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On my way to drop off my ML for brake work it reached 100,000 miles. This is the first time I've reached this milestone in a Benz; what services are recommended by MB?
I don't use the dealer for service on this car, only the GLC that's under warranty. I left the ML at a very competent mechanic that has serviced my Lexuses for years.
What is your very competent mechanic recommending?
What should be done depends on what has been done in the past. Have you adhered to a 10K mile / 12 month maintenance schedule? At 100K, I would think sparkplugs, all fluids (oil, xmsn, xfer, diffs, brake, coolant) and all filters (oil, engine, xmsn, cabin, fuel). Brake pads and rotors? When were they last serviced and what's their condition? How old is the starter battery? And run an OBD diagnostic scan to see what DTCs might appear. Also inspect all drive train, suspension and steering components, and inspect for fluid leaks on the engine and gearboxes. If your engine has a timing belt, 100K is about the time to replace it. Your mechanic might suggest a compression test, fuel line pressure test, O2 sensor test, etc. 100K is a major milestone, and the vehicle should get a thorough shakedown.
What is your very competent mechanic recommending?
What should be done depends on what has been done in the past. Have you adhered to a 10K mile / 12 month maintenance schedule? At 100K, I would think sparkplugs, all fluids (oil, xmsn, xfer, diffs, brake, coolant) and all filters (oil, engine, xmsn, cabin, fuel). Brake pads and rotors? When were they last serviced and what's their condition? How old is the starter battery? And run an OBD diagnostic scan to see what DTCs might appear. Also inspect all drive train, suspension and steering components, and inspect for fluid leaks on the engine and gearboxes. If your engine has a timing belt, 100K is about the time to replace it. Your mechanic might suggest a compression test, fuel line pressure test, O2 sensor test, etc. 100K is a major milestone, and the vehicle should get a thorough shakedown.
When I bought in November 2022 it had 85,000 miles and had had its 8th annual service the previous January (one owner car, all dealer serviced). I got a Service A the following February at 88,000 miles. This past January I did another Service A and replaced air filter and cabin filter at 94,000 miles.
Originally Posted by streborx
Brake pads and rotors? When were they last serviced and what's their condition?
Like I said, brakes are what I brought it in for; my mechanic will check brake fluid and tranny fluid to see if flushes are warranted, but the truck runs like new. This is I think my 12th Benz, all but one driven well out of warranty. In all those cars I've had just two aux. batteries go; neither disabled the car. The W205 got a new on under warranty even though it was over 50,000 miles (they said it was actually a capacitor, not a battery) and the R231 got one I had to pay for even as it was under 50,000 (not warranty-covered). Spark plugs is one of the reasons I'm posting, as I've typically replaced them at 50,000 miles. I would think a timing belt would show signs of wear before replacement, unlike a timing chain that could break without warning....
Fabric timing belts stretch over their lifetimes. They can appear factory new at 100K, but if they lengthen enough to jump a tooth, it'll ruin your day. With the effort it takes to access and inspect the timing belt (and there's really not a great way to measure one when it's installed), you're 90% toward being able to replace it, so you might as well plan on this from the outset.
Sparkplugs every 50K? Absolutely! (Maybe sooner.) Don't believe the 100K mile life crap that plug manufacturers boast of. Ask to see the old plugs. If the electrodes are badly eroded, you might want to do a 30K or 40K interval next time.
Bottom line -- a thorough front-to-back, side-to-side, top-to-bottom, inside-out inspection is well worth the cost and effort. Preemptive maintenance wins out over breakdown repairs every time.
I'm guessing they're fine; we've had some temperature swings here and all 4 tires had different readings, 34-38. I would've corrected them if I wasn't on my way to drop it off for the brakes. TPMS alert only gets my attention when one tire is low; that's a nail.
TPMS sensors will normally last 9 to 10 years. If you're close to this age, and you're buying a new set of tires, you should preemptively install new sensors so that you don't have to pay again to have this done. You can find sensors online at better prices than the MB dealer, and tire shops don't mind that you carry in a set of sensors when you're buying a new set of tires. A dead TPMS sensor won't cripple your car, but it will cause a tire pressure warning light until remedied.
Fabric timing belts stretch over their lifetimes. They can appear factory new at 100K, but if they lengthen enough to jump a tooth, it'll ruin your day. With the effort it takes to access and inspect the timing belt (and there's really not a great way to measure one when it's installed), you're 90% toward being able to replace it, so you might as well plan on this from the outset.
Sparkplugs every 50K? Absolutely! (Maybe sooner.) Don't believe the 100K mile life crap that plug manufacturers boast of. Ask to see the old plugs. If the electrodes are badly eroded, you might want to do a 30K or 40K interval next time.
Bottom line -- a thorough front-to-back, side-to-side, top-to-bottom, inside-out inspection is well worth the cost and effort. Preemptive maintenance wins out over breakdown repairs every time.
You are right that fabric timing belts can stretch but this engine uses chains and not belts. Not sure if any MB's have belts. None of the ones I've owned have timing belts. Spark plugs at 60k miles are fine.
You are right that fabric timing belts can stretch but this engine uses chains and not belts. Not sure if any MB's have belts. None of the ones I've owned have timing belts. Spark plugs at 60k miles are fine.
I think all MB engines currently in production use timing chains. Not sure about MB legacy engines. I remember replacing a BMW timing belt a long time ago. Timing belts are still common in several Asian brands.
I recently did my Jeep Wrangler (Pentastar V6) OE sparkplugs at 60K, and think I should have done them a bit sooner. Half of them had eroded electrodes as shown in the pic below. Every engine is different, but sparkplugs don't last forever in any of them!
I think all MB engines currently in production use timing chains. Not sure about MB legacy engines. I remember replacing a BMW timing belt a long time ago. Timing belts are still common in several Asian brands.
I recently did my Jeep Wrangler (Pentastar V6) OE sparkplugs at 60K, and think I should have done them a bit sooner. Half of them had eroded electrodes as shown in the pic below. Every engine is different, but sparkplugs don't last forever in any of them!
Now you have me thinking I need to do the wife's '12 grand cherokee. It's pushing 120K miles and is, I believe, on its first set of plugs. I see PB Blaster in my future.
Because the ML400 is a the turbo version of the M276, I would check coolant lines.
These plastic lines age badly -> Expect any service at the front of the engine, even unrelated to the coolant system, and may end up breaking them.
We have 3 M276 NA, and we replace plugs every 60K miles on the clock, and they look good enough but since I already took the time I put the new ones back in. One thing with plugs on these engines: stick to MB plugs, and torque them exactly as specified in the manual so that they are in the "correct orientation" or close enough. These engines M276, M278 and M157 require indexing.
For all our MB, rear differential oil replacing at 100K miles. For the W166, check the transfer case, and yours is likely 4Matic -> Check the universal joint of the front drive axle. They are known to start wearing out, noise start (usually ignored), vibration progresses and the joint or the supporting part breaks and it can blow your transmission casing or else. It is not only for the W166 but ALL the 4Matics.
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