In general, updates are not installed unless there is a specific complaint or problem with a specific component.


From a previous post:

Scans are performed routinely, but firmware/software updates to any particular module, are not done as a matter of course - unless:


1. It's part of a campaign/TPI/Bulletin/Recall etc
2. You're having a specific problem with that component

The reasons are many and varied (involving homologation, type approval, EMC/RFI approvals, backward compatibility, re-validation with other components in the system etc.)., but it applies across the board with other components/systems as well. eg: Your ABS module will not automatically get the latest release, subject to 1&2 above.

This is the practice across the German manufacturers.

 

Very interesting. I will see if anything I usually see is not working next time I drive any distance. Before updating the ECU they first asked if I had a map. First time I've ever been asked that.

 

Before updating the ECU they first asked if I had a map.

OMG if they need a map to find your ECU I should take your car somewhere else 😂

 

@CREED had his car screen bricked when an MBUX update applied by the dealer failed.
Car had to be recovered back to the dealer for new hardware.

This does happen in real life, with any electronics and IT hardware and software devices, in any industry.

Always a risk.

 

True, as with any computer system you have the choice whether to stick with the original software or update and take advantage of the upgrades and many people are still running XP, but most keep their systems updated

 

Sorry chaps, it has never been the policy of motor manufacturers to apply software updates to modules as routine. For all the reasons outlined in post #134.

Scans for stored and current faults, yes. Applying software updates routinely - never been the case. Ever.

This is a consumer electronics trait/habit, where the user is encouraged to apply the updates made available.

There are far more regulatory and homologation issues surrounding updating a car’s systems, compared with a phone or tablet. A car is not a piece of consumer electronics.

 

I would have said it is common place for motor manufactures to apply software updates, I've certainly had them in the past but I suspect they only apply those that they want or are forced to apply rather than routinely updating all cars to the latest release.

It's also worth remembering that it is not owners who have pushed for system updates, I imagine many like myself were perfectly happy just to drive the car we bought provided any safety updates were applied. But the manufactures are selling the advantages and importance of keeping our cars software systems up to date so it is they that have created the expectation the software will be kept up to date.

Some advertise that this is done as part of the service schedule, others sell the importance and convenience of OTA updates and I've even seem one MB dealer offering software updates as part of their service plan.

 

Software module updates are only applied at a service if:

1. There’s a TIPS/TPI/Service Bulletin requiring the dealer to apply them on specific modules.

2. Part of a Recall

3. In the case of a complaint or fault on that specific module.

I’d be interested to see exactly the nature of what was offered or promised by way of “offering to keep the car updated”.

It could well just amount to free map updates for the first 3 years, I can’t recall any other offering. But let’s see if there’s anything else promised.

I can only recall 2 OTA updates that weren’t part of map updates, 1 this year for the eCall software, and the other was last year but I can’t even remember what it was for, so the OTA update does work when it’s needed.

Amazon Music has appeared on MBUX as a new feature in the last 12 months, so there’s your OTA software feature upgrade delivered right there.

The “created expectation” may well be the OTA offering, but somehow this has been translated into “the dealer workshop will update all your modules as part of a regular service”. I personally never seen that advertised. It’s not on the Service A or Service B schedule.

As we’ve already established that you can get your car serviced outside the M-B network without losing warranty, Indy’s that don’t have access to M-B updates, ain’t going to update your modules while changing your oil and filter.

 

As a part of the service I asked for the start/stop to be looked at as it is very slow. And much slower than my previous A45 and any other car I drive.

The dealer told me yesterday, as I was following up if they had done anything, they had updated the software for it but that the start/stop restart can vary depending upon driving conditions. This was a new one for me. Does anyone know if it is true or should I just try another dealer

 

My experience is that if you stop and HOLD the stop/start engages straight away, but if I stop and hold the car on the brakes it depends on how hard I am pressing the brakes, if it very light the engine can stay on but then go off but if the brakes are on firmly the engine goes off.

However, the description in the online manual suggests that it could be that if you are at a Stop sign or behind a car that is pulling away or turn the wheel hard the engine will not stop but this description is ambiguous. It makes these statements but as events when the engine will stop but it mentions these after saying the engine stops when you brake to a halt so they seem superfluous. But if you read the 09/2020 manual it says

"If the system detects an intelligent stop inhibitor, e.g. a stop sign, the engine will not stop."

Which is why I wonder whether the earlier manuals are really saying the engine will not stop in these circumstances, not sure and haven't tried them out yet to see 🙄

Other than these I can't think of any 'driving conditions' that would effect SS

 

I don't think the system has any AI capability and I generally think the MB garage I used have it wrong.

 

I drove through town today so took the opportunity to observe what my S/S is actually doing but its still not entirely clear to me.

What I can say is if I HOLD the S/S initiates straight away, if I pull up VERY gently and only have VERY light brake pressure S/S does not come on but if I pull up normally S/S comes on. I didn't observe a situation where S/S didn't come on at a junction when a car was pulling away in front of me but there was the odd occasion where I was expecting S/S to come on when it didn't and visa versa but I think this had more to do with brake pressure than anything else. I did note one occasion when pulling up on an upward incline that S/S did not come one until I initiated HOLD but overall I got the impression that the times S/S doesn't come on are due to brake pressure (possibly brake lights not on) rather than any AI or traffic sign recognition.

 

MB really are taking the biscuit with their service costs, which I think must have gone up recently. When I had my A Service a year ago I was quoted about £350 and as I was in dispute with them over some warranty issues I went ahead with it only to find I was actually charged £286, I have no idea why it was such a 'reasonable ' charge. However, I'm now coming up to my 2nd year service with just 9000 miles on the clock and MB are wanting £475 for a B Service and brake fluid change, when I questioned this I was told that it included their £11 environmental charge but oddly they didn't mention the very nice coffee & biscuits!

What a complete over charge for what is basically an oil and filter change, I realise they don't need to justify these exorbitant charges but they should at least try to stay competitive, checked out BMW and as far as I could see even they are much cheaper.

Rant over

 

I ran some service quotes for my car through the Mercedes website for Brooklands. Each service got progressively more expensive as you say. The third and fourth go to the 5-600 quid plus region.
Best option and most cost effective is to use their service plan, I'm paying £30 a month.

 

You should worry my first A35 service $850 here in Adelaide, about £500 in real money. It does make you wonder about independent specialists but do they have access to all the techno magic?

 

In the UK they seem to, if fact I think they have to to get a licence from MB to service their cars. As with all things you need to check before using them, I'm lucky I have three nearby, one is owned by the diagnostic engineer that MB call in if their own can't fix a fault (or at least that's what he tells me 🤣), another is the only licenced garage in the UK to work on the Mercedes SLR Mclaren but all of them are staffed by Mercedes trained technicians with many years experience and all of them have the full Xentry system and are licenced to update the Mercedes database.

I also have a SL as a weekend car which only goes out on sunny days so is very low mileage, I wouldn't consider taking it to a main dealer because I get such a good personalised service from my Indy and it is massively cheaper.

But if your car is still under warranty ............

 

When you buy a Mercedes, have deep pockets

As long as people are willing to pay for a perceived value, they can charge what they like.

 

Mind you even MB service charges pale into insignificance compared to the cost of servicing a Mercedes SLR McLaren, apparently the cost of replacing the spark plugs is £10,000 😭, but I guess there are 8 of them 🤣

 

Is the labour charge around £200 per hour. If that's correct then it explains everything else.

 

When I had a Audi the dealer service hourly rate was £180 p/h so more than likely M-B will be higher

 

£180 for an Audi! Probably what we would pay for my wife's before family discount

 

In Japan, MB's come with 3 years maintenance included, along with the 3-year warranty. So, no service costs for 3 years.
Plus, they were running a campaign when we bought ours that included the 2-year extended warranty and maintenance for free. (Approx. 1500GBP value)
That includes at least one sha-ken, as well. (Maybe two? I'm not sure.) Sha-ken is the infamous government mandated inspection in Japan that by itself usually costs around 700GBP.
So, we can basically relax for five years as far as maintenance and service goes, which is nice.

 

That seems a very enlightened attitude to selling cars, are you sure it is a Mercedes 🤭

 

^ Yes Service Plans are the way forward. For many reasons.

In the UK Mini have been clever about marketing and packaging Service Plans.

 

Well my A250 had its extortionatly expensive main dealer 2nd year B service and mandatory brake fluid change yesterday, an interesting experience. Having only done 9000 miles I expected to have the call that all was OK & the car was washed and ready to pick up but instead I received a video of my 'complimentary' visual health check from a nice young mechanic called Dave who took me for a video tour of the car, how nice I thought 🤣

He kindly pointed out that my wipers were smearing so recommended new ones front and back, then he showed me the tread depth, 3.94 on the front which he called 3 and 5.76 on the back which he called 5, he said the back ones were 'probably' ok but the fronts needed changing, oh and although there was no sign of uneaven wear I would need a 4 wheel tracking service.

I was still smiling to myself when my very own private service advisor George called me to take me through the recomendations and price them up for me. £65 for the wipers, they didn't have matching Hankook tyres in but they did have (significantly more expensive) Continentals and could even price march KwikFit prices at only £327 fitted and £95 for the tracking. How surprised he was when I said I didn't want him to do any of these extras, not even the wiper blades he said almost desperately 🤣

Now I'm all for garages giving advice on items that need doing or might need doing soon but this sort of blatant up selling is criminal. The wiper blades just needed cleaning, most people change their tyres a 2mm (agreed some will change them at 3) but recommending replacements at 4mm is shocking and recommending 4 wheel tracking when there is no evidence of uneven wear is just profiteering. The problem is many many people don't, or don't want to know about cars so assume they are being given good advice and just cough up.

As if this was not bad enough I noticed that my oil level was below max when I got home so either the car has suddenly started using oil since the day before, they haven't done the drain plug up correctly or they didn't put the correct amount of oil in, I will investigate when it stops raining.

So much for rip off garages, I won't be using this one again

 

Well my A250 had its extortionatly expensive main dealer 2nd year B service and mandatory brake fluid change yesterday, an interesting experience. Having only done 9000 miles I expected to have the call that all was OK & the car was washed and ready to pick up but instead I received a video of my 'complimentary' visual health check from a nice young mechanic called Dave who took me for a video tour of the car, how nice I thought 🤣

He kindly pointed out that my wipers were smearing so recommended new ones front and back, then he showed me the tread depth, 3.94 on the front which he called 3 and 5.76 on the back which he called 5, he said the back ones were 'probably' ok but the fronts needed changing, oh and although there was no sign of uneaven wear I would need a 4 wheel tracking service.

I was still smiling to myself when my very own private service advisor George called me to take me through the recomendations and price them up for me. £65 for the wipers, they didn't have matching Hankook tyres in but they did have (significantly more expensive) Continentals and could even price march KwikFit prices at only £327 fitted and £95 for the tracking. How surprised he was when I said I didn't want him to do any of these extras, not even the wiper blades he said almost desperately 🤣

Now I'm all for garages giving advice on items that need doing or might need doing soon but this sort of blatant up selling is criminal. The wiper blades just needed cleaning, most people change their tyres a 2mm (agreed some will change them at 3) but recommending replacements at 4mm is shocking and recommending 4 wheel tracking when there is no evidence of uneven wear is just profiteering. The problem is many many people don't, or don't want to know about cars so assume they are being given good advice and just cough up.

As if this was not bad enough I noticed that my oil level was below max when I got home so either the car has suddenly started using oil since the day before, they haven't done the drain plug up correctly or they didn't put the correct amount of oil in, I will investigate when it stops raining.

So much for rip off garages, I won't be using this one again

Was this Bristol?

 

£65 for wipers sounds about right, £30 ish for the 3 piece wiper set, plus £33 Labour charges (10 mins @ £200 p/h).

Got keep those expensive biscuits and coffee going.

 

£30 for 3 piece wiper set? Where? I paid more then this just for the fronts

 

Assuming trade price.
But yes, retail for just the front wipers are around £35.

 

A few weeks ago I paid £38 for the front pair and £18 for the back one delivered from a MB dealership.

I could have got a full 3 x bosch set for just under £40 from halfords with a trade card, but preferred to keep it genuine MB for a few extra quid considering they will last prob a couple of years.

 

It's coming up to my 3rd service in oct/Nov and I only had the 2 year free service plan so either I pay for another 2 years or just pay as I go. Does anyone know how much the 3rd service is roughly for an a180 w177. I've not even done 5k miles.

Secondly, as its year 3, I'm guessing I need mot too? Does the service plan include this?

Annoyingly they only sell the plans with a minimum of 2 years. I have a 4 year pcp and was hoping to get rid of the car before the final service/mot although not sure if this is possible

Thanks!