New Mercedes Specs?

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So, I have been hearing a lot of weird stuff about changes in Mercedes specs. First, I was told by a tech at a Merc dealership that he received and MB bulletin saying they should only use an oil that meets 229.52 on diesels because of emission system problems using the 229.51 approved oils, specifically Mobil 1 ESP formula M. I cant find a US market oil that meets the 229.52. Then I hear from a oil swap shop owner that he received a bulletin from Merc that he should only use the Mobil 1 0W-40 in Merc Diesels. Anyone got good info, not the boxed answers from Mobil/Castrol/Valvoline websites?
sick.gif
 
Originally Posted By: tig1
Call Mobil tech. 1-800-ask-mobil.


With respect folks, I am looking for answers form someone who actually knows something about the subject. Mobil does not have an answer to the question. I have the ability to locate tech help numbers. I suppose I am looking for info from someone who has actually seen these MB bulletins if indeed they exist.
 
The main difference between 229.51 and 229.52 is that the latter has more stringent requirements when it comes to oxidation. 229.52 oils must also deliver greater fuel economy and must have a lower pour point (-36C minimum).

Having lower oxidation should help with very long OCIs, but it's still not clear to me how a 229.52 oil could help avoid emission systems problems that supposedly 229.51 oil is causing. I have not seen any evidence that 229.51 oil is causing emission system problems in MB diesel engines. After all, MB in the US is now on a fixed 10K mile OCI, which isn't all that long considering the large oil sumps these cars have. I think they run longer OCIs in Europe.

Also, it does not make any sense to run full SAPS oil such as M1 0w-40 in order to help DPF. I would expect it would kill your DPF faster than any low SAPS oil such as those oils meeting MB 229.51 or 229.52 specs.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
I don't have the answer to which you should be using, but the Mobil product that meets 229.52 is Mobil 1 ESP 0w-30.


And esp 0w-30 is not available stateside.
Again, what I am looking for is to find out if there is anything to these reports of MB Bulletins as outlined in my original post. I am not asking for opinions of what should be used or what the spec is.
Has the spec been changed in the US market?
Is the spec change retro active to models which originally had the 229.51?
If you are answering these questions, where is the documentation to support the answer?
 
Has it been changed in US Market? Ask Merc, they should know if they are telling you to use .52

Is the change retro active? Ask Merc, they should know if they are telling you to use .52

What oils stateside meets .52? Merc can tell you if they require it.

Simple.
 
Originally Posted By: sshimp
Has the spec been changed in the US market?
Is the spec change retro active to models which originally had the 229.51?
If you are answering these questions, where is the documentation to support the answer?

What makes you think this board knows more than what MB knows?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: sshimp
Has the spec been changed in the US market?
Is the spec change retro active to models which originally had the 229.51?
If you are answering these questions, where is the documentation to support the answer?

What makes you think this board knows more than what MB knows?


...or Mobil1 etc.
 
Originally Posted By: sshimp
And esp 0w-30 is not available stateside.

The bulletin link was provided just above this post, so that's where to do checking. It's odd that the M1 ESP 0w-30 isn't available down there, considering it's listed on Imperial Oil up here. Oh well, we didn't get M1 AFE 0w-30 until just recently, whereas you guys did.
 
Thank you. This is something like what I was looking for. I still would like to here from anyone who recieved one of the aforementioned bulletins.
If you call 3 MB service departments, you get at least 2 diferent answers.
 
Originally Posted By: sshimp
Thanks to all who have participated, even those who answered the question without reading it first.

This was your original question:
Quote:
Anyone got good info,


Kind of vague, if you ask me. You ask a vague question, you'll get vague answers. Still, I think the members tried to relay anything they knew on the subject. Anything more you'll have to get from MB directly.
 
Originally Posted By: sshimp
So, I have been hearing a lot of weird stuff about changes in Mercedes specs. First, I was told by a tech at a Merc dealership that he received and MB bulletin saying they should only use an oil that meets 229.52 on diesels because of emission system problems using the 229.51 approved oils, specifically Mobil 1 ESP formula M. I cant find a US market oil that meets the 229.52. Then I hear from a oil swap shop owner that he received a bulletin from Merc that he should only use the Mobil 1 0W-40 in Merc Diesels. Anyone got good info, not the boxed answers from Mobil/Castrol/Valvoline websites?
sick.gif




Well, all I can contribute to this is that the MB 229.51 diesel spec is satisfied by mid-SAPS oils, whereas the VW group's diesel oils (for example) are all low-SAPS now (504/507 and Porsche C30).

Just in case you don't know, SAPS is sulphated ash and phosphorus, both of which are normally found in motor oils for various positive reasons but have been found to prematurely clog up DPF's in modern diesels.

So, I don't know this for sure, but maybe the MB 229.52 spec is now strictly a low-SAPS spec??? That is really the info you'd need to find out from someone, because that would give you a possible answer or direction to go in.

However, if you want to take some preventative action right now but still be totally compliant with MB specifications, you can use Mobil 1 ESP 5W30. It is a low-SAPS oil, but it is still approved to MB 229.51 spec that your car required when it was purchased.

The oil that the dealers currently use (M1 ESP Formula M 5W40) is also 229.51 approved, but it has a mid-SAPS level of additive.

Hope that helps a bit.
 
Originally Posted By: il_signore97
So, I don't know this for sure, but maybe the MB 229.52 spec is now strictly a low-SAPS spec???

Nope. Both 229.51 and 229.52 have the same sulphated ash limit (0.8 max). The only differences are those that I mentioned in my earlier response.
 
^Interesting... So there should be no emissions system advantage to either spec then...

Thanks.

But of course, the OP is still free to use a low-SAPS oil (like M1 ESP 5W30) that also happens to be approved to MB 229.51 standards if he really wanted to take precaution for the DPF.
 
Originally Posted By: sshimp
If you call 3 MB service departments, you get at least 2 diferent answers.

The MB site can be a bit tricky to navigate, but if you go from the actual lubricant sheet page in question to the home page here, they have the sheets that list which spec goes with which engine. Given that it's a site from MB, that's about as straight from the horse's mouth as you're going to get.
 
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