I have seen a pretty confusing assortment of recommended oil listings for MB cars. I want to make sure that the shop where I will be having this car serviced is using MB approved oil--meaning approved by MB for this car. Until now I have always had the car serviced at my local MB dealer but I was turned off when I realized they are urging very expensive but unnecessary work (such as the front spring perches).

Car: 1999 E300 Turbodiesel (W210)
Engine: 606.962
Miles: Almost 150k
FSS: Yes
Particulate filter: No idea

MB Sheet 223.2 (Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Operating Fluids: Engine Oil, Gear Oil, ATF, Coolant, Brakefluid) identifies an array of oil specs for diesel engines, dividing them by "with or without" a particulate filter. I don't know if mine has one. And in any event the diesel engine in my car is not included in the list.

I have another long list of oil recommendations I got from this site several years ago that seems to list these MB specs for "the latest engines" and for vehicles with the Flexible Service system: 229.3, 229.5 (but only with "a fleece filter"--whazzat?) and 229.51. The oil our VW dealer uses for our 2006 VW Jetta TDI recites its compliance with 229.51 in addition to VW specs.

So, can anybody tell me what oil spec applies to my MB? Hopefully my garage can easily get the stuff! Thanks!

 

Thanks! Is this Mobil motor oil approved by MB? A chart on their website lists other oilswith MB approvals but not for this particular oil. http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Files/Mobil_1_Product_Guide.pdf

A chart I got from this forum back in 2006 (the Marshallera) listed several specific brands for cars with FSS. Two Mobil 1 oils were listed:
· SuperSyn European Car Formula 0W-40 (229.5—notingfleece filter) and
· ESP Formula M 0W-40 (229.51--diesel w/ particlefilter).

In a much longer section of that document three Mobil 1oils were listed under 229.5, noting inter alia that the spec was for certainengines including the diesel OM 600 series, which seems to fit mine, and requiresa fleece filter:
· The same SuperSyn European Car Formula 0W-40previously listed;
· Turbodiesel 0W-40 (that's the entire name); and
· SHC Formula MB 5W-30.

The final section 229.51 includes two Mobil 1 oils, butfor cars with the particle filter:
· ESP Formula M (same as above); and
· ESP Formula 5W-30 Emission System Protection(Europe from 12/05)

That's why I find this confusing. I have no idea if my car has this particlefilter, which seems to make a difference. If not, should I be following spec 229.5? If the oil you recommend is actually approvedbut Mobil inadvertently omitted that info, do I need the fleece filter?

Again, I appreciate your advice!

 

"I realized they are urging very expensive but unnecessary work (such as the front spring perches)."

As Forcedinduction mentioned, those front spring perches are of major importance. In my case, I had the car up on a lift to have the tires rotated. I was able to inspect the spring perches in my car, and all looked good to go. No rust, no break in the special coating and nothing to indicate a failure would happen anytime soon. One month later, I parked the car for the evening in front of the house. Next morning, I go out to use the vehicle, and it is sitting low on the passenger side. At first I thought I had a flat, but upon further inspection, the spiring perch on the passenger side had totally failed, causing the spring to be ejected in three pieces. The body of the car settled on top of the tire, and if this had happened at highway speed, it would have been catastrophic i.e.lack of steering and inability to have any control what-so- ever. After jacking the car up, I found that the entire spring perch had ripped away from its support location, taking with it part of the front break lines. I would strongly suggest that you have the suggested work done for piece of mind and the safety of you and your family. Good luck!

 

Pimpernell,
Thanks for the info. I have read a lot about the spring perch issue in this and other forums. I consider this to be adefect. Your story is alarming. The fact that your perch(es) failed soon after you had them examined makes clear that it is a concealed defect. The fact that my trusted mechanic (not froman MB dealer) assured me that they looked ok just reinforces my view.
I have seen a few old cars with their chassis rusted out, but these were SUVs used heavily for many years at the NJ beaches. But I am astonished that MB would design and build an on-highway sedan whose chassis cannot safely last for at least 150k miles, if not more, in the northeast. My car spent its first few years inroad-salt-free Florida until I bought it in the early fall of 2006 and brought it home to the Philadelphia area. So it has actually endured only a little over 7 years in the northeast. Road salt in the northeast and other parts of this major MB market was hardly news when the W210s entered production, let alone when my 1999 was built. And this assumes that the rusting of the perches is related to road salt rather than some other production or design problem.
Did you get any relief from MB? My understanding is that since the many reported spring perch failures have not yet resulted in any serious crashes or injuries federal authorities have never issued a recall. And MB would obviously like to keep it that way. I plan to put MB on formal notice of the problem and insist that they “recall” my car and fix the defect.

 

"Did you get any relief from MB? My understanding is that since the many reported spring perch failures have not yet resulted in any serious crashes or injuries federal authorities have never issued a recall."

I called a local Mercedes dealer in Point Pleasant N.J. and got nowhere fast. The service manager was supposed to call me back, but never did. When I spoke to him, I explained what happened, and was just trying to find out what body shop they used to make a repair of this nature. As far as I can tell, there has been no official recall for this defect, but I have read on a number of forums that some dealers have done "good will" repairs depending on the customers relationship with said dealer. I did most of my own work on the car, and never took it into MB dealership for service.

 

What is "a factory repair/patch panel?"

 

By the picture the spring mount appears to be bolt in as opposed to weld in. Is this true? My '87 300D is in need of the passenger side one. Not ready to rip off just yet, but it's getting there.