Mercedes Benz vehicles, particularly those made in 1998 and after, follow the Flexible Service System The Flexible Service System, or FSS, is a series of maintenance schedules that your Mercedes will need throughout the course of its lifetime. While the most commonly known and used are Service A and Service B, these intervals can vary due to the age and model of your car, sometimes reaching as far as H Service.
How often will I need to take my Mercedes in for an FSS interval?
Typically, most Mercedes will need their Service A every 10,000-13,000 miles, alternating with Service B. You can expect to take your Mercedes in for Service A at 10,000 miles and each subsequent 20,000 miles, and for Service B at 20,000 miles and every subsequent 20,000 miles. The best way to time your Flexible Service System intervals is to follow your maintenance service indicator system.
How will will the Maintenance Service Indicator System notify me of Flexible Service System Intervals?
Your Maintenance Service Indicator System will start preparing you for your service intervals around one month before you will need them with countdown messages dictating which service is needed and how many days you have to schedule it, i.e. "Service A in XX Days." You will also get notification by miles, i.e. "Service A in XX Miles."
When the time for your service interval has arrived, you'll get a "Service A due now" message. If you go past the date and mileage specified for service, you'll get messages such as "Service A exceeded by xx Days/Miles." A tone or signal will also sound when you've exceeded the allotted time and mileage for your service interval.
What could affect the time and mileage allotted between my FSS Intervals?
Your Flexible Service System intervals could become more frequent if your Mercedes experiences the following conditions:
- Regular operation in dry, dusty, muddy, or wet environments,
- Stop-and-go driving environments such as dense city traffic,
- Lack of warm up time before short trips,
- Extreme hot or cold ambient temperatures,
- High altitudes, and/or
- Frequent trailer towing.
What about the more advanced FSS Intervals?
If you see an indicator for service intervals C-H, contact your local independent Mercedes Service and Repair shop for more information. Your technician will be able to run diagnostics to let you know precisely what all is included in that service level for your specific model.