Mercedes service interval (Howe: 2015, lease, inspections)

[nitynity]

Is it required to follow the manufacturers recommendations if the vehicle is minimally used?
2015 ML350 - 17k so far, due for 3rd year service (supposed to be at 30k mileage).

[Katana49]

This is a question better asked in the automotive forum.


However, the Mercedes ML/GLE class have multiple things that are checked, it is not merely a question of use and mileage, but also of how long between services.


If you like, you can open your owner's manual and look up the maintenance schedule. Most things I would say are not absolutely necessary, and if you feel the same way, you can reset the service indicator yourself (instructions are found on YouTube, I don't remember the exact steps offhand.)

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by nitynity

Is it required to follow the manufacturers recommendations if the vehicle is minimally used?
2015 ML350 - 17k so far, due for 3rd year service (supposed to be at 30k mileage).

If you don't "do" services with documentation it may hurt a bit come resale time. If it's a lease that's a different matter but I'd guess a lease would include services until maybe 30K miles. That said and assuming a gas engine 90% of these big services until about 80K miles and up are oil, oil filter, engine air filter, cabin filter, check the belt tensioner, check and adjust light beam height, etc. Later fuel filter and such and visual inspections and measurements - tread depth, brake lining thickness etc.

Check out something called, the "BlueDriver" OBD2 scanning tool. Maybe Santa will drop one off.


IMO if you own the car and plan to keep it for a good while skip the dealer services and take it to one place all the time for oil and filter etc. and ask them to eyeball everything - most good places do anyway. I have a particular shop recommendation I'll send offline if you'd like.

[serger]

Originally Posted by EDS_

If you don't "do" services with documentation it may hurt a bit come resale time. If it's a lease that's a different matter but I'd guess a lease would include services until maybe 30K miles. That said and assuming a gas engine 90% of these big services until about 80K miles and up are oil, oil filter, engine air filter, cabin filter, check the belt tensioner, check and adjust light beam height, etc. Later fuel filter and such and visual inspections and measurements - tread depth, brake lining thickness etc.

Check out something called, the "BlueDriver" OBD2 scanning tool. Maybe Santa will drop one off.


IMO if you own the car and plan to keep it for a good while skip the dealer services and take it to one place all the time for oil and filter etc. and ask them to eyeball everything - most good places do anyway. I have a particular shop recommendation I'll send offline if you'd like.

So, I'm curious - I have a basic OBD2 reader ($15), and I can get codes (typical check engine stuff). This tool appears to be capable of reading some additional modules codes as well. But can it get any specific maintenance (needed) information? I am not sure if that is even available over the OBD2 interface.

The dealer just reads the keyfob.

[Katana49]

Originally Posted by serger

So, I'm curious - I have a basic OBD2 reader ($15), and I can get codes (typical check engine stuff). This tool appears to be capable of reading some additional modules codes as well. But can it get any specific maintenance (needed) information? I am not sure if that is even available over the OBD2 interface.

The dealer just reads the keyfob.

There's a ton of info available from the OBD2 port. Depending upon the scanner used, it may or may not be able to read manufacturer specific codes, you just need to check whether your vehicle is covered. I have one that is specific to Porsches only and will pull all codes from nearly all cars Porsche makes. It's completely useless with our other cars.

[serger]

Originally Posted by Katana49

There's a ton of info available from the OBD2 port. Depending upon the scanner used, it may or may not be able to read manufacturer specific codes, you just need to check whether your vehicle is covered. I have one that is specific to Porsches only and will pull all codes from nearly all cars Porsche makes. It's completely useless with our other cars.

Thanks. But again, can you get any service or maintenance info, as service advisors pool from the keyfob?

[Katana49]

Originally Posted by serger

Thanks. But again, can you get any service or maintenance info, as service advisors pool from the keyfob?

You and I can't, no. That would require having the Mercedes diagnostic equipment and programming (their STAR diagnostic system) with a wireless interface. But the same info from the keyfob should be able to be pulled from the OBD2 connector, except possibly any info about the coded keyfob itself.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by serger

So, I'm curious - I have a basic OBD2 reader ($15), and I can get codes (typical check engine stuff). This tool appears to be capable of reading some additional modules codes as well. But can it get any specific maintenance (needed) information? I am not sure if that is even available over the OBD2 interface.

The dealer just reads the keyfob.

There are several factors.
1). What codes does your car support through ODB2 vs. codes that can only be read by the dealer or other pro-shop.*

2). Can/have you updated your device?

3). So far as your, "maintenance needed" question the answer is sometimes. For example sensors may note errors but if the error(s) in question does not occur a certain number of times within a given period of time the check engine light will not come on.

I have a specific example. My wife has an Audi Q5 (gas, 4-cylinder, turbo). The other week her car seemed to be idling rough and at RPMs different than in the past - but the check engine light was not on. Anyhow the BlueDriver showed specific misfires and two other codes, one specific to PCV valves - the misfires and the PCV related code pointed strongly to a PCV valve failure. On the way to the dealer the check engine light came on and it was a faulty PCV valve.

*The BlueDiver, and I'm sure other readers note supported and unsupported codes. I'd guess the "unsupported" codes include those that can only be seen by the dealer/pro-shop.

My SUV is a turbo diesel and I pull a fairly heavy boat with it quite often. Small diesel turbos under load tend to become heat bombs as they will pull heavy loads at RMPs low enough that not enough coolant circulates. The yield is the coolant stays at say a very reasonable 210/215F or whatever but exhaust near the turbo might be 1,800F or more. I use my BlueDriver to read both of those numbers + oil temp. live on my phone. So if the turbo is very hot and I'm driving I'll drop from 8th to 7th gear with the paddle shifters, the increased RMPs from the lower gear confoundingly will drop both the coolant temps and oil temps a little and the turbo temps by several hundred degrees. If I'm shutting down a minute at idle will usually see turbo exhaust temps fall by 800-1,200F.

[serger]

Originally Posted by Katana49

You and I can't, no. That would require having the Mercedes diagnostic equipment and programming (their STAR diagnostic system) with a wireless interface. But the same info from the keyfob should be able to be pulled from the OBD2 connector, except possibly any info about the coded keyfob itself.

Got it. thanks.

[serger]

Originally Posted by EDS_

There are several factors.
1). What codes does your car support through ODB2 vs. codes that can only be read by the dealer or other pro-shop.*

2). Can/have you updated your device?

3). So far as your, "maintenance needed" question the answer is sometimes. For example sensors may note errors but if the error(s) in question does not occur a certain number of times within a given period of time the check engine light will not come on.

I have a specific example. My wife has an Audi Q5 (gas, 4-cylinder, turbo). The other week her car seemed to be idling rough and at RPMs different than in the past - but the check engine light was not on. Anyhow the BlueDriver showed specific misfires and two other codes, one specific to PCV valves - the misfires and the PCV related code pointed strongly to a PCV valve failure. On the way to the dealer the check engine light came on and it was a faulty PCV valve.

*The BlueDiver, and I'm sure other readers note supported and unsupported codes. I'd guess the "unsupported" codes include those that can only be seen by the dealer/pro-shop.

My SUV is a turbo diesel and I pull a fairly heavy boat with it quite often. Small diesel turbos under load tend to become heat bombs as they will pull heavy loads at RMPs low enough that not enough coolant circulates. The yield is the coolant stays at say a very reasonable 210/215F or whatever but exhaust near the turbo might be 1,800F or more. I use my BlueDriver to read both of those numbers + oil temp. live on my phone. So if the turbo is very hot and I'm driving I'll drop from 8th to 7th gear with the paddle shifters, the increased RMPs from the lower gear confoundingly will drop both the coolant temps and oil temps a little and the turbo temps by several hundred degrees. If I'm shutting down a minute at idle will usually see turbo exhaust temps fall by 800-1,200F.

Yeah, I can read many things including pending codes, that haven't triggered the light. My question about maintenance was mostly about the routine services needed, or done in the past. BMW, and I'm sure others too, don't really specify the service intervals anymore, so whenever CBS (condition based service) indicator is on. So for oil, it takes into account some parameters, and for instance if driving is typically in heavy traffic, than miles to service is shorter. Everything else, I don't know, it could be that some things are just hard coded (time to replace brake fluid, etc.)