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Ok, hard to believe but I have put almost 9,200 miles on my E550 since I got it in May. Today driving home a message pops up and says "Check oil at next refueling." My B Service is due in another 800 miles. I called my local MB dealer and they said it is just a reminder and I don't need to do anything (like check/add oil) and that they will clear the message when the B service is completed. Does this sound right? Every time I start my car the MFD tells me when my next service is due so I find the dealers response a bit sketchy. I will check the oil level at my next fill up regardless of what they say.
Hmmmm......I get in the car today and check my message center and it's gone. Just to prove I am not crazy I took this pic yesterday
Gonna check the oil level once I get to work.
2014 E350 also restored: 1969 Camaro convertible SS 1957 Chevy Belair 2dr hardtop
Could be you are borderline low on oil. The stop and go may have swished the oil around enough to get rid of message or the oil may have been hot enough to expand to prevent the low oil light to go on. I also think you should check the dipstick but when car is cold.
Car was 1 quart low when I checked. Gonna have a serious talk with that MB service advisor.
Ok,
1 quart low means you were 1 quart below minimum mark on the dip stick?
If so your car has a problem with oil consumption assuming it was at the full mark after last oil change.
Is your car new or did you buy a used one? From the same dealer you called about it? If used and from the same dealer then it starts to sound they sold you a car they knew has a problem with oil consumption. This based on their comment not to worry about it.
If you get a message to check your oil it can only mean oil level is low as there is no other sensor for oil than level and pressure.
I check my oil every time I fill it up for gas and have not lost any oil yet. Car has 136000 miles on it.
1 quart low means you were 1 quart below minimum mark on the dip stick?
If so your car has a problem with oil consumption assuming it was at the full mark after last oil change.
Is your car new or did you buy a used one? From the same dealer you called about it? If used and from the same dealer then it starts to sound they sold you a car they knew has a problem with oil consumption. This based on their comment not to worry about it.
If you get a message to check your oil it can only mean oil level is low as there is no other sensor for oil than level and pressure.
I check my oil every time I fill it up for gas and have not lost any oil yet. Car has 136000 miles on it.
Car is a CPO that I got from a MB dealer on Long Island. I will be taking it to a MB dealer in Hartford, CT for its B service in 600 miles. The car had 21,000 miles on it when I bought it and I had never thought of checking the initial oil level. (I would have assumed it was done before I took delivery) From now on at every fill up I will check the oil.
Before you do that, consult your owner's manual. One quart in 9,000 miles is not abnormal.
Yeah I understand what it says in the manual. I am just more pissed off that the person I spoke with NEVER ONCE mentioned "hey check the oil level just to be safe" (It was my intention to do this all along.) I wish I had recorded the conversation. So when I go in for my B Service, I will let them know how disappointed I am with them. By the way, they are completing a new MB dealer a lot closer to my house than the 40 min drive I have to take to get to Hartford. So once that dealer opens up I will switch to them. My anxiety with this dealership goes all the way back to when I was looking for an E350/550 and the salesman basically said, if one come in on trade I will call you. Not even, hey let me take a look in the MB database and see what is out there. That put a bad taste in my mouth right away. Then when I took it in for service because I thought my driver's side headlight was shining a bit low, they ended up doing a 2 1/2 hour software update and never had the courtesy of telling me this until I went back from the waiting room and asked what was taking a headlight adjustment so long.
Don't blame you for taking it to another dealer after they open up. This isn't a defense or excuse of the person you spoke to, but I think most of the service advisors are used to customers who don't know how to check their own oil. But some of the so-called advisors have no clue - I once had one suggest that the 'replace key battery' message on my dash could be related to a TPMS issue I had at the time.
Apg, I think you're on the right track, both for questioning the conditions and also considering the quality of the dealership. Obviously these forums exist because many of us want to be more involved and knowledgeable about what we drive. Plus when you know your vehicle it helps you make informed decisions.
I agree that in many cases on these cars, owners have no clue or don't want to know. But I think a good advisor understands their different clients. I'm very lucky to do have a great dealership and especially the service advisor that works with me on any questions or issues. We have a mutual respect - they know I like being involved but I also don't tell them how to do their job.
Plus the techs like working on nicely maintained clean cars and engines lol.
Before you do that, consult your owner's manual. One quart in 9,000 miles is not abnormal.
Well, the OP never told us if the 1 quart was below the low mark on the dip stick. I would assume so as I don't think the low oil warning comes on other than that so he lost 4 quarts or so if it was full when he got the car.
What comes to the writing in the manual about 0.9 quart oil consumption being normal for 600 mile drive. Let's do the math.
The service interval for the car is 10000 miles. 10000/600 = 16.7. 16.7 x 0.9 qt = 15 qt. If I had to pour 15 qt of oil in my engine between oil changes and MB would call it normal and not fix it I would be fighting this "normal" oil consumption in the courts as it surely would not be normal by any standard. And I think I would have very good chance to win it as there would be 12 consumers making the desicion who would also not understand it as normal regardless what the manual says.
In the U.S. cars in general do not require adding oil between changes so that is normal around here. If MB wants to bring in their own "normal" then they should advertise this very important detail to their customers before they sell the car. Nobody told me nothing when I bought mine so I guess I am very lucky to have a good one.
If I ever get another MB I will require sales condition that allow me to return the car after the first 10000 miles drive if it consumes more than half of oil between min and max markings on the dip stick.
Let me clarify. When I pulled the dipstick, there was no oil on the end. I added 1/2 a quart of Mobil 1 and read the dipstick again. It just started to register at the very tip. Added the other 1/2 of the quart and that brought it up to the middle of the "Add----Full" reading area. I also did this when the car was hot. Gonna check the level again tomorrow morning while it is cold.
Well, the OP never told us if the 1 quart was below the low mark on the dip stick. I would assume so as I don't think the low oil warning comes on other than that so he lost 4 quarts or so if it was full when he got the car.
What comes to the writing in the manual about 0.9 quart oil consumption being normal for 600 mile drive. Let's do the math.
The service interval for the car is 10000 miles. 10000/600 = 16.7. 16.7 x 0.9 qt = 15 qt. If I had to pour 15 qt of oil in my engine between oil changes and MB would call it normal and not fix it I would be fighting this "normal" oil consumption in the courts as it surely would not be normal by any standard. And I think I would have very good chance to win it as there would be 12 consumers making the desicion who would also not understand it as normal regardless what the manual says.
In the U.S. cars in general do not require adding oil between changes so that is normal around here. If MB wants to bring in their own "normal" then they should advertise this very important detail to their customers before they sell the car. Nobody told me nothing when I bought mine so I guess I am very lucky to have a good one.
If I ever get another MB I will require sales condition that allow me to return the car after the first 10000 miles drive if it consumes more than half of oil between min and max markings on the dip stick.
Hign-compression engines consume oil. Period. It doesn't matter the manufacturer. Mercedes is not trying to introduce a new standard for normalcy. My car consumes a quart every 1,200 miles or so. I've had five 911s, and eight BMWs and they all consumed oil at roughly the same rate. Consumption can be ameliorated by a change of viscosity.
It's patently evident by your rant that you haven't foggiest idea about how engines, the legal system, contract law, or dealerships work.
If you think a dealership is going to allow you to write into a contract that you can return it due to your dissatisfaction of a normal operating condition, you're insane.
Hign-compression engines consume oil. Period. It doesn't matter the manufacturer. Mercedes is not trying to introduce a new standard for normalcy. My car consumes a quart every 1,200 miles or so. I've had five 911s, and eight BMWs and they all consumed oil at roughly the same rate. Consumption can be ameliorated by a change of viscosity.
It's patently evident by your rant that you haven't foggiest idea about how engines, the legal system, contract law, or dealerships work.
If you think a dealership is going to allow you to write into a contract that you can return it due to your dissatisfaction of a normal operating condition, you're insane.
I guess this is your last Mercedes.
WOW!
There is a trooper!
For your info I can tell that I do know a bit about cars and engines particularly.
If you don't like my opinion, too bad. But it does not give you the right to start ranting about my opinion. I have not offended you or anybody else with my comment on this. Just brought it to some to see that MB "normal" oil consumption is insane. 15 qt oil between the changes would mean no oil change needed. Just replace the filter and you are good to go.
And I'm quite sure I could buy a new or used MB with the clause that if it consumes more than half way between the marks on the dip stick between oil changes I could return the car and perhaps paying some mileage charge for the driven miles.
But for you, make sure you have plenty of oil with you at all times as you seem to think it is ok for the car to consume twice it's engine oil volume between oil changes.