8000 Miles Overdue for an Oil Change: Plan of Attack?

[wpod]

Drain, the oil replace the filter add new oil and done.

 

[Audiman]

Honestly Critic, it’s going to be fine just stick to what you normally do knowing what he’s like for going overdue an oil change. Stick to the quality oil and filter you use and I would expect no harm done.

 

[Bill7]

Vehicle: 2016 MB E350, M276 GDI, ~195K miles.
Oil used: Mobil 1 0W40, Mann Oil Filter
Length of Interval: 11 months and ~18,000 miles. OEM service interval is 10K

Prior to this, all oil services have been performed with a 229.5 approved oil at 10-14K mile intervals.

My plan is to:

Replace Engine oil and filter with Mobil 1 0W40 and new filter.
Add two 500ML bottles of Liqui Moly Pro-Line Engine Flush. Idle engine for 20 minutes.
Perform another oil and filter change, this time with HPL Euro 5W40. Hopefully he comes back in 10K, but he probably won't.

Any better ideas?

It's likely the extended oil changes throughout it's life have lead to sludge/varnish.

Here would be my plan of action:

Buy several jugs of this low priced Euro MB 229.5 oil from Walmart
Quaker State Euro Full Synthetic 5W-40 Motor Oil, 5-Quart: MB 229.5 certification for $22.97 for 5 quart jug.

Robot or human?

Buy several cans of LiquiMoly Proline engine flush, and several of your favorite low priced oil filters.

Do 2 immediate engine flushes, and then shorten oil change interval permanently to 5K (4k would be better) using above oil,
and do an engine flush during the next 5 oil changes. Then set a goal to drive the car another 200k miles.

 

[drtyler]

I wouldn't do anything special. Change the filter and fill it up with spec oil.

This is it. No need for any LM.

 

[Thermo1223]

10w-40 generic may be only a few bucks cheaper for a synthetic. The referenced Mobil 1 is $27 for 5 qts. at WalMart

I mean $16 vs. $27 is enough for me considering the short use.

 

[Rand]

Any better ideas?

Change oil & filter,
Hope nothing breaks that they blame you for.

 

[panthermike]

Since you found that European information, I would just change the oil and filter. Very thoughtful of you though trying to do what's best for the customer!

 

[Chris142]

I recommend that you get the oil nice and hot. Drain,filter refill and go on with life.

 

[Greasymechtech]

Change oil/filter. Make sure level is full. Advise customer to come back for maintenance every 5k miles.

 

[Trav]

He doesn't want to come back for at least another 10K.

You are dealing with someone who doesnt care as much about the car as you do, you cant fix him never mind the car. Change the oil with the M1 and send it down the road, no flush. Flushing it should have a shorter oci afterwards in case it loosens up a lot of crap.

 

[spasm3]

I would not waste the HPL on an owner that does not take care of the car. Sure it may hold up better over an extended oci. But if the owner does not care , spec oil and send it.

Another 18k with a first run of HPL and the filter may be in bypass.

 

[Nesterenko]

Same oil, same filter. Carry on...

 

[Bill7]

I change my oil every 4k with low priced full synthetic and high efficiency oil filters. I am doing periodic engine flushes in my vehicles.
I want to have clean engines that can last another 12+ years with no issues.

I don't think there is a cost savings to doing extended oil changes with expensive oil, either in the short run or the long run,
and it's the long run that is worrisome.

 

[CleanSump]

Least expensive 229.5 oil you can get locally. QS Euro or Pennzoil Euro at WM.
It won't die because of the oil chosen, it'll be owner abuse if anything.
And I'm a 4 decade, multiple MBs, 350k miles, MB fanboy.

 

[JHZR2]

I think I will skip the LM snake oil and just do two oil changes.

Looks like in Europe -- the interval is 25,000KM/1-yr, which is 15,625 miles. I guess he isn't as overdue as I thought.

View attachment 158652

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachments/c-class-w204/425202d1590541599-xzerois-literature-thread-assyst-plus-maintenance-model-series-w204.pdf

(Manual is for a 204 chassis but that platform also has the 276 engine.)

I was going to say… my 2004 Saab allowed 24 months and 24k km (with a computer to actively reduce the actual range based upon use).

If I was going to flush, I’d withdraw a bit of old oil (assuming it wasn’t a bit low), and just add the flush to hot oil and idle it a bit. Emphasis into hot oil so you don’t idle a cold engine to hot waste fully. Then do a good drain, perhaps even push a bit of new clean oil through to sweep the solvent, and then just put in a new filter and fresh oil. HPL is expensive. Not sure I’d spend that money on a car that the owner doesn’t care about…

 

[BHopkins]

Have you taken a peek through the oil fill cap opening, to get a little bit of a look, of what it looks like inside?

I would do the normal oil/filter change that you are planning. Then I would change it again at 200k miles, so you can get it on schedule for the MB recommended 10k mile oil change interval.

I've been doing 10k mile oci on my E350 since I got it, all with M1 Euro 0W-40 and Purflux filter. I've shined a light through the oil fill opening, and what I can see looks spotless.

 

[Hall]

Do 2 immediate engine flushes, and then shorten oil change interval permanently to 5K (4k would be better) using above oil,
and do an engine flush during the next 5 oil changes. Then set a goal to drive the car another 200k miles.

You must have missed that it's not his car and the owner routinely goes close to this long for intervals. He can't force the owner to return for early/extra oil changes.

 

[Oily Ed]

Makes me want to buy a 2016 E350. If a neglected one has lasted 195k on 10k+ oil changes, I’m thinking I could get 400k easy out of one with a little care

 

[addyguy]

M1 is a very stout oil, as we know. I seriously doubt the engine is even dirty on this interval.
Especially if the oil level is where it’s supposed to be, it has lots of oil in it, just change it out and don’t worry.

 

[Hall]

Sure, I'll take a sample.

Really, really looking forward to this.