The_Judge

I need some expert advice. Because of Covid, and because I can do all of my work from home, I've been driving my 2018 E400 Coupe very little since March of 2020. The car had the "B" service performed on October 12, 2020, and it's been driven only 1,630 miles since then (the odometer shows only 13,042 miles as of 9/19/22). Nonetheless the dash is displaying the "A Service in X Days" message.

Is the A service really necessary at this point, or can I skip it, and if so for how long?

My cost per mile driven is already through the roof due to insurance and so forth, and I'd kinda like to keep it under $5/mile! 😱

E55 KEV

I never ask for Service A or Service B. When needed I only get an oil change at dealership and reset the warning light myself. Change oil every 10 to 12k miles or once a year. If you only doing normal driving 1 to 2k miles a year changing oil between 1 to 2 years would be fine IMO.

The G Man

If your car is out of warranty, you should be ok with extending to 18 months. Condensation could cause water to get into your oil over time, also, the corrosion inhibitors in oil tends to break down after a while.

Bfgslkman

I would suggest if you are driving so little mileage it is even more imperative to change the oil etc. Clearly unless you are doing one big road trip per year you are only doing very short journeys and the engine will only jsut be warming up. Lots of condensation etc in the engine. Also some items such as brake fluid are time based as they are time sensitive - it should be chnaged every two years as it is hydroscopic for example. If your car was new in 2018 then you should be due a B as it is now 4 years old (A/B/A/B etc).

JTK44

Just my $.02:

The B service is oil and filter, cabin filter changes and brake fluid:

In my opinion the chances of condensation in the oil is overstated: I had a Porsche Boxster which required oil changes every 15,000 miles. I was driving the car less than 1,000 miles a year. I did one oil change in 11 years of ownership and never had any problem.

Cabin filters: this is mileage not time: If you are not driving your car the cabin filters will not get dirty.

Brake fluid: I have a 2018 Ford Edge Sport (now the ST - High performance). There is no change in brake fluid. Ditto with most Japanese, Korean and American cars. I do not think that Mercedes is using some special brake fluid, unique to Mercedes that requires changing every two years. What I do think is happening is that in Germany on the autobahn there are no speed limits. Braking from those high speeds can cause the brake fluid to boil. Hence in Germany where high speeds are common it might make sense and to be on the safe side, to change your brake fluid every two years. For the rest of the world, every 20,000 miles seems overly protective and probably every 40,000 miles is more than sufficient.

I often wonder why the service intervals for German cars are so different than all other cars. This results in notoriously high maintenance costs. Again using my Ford Edge Sport as an example:

Spark plugs every 100K miles: Mercedes every 50K
Brake fluid never: Mercedes every two yeas
Transmission fluid: 100K miles: Mercedes 60K

In fact for the first 100K miles the routine maintenance is oil and filter, and cabin and engine filter.

Keep in mind that the engine in my Ford is a 2.7 liter Eco boost, 335 HP vs. my E450 3 liter 362 HP: so the engines are comparable;

I just changed the cabin filter in my Ford: Took less than two minutes: I checked Youtube to see how to change the cabin filter in my E450 and it looks like a 20 minute job crawling into the passenger side - totally ridiculous.

Engine filter on the Ford, less than 2 minutes. Again form Youtube, looks like a 30 minute job.

I often joked there is a reason the Germans lost the War: they have a particular ability to make easy job very, very complicated and hard.

The G Man

that is like saying You never had a medical check up or take medicine but you are still alive. So it must be okay for everyone else to do the same.

Alan Smithee

Just because some manufacturers do not provide specific time or mileage requirements for brake fluid changes, it does not mean it is a lifetime fill. To suggest as much on a public forum is irresponsible. Note that Ford and Toyota have brake system checks at every service interval; part of this is checking the fluid level and condition. As a result, fluid changes may be recommended every other service, just like Mercedes.

The G Man

The Japanese car manufacturers are known for their low maintenance cost, they are proud of that fact and advertise that fact along with reliability. The fluid specs usually are better with the German cars so there is more safety margin built into the fluids, no such thing as lifetime fluids no matter who makes it. The German’s philosophy is different when it comes to preventative maintenance, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. German car makers pride themself on engineering, design and build quality, not low maintenance and reliability.

Bfgslkman

Utter dangerous advice I am affraid. Brake fluid is Hyroscopic and all cars require a change at either 2 years or 3 years. A simple internet search from any source will tell you that. Mercedes uses industry standard DOT4 brake fluid in all of it's mainstream Mercedes adn AMG cars. Ecen MBUSA says change every two years:

https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/serv...%20replacement

W205C43PFL

Agree, it is cheap insurance for the brake system which can be costly if poorly maintained, plus being a safety thing and it is a major part of what controls your vehicle (in this case stops it) I would say it is worth it to have it done, you don't want to be going at freeway speeds and having the system fail on you when you need it the most because some guy just randomly brake checks you (speaking from personal experience on being brake checked but thankfully the brake system was working as intended). Either way, hopefully no one needs to deal with this.

JTK44

I think it rather arrogant on your part to say what I posted is irresponsible.

Saying that fluid changes may be recommended, when they are not, is misleading and irresponsible. I own the Ford: I have the read the recommended services: they do not provide for the periodic changing of brake fluid.

If you have information to the contrary, that regular changing of the brake fluid is required, please post:

Alan Smithee

But like any fluid in your vehicle, brake fluid needs to be checked regularly and occasionally changed.

From the second line in this link directly from Ford:

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos...d-brake-fluid/

JTK44

Yes, but out of context:

occasionally changed, if the following occur which I have set fort in detail:

If your brake fluid looks a little low, here’s how to top it off.

1. With the engine off, raise the hood and find the brake master cylinder. It is usually in the back of the engine bay, on the driver’s side.
2. Cover the fender before opening the brake master cylinder and use caution when opening a container of brake fluid, as it can damage your vehicle's paint.
3. Use a cloth or towel to clean the master cylinder’s reservoir and cap to prevent dirt or water from entering while you service it. Clean the fluid lines too, if they need it.
4. Look at the fluid level on the side of the master cylinder’s reservoir. If your brake fluid is at or above the “MIN” line, your brake fluid level is fine and you don’t need to add any.
5. If your fluid is below the “MIN” line, carefully pry the reservoir cap off, and then add brake fluid until the level is just under the “MAX” line. Do not overfill.
6. Using a completely clean towel or a lint-free cloth, clean the inside of the reservoir cap: It may have brake fluid, dirt/debris, or both on it, and needs to be clean before you put it back on.
7. Carefully set the reservoir cap on the reservoir, and press down on all four corners until it clicks into place.
8. Visit your local Ford Dealership to have your brakes inspected as soon as possible—especially if your fluid level continues to go down, or if your fluid is dark. You may need your brake system serviced.

"occasionally", in common usage means when necessary and that will vary on how you use your vehicle and where.

So if you are not losing any fluid, the brake pedal responds properly, there is no brake fad, Ford does not recommend regular changing of brake fluid.

Alan Smithee

Not out of context at all. In post #5 above you stated never, as in not ever, which I was clear in my response had an issue with. Now you are acknowledging it should be changed occasionally. Thank you.

JTK44

If you are leaking fluid you will have to change it.

If the fluid turns black and shows contamination you will have to change it.

If you cannot stop and are low on fluid you have to change it.

If your car sat in garage for the past 20 years, has not been driven, I would say change it as well.

But under normal circumstances, with no fluid loss and the fluid has not turned color and there is no brake fade, then Ford does not recommend that you change the fluid.

Hope this clarifies!

Alan Smithee

If the fluid has accumulated moisture, it needs to be changed as well.

JTK44

Of course without question.

The G Man

Brake fluids is hydroscopic, over time, moisture will always finds its way into your brake fluid.

DFWdude

Direct from the Mercedes website, "A" Service is about...

• Mercedes-Benz motor oil replacement
• Oil filter replacement
• Fluid level checks and corrections
• Tire inflation check and correction
• Brake component inspection
• Reset maintenance counter

How this thread has become monopolized with a debate over brake fluid makes no sense to me. Can we please get back on topic?

Roweraay

In a nutshell, an oil and filter change, along with fluid top-offs if needed. And a few visual “inspections”, followed by re-setting the maintenance indicator. Basic oil change stuff.

ygmn

YEs basic oil change stuff but some dealers will change wiper blades too - read that in one of the hundreds of different MB maintenance attachments in these threads.

lkfoster

And when it does expensive brake parts corrode inside, at least on several of our old MGs.

Back when I was doing track days with BMWs I'd bleed the brakes before every session. Having the brake pedal go to the floor when the water boiled is no fun. Watched a guy leaving the track in his Ferrari Boxer find out when he punted a Ford Fiesta when it happened.