Service Due Countdown

Moto Vita

Active member
My 2016 Sprinter/2017 Roadtrek is telling me that it's first service is due this month, which is weird since I just bought it in February. It had over 1000 miles on it when I bought it so I'm guessing the countdown started at a certain mileage before it was sold/registered, can anyone confirm that?
The van currently has less than 7000 miles on it and I don't intend to have it serviced this month. Will I just continue to see the message that service is due at startup, or will something else happen when it counts down to zero later this month?
I was surprised to get this message, not only because the van has only been warranty registered for 9 months, but also because the owners manual states that service is due at 20,000 mile intervals and makes no mention of elapsed time service intervals.
I'm planning to buy some pre paid service from Mercedes and have probably the first two services done at a dealership. Do I need to rush to buy the pre paid service before my countdown reaches zero?
 

avanti

2022 Ford Transit 3500
Nothing will happen when the countdown goes to zero. It will simply start saying that the service is overdue.

What year is your vehicle? Some model years specify time-based service in addition to milage based ones. Others do not.

Nobody really seems to know exactly what algorithm modern Sprinters use for those reminders. One theory is that if you get a time-based countdown earlier than your manual specifies, it may be due to secondary time-based service requirements (such as changing the brake fluid). Another theory is simple sloppiness in the implementations and/or the manuals. For warranty purposes, I would go with what it says in the manual (although sometimes the manual says "do what your vehicle says").

I wouldn't rush to the dealer. I strongly suspect that they would be proud to take your money for pre-paid service at any point in time. At many dealers, it is an EXTREMELY high-profit item, which should say something about whether it is a good deal from your perspective.
 

Rob S

2018 Navion 24G IQ on 2016 Sprinter
This is an issue with any sprinter-based RV due to the time it takes from vehicle delivery to up-fitter until delivery to purchaser.

Who knows when some of those pre-purchase 1000 miles were put on. I personally would not ignore this request for service too long, as it remains in memory and conceivably could be used against you in a related warranty claim. The oil is getting on two years old, regardless of when you purchased it.

What I would do is go back to the selling dealer and request the service be performed for a reduced price, as they used most of the time and some of the mileage in their attempts to sell the vehicle. They just might go for it, or they might give you some guidance as to how THEY would interpret warranty issues under those circumstances.
 

avanti

2022 Ford Transit 3500
I personally would not ignore this request for service too long, as it remains in memory and conceivably could be used against you in a related warranty claim.
This is extremely unlikely. By law, the OEM would have to PROVE (in the legal sense) that not performing the service was the ACTUAL CAUSE of the warranted failure. They can't just say "you didn't do the service so we won't honor the warranty". Agains the law. The dealers will try to bluff you into believing otherwise, but the law is on your side and they know it.

Unless you actually believe that not doing a ridiculously premature service can actually damage your vehicle, warranty concerns should not be a factor. If you DO believe this, then act accordingly.
 

Moto Vita

Active member
This is an issue with any sprinter-based RV due to the time it takes from vehicle delivery to up-fitter until delivery to purchaser.

Who knows when some of those pre-purchase 1000 miles were put on. I personally would not ignore this request for service too long, as it remains in memory and conceivably could be used against you in a related warranty claim. The oil is getting on two years old, regardless of when you purchased it.

What I would do is go back to the selling dealer and request the service be performed for a reduced price, as they used most of the time and some of the mileage in their attempts to sell the vehicle. They just might go for it, or they might give you some guidance as to how THEY would interpret warranty issues under those circumstances.
The selling dealer is an RV dealer and seems rather inept at performing RV service, no way do I want them servicing my Sprinter.
 

Rob S

2018 Navion 24G IQ on 2016 Sprinter
OK, I see.

So you are more or less at the mercy of your local MB dealer, who would be doing any future engine & chassis servicing, and who would initially interpret eligibility for any warranty claims.

I would still talk to them and on the optimistic assumption that there are some and maybe even quite a few honest service managers out there, get their recommendation of how soon you should go in to see them.

On the other hand, you can self-perform the oil change and the other A service checks, mark it in the book, and thereby protect your rights for minimal cost.
 
D

Deleted member 50714

Guest
According to MB, your heavily laden Sprinter RV is considered to be operating in "Arduous" operating conditions and subject to reduced service intervals.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showpost.php?p=497185&postcount=1

Also, does your Sprinter have the JW6 option? If not, you may not be benefiting from all of the features of ASSYST.

It is my understanding ASSYST computes sevice needs based on all kinds of things. For example, among others, idle time, engine operating time, mileage, elapsed time, oil quality, DPF regenerations, etc. Also, consider it has been said that "Lemons" are created at dealerships service departments.

Most of the items in a A&B checks are visual inspections and suggest you learn to preform them yourself if so inclined.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showpost.php?p=600681&postcount=1




At minimum, I would change your oil.
 
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Moto Vita

Active member
According to MB, your heavily laden Sprinter RV is considered to be operating in "Arduous" operating conditions and subject to reduced service intervals.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showpost.php?p=497185&postcount=1

Also, does your Sprinter have the JW6 option? If not, you may not be benefiting from all of the features of ASSYST.

It is my understanding ASSYST computes sevice needs based on all kinds of things. For example, among others, idle time, engine operating time, mileage, elapsed time, oil quality, DPF regenerations, etc. Also, consider it has been said that "Lemons" are created at dealerships service departments.

Most of the items in a A&B checks are visual inspections and suggest you learn to preform them yourself if so inclined.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showpost.php?p=600681&postcount=1




At minimum, I would change your oil.
I believe, after reading my manual, that I have ASSYST, and that it is the system that's giving me the countdown in days. I don't know where to find the JW6 code to confirm it. Since the countdown is in days rather than miles I assume it has nothing to do with driving conditions.
My 2016 service schedule differs from the one you linked to in that it makes no mention of time intervals for engine service and it requires a transmission service at 40,000 miles instead of 60,000. Since I have a 4WD it also requires front axle and transfer case service at 40,000 miles. The rear axle service interval remains at 180,000 and does have a time interval of ten years (instead of the nine years in the 2015 schedule).
Do I need to have someone run my VIN to confirm the JW6 code? I miss the good old window stickers that have always given me that information for American cars.
 

avanti

2022 Ford Transit 3500
I believe, after reading my manual, that I have ASSYST, and that it is the system that's giving me the countdown in days. I don't know where to find the JW6 code to confirm it. Since the countdown is in days rather than miles I assume it has nothing to do with driving conditions.
My 2016 service schedule differs from the one you linked to in that it makes no mention of time intervals for engine service and it requires a transmission service at 40,000 miles instead of 60,000. Since I have a 4WD it also requires front axle and transfer case service at 40,000 miles. The rear axle service interval remains at 180,000 and does have a time interval of ten years (instead of the nine years in the 2015 schedule).
Do I need to have someone run my VIN to confirm the JW6 code? I miss the good old window stickers that have always given me that information for American cars.
"JW6" is an obsolete option code. Although it appears in older Sprinter options lists, it has not been used at least since MY2013 (and perhaps earlier). For example, it does not appear in either the 2015 or 2017 Special Equipment Handbooks:

http://www.sprinter-rv.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/2015-sprinter-equipment-handbook.pdf

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=608644

As far as I can tell, all US-spec'd Sprinters have the same Assyst system. Exactly what it does and does not take into consideration is neither well-documented nor well-established on this list. However, I believe you are correct that your "countdown in days" condition indicates that yours is complaining about time, not miles. "Time for what?" is a harder question. As I said, not all model years call for time-based oil changes. This is not one of Mercedes' areas of greatest consistency across model years.

As for the linked page in the referenced post, that is an unattributed out-of-context fragment of some unknown MB document referencing an unspecified vehicle. It keeps getting trotted out by one user for polemical purposes. Moreover, if you actually read it, you will discover that it says the opposite of what the poster claims that it states. It (a) nowhere mentions RVs, or even "heavily laden" vehicles and (b) describes driving conditions ("extreme short-distance operation with frequent engine stops") that are the opposite of that experienced by most RVs.
 

Wine Country

Active member
The Spinter is using days. My 15 WGO View was purchased in May 15. My countdown came up in Oct in 16. I had service A then at 7500 miles. And Service B this October. The dealer also flushed my brakes. Oh and charged me $800. They did when I complained to give me next years service for free.
I think the dealers of Motorhomes should tell people that the system starts when the engine first starts, As my View was driven from IA to WA and had 1700 miles on it when I bought it.
 

ptheland

2013 144" low top Passgr
What do you have to lose by performing a maintenance slightly early? Some dollars, I suppose.

What do you have to lose by waiting to perform maintenance? The engine? The transmission? The brakes?

For me, the question is easy. Just get the maintenance done.
 

220629

Well-known member
Given the description in the original post, as much as I feel that there is no actual reason to have the recommended service performed at this time, the easy answer is to get it done rather than chance any future warranty claim issues.

My opinion would change if there was a documented response from MB customer service that indicated it would be ok to wait. I doubt that you would get that, but it can't hurt to call and ask.

vic
 

Moto Vita

Active member
What do you have to lose by performing a maintenance slightly early? Some dollars, I suppose.

What do you have to lose by waiting to perform maintenance? The engine? The transmission? The brakes?

For me, the question is easy. Just get the maintenance done.
Yes it would only be money, and time, I'm glad it's easy for you. I'm not quite sure how a delayed engine oil change could cause a loss of transmission or brakes though.
 
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Moto Vita

Active member
OK, I see.

So you are more or less at the mercy of your local MB dealer, who would be doing any future engine & chassis servicing, and who would initially interpret eligibility for any warranty claims.

I would still talk to them and on the optimistic assumption that there are some and maybe even quite a few honest service managers out there, get their recommendation of how soon you should go in to see them.

On the other hand, you can self-perform the oil change and the other A service checks, mark it in the book, and thereby protect your rights for minimal cost.
I've talked to a few different service advisors this week, all have told me not to sweat the countdown and wait until I have more miles or more time on the van to get it serviced. One enterprising fellow researched the VIN and discovered that the looming countdown date is exactly two years after the van was delivered to the upfitter (Roadtrek).
The fact that MB is using a two year countdown suggests to me that when the service intervals between mileage was doubled from ten to twenty thousand miles that they also doubled the time between services from one to two years although I can't find any confirmation of that. In my manual there is no mention of any time limit between A and B services.
 

avanti

2022 Ford Transit 3500
The fact that MB is using a two year countdown suggests to me that when the service intervals between mileage was doubled from ten to twenty thousand miles that they also doubled the time between services from one to two years
It may be something like that, but the story would have to be more complex, because they did not go from 10K to 20K in a single step. MY2014 specifies 15K, with no documented time limit.

As I mentioned above, it is also possible that the 2-year thing was intended to insure a visit to the workshop to get the brake fluid replaced every 2 years, regardless of milage. Or...it could just be sloppiness.
 

Moto Vita

Active member
It may be something like that, but the story would have to be more complex, because they did not go from 10K to 20K in a single step. MY2014 specifies 15K, with no documented time limit.

As I mentioned above, it is also possible that the 2-year thing was intended to insure a visit to the workshop to get the brake fluid replaced every 2 years, regardless of milage. Or...it could just be sloppiness.
The countdown I'm getting specifies A Service, so I don't think it's the brake fluid, other than that, who knows?
 

ptheland

2013 144" low top Passgr
Yes it would only be money, and time, I'm glad it's easy for you. I'm not quite sure how a delayed engine oil change could cause a loss of transmission or brakes though.
I guess what I'm saying is that after spending 10s of thousands of dollars on a vehicle, why try to cut corners on maintenance? Sprinters are expensive to maintain. That's part of the deal of owning one.

There is far more to the maintenance service than an oil change. The service includes a number of inspections to catch potential problems before they become severe. That's where the potential failure of various components comes in. Do you want to discover that your brakes are nearly worn out during a routine maintenance inspection, or do you want to discover that they're completely worn out when the brake light illuminates in the middle of your cross-country vacation?
 

Wine Country

Active member
The countdown starts when the Sprinter goes to the uplifter. IMHO pay the Mercedes shop to do service A or do it your self. Brakes next year. The Motorhome like mine will have many services one each year. Miles on a MotorHome average around 7k. Those who drive a lot did get to the 20k but in two years. It's hard to drive 20 k in a year in a motorhome. If you look at RV trader you see most 10 year old have 40 to 60. Some with more but Mileage is often low.
 

Moto Vita

Active member
I agree with you guys about getting the service done at less than the full intervals, but getting an unexpected notice that service is due in 25 days, which happens to fall right at Christmas time when I'm traveling with the vehicle was a pretty rude awakening.
My prior RV use has typically been about 10,000 miles per year, in down sizing to the Sprinter I expect I'll drive it more, we'll see.
 

CJPJ

2008 3500 170 EXTD 3.0 V6 OM642.993 4.182
Hi motaveta; if you choose to extend the time - the time will be recorded; what amount will read as [oil change past due -1 day] or - 200 days, etc.. On record.
I changed Mine @ 7000mi. , which is fine, replaced the the break-in oil along with the contaminants and restarted the service count down to 10,000.
:2cents: service the vehicle as asking is good. Extending the count down is not good.
 

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