Yesterday I changed the oil in our 320. The FSS which I check occasionally said there was 6000+ miles before service H+ (a big one) is due. I keep a paper log on the car and the last oil change was 15 months and 10,008 miles ago. We are taking a trip in the car and in the past I have changed the oil about 3,000 miles earlier than the display requirement
I know the thing is not very sophisticated but I thought 13,000 miles was the absolute limit. It was going to let me pile on 16,000 miles and way too many months before posting a required servise. If someone suggests an accidental reset, they have never tried it. The procedure is complicated and pretty much impossible to do by accident. We take mostly short trips in the car which I would guess accelerates the change frquency. No big deal. I just wondered if mine has "lost its mind" and is now untrrustworthy?

 

My E200 kompressor did a simmilar thing. It had a service on 26th of April 2007 at 87 431 km on the clock. During June 2009 the FSS said no oil change required for another 3200 km or 310 days and at that stage the odo already read 107 039 km! That was 26 months (!) after the previous service and 19 608 km (12 255 miles) with mostly daily short driving distances. Although Mercedes immediately (prematurely according to FFS) carried out the required service when I complained, they are insistant that no damage have been incurred by this obvious error from the FSS. The maintenance guide for South africa stipulates at least 1 service every 24 months. I noticed that during this "optimistic" period the FSS would only subtrack 1 mile from the "distance left to next service" for each 16 miles driven evne in traffic! After the dealership service and FSS reprogramming it appears no longer flexible, as it subtracks exactly 1 mile for every mile driven. The service manager claims this will change as one approaches lower remaining miles to next service. Yet to experience this. The due date (time counter) is actually now faster instead of the maximum 24 months it indicates that the next service is due within 23 months of the previous service (distance traveled allowing). I am told that the facelift models (i.e. MY 07 onwards) no longer has the flexible service indicator and that in America they have shorter intervals between services.

 

FSS+ is operating as designed whereas oil quality is determined by vehicle’s sensor (i.e.: driving habits). 2005 MB revised oil change requirement to 13000 intervals, changed again in 2009 to 10,000 intervals for all models and engine variants.

 

"Clinton Horn's" MY03 also has an oil QUALITY sensor.......much smarter than the newer cars....

 

This is interesting... I still run the 13,000 on Approved oil/filters.

So does this mean it is backward requirement?

I have run other non-mb cars 13,000 miles on the same oil but standard filters for way over 200000 miles with no issues. What's up on the MB's?

 

Vettdvr......

I believe your oil change intervals are dead on of 13,000 miles. Taken into considerations if you haven't had your vehicle serviced say in the last 12-16 months by a mb dealer to update the FSS software for oil change and/or service intervals from 13,000 to 10,000. This is based on my last visit with dealer and going to my own oil change as I discoverd this when resetting the FSS.

I hope this helps.

 

Our E500 was in for rear air spring replacement about 4 months ago and nothing on the FSS has changed. We are at 95,500 miles and all is well.

 

Vettdvr.......

Great point. I know from my last oil change performed by the dealer the interval had always been 13,000 miles until my warranty expired is when the change was noticed.

 

My 221 diesel had the first service at a bit above 19 000 miles, at almost two years, just as FSS suggested. This MY in Europe has a max 2 year and about a maximum 30 0000 km service period (nominally 25 000 km but it becomes lower or higher depending on how the car is driven).

 

320 & 500 @ 13000, 350 & 550 for MY09 @ 10000 - check your email.