Roadside and towing services
Q: My wife returned home from a local trip in our 2005 C-Class with a clanking in the engine bay that varied with RPM that sounds like a fan blade hitting something. Since the vehicle has just received a B-service and had a new heater motor installed, I called our dealer, who confirmed that I could use MBUSA Roadside Assistance. An MBUSA representative arranged for a tow, and I was pleased with the prompt response and follow-through. My question is: Under what circumstances are M-Bs still covered, since the coverage has obviously changed over the years from all M-Bs covered all of the time to some, some of the time?

A After checking the MBUSA link (www.mbusa.com/en/owners/roadside-assistance) for Roadside Assistance, I called the MBUSA Customer Assistance Center (800.367.6372) to verify coverage details.
MBUSA Roadside Assistance for towing to the nearest dealership (regardless of how many miles it is to the nearest dealership or within 20 miles of the nearest dealership to your preferred dealership) is free under the following conditions: 1. Your vehicle is under New Vehicle Warranty, Extended Limited Warranty, or Certified Pre-Owned Warranty; 2. You are the original purchaser and your vehicle was purchased new from an Authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer prior to January 4, 2011. 3. The vehicle will be serviced at the dealership to correct the disabling problem; if not the dealer may charge a $150 fee for the towing.
For servicing a flat tire, jump-starting a dead battery, or delivering a small amount of fuel without towing, the fee is $75. For Lockout Service without an active “mBrace” account the fee depends upon what has to be done to get you into your vehicle.
If your Mercedes-Benz has an active “mBrace” (or an old “Tele-Aid” service that has been updated to an “mBrace” account), you should press that button to connect directly to a representative. If not, use the “Mercedes me” app on your smart phone, or call 1-800-367-6372 and press 2 for Roadside Assistance. The Roadside Assistance link has other conditions if your vehicle is not readily accessible – such as a limited-access road, a restricted parking garage, or an off-road location.

‘A Service’ question

Q I have just taken my 2013 S550 4Matic in to my local Mercedes-Benz dealer for a scheduled 50K service. The service manual calls for an ‘A Service’ and I found nothing major was listed under further Service Recommendations. The service representative mentioned that for my model, MB recommends the replacement of the drive belt and sparkplugs at 50K miles. Why are these recommendations not listed in my service manual and where can I obtain this information?

A: Two factors affect service: mileage and age. According to the maintenance booklet, your 2013 (now eight years old), should have circa 80,000 miles. Thus with only 50,000 miles, age is a factor in recommended services. The Maintenance Booklet has information for added services for "High Mileage Vehicles," but nothing specific for low-mileage vehicles. Typically the technician will look for services for the age of the vehicle – in your case eight years. Here is a link to the PDF for Model Year 2013 vehicles: www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/DigitalAssets/pdfmb/maintenancebooklets/MY13_Maintenance_Booklet.pdf.
In addition, MBUSA has a document that some dealerships include with each annual service: "Service Sheet for Mercedes-Benz Maintenance Systems (USA)."  It is provided under MBUSA / Dealer Workshop Services and is specific to the model year and chassis code. For your 2013 S550 it is Model 221.186 for the S550 4-Matic with engine 273.968. Ask your dealer to provide you with a copy. They have about eight pages of detailed services and room for the Service Technician to enter data.

Radio silence
Q I have a 1994 Mercedes-Benz sedan and cannot turn the radio on. Everything else seems to work just fine. Any ideas I can try?

A If the radio display is blank, check the fuse, or there may be an internal fault in the radio. If it shows dashes (- - - -), the radio code has probably gotten scrambled or been lost electronically. Your Mercedes-Benz dealer should be able to trouble-shoot your problem and with proof of owner ship,  should be able to get the code for your radio from the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center (800.367.6372).

New Parts from MBUSA Classic Center

RIGHT SIDE MIRROR GLASS: PART 116-810-16-21. Right side mirror glass, convex (wide view). This fits all 116 cars, and 114/115 1974-1976, W123 with manual mirror, 107 1977-1982. This convex mirror does not have the warning writing on it (“objects in the mirror are closer than they appear”). This is a direct replacement for the flat mirror glass. $114.00 retail

450SEL 6.9 MOTOR MOUNTS: PART 123-241-14-13. Left and right side motor mounts are identical. These Mercedes-Benz mounts are now back in stock after a three year absence. $154.00 retail