What do the two mileage readings on a Mercedes-Benz dashboard represent?

3 Answers
OJaxon
07/29/25 3:19pm
One is the total mileage, and the other is the trip mileage. Difference introduction: The two odometer digits on the dashboard appear as one long and one short code. The long digit represents the total mileage, which cannot be manually altered and only increases as the vehicle is driven. The short code can be manually reset and is primarily used for measuring kilometer distances. Vehicle odometer principle: The vehicle odometer is a digital display instrument. It operates through the engagement of the electronic counter drum wheel's rotating gear shaft with the worm gear on the speedometer's rotating shaft, causing the counter drum wheel to rotate. Its advantage is that when the upper-level drum wheel completes one full rotation, the lower-level drum wheel turns 1/10 of a rotation.
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KayleeLynn
08/14/25 8:05am
Hey, I've been driving a Mercedes for many years, and I've noticed that there are usually two mileage displays on the dashboard: one is the larger number, which is the total mileage of the vehicle, recording how far it has been driven from new until now. This number cannot be altered and is mainly used to track maintenance cycles and vehicle condition; the other is a smaller number, such as Trip A or Trip B, which is the trip odometer. It can be reset to zero at any time using the steering wheel buttons, making it suitable for calculating the distance traveled on a single tank of fuel or recording short-trip fuel consumption. When I first bought the car, I liked using it to estimate fuel costs, and after forming the habit, it saved me a lot of expenses. Remember to check the total mileage regularly and not to overlook major service intervals, otherwise, the car may age prematurely, which would be troublesome. Mercedes' design is quite user-friendly, but what people often overlook is that the trip reset can be easily misoperated.
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LaAnnie
10/11/25 7:46am
I've been driving the Mercedes-Benz E-Class for just a few months and find the two odometer readings quite interesting: one is called the total mileage, which is the historical record of the entire vehicle—it can only increase and never decrease, documenting the condition before major maintenance or accidents; the other is the trip meter, like Trip B, which I reset using the steering wheel button after each long journey to calculate the actual fuel consumption or distance of that trip, avoiding data confusion. As a beginner, I was initially confused, but later learned from a friend that it can help optimize driving habits, such as reducing sudden braking to save fuel. Additionally, different Mercedes-Benz series might have slightly different interfaces, but the core functions are similar, so there's no need to worry too much.
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