Mercedes Benz offers a range of vehicles in the luxury and commercial segment, since 1926. MB ensures that all of its products are in accordance with the needs of its customers.
Being the owner of a Mercedes Benz, it is essential to realize that cars of such high caliber should be well maintained and taken good care of.
Two types of services are recommended by Mercedes Benz; Service A and B. This article will focus on Service A. We’ll cover all specifics you need to know about this service.
Mercedes Benz Service
Getting your Mercedes Benz serviced ensures that your car is safe for driving at all times. You may find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation otherwise.
What included in an A Service?
- Fully synthetic motor oil replacement
- Oil filter replacement
- Fluid checks and corrections
- Tyre inflation check and correction
- Brake component inspection
- Reset the maintenance counter
What’s included in a B Service?
- Fully synthetic motor oil replacement
- Oil filter replacement
- Fluid checks and corrections
- Cabin dust/combination filter replacement
- Tyre inflation check and correction
- Brake component inspection and brake fluid replacement
- Reset the maintenance counter
For more information about the Mercedes Benz B Service read our useful blog here.
Servicing and maintenance help you discover the issues that demand your immediate attention. Also, some underlying issues that may extravagate while driving if they remain unresolved can be discovered.
Mercedes Benz A/B Service Intervals
What do the Service A Codes mean?
On some Mercedes models, there will be a designated service code, or subcode, which accompanies the Service A on your dashboard display. These codes indicate an additional service that should be performed along with the standard checklist in the A service:
- 0 – Perform multi-point inspection
- 1 – Rotate the tyres
- 2 – Replace the cabin and engine air filters
- 3 – Replace the transmission fluid
- 4 – Replace spark plugs, timing belt (if equipped) and adjust valves
- 5 – Replace the engine coolant
- 6 – Replace the rear differential fluid (if equipped)
Generally, routine maintenance and servicing include checking the brakes, air pressure, and condition of tires, engine seals, and any unusual noises.
It is also made sure that the various filters such as the air and cabin filters are clean enough for continued usage or timely replacement.
Points for Mercedes Owners to Take Care of
Get an inspection schedule from your authorized Mercedes Benz service center when you buy a brand-new or used car.
Try to follow your maintenance schedules based on the time or mileage of your car.
Be mindful of all minor details such as the engine oil condition, brakes, brake fluid, tire rotation, filters, etc.
Mercedes Benz service centers are the best option to take your car to. However, third-party service centers with expert mechanics are also a good option if they offer fixed-price servicing options.
Only buy OEM Mercedes Benz spare parts and accessories if necessary.
Always buy quality fluids and lubricants for your Mercedes from trusted brands.
Mercedes Benz Service A
The company has devised two major service types. These include Service A and Mercedes Benz B Service. We will be discussing the A-service in detail here.
The first A-service visit is recommended by the company at a mileage of 10,000 miles or after 1 year (whichever comes first).
A typical A-Mercedes Benz servicing includes the following operations which are mentioned in their details:
1. Synthetic Engine Oil Replacement
The recommended mileage for Mercedes cars before an engine oil replacement is typically 10,000 miles or a time period of 1 year.
However, this figure should be considered as the upper bound for an oil change and the operation shouldn’t be prolonged any more than that.
For models of Mercedes which are more than a decade old or have a manufacturing date around 2012 or before, you should get the oil changed every 5000 miles.
There is an immense difference that you will feel in your driving experience if you use high-quality engine oil in your car. It will result in better fuel economy, reduce the wear and tear of your engine and give an optimal performance under all temperature ranges.
MyCar.Repair is an online store and a one-stop solution for all the maintenance needs and routine checks of your Mercedes Benz.
We have the best synthetic oils from Mercedes-approved brands such as LIQUI MOLY. For both gasoline and diesel vehicles, we have the appropriate engine oil that your car needs.
At MyCar.Repair, you can also order your own oil change set which you can use to perform the task yourself or provide it to your mechanic
2. Replacing the oil filter
The three main filters in your Mercedes Benz are the cabin filter, air filter, and oil filter. The oil filter is the one that should be most frequently replaced, especially in service A when you change the engine oil.
The oil filter removes any contaminants, metal shavings, and sediments from your engine oil. This ensures that your engine may run smoothly and there is minimum wear at the points of contact.
On our website MyCar.Repair you can find yourself the best quality oil filters for your Mercedes Benz E-class or C-Class model. These oil filters are manufactured by Mahle which is renowned for its quality parts for automobiles and is a brand approved by Mercedes Benz.
3. Checking the Fluid Levels
The vital fluids, whose amounts should be checked in all Mercedes Benz A-service are brake fluid, radiator coolant, transmission fluid, and obviously the engine oil which we have discussed earlier.
Transmission Fluid
The mechanisms and moving parts transmission within the transmission which are mainly gears are submersed in the transmission fluid.
It provides lubrication at the points of contact and keeps the temperature within the transmission under control. It also keeps the metal surfaces smooth and clean and prevents wear and tear.
If the transmission fluid is of high quality, it will maintain the temperature ranges and increase the rational speeds for the transmission. This ensures smooth gear shifting and avoids any lags between the shifting of gears.
The kind of transmission oil that you’ll be using in your Mercedes Benz depends upon its model year and whether the gearbox is an automatic or manual one. Contact us by sending us your license plate and we will respond you with the correct standard for the ATF fluid and a quotation.
The mileage recommended by the company to replace your transmission fluid is 50,000 to 100,000 miles. Your driving conditions and driving habits also affect the longevity of your transmission fluid.
To determine whether your Mercedes needs a transmission oil replacement or not, you have to follow the points mentioned below:
Park your car on level ground and turn the engine on to warm it up for a few minutes.
Find the transmission fluid dipstick. Your owner’s manual will tell you where exactly it is located if you’re unable to identify its exact location.
Remove the dipstick and using your finger, touch the fluid on the dipstick. It should be reddish in color and go transparent when you rub it with your thumb.
If the oil gives off a burning smell and seems to be cloudy or dark, you need to change your transmission oil with immediate effect.
Reinsert the dipstick in the slot you removed it from after wiping it off with a rag.
Pull it out again to check the level of fluid. If it is below the ‘Full’ marking. Add some more of the transmission fluid of the appropriate grade and company to top it up.
Brake Fluid
One of the most hardworking and important safety features of your Mercedes Benz is its braking system. We’ll discuss it in more detail later, and here we’ll focus on its fluid.
The new brake fluid is slightly yellowish or almost transparent in color. Over the period of time, it goes darker in color, and at the point, it appears similar to the engine oil of your Mercedes Benz, it requires immediate replacement.
Not doing so will impact the performance and efficiency of your brakes which adds risk to your driving.
Checking the brake fluid level in your Mercedes Benz is a simple three-step process.
1) You have to first look for the brake fluid reservoir which you’ll find on the brake master cylinder under the hood of your car. Your car owner’s manual will provide you with more information about it.
2) The reservoir has two markings on it labeled ‘minimum’ and ‘maximum’ to compare with the surface line of brake fluid. If it is far from the maximum or close to the minimum, it should be topped up using the brake fluid appropriate for your vehicle.
3) Now, check the brake fluid color to make sure that it is in its original light color. This shows that it is free of contaminants and dirt, and will serve the purpose till your next service.
Coolant
Coolant is the fluid that circulates around the water jackets of your engine and removes any excessive heat from it. This allows the engine to operate at optimum temperature levels for the best performance and fuel efficiency.
If the level of coolant is extremely low or it has lost its physical and chemical integrity, it will result in overheating of your car’s engine.
This can have adverse effects on the working components of the engine immediately as well as in long term. Therefore to save money and avoid unusual repairs to your Mercedes engine, you should be mindful of the coolant.
Similar to checking the brake fluid level, you can check the level of coolant from the reservoir usually at the left side of the engine under the hood of your Mercedes Benz.
If the level is found to be near the ‘minimum’ mark, top it up with a 50:50 mix of coolant and distilled water. Also, look for any sign of damage or leakage around the radiator’s hose.
Checking and correcting tire pressure levels
Driving a car with low tire pressure levels is like walking with bruised feet. Therefore the pressure of all tires should be checked from time to time and especially during service A of your Mercedes Benz.
The TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is a great tool available in models of Mercedes Benz which came after 2014 for the job.
If you own a model older than that, you’ll have to use an external pressure gauge (preferably a digital one) to check the air pressure in your car’s tires.
You’ll find the recommended pressure in PSI according to the standard tire size of your car in the owner’s manual and in a printed label inside the fuel door.
For the best handling and driving experience, tires should not be overinflated or underinflated compared to the recommended pressure rating.
In case otherwise, visit a tire shop nearby or you may use a portable compressor to correct the inflation of your tires.
Inspection of brake components
Inspecting the brake components in service A includes checking the brake pads, discs, rotors, and brake fluid (discussed earlier)
There are several actions that may be performed to restore the original grip and efficiency of your brakes depending upon their condition. These include:
Changing the brake fluid
Removing air bubbles from brake lines
Replacement of brake shoes or pads
Replacement of brake hoses or lines
Replacement of discs or rotors.
You should take an instant quote from the certified technician before opting for any of the above-mentioned operations in restoring your brakes.
For your servicing your brakes, MyCar.Repair offers the Brake and Parts Cleaner by LIQUI MOLY which provides high-quality solvent cleaning.
Resetting the maintenance counter
After going through all of the above-mentioned procedures, the final step is to reset the maintenance service advisor indicator on your Mercedes Benz.
It is a simple procedure for which you first have to set your car’s ignition into the first position.
You’ll then press and hold the telephone button on your steering and press the ‘OK’ button for five seconds.
Toggle through the menu using the ‘Down’ button till it highlights ‘Assyst Plus’, and press the ‘OK’ button.
Again press the ‘Down’ button to highlight ‘Service carried out, ‘Service due’, and ‘Full service’ and press ‘OK’ on all three options.
Your maintenance service indicator is now reset!
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between Mercedes-Benz Service A and B?
A: The major difference between services A and B is the required time interval or mileage between services. The operations performed on your Mercedes also vary accordingly.
Q: Which is more costly, Service A or Service B?
A: In my personal Mercedes Benz, experience Service B is more costly as it is more extensive and has to be done after every two years.
Q: Are Mercedes really that expensive to maintain?
A: Maintenance costs for Mercedes Benz models are higher than average figures. We recommend drivers budget around £500 for maintenance costs annually.