2015 Mercedes ML250 BlueTEC Diesel..... Blown Turbos

I see some errors there right from the start.

M1 ESP 5W-30 isn't a "gasoline" oil, it's an ACEA C-series oil, which is a dual-purpose designation for both gasoline and diesel engines. The "E" series ACEA oils are Heavy Duty diesel oils for lorries and similar.

He talks about low Noack. The Noack limit on a C3 oil is 13%, 11% on a C4. All the E series, it's 13%.

E6 is limited to 800ppm Phosphorous, E9 it's 1,200. C3 it's 900, C4 is also 900.

The C series has a number of diesel-specific tests:

- Oxidation in presence of biodiesel
- DI diesel oil dispersion at medium temperature
- Diesel engine wear
- DI diesel piston cleanliness & ring sticking
- Effects of biodiesel
 
I see some errors there right from the start.

M1 ESP 5W-30 isn't a "gasoline" oil, it's an ACEA C-series oil, which is a dual-purpose designation for both gasoline and diesel engines. The "E" series ACEA oils are Heavy Duty diesel oils for lorries and similar.

He talks about low Noack. The Noack limit on a C3 oil is 13%, 11% on a C4. All the E series, it's 13%.

E6 is limited to 800ppm Phosphorous, E9 it's 1,200. C3 it's 900, C4 is also 900.

The C series has a number of diesel-specific tests:

- Oxidation in presence of biodiesel
- DI diesel oil dispersion at medium temperature
- Diesel engine wear
- DI diesel piston cleanliness & ring sticking
- Effects of biodiesel
He also later talks MB229.5, which no MB diesel is recommended to use. I think he genuinely does not know the difference or did not even notice one.
Not to mention that Noack limit for MB229.51/52 is 10%.
 
Well to each their own... I will stick with the knowledge of the best MB diesel wrench within view of Moab, UT.

And 5w30 and 10k OCI failed for me.... So not listening to anyone's nonsense that defends that prescription.

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I wasn’t defending nonsense. Say what you like about oil specifications in American cars, it’s not the point. This is a Mercedes.

Mercedes oil specifications are stringent. Tested. Validated.

Pick whatever oil, and whatever viscosity, you like, just make sure it’s on the approved list. Because that MB approval matters much more than viscosity.

You’re focused on viscosity. That’s a Red Herring. Viscosity isn’t the point, approvals are, because the approvals mean that HTHS and other critical performance criteria have been met.

Again, I’ve got seven turbo cars, two of them Mercedes, and all of them have the original turbos. The V70XC has 302,000 miles. The XC-90 has 252,000 miles.

Original turbos.

Because they got oil that met the European manufacturer’s specification.

And, yes, they were changed at the factory specified interval, which is 10,000 miles in the case of the MB, but oil that meets specifications doesn’t have a problem at that interval, and I validated this with several UOA, posted on BITOG.
 
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Rotella is DPF compatible, Mid-SAPS oil, SAME as MB229.51/52!
Fair enough. Nothing wrong with the Rotella T6. It’s a solid oil, and to be completely fair, I’m running an oil (HPL super car) that isn’t on Mercedes Bevo List in one of the MBs.

But I don’t think that Mercedes is going to like a 15W40 on a cold winter start in the Uintas.

There are lots of good 5W40s.
 
if it has the same engine as my work place sprinters all ours would have broken down several times over. I think we run 20k miles OCI. What oil I don’t know, we just leave them at the shop when the service light comes on
 
Ok.. the wife purchased the car brand new in 2015, because I wanted her to have a diesel SUV that was AWD and because Mercedes was giving them away for $10-$12k off of MSRP on the heels of the EPA lawsuits. They have the European Sprinter 2.1L, twin turbo, 4 cylinder diesel that is supposed to be rock solid.

Well, at 128k we smoked both turbos and the car just came out of the shop with an $8k bill from an independent shop that has a phenomenal reputation. The car has been paid off for 4 years and it is in super, great shape, so we figured we would roll the dice and see if we can get another 100k out of it for $8k.

Anyway.... the shop wrench told me in passing... you have to quit using that crappy 5w30. The only thing we put in all the Sprinters that we work on and service is 15w40. He said, your turbos probably failed because you made two bad decisions... 1. 5w30 and 2. 10,000 mile oil change intervals.

He wants me using 15w40 going forward and doing 7,500 mile OCI's.

He said if the sump was 12 quarts, he would be 'good' with 10k OCI's, but it is only 7 quarts.

I guess my Benz is going to get a regular diet of Rotella T6, 15w40 going forward.

By the way, the European spec for this same engine in Germany is 15w40. UGH.... 😫


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Mercedes has had a lot of engine problems with the Sprinter in the US. It's unlikely to be oil related. Cutting the OCI is probably a good idea.
 
Fair enough. Nothing wrong with the Rotella T6. It’s a solid oil, and to be completely fair, I’m running an oil (HPL super car) that isn’t on Mercedes Bevo List in one of the MBs.

But I don’t think that Mercedes is going to like a 15W40 on a cold winter start in the Uintas.

There are lots of good 5W40s.
Nah, I was just explaining that Rotella is also DPF compatible as argument was that somehow MB229.52 is not as good, it is vanilla like, bcs. it is DPF compatible.
I have seen this narrative before from these web sites like one that was posted here, that oils are not as good bcs. DPF compatibility, so people should use E sequence, which are also Mid-SAPS. So much misinformation and misunderstanding.
As for CO, the fact that shop here recommended 15W, says everything one needs to know about their knowledge of the subject.
 
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Fair enough. Nothing wrong with the Rotella T6. It’s a solid oil, and to be completely fair, I’m running an oil (HPL super car) that isn’t on Mercedes Bevo List in one of the MBs.

But I don’t think that Mercedes is going to like a 15W40 on a cold winter start in the Uintas.

There are lots of good 5W40s.
Rotella 15-40 did not used to be med saps. When did it change?
 
Nah, I was just explaining that Rotella is also DPF compatible as argument was that somehow MB229.52 is not as good, it is vanilla like, bcs. it is DPF compatible.
I have seen this narrative before from these web sites like one that was posted here, that oils are not as good bcs. DPF compatibility, so people should use E sequence, which are also Mid-SAPS. So much misinformation and misunderstanding.
As for CO, the fact that shop here recommended 15W, says everything one needs to know about their knowledge of the subject.
229.51/2 is for DPF longevity not engine longevity like 229.50.
 
Ok.. the wife purchased the car brand new in 2015, because I wanted her to have a diesel SUV that was AWD and because Mercedes was giving them away for $10-$12k off of MSRP on the heels of the EPA lawsuits. They have the European Sprinter 2.1L, twin turbo, 4 cylinder diesel that is supposed to be rock solid.

Well, at 128k we smoked both turbos and the car just came out of the shop with an $8k bill from an independent shop that has a phenomenal reputation. The car has been paid off for 4 years and it is in super, great shape, so we figured we would roll the dice and see if we can get another 100k out of it for $8k.

Anyway.... the shop wrench told me in passing... you have to quit using that crappy 5w30. The only thing we put in all the Sprinters that we work on and service is 15w40. He said, your turbos probably failed because you made two bad decisions... 1. 5w30 and 2. 10,000 mile oil change intervals.

He wants me using 15w40 going forward and doing 7,500 mile OCI's.

He said if the sump was 12 quarts, he would be 'good' with 10k OCI's, but it is only 7 quarts.

I guess my Benz is going to get a regular diet of Rotella T6, 15w40 going forward.

By the way, the European spec for this same engine in Germany is 15w40. UGH.... 😫


......
What type of Turbos ie oem ihi, Garrett? What "blew" ie the bearings. Most if not all should be water cooled and bearings not bushings. I remember turbo timers.
 
Ok.. the wife purchased the car brand new in 2015, because I wanted her to have a diesel SUV that was AWD and because Mercedes was giving them away for $10-$12k off of MSRP on the heels of the EPA lawsuits. They have the European Sprinter 2.1L, twin turbo, 4 cylinder diesel that is supposed to be rock solid.

Well, at 128k we smoked both turbos and the car just came out of the shop with an $8k bill from an independent shop that has a phenomenal reputation. The car has been paid off for 4 years and it is in super, great shape, so we figured we would roll the dice and see if we can get another 100k out of it for $8k.

Anyway.... the shop wrench told me in passing... you have to quit using that crappy 5w30. The only thing we put in all the Sprinters that we work on and service is 15w40. He said, your turbos probably failed because you made two bad decisions... 1. 5w30 and 2. 10,000 mile oil change intervals.

He wants me using 15w40 going forward and doing 7,500 mile OCI's.

He said if the sump was 12 quarts, he would be 'good' with 10k OCI's, but it is only 7 quarts.

I guess my Benz is going to get a regular diet of Rotella T6, 15w40 going forward.

By the way, the European spec for this same engine in Germany is 15w40. UGH.... 😫


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