Started my new '04 this AM and the little wrench appeared. The car has only 1050 miles on it. What gives? I plan to do an oil change at 3000 miles, then go to the regular 7000 regimen. Can I just reset it now?
Pete

 

Acutally your first oil change should wait over the 3,000 miles due to that they put additives in the factory to lube all internals properly and you might be flushing them out too early. The wrench is part of the Mercedes-Benz FSS system which is adaptive to your driving style and conditions, it can vary for everyone. The wrench will start appearing reminding you of upcoming service with the mileage left for that service showing next to the wrench. When the wrench shows up with a reading of about 300 miles that means that in 300 miles service A will be needed. I got my first service at 8,800 miles.

Its up to you however if you want to change the engine oil every 3,000 miles. The resetting instructions are clearly detailed in your manual. I know of people changing their oil every 3,000 miles and not resetting the FSS system until the system informs service is due and then at that point they just get another one done and have the dealer reset it for them that way they are changing it every 3,000 miles. Remember that the FSS system was invented for that very purpose to extract the most life out of your oil. Remember only use Mobil 1.

The fact that your car only has 1,050 miles and already requires service A is that the FSS system also monitors the time the car has sat without use. So if your car has sat for a long time at a dealer prior to you purchasing it the system will also calculate that oil life sitting in your oil pan and maybe that's why your car needs service A so soon.

 

Verrry interrresting, BullFrog. Thanks for the info!
Mine hasn't come on yet, I have around 1,500 miles, but I won't be driving it much now, since winter has reared it's ugly head, (and it snowed) for a while. I didn't think of the sitting time.

 

Yeah the FSS (Flexible Service System) from Mercedes-Benz is more clearly described in Mercedes-Benz manuals over the Chrysler XFire manual. Yeah it also calculates sitting time. So if the car is stored for say 6 months or a year with no use, the FSS system will also calculate that sitting time into oil quality and reduce the oil life by a thousand miles or so. Again it still depends on ambient conditions, driving style and time.

 

I was wondering how you knew all that about the FSS computer, etc. You have been reading the Merc manuals. How does the computer know that the car has been sitting for 6 mths or so. Is there a running timer, clock that keeps track of date, etc.?
and if this is the case, presumably it will continue timing with the battery disconnected.

 

Yea, it maybe makes a difference on how the car is stored. Mine is going to be in a heated garage over winter, which may be better for it than a frozen one. The heat comes from hot water flowing through pipes in the concrete floor, which makes me think it's ok to just park it on the tires and not worry about them. What do you think?

 

I own a Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 as well with the FSS system. Well if the battery is disconnected, once the car is put back in use the oil flows through again and the system at that point takes a measure of oil quality and the computer will adjust accordingly. I dont think it has a timer.

If the car has been stored for about 6 months, once the car is started and oil circulating only then is when the system takes a reading of oil quality. So as soon as the car is running again the service date will adjust accordingly i dont know how quickly the system takes to calculate this i'm assuming not long at all. I dont have all FSS answers however i'm very familiar with the operation.

 

Now I know why my service indicator reads over 8k, thank you for the information