Mercedes A and B services explained and booked

What are Service A and Service B?

Mercedes-Benz UK does not publish one fixed checklist for either service. Depending on the age or mileage of the car, it gets an A service or a more comprehensive B service.

• Both services include an oil change and the replacement of components due under Mercedes-Benz manufacturer guidelines.
• Service B also checks all the vehicle components that affect safety and ease of use.

On top of the routine maintenance, Mercedes recommends additional items according to the car’s age and mileage. That means the exact content of a service depends on your car, so we confirm it for your vehicle before we start and send you a written price.

We also add the service to the car’s digital service record.

How does the service indicator work?

On the E-Class, Mercedes calls its service interval display ASSYST PLUS. In the owner’s manual for that car, Mercedes says the display shows the time or distance left before the next service is due. It can bring the service forward when the car has had:

• mainly short-distance driving
• long periods of idling
• frequent cold starts
• frequently interrupted diesel particulate filter regeneration

The V-Class uses the same kind of display. If you are not sure what yours is showing, send us the registration and mileage and we will check which service is due.

What does Mercedes say about arduous use?

Mercedes calls the display only an aid. It treats regular city driving with frequent intermediate stops as arduous use that needs more frequent oil and filter changes.

Private hire and chauffeur work in town can fit that description. If your car spends its day in traffic, ask us whether the oil and filter should be changed sooner than the display suggests. Our PCO and chauffeur servicing page covers working cars in more detail.

Which engine oil goes in?

Oil that meets the Mercedes-Benz specification sheet listed for the engine. Mercedes publishes these sheets engine by engine, for example:

• the OM651 diesel with a particulate filter: sheets 229.51 and 229.52
• the OM654 diesel, not plug-in: sheets 229.52, 229.61, 229.71 and 229.72, but not 229.51
• the M254 petrol, not plug-in: sheet 229.71 or 229.72, in SAE 0W-20 only

The binding specification is the one in your vehicle’s own manual. Mercedes warns that low-viscosity oils used in an engine not cleared for them can damage the engine, so we confirm the sheet for each car before we fill it.

When does the brake fluid need changing?

Mercedes says to renew the brake fluid at the specified intervals. We check when it is due on your car and include it in the service when it is.

What about the gearbox oil?

Automatic gearbox oil has its own schedule, which varies by gearbox and car. See our Mercedes gearbox service page.

What happens if you find something else?

A fault code is not a repair. If the service shows up anything beyond the agreed work, we send photographs and a written price, and do nothing extra until you give your written approval.