Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan - Introduction
REF. NO. MBNA 00/64TO: OUR MERCEDES-BENZ PASSENGER CAR DEALERS
DATE: February 1996
SUBJECT:
INTRODUCTION OF "MERCEDES CARE" MAINTENANCE PLAN
Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc., is pleased to introduce the Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan. The plan consists of two options to cover prepaid Maintenance or Maintenance with Wear and Usage. Starting with model year 1996 Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the plan may be purchased at the time of new vehicle acquisition or may be purchased at any time prior to the first scheduled maintenance, first to occur, 12 months or 7,499 miles from the warranty start (in-service) date. The Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan alone covers all required scheduled maintenance applicable to normal vehicle use at factory recommended intervals (see MB Maintenance System Sheet [part no. S-2374-95K]). The Wear and Usage Plan, which may only be purchased along with the Maintenance Plan, adds specific wear and usage items as described in this bulletin.
MBNA reserves the right to make changes to the maintenance requirements as listed in the Maintenance Booklet to include any changes to parts pricing and time allowances.
The Agreements will be effective on the date the new vehicle warranty begins (in-service date) and expires contingent on the earlier to occur of the elapsed time from the warranty start date or when the vehicle has accumulated the total mileage limitation based on the mileage selected by the customer at the time of purchase.
All scheduled maintenance and wear and usage replacements under the Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan must be performed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. (The only exception involves a Tourist Delivery customer who still must use an authorized European dealership.) In addition, only genuine original Mercedes-Benz parts and approved fluids are to be used in the servicing of vehicles covered under the Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan.
Owner Responsibilities
The vehicle must be brought to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership no earlier than 1,000 miles and/or one month prior to the scheduled maintenance. Moreover, any additional maintenance costs incurred by performing the services more frequently, such as those required under severe operating conditions, wilt be at the vehicle owner's expense.
Maintenance
Under the program guidelines, MBNA will pay for all required scheduled maintenance at factory recommended intervals as outlined in the MB Maintenance System Sheet (5-2374-95K).
The following list of components are not covered under the Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan:
Headlamp Bulbs Brake Pads
Struts Brake Pad Wear Sensors
Shock Absorbers Brake Discs
Hoses Parking Brake Shoes
Poly-V-Belt Batteries
Tires Warped Brake Discs
Wear and Usage Option
Covered under Wear and Usage are the following components:
Headlamp Bulbs Brake Pads
Windshield Wiper Inserts Brake Pad Wear Sensors
Poly-V-Belt Brake Discs
All Other Bulbs
Brake component replacement is allowed only when "worn" as defined by model specific factory tolerances. Brake disc replacement refers to one set of brake discs at a time, e.g., one left front brake disc and one right front brake disc. Replacements are permitted in accordance with the schedule only.
Any brake component replacement that is required in addition to, or more than, the scheduled replacements listed above, is not covered by the Wear and Usage option and remains the responsibility of the Purchaser/Lessee of the Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan.
European Deliveries
Owners of European delivered vehicles are entitled to reimbursement of any expenses for maintenance work that would normally have been paid under the Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan. When these customers return to the United States, they should submit their receipts for work performed at an authorized European Mercedes-Benz dealer to the MBNA Customer Assistance Center, One Glenview Road, Montvale, New Jersey 07645. Valid reimbursements will be mailed directly to the customer from the MBNA Customer Assistance Center.
Services Performed in Canada
Owners of vehicles registered in the United States that have a valid Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan in effect are entitled to reimbursement of any expenses for maintenance work that would normally have been paid under the Plan. When these customers return to the United States, they should submit their receipts for work performed at an authorized Canadian Mercedes-Benz dealer to the MBNA Customer Assistance Center, One Glenview Road, Montvale, New Jersey 07645. Valid reimbursements will be mailed directly to the customer from the MBNA Customer Assistance Center.
Dealer Responsibilities
The servicing dealer's responsibility begins with the requirement to establish the eligibility of the vehicle and verify the need for the requested service. The Owner's Maintenance Booklet should be checked to see if the Maintenance Contract Label is affixed to page 1 and to see if the requested service is appropriate (e.g., the elapsed miles or months are correct and that the particular service interval is not being duplicated). A Vehicle Master Inquiry (VMI) should be performed which will provide the following Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan information:
Type of contract:
Term (months/miles)
Contract expiration date
Contract expiration mileage
Information regarding prior service performed:
Dealer code
Type of service performed
Mileage at time of service performed
Date service performed
For plans sold subsequent to the original sale of the vehicle, perform a VMI to verify that the contract is in effect prior to submitting a claim. If the contract is valid and the data does not appear on the VMI, it may be due to a delay in the submission of the contract to MBNA and the updating of the VMI. In this event, retain a copy of the VMI with the claim which must then be held until such time that the contract data is reflected on the VMI. Should you submit a claim without the VMI being updated, your claim will be denied.
The dealer must perform the service and/or wear and usage replacement in accordance with the instructions as stated in the Mercedes-Benz Maintenance Manual (S-2389-V03). In addition, maintenance plan time must be punched separately and identified on the time flag with the letters "MC" in the operation number section.
Upon completion of the service, the Owner's Maintenance Booklet must be stamped to facilitate verification by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer at the next service request.
Detailed Maintenance and Wear and Usage Claim Guidelines
Claims are submitted as a Repair Type "3" (Campaigns). Repair Type "3" will require you to use a campaign number. Insert 965554 in the campaign number field. Select the applicable repair code and damage code for the type of maintenance or wear and usage service that was performed. These repair codes and damage codes are listed on the attachments and additionally appear on the "Mercedes Care Services" reference cards.
Maintenance claims are submitted as campaign claims with no parts or labor detail. Wear and usage claims are also submitted as campaigns, but use repair code "99" thus requiring the submission of parts and labor operation numbers. Maintenance and wear and usage claims cannot be combined. They must be submitted separately since the damage and repair codes will differ.
Since part numbers or labor operations are not required on maintenance claims, manually calculate the requested claim amount and enter this figure in the "Total Claim Amount" field.
For wear and usage claims, when entering parts information, insert MBNA's suggested retail price for the part in the "Unit Net Price" field, leaving the "Handling % Indicator" field blank or use the handling % indicator that represents "0".
All parts are reimbursed to the dealers using MBNA's suggested list price in effect on the date of the repair order. A complete list of maintenance and wear and usage part numbers that are reimbursable under the Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan is included. Check all part prices for accuracy before you submit a maintenance claim. Part numbers and operation hours allowed for each maintenance service appear on the Mercedes Care Services Reference Card for each model. For wear and usage repairs, only part numbers appear on the reference cards. To obtain labor operation codes and hours, refer to the MBNA Warranty Time Guide.
Mercedes Care maintenance and wear and usage replacements will be reimbursed at the dealer's approved warranty labor rate. The time allowance for maintenance items include the operations that are listed on the MB Maintenance System Sheet (S-2374-95K). Each operation is described in the Mercedes-Benz Maintenance Manual (S-2389-V03). Please refer to the MBNA Warranty Time Guide for applicable time allowances.
Sales Tax Reimbursement
Where required, for both maintenance and wear and usage claims, sales tax should be included in each claim as a sublet. Use Sublet Code MBCARETAX and enter the applicable tax amount in the "Sublet Amount" field.
Note:
For maintenance claims, reply YES to "Is this a sublet only claim? (Y/N)". You must add the applicable tax amount into your calculation of "Total Claim Amount".
For wear and usage claims, reply NO to "Is this a sublet only claim? (Y/N)". The amount entered in the sublet amount field will automatically be added into the "Total Claim Amount".
Warranty Claim Guidelines - Quick Reference Flow chart
MAINTENANCE SERVICE DAMAGE CODE/REPAIR CODES
CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 965554
WEAR AND USAGE REPLACEMENT DAMAGE CODE/REPAIR CODES
MERCEDES CARE MAINTENANCE AND WEAR AND USAGE PART NUMBERS
Special Notes:
Claim Submission Procedures
When the selling dealer submits for a 7,500 mile service, there is only one claim. This claim would be for parts only and must be submitted using damage code 21300 00 7 with the appropriate repair code. If you are not the selling dealer, however, you would submit two claims: one claim for parts and a second claim for labor. This second claim for labor is not a "Mercedes Care" maintenance claim. The labor for the 7,500 mile service would be submitted as a Repair Type "0" claim using the special damage code 21857 00 8.
To verify the option content of the vehicle, perform a Vehicle Master Inquiry (VMI). The equipment code for the activated charcoal filter is 306; for ASR (Acceleration Slip Regulation) the code is 471; for ESP (Electronic Stability Program), the code is 472 (which includes ASR); and for ETS (Electronic Traction System), the code is 212.
Please familiarize yourself with the damage codes/repair codes assigned the fifteen, thirty, forty-five, sixty and seventy-five thousand mile services. Each service is presented with two repair codes, one for the service "with activated charcoal filter" and another for "without activated charcoal filter."
Proper procedures for submitting windshield wiper inserts and spark plugs will vary depending upon when they are replaced, please see following paragraphs.
Brake Fluid Services
For brake fluid services, time allowances will vary depending on which option the vehicle is equipped with, for example, ASR, ETS, or activated charcoal filter.
Brake Pads, Brake Pad Wear Sensors and Brake Discs
Replacement of brake pads, brake pad wear sensors and brake discs should occur at a maintenance interval which includes R&R wheels. If these services are performed at other than a maintenance interval, the time to R&R wheels may be claimed. Refer to the MBNA Warranty Time Guide for applicable time allowances.
Injection Pump Timing, Poly-V-Belts, Windshield Wiper Inserts, Headlamp Bulbs, All Other Bulbs Adjusting the injection pump timing, replacing poly-V-belts, windshield wiper inserts, headlamp bulbs and all other bulbs are covered under the Adjustment Period Warranty. These claims should be submitted as a Repair Type "0" using normal warranty claim submission procedures.
Windshield Wiper Inserts
Windshield wiper inserts are included in the fifteen, thirty, forty-five, sixty and seventy-five thousand mile services and are therefore considered a maintenance item. However, if the windshield wiper inserts are replaced at any other time, this would be considered a wear and usage item and will be paid only, if the wear and usage option of the plan is in effect.
Spark Plugs
Spark plugs are included in the 30,000 and 60,000 mile services and are therefore considered a maintenance item. During the fifteen, forty-five, and seventy-five thousand mile services, spark plugs are only due for an inspection. If it is necessary to replace spark plugs at either 45,000 or 75,000 miles, this would be considered wear and usage, thus will only be paid, if the wear and usage option is in effect, based on a separate claim. This second claim for the replacement of the spark plugs would be for pants only, since the labor for the removal and installation of the spark plugs is included in the service. If the wear and usage option of the plan is not in effect, this would then be a customer pay item not covered by Mercedes Care Maintenance Plan, or depending on the circumstances covered under the New Car Limited Warranty. If it is necessary to replace the spark plugs at a 15,000 mile service, the claim should be submitted as a regular warranty claim using Repair Type "0" for parts only since this is an emission related item.
Hard Top
If applicable, claims for R&R Hard top can only be submitted in conjunction with a fifteen, thirty, forty-five, sixty and seventy-five thousand mile service.