Oil changes
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 277
From: Toronto
RE: Oil changes
My 2002 C230 coupe requires an oil change every 15,000km and my BMW requires an oil change every 25,000km. Do what the manual requires. Many on these forums advocate more frequent oil changes but personally I have never had any problems with following the requirements as laid out in the manual. Newer MBs use synthetic oil which lasts significantly longer than regular oil.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,410
From:
RE: Oil changes
Your vehicle is fitted with ASSYST. This advises when a service is required. Service points are determined by vehicle use criteria. Even if the car is not used ASSYST will show a service is required after about two years!
What confuses me is why customers don't take advantage of the very sophisticated systems provided by the manufacturer.
ASSYT is based on normal service interval at something like 10000 miles (i.e. 16000 kilometres) BUT ASSYST IS BASED ON THE USE OF "SPECIAL" (i.e. EXPENSIVE) SYNTHETHIC OILS AND FILTER CARTRIDGE.
In the States these synthethic oils are not as common (in lube shops) as they are in Europe where extended oil change periods are more common.
Many lube shops buy oil filter cartridges on lowest price and this does not necessarily provide the required special construction / materials required for extended operation.
MB have had problems in the USA with some customers taking advantage of the RECOMMENDED (EXTENDED) service periods whilst only using normal mineral oils.
Result = wrecked engines. Expensive!
As the previous post states many contributors to this site recommend changing the oil every 5000m or so since this is "custom and practice" in the USA but changing the oil that frequently gives little (if any) advantage and also needs the car to be taken to the dealer. Doing so also means that the ASSYT system provides confusing information.
Taking it to a general lube shop may well end up with the wrong oil being used!
I cannot be sure what the current recommendation is in USA / Canada but believe your handbook will recommend Mobil 1 10w/40 and will assume 15000k (could be 19000k) service intervals in ASSYST. ASSYST also covers extended high speed use i.e. CONTINUOUS speed of up to 240kph on the German autobahns.
In short stick with what MB recommends!
Stuart
What confuses me is why customers don't take advantage of the very sophisticated systems provided by the manufacturer.
ASSYT is based on normal service interval at something like 10000 miles (i.e. 16000 kilometres) BUT ASSYST IS BASED ON THE USE OF "SPECIAL" (i.e. EXPENSIVE) SYNTHETHIC OILS AND FILTER CARTRIDGE.
In the States these synthethic oils are not as common (in lube shops) as they are in Europe where extended oil change periods are more common.
Many lube shops buy oil filter cartridges on lowest price and this does not necessarily provide the required special construction / materials required for extended operation.
MB have had problems in the USA with some customers taking advantage of the RECOMMENDED (EXTENDED) service periods whilst only using normal mineral oils.
Result = wrecked engines. Expensive!
As the previous post states many contributors to this site recommend changing the oil every 5000m or so since this is "custom and practice" in the USA but changing the oil that frequently gives little (if any) advantage and also needs the car to be taken to the dealer. Doing so also means that the ASSYT system provides confusing information.
Taking it to a general lube shop may well end up with the wrong oil being used!
I cannot be sure what the current recommendation is in USA / Canada but believe your handbook will recommend Mobil 1 10w/40 and will assume 15000k (could be 19000k) service intervals in ASSYST. ASSYST also covers extended high speed use i.e. CONTINUOUS speed of up to 240kph on the German autobahns.
In short stick with what MB recommends!
Stuart
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 839
From: heaven on earth, the s. Oregon coast
RE: Oil changes
I'm old school. I never go past 5000 miles even using castrol full synthetic on all my rigs. the oil tells the story, just look at it when you change it afteronly 3000 miles. when it's dark it's dirty. why take a chance? ounce of prevention.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,410
From:
RE: Oil changes
I'm not going to get into an extended debate on this subject.
Changing the oil more frequently won't do any harm but it is environmentally and financially wasteful, conflicts with service intervals as indicated by ASSYST and is totally unnecessary.
Oils, and especially additives, have progressed over time and MB (and other manufacturers) have leveraged the advantages.
Remember the days when a car had to have a 1000 mile service including an oil change!
What's so special about 5000miles. Why not go back to 1000 miles?
Some manufacturers have service intervals considerably in excess of 10,000 miles.
The filter is designed to take care of any suspended particles of a size that COULD cause wear / damage etc.
Colour of the oil is purely cosmetic unless the oil has been held at excessively high temperatures for long periods.
Modern oils and engine installations ensure that such high temps (at which significant oxidation can occur) DO NOT OCCUR.
Save your money, save the planet and sit back until ASSYST tells you that the oil needs to be changed.
Stuart
Changing the oil more frequently won't do any harm but it is environmentally and financially wasteful, conflicts with service intervals as indicated by ASSYST and is totally unnecessary.
Oils, and especially additives, have progressed over time and MB (and other manufacturers) have leveraged the advantages.
Remember the days when a car had to have a 1000 mile service including an oil change!
What's so special about 5000miles. Why not go back to 1000 miles?
Some manufacturers have service intervals considerably in excess of 10,000 miles.
The filter is designed to take care of any suspended particles of a size that COULD cause wear / damage etc.
Colour of the oil is purely cosmetic unless the oil has been held at excessively high temperatures for long periods.
Modern oils and engine installations ensure that such high temps (at which significant oxidation can occur) DO NOT OCCUR.
Save your money, save the planet and sit back until ASSYST tells you that the oil needs to be changed.
Stuart
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,410
From:
RE: Oil changes
Read this.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/84/8411oil.html
I believe the key words are:
Ingrained in peoples heads.
Oil company Marketing ploy
Synthethics
up to 25000 miles
and finally
Go with what the manufacturer recommends.
Stuart
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/84/8411oil.html
I believe the key words are:
Ingrained in peoples heads.
Oil company Marketing ploy
Synthethics
up to 25000 miles
and finally
Go with what the manufacturer recommends.
Stuart
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 408
From: Carbondale, IL
RE: Oil changes
Another thing to keep in mind is that dino oils don't generally trap particles within them. They tend to shed them off onto other surfaces inside your engine. What synthetics do best is trap those particles. Therefore, if you have a really great filter then it's pretty much guaranteed those materials are headed for it. This is one of the key reasons you can go much longer with the synthetics. And, after an oil/filter change you are starting out with a cleaner engine since the oil and filter you just took out carried most of the contaminants out with them.
The converse side is that if you're driving a heritage vehicle (pre-70s) that was made for those older oils and whose bearing surfaces were engineered to make use of that sludge buildup, you may find that you encounter some issues with synthetics and that it's in your best interest to rebuild the engine with new bearings and bushings that are designed for a modern oil.
The converse side is that if you're driving a heritage vehicle (pre-70s) that was made for those older oils and whose bearing surfaces were engineered to make use of that sludge buildup, you may find that you encounter some issues with synthetics and that it's in your best interest to rebuild the engine with new bearings and bushings that are designed for a modern oil.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post