SL/R129: When do you go in for regular maintenance?
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,181
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From: Abbotsford, BC, Canada
1999 SL 500 & 2011 E 550 4Matic
When do you go in for regular maintenance?
We bought in Dec 02 at 21,600 miles. The car was bought at a dealership so it was fully inspected and maintained at that time.
In June 03 when the time for buying the Starmark extended warranty was about to exire, we bought that which required a full inspection and maintenance. The dealership said they would apply this short interval maintenance to the regular schedule ... thus no duplicating cost too much.
We expected that the "wrench" light (time for service) would come on after one year, but it has not. We currently have 35,000 miles on the vehicle.
How sophisticted are the engine management systems? Are the type of miles put on the car (80% highway in our case) factored into when the need for service light comes on?
The carbon gets blowen out of the engine quite regularily
... if you know what I mean. Maybe this is good for the car?! She likes and needs to run!
What is your experience in this regard?
In June 03 when the time for buying the Starmark extended warranty was about to exire, we bought that which required a full inspection and maintenance. The dealership said they would apply this short interval maintenance to the regular schedule ... thus no duplicating cost too much.
We expected that the "wrench" light (time for service) would come on after one year, but it has not. We currently have 35,000 miles on the vehicle.
How sophisticted are the engine management systems? Are the type of miles put on the car (80% highway in our case) factored into when the need for service light comes on?
The carbon gets blowen out of the engine quite regularily
... if you know what I mean. Maybe this is good for the car?! She likes and needs to run!What is your experience in this regard?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: UK
SL55 AMG
Traditionally, service intervals have been set based on time or mileage, whichever arrives first. The mileage interval was based on the (correct) supposition that wear is related to use. The time interval was based on the (less correct) supposition that over time, evil forces at work will diminish the effectiveness of your car which a service will fix. Keeping in mind that a minor service consists only of an oil/filter change and basic checks of fluid levels, it really comes down to whether the effectiveness of oil diminishes over time. Engine lubricants are so much better than they were and have a longer operational life in normal conditions.
The introduction of ASSYST confirms the greater importance of mileage compared to time and if there is a maximum time built in, it's much longer than a year. My SL55 is nearly 2 years old, and no sign yet of a service required. Highway miles will count less than lots of stop-starts; one of the things monitored is the number of cold starts for example.
For my cars without an ASSYST function, I'm guided by mileage, not time too. For my pre-ASSYST SL600, I usually cover 9000 miles in less than a year anyway. The Subaru dealer calls up my partner every 6 months to get her to take the car in, but we stick to the 7500 mile interval. The exception is my Ferrari - I do 2-3k only a year but it still goes in for an annual check, a knock-on-wood gesture to guard against the sort of expensive failure I had in my SL600. But then, the person who fettles my F355 actually takes it out and looks/listens for any problems, instead of blindly working through a check list which is what you get at a Mercedes Dealer.
The introduction of ASSYST confirms the greater importance of mileage compared to time and if there is a maximum time built in, it's much longer than a year. My SL55 is nearly 2 years old, and no sign yet of a service required. Highway miles will count less than lots of stop-starts; one of the things monitored is the number of cold starts for example.
For my cars without an ASSYST function, I'm guided by mileage, not time too. For my pre-ASSYST SL600, I usually cover 9000 miles in less than a year anyway. The Subaru dealer calls up my partner every 6 months to get her to take the car in, but we stick to the 7500 mile interval. The exception is my Ferrari - I do 2-3k only a year but it still goes in for an annual check, a knock-on-wood gesture to guard against the sort of expensive failure I had in my SL600. But then, the person who fettles my F355 actually takes it out and looks/listens for any problems, instead of blindly working through a check list which is what you get at a Mercedes Dealer.
Last edited by blueSL; Aug 8, 2004 at 12:48 AM.
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Joined: Aug 2004
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From: West Coast, USA
2 SL with every Brabus mods available & Class A competition sound system
I do my regular minor maintenance every 6,000 miles. Mercedes Dealer try to cut the cost of regular maintenance for the first 4 years or 50,000 miles which ever come first. Because the first 4 years or 50,000 miles which ever come first, the regular maintenance is free by the Mercedes Dealer. Which is not good for us but is good for them.
