paulybagadonuts

I know the dealer will suggest I bring the car in for the A service after one year but I only have 7000 miles on my ML and was planning to wait for the recommended 13,000 miles as per the manual.

If I wait to put 13,000 on her, the car will probably be about two years old before I bring it in for the initial oil change and check up.

I guess part of my hesitation is I'm really not looking forward to spending $350 for an oil change but, am I being foolish to wait?

This is my first MB so I wonder what some of the veterans have to say.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

211E350Black

mb recommends 13000 or one year whatever comes first. but i still change my oil every 3000 miles

mleskovar

The only reason to take it in at one year before FSS/13K miles is if the steering wheel is not aligned properly if you are going straight...unless that doesn't bother you....bugs the hell out of me....or if it needs an alignment. Alignments are only good for 1 year or 12K miles when new. I have yet to show any significant oil usage (about 1/2 quart between changes) after 135K miles while following the FSS service interval of 13k miles.

Untertürkheim

Milage and time are both factors that cause oil to degrade, one year is generally the expiration for oil in your engine. I have cars that I only drive once per week at most, so they see well under 3000 miles per year, but I still replace the oil.

Also, if a $350 service visit bothers you, consider selling the car. The car will eventually call for a major service that will probably be 5x that.

vettdvr

I would and do follow the FSS for maintenance.

sosh

The service A is lots more than just an oil change. There is an inspection involved which will bring to your's and the shop's attention any items that need to be corrected. These inspections and the interrogation of the computer can and will save you lots of grief down the road. The cost of the service amounts to only pennies per mile or a few dollars a month and its called preventative maintenence for a reason. Like the previous poster commented, if you can't afford to take care of the vehicle like the mfg says to, you are driving the wrong car. I would also ignore anyone here that says do it yourself, its just an expensive oil change. Most people do not know what to look for as do the trained techs who do it numerous time a day.

paulybagadonuts

It is not a matter of being able to afford to have the service done. I would not have purchased the car if I couldn't afford the maintenance. I happen to have chosen to purchase the vehicle at the time of acquisition in lieu of making monthly payments so the cost of service is not an issue. I have enjoyed full ownership of the vehicle since the day it was delivered to my house.

I find it a bit insulting that one can assume I can't afford something just cause I question paying for it.

I just don't like spending money when it is not necessary. Lining the pockets of dealerships is not my idea of spending my $ wisely. This is one of the reasons I chose to not pay interest on borrowing money to buy the car.

Call me cheap or call me frugal but I don't like wasting money.

I also hesitate going back to my service department after they tried sticking me with a USED steering wheel while replacing the part under warrantee.

I don't like bringing my car in if it is not absolutely necessary. Sad but true.

Thanks for your help

pmb600

Ok everyone can calm down, no one is calling you cheap. And your point about how you paid for the car is not relevant.

The point is that the car needs new oil every year or 13,000 miles whichever comes first--that is pretty much common sense across the industry, and actually Mercedes service intervals are a little higher than the other competitors. A service shouldn't cost that much, I paid around $200-220 for mine, but maybe the M-Class service includes more work than the C-Class service.

I completely agree with you about only spending money that is important, however this is a case of being penny wise and dollar foolish...would you like to spend $200 on maintenance or would you rather get oil sludge and engine problems that aren't covered under warranty and would probably cost upwards of $15,000? It's your car, but keep in mind if you have problems in the future with the drivetrain and do not follow the prescribed MB maintenance regimine, your repairs will not be covered under warranty.

And also if you don't like your dealer, I'm sure there is another one for you to go to. There are tons of MB dealers in the tri-state area.

paulybagadonuts

Don't mean to be Snippy here. I appologize if I seem to be.

I guess the real issue is that I had a bad experience with my dealer and I don't want to go back there.

I probably should have shared that initially but didn't want to get into a big long thing.

I really didn't expect this kind of treatment form a Mercedes dealer but was extremely disappointed at Greenwich CN.

If anyone knows of a reputable dealer in or around Westchester NY I would appreciate a reference.

Are there any honest establishments out there or are they all the same??

Thanks

paulybagadonuts

Thanks P, I think I will bring the car in but really would like to find a new dealer. What has been your experience in Jersey? I don't mind taking a field trip.

It just really bothered me. I finally buy a Mercedes and expect top of the line service and then have a dirty trick pulled on me like I'm driving a economy car.

My heart was broken. I really need to post the whole story when I have the time.

Thanks for your level headed reply.

steveb9771

"A" service is available at dealers in Southern California for about $150. I just had it done last week. A couple of the dealers advertise this price on their web site. Others in the area will match it.

paulybagadonuts

$150 sounds reasonable to me, that's more like it. I wouldn't mind that, but I called my local NY dealer and he quoted me $350.

I don't mind paying for something. I just hate getting ripped off.

C32ken

it is normally $350 for A service... just got mine done last week for $118.

dealers usually have specials coupon they send in the mail. i lost mine but they still honor it.

lkchris

It's not the DEALER that recommends the yearly change, it's the ENGINEERS that designed your car.

sosh

Agreed AND the oil manufacturers. The A service on both my E Class and my ML500 cost at my dealership less than $200.00 each and in both cases that included the PA State inspection and emmissions which alone anywhere is a $75.00 deal and required once a year.

paulybagadonuts

I thik I need to move out of New York!!!

gnma

Paulybagadonuts:

I'm in a similar boat as yourself. Between my cars, I'll probably put about 3K/year, so I too have been thinking about this issue which you have posted. Over in the 211 forum, I posted a question if the FSS system monitors oil quality (not just quantity). And it does. So I would think that once a year has expired, and say one has only 3K miles on it, I would imagine the FSS will trigger a service message due within a couple of days (assuming oil quality has deteriorated to that point). HOWEVER, I still think it prudent to change the oil every year. MB charges $115/hour, and service A should take one hour, but dealers are such shysters. I highly recommend basic DIY, and pay close attention to any messages and follow the FSS regime as mentioned above. U'll save big $$, and there's nothing more rewarding than doing maintenance work yourself. (Let me know if you find a good MB shop in the NYC area) Good luck!

THis is my speculation.

Diesel Benz

See posts on the W211 section for example, from engine experts. You are probably causing more engine wear by changing modern oil (MB 229.5 or 229.51) every 3000 miles instead of 13 000 miles.

The one year/13 000 miles recommendation is from MB USA. MB Europe and ROW recommend 2 years unless FSS says earlier. With light driving that could be 19 000 miles (could be 13 000 miles too with frequent short trips and more aggressive driving).

Diesel Benz

Wouldn't you lose the car warranty if you postponed the A-service to 13 000 miles if you pass the 1 year limit?

For me the oil (9.5 litres if I remember right) and the filter would cost more than $150 (with the oil price at our dealer, the "parts" would make close to $350 ) but I've seen Mobil 1 ESP (229.51) quoted for less than one half the price I have to pay for the lowest cost supplier.

Untertürkheim

1. The sentance has an "if, then" clause, so it was a conditional, not an assumption.

2. Financing a car can often be (and usually is) "cheaper" than paying full price. You may think you are saving money by avoiding the interest and not giving money to the financing institution, but you are foregoing much greater interest gains from proper investing.

3. The only way to know it is absolutely necessary to bring your car in is to wait until it is too late. Preventative service is just that, preventative.

4. A service is not just an oil change, as stated earlier, and oil has a service life also determined by time.