Extended Drain Oil for MB 229.5 applications

[The Critic]

I am looking for an oil that is suitable for MB 229.5 applications, but is capable of longer service intervals than the OEM 10K.

Price is not an issue. OEM approval may or may not be relevant.

The reason behind the request is that the customer is usually 3-5K overdue for oil changes each time. They rack up 30-40K miles per year during highway driving.

The engine in question is a NA V6, but with DI.

 

[edyvw]

I am looking for an oil that is suitable for MB 229.5 applications, but is capable of longer service intervals than the OEM 10K.

Price is not an issue. OEM approval may or may not be relevant.

The reason behind the request is that the customer is usually 3-5K overdue for oil changes each time. They rack up 30-40K miles per year during highway driving.

The engine in question is a NA V6, but with DI.

M1 5W40 FS? Hefty TBN number. IMO not ideal for DI, but it is MB229.5, good HTHS and KV100.

 

[Quattro Pete]

I am looking for an oil that is suitable for MB 229.5 applications, but is capable of longer service intervals than the OEM 10K.

What leads you to believe that a typical MB 229.5 approved oil is only good for 10K miles? Pretty sure MB has longer oil change intervals in many countries outside of US.

They rack up 30-40K miles per year during highway driving.

Since it's primarily hwy driving, personally I wouldn't worry about going a few K miles over on an OCI with any 229.5 oil.

 

[Quattro Pete]

What's so funny?

 

[AutoMechanic]

What's so funny?

That it would be ok to go over 10K on oil. Just the thought of that makes me cringe. I didn’t know they done it in other countries.

 

[edyvw]

That it would be ok to go over 10K on oil. Just the thought of that makes me cringe. I didn’t know they done it in other countries.

MB229.5 in EU is 15-20k MILES!

 

[edyvw]

That it would be ok to go over 10K on oil. Just the thought of that makes me cringe. I didn’t know they done it in other countries.

MB229.5 in EU is 15-20k MILES

What leads you to believe that a typical MB 229.5 approved oil is only good for 10K miles? Pretty sure MB has longer oil change intervals in many countries outside of US.


Since it's primarily hwy driving, personally I wouldn't worry about going a few K miles over on an OCI with any 229.5 oil.

Agree with this.
I would sample oil to see TBN and TAN.

 

[RooflessVW]

That it would be ok to go over 10K on oil. Just the thought of that makes me cringe. I didn’t know they done it in other countries.

30,000km for VW.

 

[930.engineering]

Any oil with MB229.5 approval should be capable of up to 15K OCIs.

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With that long distance highway driving I don't see a major problem.

 

[2EHA]

castrol 0w40 is the best for this task

 

[JavierH19]

I'd try to check their trip computer for the average mph and mpg. If those numbers are high then i wouldn't really worry about it as the rated oil is supposed to do 30k kilometers and if that oil does meet the spec, and they really do highway it i don't think 13-15k mile intervals will cause issues. I'd continue to use whatever spec meeting oil is in there. If something does go south then who cares it's their fault for knowingly going 3-5k over consecutively. Can't possibly fall on you if it comes to it.

Other than that if price really isn't an issue why not use amsoil euro it if you want to keep the certification. Could also use m1 ep 5w-30. Doesn't meet the spec but the 229.5 spec states that an oil can come in 30 and 40 grades and that it's mostly for long oil life and fuel economy. Nothing critical like emissions and lspi from what i can read, only the other mb certifications, unless i missed something. Highly doubt there will be longevity, wear, or emissions issues unless the engine burns oil but you didn't say you or they add oil so i take that it doesn't.

 

[JohnnyG]

I'm a Ravenol guy myself. I like VST and FDS (fds is 5W-30). But $10.00 a liter might be a little hard for some people to swallow.

I order mine from Blauparts, and qualify for discounts on occasion.

 

[JohnnyG]

P.S. I had that same engine in my 2014 MB E350. It loved Pennzoil GTL synthetic Euro 5W-40. (229.5) Changed it once a year, regardless of miles.
Never used a drop between changes, but that seems to be the norm for these MB engines.

 

[KCJeep]

I'm with the others, probably nothing special required if it's all that highway driving. A good quality Euro oil from a major and a UOA for confirmation I'd think you'd be good.

 

[930.engineering]

But $10.00 a liter might be a little hard for some people to swallow.

Hope you tried being sarcastic, Johnny. Hard to imagine someone driving a Mercedes and doing 15K OCIs wouldn't want to spend $10 a liter on oil. That being said, the Critic mentioned "Price is not an issue.".

.

 

[blufeb95]

MB229.5 in EU is 15-20k MILES!

The primary difference being in the US fuel was predominantly high sulfur up until rather recently, although in the US you could still get batches upto 100ppm of sulfur, even though the corporate annual average is supposed to be 10ppm for refiners, although some smaller refineries had exceptions until recently, and still I believe refiners can exceed the 10ppm annual average if you buy credits from other refineries that stay below the threshold, so pretty much in the US, you never know what you're gonna get at the pump.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Hasn't CA had ultra low sulfur gasoline for quite a while now, long before the rest of the country?

 

[edyvw]

The primary difference being in the US fuel was predominantly high sulfur up until rather recently, although in the US you could still get batches upto 100ppm of sulfur, even though the corporate annual average is supposed to be 10ppm for refiners, although some smaller refineries had exceptions until recently, and still I believe refiners can exceed the 10ppm annual average if you buy credits from other refineries that stay below the threshold, so pretty much in the US, you never know what you're gonna get at the pump.

I am aware of all that.

 

[edyvw]

Hasn't CA had ultra low sulfur gasoline for quite a while now, long before the rest of the country?

Yes. They had to import bunch from South Korea too. But, much better quality than rest of the US.

 

[edyvw]

I'd try to check their trip computer for the average mph and mpg. If those numbers are high then i wouldn't really worry about it as the rated oil is supposed to do 30k kilometers and if that oil does meet the spec, and they really do highway it i don't think 13-15k mile intervals will cause issues. I'd continue to use whatever spec meeting oil is in there. If something does go south then who cares it's their fault for knowingly going 3-5k over consecutively. Can't possibly fall on you if it comes to it.

Other than that if price really isn't an issue why not use amsoil euro it if you want to keep the certification. Could also use m1 ep 5w-30. Doesn't meet the spec but the 229.5 spec states that an oil can come in 30 and 40 grades and that it's mostly for long oil life and fuel economy. Nothing critical like emissions and lspi from what i can read, only the other mb certifications, unless i missed something. Highly doubt there will be longevity, wear, or emissions issues unless the engine burns oil but you didn't say you or they add oil so i take that it doesn't.

Except that MB229.5 is not based on grade but HTHS.