Psycho

I hear the for the MY 2005 MB is eliminating the free maintenance program. Is this true?

steve1173

The free maintenance is pure BS. I drive less then 7500 miles per year & was told my MB that unless the mileage is met that calls for the free service then the free service is every TWO years. No way am I letting the oil go 2 years. The free service should be either the mileage or every year.

Carbon9

Yes I read that rumor, too. That MB was eliminating the free service through dealers and the FSS.

steve1173

Will we still get the BS free service that was promised when we bought our cars or will that end.

Psycho

What is FSS?

Carbon9

https://mbworld.org/forums/forumdisp...?s=&forumid=41

go to the tech forum and do a search for FSS

There are threads over there that have more info and posts on this subject.

"Flexible Service System". The car tells you when to get an oil change, or service, etc. based on factors that the car computers monitor.

Rumor is 05 will not have this or free maintenance.

'04 and prior service commitments will be honored.

What I don't know at all is the reason behind it. Is the FSS working properly across the board? Cost cutting? Both?

steve1173

It must be costing MB money so they will eliminate it. Could be also people with low miles which is even worse for the oil get the free service every 2 years which means unless you pay yourself that oil is in there 2 years & the original factory fill is not synthetic.

steve1173

Lets see if next year with no free service if they recommend oil changes either 10000 miles or 2 years whichever comes first.

Carbon9

I have just read through another source (autospies) that MB is discontinuing the free maintenance. They will have a "Service Welcome" visit between 1-3k and a free tire rotation at 6500m.

Oil changes are at 13k miles, apparantly regardless of time.

steve1173

Got to love the morons in MB, 13000 miles between oil changes no matter how long. So if you use the car only 4000 miles per year if you have more then 1 car they are saying it is okay to change the oil every 3 1/2 years. My other car non MB has an oil monitor also but they recommend at least once a year & synthetic is in it from the factory, Sludge builds up with low mileage & considering MB does not use synthetic from the factory it is crazy.

Carbon9

It does seem odd to have a mileage only oil change limit.

MB uses rerefined oil for factory fills, correct? (AMG is syn factory fill). I think MB has used rerefined oil for a few years. That stuff has gotta be pretty good to begn with. I worry more about the filtering and additive package than the oil itself. I'm no expert on this subject but I thought there was syn Mobil 1 factory fill in my car!

steve1173

My service manager told me that all factory fills except amg are regular dyno oil. By 13000 miles driven low miles yearly the additive pack will wear out causing uneccessary wear on the engine. Besides low miles adds moisture to the oil as it is not driven enough to burn it off. All it is a marketing ploy just like free maintenance. With the 13000 miles they figure by the time the engine wears you will be out of warranty & they can collect big bucks doing the repairs. Beesides what is that welcome service at 1000-3000 miles for, can't be an oil change as they say only every 13000. Unless it is to correct problems that I would normally bring in anyway covered under warranty.