Yes Fred the engine is different as are the 450 gas and diesel engines, but Mercedes wrote the specs for all of them so I won't be surprised to see the same spec for the new engine.
A gas and a diesel engine normally have different oil requirements but Mercedes specs the same oil for both engines. Maybe they just don't want the dealers to have to stock more than one oil.;)
Could be, and I would not be surprised if you are correct... What has my interest peaked is the info I see on the German sites and the Brit sites are different between what forum posters are saying when a new guy asks this question....
I don't recall anyone posting the owner's manual spec though...They sound like we do... shooting from the hip... usually when someone quotes the manual they include the OIL; weight, type, and spec as well as the recommended interval...
Most of the responses I see say basically "10w40 full synth every 10,000 miles".... Some posted the ancient chart most owners guides have that use a graphic of oil weight ranges based on temperature ranges.... I am not sure with todays superior lubes why we still have the chart
My Ford V10 calls for 5w20 semi synth... overnight in the wind -30 to -75 F and never had starting problems in the morning while I was at Ft Greeley or Ft Wainwright Alaska.
I do have a Factory block heater, the factory coolant, and factory oil were good enough.... A serious departure from the early 70s when I was up in the very cold region.... Back then a straight weight dino oil would punish you severely
You know it's funny that you mention the old temperature vs oil viscosity chart because the owners manual does in fact have that chart. If you go to the Mobil 1 web site the only viscosity the meets the MB 229.5 spec is the 0w40. Why the other viscosities of the same oil don't meet it is beyond me. I guess we just have to assume that Mother Mercedes knows what is best for her little smarts.
As for the European sites they probably have a wide variety of oils that meet the Euro specs that they just take it for granted.
Last edited by smartie yank; 12-10-2007 at 08:31 PM.
I was specifically referring to lhoboy's Mini and they (BMW) do NOT give away their brand oils.
Actually, they do for the first 3 years on the MINI. They do not provide free oil changes during the 4th year of the warranty. The catch is that the service interval is determined by the on-board computer and can range from 12,000 to 20,000 miles based on how hard the car is driven. These intervals are much longer than most people feel comfortable with, a controversy that has taken up alot of gigabytes on various MINI forums.
an other take http://www.sae.org/technical/papers/932838 our cars will come with service lights taking into account our driving habits and use using actual data from the car to calculate, how neat...
karl
Last edited by Karl Roth; 01-06-2008 at 10:04 AM.
Reason: insperation vs presperation
Good articles, Karl....
And it verifies that i really have been doing the right thing for the past 45 years...changing the oil and filter with the proper viscosity and good brand every 3000 to 5000 miles depending on the kind of service it has had. I'm inclined to change the oil closer to the 3000 mile interval in Winter as the richer mixtures during warmup when it's cold are inclined to cause more oil dilution and poorer lubrication. In the Spring and Summer I'm more likely to stretch the interval out to 5000 miles as the dilution factor is not as bad.
I also go to a higher viscosity oil once the cars mileage goes over 100,000 miles. For example, using 5W20 from new to 100K and then going to 10W30 after that. Also, using the *thinner oil* in Winter seems like a good thing to do, especially on mornings when it's 0 degrees out. BRRRRRRRR. Hate it when its that cold!
So that's my technique that has worked well for me for the past 45 years. Ofcourse, oils have gotten better in that time, too, but Yes....oil is cheaper than steel.
To some people, discussion of oil is like discussing politics and religion and you just don't want to go there.
Having said that, there are apparently some Mobil 1 weights that are not really full synthetic anymore, but through some arcane arguments can continue to call themselves a synthetic (instead of, say, a blend). I never really cared enough to look deeply into the discussion, but I trust some of the people that I have seen involved in the discussion.
In my R32, I use 5W40 Liqui-Moly full synthetic, which is from Germany, but the NAPA stores around here carry it. It meets the correct VW oil spec for the 3.2L VR6. The engine in this car seems to really like this oil.
In my Rover-powered Elise, I use the Lotus recommended 5W50 Castrol Syntec.
Still haven't figured out what I am gonna use in my wife's Mazda CX-9. It has a Ford engine where a 5W20, which not a commonly available weight, is specified. I used a synthetic 5W30, but am still trying to sort through whether or not the 5W20 change was done to increase fuel economy to help the fleet meet CAFE, while causing wear issues that won't be seen until the car is out of warranty.
Alan I use the Motorcraft 5w20 semi synth and it is a very good and inexpensive oil.... I like it a lot and have found no reason to use anything different in my 3v V10 heavy duty truck motor.... our owners on similar web site are reporting 200K~300K miles of service with this motor and this lube on the 3000 or 5000 change sched
Wally world usually has it for $2.79 a quart! when they screw up and drop it to $1.79 we post where, and Superduty owners buy cases of the stuff
I spoke to the Parts and Service Manager for smart USA and was told that several manufacturers of oil produce oil that meet the Mercedes Specification 229.5. This is the key. I've decided to supply Mobil 1 0w40 for my dealership, with an option of Castrol Syntec 0w30 European Blend (which I found out isn't synthetic at all) for our customers. Personally, I've used Mobil 1 products for all my vehicles (including motorcycles).
Last edited by smartRRparts; 01-10-2008 at 09:45 AM.
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