Gas eng: M1 0W-40 vs. M1 5W-40 Turbo D vs Rot T6

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Greetings,

I have a gasoline Sprinter, ie. Mercedes 3.5L V6. I drive it about 80% highway and it commonly sits for 2-7 days between being driven.

The first 3 oil changes were Rotella. The 4th and last was AMS. These were all low sulfur 229.51 oil because I was taking it to shops that predominately serviced diesel Sprinters. I never liked that it was getting low sulfur oil when it didn't need to be, so this time I'm going to change the oil myself.

I've always understood the HDEO's to have a more rigorous testing standard, so I'd planned to switch to a HDEO spec'd for pre-DPF's engines. (Are there even any these days?)

However, looking at the numbers and price the M1 0W-40 looks like the better oil after all. It has a higher TBN, identical HTHS, but slightly less phos & zn.

My recollection was Zn (or is it moly?) is important for dry starting when all the oil is in the pan. Given the van is driven very intermittently, am I better choosing one of those over the others?

One more question. I drive about 7-8k/year, and the spec'd change interval is for 10k miles or 1 year. I don't want to change oil by the calendar if there isn't really a reason to given my driving style (occasional easy hwy). Is it a problem to go 16-18 months (call it two Portland winters) on the same oil? I'm not taking lots of short trips, so how important is it to change oil every 12 months? Does a high TBN oil solve the calendar problem?

Thank you.

(I've read the T6 thread and am aware of the risks of phos in the cat. I'm OK taking that risk.)
 
Yeah, I'd probably just run full SAPS M1 0w-40 in it. It's actually cheaper than Rotella T6.

If you're not short tripping, 1.5 years might be OK. I guess you could do a UOA once to verify if you're worried.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Yeah, I'd probably just run full SAPS M1 0w-40 in it. It's actually cheaper than Rotella T6.

If you're not short tripping, 1.5 years might be OK. I guess you could do a UOA once to verify if you're worried.


All of this.
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Also,
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to BITOG!
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d

Also,
welcome2.gif
to BITOG!

Thanks! After 12 years, someone finally welcomed me to BITOG.


j/k... welcome to BITOG, folzag!
 
On the following points in particular...
Originally Posted By: folzag
I've always understood the HDEO's to have a more rigorous testing standard, so I'd planned to switch to a HDEO spec'd for pre-DPF's engines. (Are there even any these days?)

However, looking at the numbers and price the M1 0W-40 looks like the better oil after all. It has a higher TBN, identical HTHS, but slightly less phos & zn.

I think it's safe to say Mobil 1 0w-40 has been tested quite rigorously.

No need to worry about the VOA numbers. Look at the list of approvals and check it against what cars require them (Porsche Carrera GT, 911 Turbo, BMW M5, etc.). I'd bet money you won't be worried when you're done.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: d00df00d

Also,
welcome2.gif
to BITOG!

Thanks! After 12 years, someone finally welcomed me to BITOG.


j/k... welcome to BITOG, folzag!


48.gif


Yes, I was welcoming folzag. Should have specified.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Yeah, I'd probably just run full SAPS M1 0w-40 in it. It's actually cheaper than Rotella T6.

If you're not short tripping, 1.5 years might be OK. I guess you could do a UOA once to verify if you're worried.


All of this.
thumbsup2.gif




Ha. That was pretty much what I'd decided, but I wanted to get a 2nd opinion in case there was something important I just wasn't aware of. This is my first visit here. After ~4 hrs I feel I know just enough to be dangerous.
wink.gif


Originally Posted By: d00df00d

Also,
welcome2.gif
to BITOG!


Why, thank you. I hate being the new guy. Certainly helps having a warm welcome.
 
I'll take that bet. The thin oil extremists haven't jumped in yet citing broken oil pumps and localized super-heated oil for running such a heavy oil.

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
I'd bet money you won't be worried when you're done.
 
Hah! Well I don't know who will or won't jump in, but it's certainly true that there's always another way to get worried...

I'm pretty sure this engine specs MB 229.5, which... is not a thin oil spec. Mobil 1 0w-40 isn't the thinnest 229.5-approved oil, but it's far from the thickest AFAIK. I think it's safe to say any insistence on much thinner oil in THIS application can be safely dismissed.
 
You're lucky. The cheapest in this case is also the best: M1 0W40. Meets all the specs, will run a year or 10K easily. Great UOAs in my turbo engine MB.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3383451/Mobil_1_0W40,_9,186_miles,_200#Post3383451

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/2982174/M1_0W40__8,946_mi_Mercedes_V-1#Post2982174
 
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Thanks for those links to your UOA's.

Seems like our driving usage is roughly similar. If anything mine is markedly less stressful on the oil: I don't lead-foot (Sprinter -- what's the point), 0 turbos instead of 2, and half as many cylinders. If it has worked well for you, I'm certain it will work well for me.

Probably the only question still in my mind is time in the sump. I'm currently at 16 months & 11.8k mi, albeit on AMS. I'm going to have a UOA done to see whether I've pushed things too far, but I think I'm OK. In the EU, the 229.5 has a 20k change interval. MB derates it in the US to 10k ostensibly because our fuel isn't as "clean," but cynical types suggest the real reason is dealer economics. Americans won't take their cars in for service unless they have to change the oil. In das mutterland they take their autos in every 12 months, just like the manual tells them to.

BTW, hat-tip on the SL600.
 
16 months and 11,800 miles of intermittent use I think puts you in the range of being able to dump the oil and not have people here scold you for wasting oil. If you have done a high percentage of short trips (less than 20 minutes), that will use up the oil more quickly than if your are doing long highway cruises.
 
Well, p*ss. Seems the Post Office was scared by Blackstone's shipping container and threw it away for being hazardous material. Argh. And I've since recycled the old drain.

Flippin' Post Office. When I handed it to the counter guy I told him it was used motor oil in sealed container, wrapped in an absorbent towel, inside a ziploc plastic bag. No problem he said. [censored]. Now I know to box it up from prying, lazy, ignorant eyes. Better luck next time.

To close the loop on the new oil, I went with the M1 0W40. At $23 for a 5 qt jug, it's too cheap not to. I almost feel sheepish buying it that low. Manager at the local parts store sells the same for $35/jug and claims they don't even make money at that price.
 
Too bad about your oil sample. I took my Polaris sample mailers to my local post office and asked the counter guy if it was OK to ship them, and he said "No problem". The Polaris mailers are just black bottles with screw-on caps that you put the sample bottle inside, and a stick-on address label to Polaris. I got my oil test results a couple of days ago, so the samples got through the system OK.
 
Well, how about that… spoke too soon. I just got the oil report back today. My apologies to the fine workers at the USPO. You said it would get there Aug 28, and by golly Sept 4 is good enough for govt work.


UOA is posted here.
 
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