Learning how to oil a Mercedes

[YZF150]

I'm going to take delivery in a little while of a new MB Roadster, the SLC 300. It will have a 2.0L inline 4. What I don't know is which oil viscosity is actual or recommended for the vehicle. The owner's manual is surprisingly uninformative as to what oil to put in it, other than that it must meet the 229.5 specification. I do not know what the factory fill is. In fact, they don't even tell me what the engine model/number is, so I'm having trouble researching this.

The 229.5 spec includes many approved oils of various viscosities, but I don't know which to use. Also, if you take a look at the 224.1spec, Viscosity classes of engine oils (car engines), it, too, is ambiguous as to which one to use. As far as what these spec documents say, it could be 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30, 5W-40. I'm savvy enough to know that it's not the case that any would do; if I knew the factory fill, I'd simply copy that.

This is a car that will be driven in Southern California. It will rarely see freezing temps, but it's likely to go to the central valley or the desert areas where the temp might be 35-40°C.

Also, if you're familiar with Mercedes manufacturing and what might be the factory oil, can you tell me if it's a 10K mile oil? Should I go that long, or change it before then? I won't be taking it to a dealer for oil service, so I need to know what to put in it. MB doesn't make it easy. Thanks for your help.

 

[Wolf359]

Just check the spec page for oils that meet 229.5 not all do. Most popular is typically Mobil 1 0w40 or Castrol 0w40. Mobil makes the oil for Mercedes so if you get it from the dealer, it's Mobil oil. It's synthetic oil so the standard change interval is 10k and they do Service A and Service B.

https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.5_en.html

 

[RooflessVW]

If it meets 229.5, it meets 229.5.

If it's on the Mercedes-approved list, it's good to go. Brand and grade are not really a concern. Mobil 1 Formula M is the service fill and possibly the factory fill.

 

[burla]

Originally Posted by YZF150

Also, if you're familiar with Mercedes manufacturing and what might be the factory oil, can you tell me if it's a 10K mile oil? Should I go that long, or change it before then? I won't be taking it to a dealer for oil service, so I need to know what to put in it. MB doesn't make it easy. Thanks for your help.


Never listen to someone who tells you an oil is a 10k mile or not. if you want to find out do a uoa. Just yesterday we had a guy do a 7500 mile run and do a uoa, then he did a 9800 mile run and did a uoa. His Iron wear was 3 ppm per 1k miles the first uoa, but the difference between the uoa's was that the second uoa if you assume the wear for the first 7500 would have been the same, the iron wear for the last 2k miles was 13ppm iron per 1k miles. His wear doubled from a 7500 uoa to a 9800 uoa. Pretty steep price for 2k miles imo. As it turns out, the guy does a lot of city driving and has some fuel in his oil likely due to mds dumping fuel in there when it goes in eco mode in 3rd gear city driving. Whatever happened, his oil was not serving him well for those 2k miles, and it is a mighty fine oil, one of the best known. It could be an oil will go 10k miles no problem, but you wont know unless you do a uoa with TAN/TBN and set the oci at some point after you break in your engine. On a side note, you just spent some good coin on a fancy car, why not make your oci a little more reasonable to be on the safe side? I don't know what is in your sump, some of those mercedes have like 12 qrts in there, in that case I would say likely you can go 10k miles, but that is just a guess. If you have 5-8 qrts in there, I'd consider a lower oci personally.

 

[Wolf359]

The US manuals are here:

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/service_and_parts/owners_manuals

Says it's 6.7 quarts in the US. In the US, standard oil change intervals are 10k US miles. Not sure about the recommendations for the EU.

 

[Stevie]

YZF150 I think that you are going to love that car. I have the previous SLK. I change my oil every 5K and if you look at my oil analysis on mine, the oil viscosity breaks down pretty badly at only 5k using the recommended M1 0W/40 Euro. I wouldn't go over 5K on that engine. On first change I would probably drain at 1 or 2K. ENJOY!!!

 

[Mainia]

M1 0w-40 FS breaks down just looking at it, it's should be on the label. This Mobil 1 0w-40 FS breaks down to a 0-30 in 2,500 miles.

 

[MCompact]

Well, at least one village is missing its idiot.

 

[DS9]

Originally Posted by YZF150
if I knew the factory fill, I'd simply copy that.



Factory fill may not (always) be the best choice for particular climate, driving style, etc.

In USA I`d probably use amsoil europian car formula, it`s on the list, or some of the referenced mobil1, as daimler/mb services almost exclusively use here in Serbia/Europe

 

[Oildudeny]

Amazing just to brag

 

[WyrTwister]

Guessing it is a high dollar car . Trying to save a few $$$ on OCI seems like like shooting yourself in the foot , in the long term .

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by burla
Originally Posted by YZF150

Also, if you're familiar with Mercedes manufacturing and what might be the factory oil, can you tell me if it's a 10K mile oil? Should I go that long, or change it before then? I won't be taking it to a dealer for oil service, so I need to know what to put in it. MB doesn't make it easy. Thanks for your help.


Never listen to someone who tells you an oil is a 10k mile or not. if you want to find out do a uoa. Just yesterday we had a guy do a 7500 mile run and do a uoa, then he did a 9800 mile run and did a uoa. His Iron wear was 3 ppm per 1k miles the first uoa, but the difference between the uoa's was that the second uoa if you assume the wear for the first 7500 would have been the same, the iron wear for the last 2k miles was 13ppm iron per 1k miles. His wear doubled from a 7500 uoa to a 9800 uoa. Pretty steep price for 2k miles imo. As it turns out, the guy does a lot of city driving and has some fuel in his oil likely due to mds dumping fuel in there when it goes in eco mode in 3rd gear city driving. Whatever happened, his oil was not serving him well for those 2k miles, and it is a mighty fine oil, one of the best known. It could be an oil will go 10k miles no problem, but you wont know unless you do a uoa with TAN/TBN and set the oci at some point after you break in your engine. On a side note, you just spent some good coin on a fancy car, why not make your oci a little more reasonable to be on the safe side? I don't know what is in your sump, some of those mercedes have like 12 qrts in there, in that case I would say likely you can go 10k miles, but that is just a guess. If you have 5-8 qrts in there, I'd consider a lower oci personally.



What you posted makes no sense. You did not provide engine, oil type, driving conditions, and you made the error of comparing PPM of iron as an indication when to conduct a OCI.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Mainia
M1 0w-40 FS breaks down just looking at it, it's should be on the label. This Mobil 1 0w-40 FS breaks down to a 0-30 in 2,500 miles.




Hogwash comment of the year.

 

[burla]

It is hog wash, it breaks down to be a 5w30 in 2500 miles. When you use up those vii's you loose the winter rating as well.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted by burla
It is hog wash, it breaks down to be a 5w30 in 2500 miles. When you use up those vii's you loose the winter rating as well.

You and your friend can both kick off and stop posting gibberish.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Factory fill could be Petronas or Fuchs, but so long as whatever oil you are using is on the approval list, it doesn't even matter. The car's going to be used in SoCal, the manual calls for an oil meeting MB Sheet 229.5. Grab some Castrol Edge 0W-40 from your local Walmart and a Fleece filter from Amazon and call it a day. Fuel wise, I would suggest Shell V-Power 93. Look up Gas Buddy for the best price per gallon in your area.

 

[YZF150]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Just check the spec page for oils that meet 229.5 not all do. Most popular is typically Mobil 1 0w40 or Castrol 0w40. Mobil makes the oil for Mercedes so if you get it from the dealer, it's Mobil oil. It's synthetic oil so the standard change interval is 10k and they do Service A and Service B.

https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.5_en.html

Are you saying that any box on that chart that has an "X" in it is a suitable oil? A 0w-30 and a 5w-40 are equally suitable?

 

[YZF150]

Originally Posted by Stevie
YZF150 I think that you are going to love that car. I have the previous SLK. I change my oil every 5K and if you look at my oil analysis on mine, the oil viscosity breaks down pretty badly at only 5k using the recommended M1 0W/40 Euro. I wouldn't go over 5K on that engine. On first change I would probably drain at 1 or 2K. ENJOY!!!

Stevie, re: the bolded text: does the SLK manual specifically spell that out? If not, how else do you know that? That's what my post here is about--which oil viscosity to use just seems kind of vague. There are four different weights spec'd in 229.5.

I've never before owned a car that didn't have a specific recommended oil viscosity printed on the filler cap or in the book!

 

[RooflessVW]

The difference between an M229.5 0W-30 and 5W-40 will be minimal.

Shop the spec.

 

[OilUzer]

Quote
... As far as what these spec documents say, it could be 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30, 5W-40. I'm savvy enough to know that it's not the case that any would do; if I knew the factory fill, I'd simply copy that.

This is a car that will be driven in Southern California. It will rarely see freezing temps, but it's likely to go to the central valley or the desert areas where the temp might be 35-40°C. ...


Based on your above options:

S. CA = no need for 0W

I would use 5Wx30 ... or if you like to split hairs as a member of bitog

then
use 5Wx30 in winter and 5Wx40 in summer!I
2 oil changes maybe enough for you if u don't drive much!