4c3

Firstly, I thank you all for your response.
I am in SoCal, the dealer where I bought the car from quoted $280 + tax while another dealer quoted $406 + tax.
My ability to DIY is based on the information shared by members in this community. At this time I don’t have the capability to diagnose and code a benz. But oil change is a no brainer for me and perhaps I can do it neatly on my own car. It would be nice to have the TSB’s performed but it can wait at next opportunity. Just curious what Service A entails and what good is it for me!

At present, my other 2 cars come with OEM cost free maintenance from which I have the capabilities and the ability to diagnose, repair and code. I regularly wash and clean my own cars in details. Mind you, I know every inch of it. The number of deep scratches associated with foreign paint and minor dents will tell you how many times the car was serviced by dealer. Not to mention the unnecessary mileage accumulated when the car was in. At one point, dealer made a big dent on the driver side door. Of course they denied but they had it fixed. Perhaps MB dealer is different but I will surely hate to deal with that crap again.

Now, I am debating!

thenew3

I would think SoCal dealers would be more competitive on pricing. In the Bay area, dealers charge from $169 to $199 for the A service.

MDMercedesGuy

Considering one can do it in 30 minutes of their own time for less than $100, yes - there is a bit of an issue there. While I don't like the term "stealership" as I was a former auto dealer service department employee myself years back, 2.5x what it costs me to do the work myself is a dealbreaker.

C0d3Sp4c3

I certainly will not think twice for that price range. When I spoke to my dealer this morning, she quoted $280 + tax and maybe more, depends upon inspection. Nevertheless, she wanted me to make the appointment.

Pete7874

Open your Maintenance Booklet. It's all in there. If you don't have one, download it:
http://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/DigitalA...ce_Booklet.pdf

The first 10K service (Service A) is basically a glorified oil/filter change plus a bunch of checks and fluid top-offs. You can easily do it yourself. Oil changes are made super easy if you have a fluid extractor and the right filter wrench.

C0d3Sp4c3

Yes, I have everything I need for the oil change. That includes the instructions for oil change posted somewhere in this forum. I will not let the post from a member who is in need of a new engine after an oil change" hold me back

Thank you so much for your encouragement

Sportstick

Here's a quick story about the value of using dealer service, which keeps you on the Roadside Service program. One night, my wife's E Class was rear ended in stop and go traffic on the local interstate. The rear fascia and fender liner were intruding into the wheel well and the tire could not turn. We thought we needed a tow truck. The car had been mechanically fine, so this wasn't a typical service problem, as we stood on the shoulder along with the police and the &^#%%&# who ran into her in his Honda. I called MB, and within about 20 minutes, an emblazoned MB M-Class arrived with a tech from our dealership. We realized that if he cut out parts of the fender liner and bent back the already-damaged fascia, the car was driveable. He used his tools to accomplish this while the Honda guy and state trooper watched, clearly surprised. Ten minutes later, and without a tow truck, we drove off, leaving the strikee to wait for a flatbed to haul away his smashed Honda.

I will always use the dealer to maintain this privilege. That cold night in a rush hour commute, that arriving M Class with the MB logos sure looked beautiful and it was a wonderful rescue! And, one never knows.....

MDMercedesGuy

We're talking about a car under warranty here. Roadside assistance covers it regardless of whether or not it is serviced at a dealer. Once it is out of warranty, that's a different story. Given that the OP doesn't drive the car much - they have 3 years until this becomes issue.

SoCal208

I can DIY, but with the competition here in Socal (I got a lot of email every month), mostly I let the local MB dealer do the regular maintenance for my cars (E & C class) with minimum cost & save me the the labor. I am getting old, sometime, turning the wrench is NOT FUN anymore !!!, then dispose theses toxic fluids...is no more fun either....It's just me, someone else may think differently.

Doanster

Remember, Service visits are mainly labor-driven wrt the overall cost. You are paying for the expertise to check the various components/systems for health. My dealer charges $99, if I'm not mistaken, for an oil change only.
I was also comp'd $375 (cost of the steering lock) recently specifically because I had all scheduled service performed at the dealership.
Decisions, decisions, eh?

joesama

How is it that in the land of the United States of the America, servicing costs are like cost of peanuts compared to here in Australia?
A service costs High 600s of dollars and B Service costs high 1400s of dollars?
How does this makes sense?

joe...