Losing Faith...

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Originally Posted By: Mauro
The OP simply needs to sit down with his girlfriend and introduce her to the Owner's Manual and show her where all the relevant maintenance information can be found. That way in the future, she can make a much more informed decision on her own and not depend on some minimum wage clerk. If that is too difficult, tell her to go to the Mercedez parts counter and ask them.


Alternately, call MB roadside assist.
 
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
At Advance, they've started actively discouraging us from giving any kind of advice to anyone. Liability, presumably. The only thing we're supposed to say is "You need to take it to a shop and get it looked at."


That is funny because my local Advance has no problem scanning a check engine light and giving you a print out of possible parts to shotgun at it.
 
Originally Posted By: ryanschillinger
You're losing faith in oil recommendations from a parts store, but not your girlfriend's lack of knowledge in such an expensive vehicle she was given? Maybe she should be driving a corolla or something. Nobody behind the counter of that store drives a g wagen. They probably make 50 cents over minimum wage and work hard. If her parents can afford to give her that car, then she should spring for dealer maintenance if she doesn't know anything about it. I always thought it was funny when I worked at a tire shop when I was younger and people would bring very new Benz and bmw and stuff for the $11 oil change. Honestly, what does the oil cap say? If you can't figure out the spec, how could they? Is 5w30 really that bad as a top off? I don't think so... My opinion.

There are several issues in your post.
1. Even if workers in store make 50c more then minimum wage, company should make sure they educate them about certain basics. In the end company should make sure that f.... computer says a right thing. I am not software guy, but I do not think it is very hard to develop software that will spell out MB 229.5 once you enter Mercedes G 550.
2. Your argument that someone who works in tire shop where they change oils too, should not know about what goes in Benz or BMW seems like business where the first order of the day is: let's figure out how to rip off customers. I have no problems seeing those business going down. If they cannot figure out oil, how they going to figure out torque on my wheels? etc?
 
That's the problem; they just don't. Some people take great pride in their work, whether they're making minimum or in the top 1%. If I were selling oil, I'd be darned sure people are getting specified stuff. But, that would apply to most of us OCD BITOGers.
 
Originally Posted By: gallydif
No need to 'sound like a ****' but I would go ahead and ask about it. I'm thinking that's what the computer said and the guy followed it like a robot. But com'n really?! A cheap conventional oil in a german luxury car.


While the cheap conventional would have probably worked, I would not put it in ANY car, let alone a German luxury car.

Walmart sells M1 0W-40 European Car Formula.

I just looked and even cheap O'Reilly conventional oil is $3.99 a quart in my area.

Make sure in the future that she tells you her oil is low.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I'm just the opposite. Girls that can turn their own wrenches are HOT!
smile.gif



Cute girls in auto parts stores in general are HOT.
 
Originally Posted By: ccap41
Originally Posted By: Mauro
The OP simply needs to sit down with his girlfriend and introduce her to the Owner's Manual and show her where all the relevant maintenance information can be found. That way in the future, she can make a much more informed decision on her own and not depend on some minimum wage clerk. If that is too difficult, tell her to go to the Mercedez parts counter and ask them.


I'm not trying to be a ****, but if you can find it in here let me know. This is identical to what I saw in her manual.

G500 Owner's Manual


Wow that's a [censored] manual! It does refer to the Factory Approved Service Products Pamphlet (USA) for specs. Anyway a trip to the dealer would have solved it also. [censored] Germans!
 
Your girl did great imo. She saw her car was low on oil,and went to an auto parts store to buy some oil. It's not her fault the counter guy gave her the wrong stuff. I'm sure since she was at an auto parts store,she figured they'd know their job and give her what she needed. Most chicks would've ignored the low oil warning until the engine went boom!

She did good:) Be sure and let her know,and make her feel appreciated.
 
What are you talking about? I didn't say tire shops do or don't know about what oil to run in those cars. I said I thought it was funny people would bring a very expensive new car like Benz or BMWs in for an $11 oil change. They got 10w30 bulk oil, just like everything else. I think it was formula shell. Car might recommend synthetic 5w30 but that wasn't $11 so a lot of people insisted on the cheap oil change... There are torque charts for lug nuts. Doesn't mean they follow them.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
At Advance, they've started actively discouraging us from giving any kind of advice to anyone. Liability, presumably. The only thing we're supposed to say is "You need to take it to a shop and get it looked at."


That is funny because my local Advance has no problem scanning a check engine light and giving you a print out of possible parts to shotgun at it.


Our local places won't do it any more either. They "misdiagnosed"(I heard the correct story from one of the managers) and the person took the suggestion to heart and spend all sorts of money following a problem and essentially sued them. So now they will give you the scanner and tell you how to do it but that is about all they will do now.
 
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Originally Posted By: Mauro
Originally Posted By: ccap41
Originally Posted By: Mauro
The OP simply needs to sit down with his girlfriend and introduce her to the Owner's Manual and show her where all the relevant maintenance information can be found. That way in the future, she can make a much more informed decision on her own and not depend on some minimum wage clerk. If that is too difficult, tell her to go to the Mercedez parts counter and ask them.


I'm not trying to be a ****, but if you can find it in here let me know. This is identical to what I saw in her manual.

G500 Owner's Manual


Wow that's a [censored] manual! It does refer to the Factory Approved Service Products Pamphlet (USA) for specs. Anyway a trip to the dealer would have solved it also. [censored] Germans!


RIGHT?!?! I'm glad I'm not alone in looking through that manual and finding jack.
 
Originally Posted By: stchman
Originally Posted By: gallydif
No need to 'sound like a ****' but I would go ahead and ask about it. I'm thinking that's what the computer said and the guy followed it like a robot. But com'n really?! A cheap conventional oil in a german luxury car.


While the cheap conventional would have probably worked, I would not put it in ANY car, let alone a German luxury car.

Walmart sells M1 0W-40 European Car Formula.

I just looked and even cheap O'Reilly conventional oil is $3.99 a quart in my area.

Make sure in the future that she tells you her oil is low.


Agreed.

The worst/most annoying part is when I went to their website, typed in the vehicle info, the correct specs of oil came up! Yeah, I just ran to walmart and picked up a quart of M1 0-40.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
That's the problem; they just don't. Some people take great pride in their work, whether they're making minimum or in the top 1%. If I were selling oil, I'd be darned sure people are getting specified stuff. But, that would apply to most of us OCD BITOGers.


I agree. It could be just ignorance though, and the system might only say the grade of oil with no specs.

Another things is with Mercedes and BMW a lot of the times tire shops and parts stores don't usually deal with them and sometimes people working there seem to be clueless about them.

According to BMW you can top off with non-approved oil as long as it's synthetic. I don't think it would hurt anything in a MB either.
 
She did well...sounds like the guy either

A- figured she wouldn't buy/need the synthetic for whatever reason

B- using the "all purpose" 5w30 (covers it all)
 
Originally Posted By: aircooled
Let it go.



^^THIS^^ Life is short enough as it is. One quart will make no difference at all. IMHO
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
You're expecting too much from an O'Reily's employee / and your girlfriend should've known better.

You're expecting too much from a female driver/owner.

A typical female driver/owner only knows how to fill gas tank. Most of them don't even know how to open the hood, not talking about oil and any other fluid.

She was lucky that she didn't get advice and bought about Lucas oil stabilizer.
 
My rule of thumb: If an engine is using a lot of oil, use conventional oil to make up for the loss and don't waste money. There is no need to insist on synthetic oil in an engine that has gone through its useful life.

It sounds like 10W-40 conventional is what should be put in this engine.
 
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