What a fantastic resource this site is! I’ve been reading a lot, but am still not clear on what would be an excellent choice for my application and circumstances… other than a generalized “as long as it meets the specs”.
I’ve used Mobil-1 for many years, but decided to look at others too. I’d love to get your recommendations for a widely available oil which meets Mercedes 229.3 or 229.5 specs. It is for use in several early 2000’s Mercedes cars with the M112 and M113 engines, all of which have anywhere from 174,000 to 243,000 miles on them. (Three 3.2 liter V6’s plus a normally aspirated AMG 5.4 liter V8.) Despite the high mileage, none of the engines display any signs of significant oil burning.
Driving conditions are winter temperatures as low as the mid 30’s, (Fahrenheit) and oftentimes reaching 110+ during summers. Maybe 25% of the miles are short (less than 10 mile) trips, and the remainder are highway trips of 25+ miles, allowing for moisture to be burned off. Cars may sit for several weeks unused. Due to fairly low mileage accumulating on any one car, OCI’s are based on time, not mileage. (Does having the highest possible TBN benefit this scenario?) My driving style is best described as “spirited”, although I allow time for fluid temps to fully rise before doing anything that requires a passenger’s mouth to be duct taped.
I would love your opinions! Last year, I switched two of the E320’s to 0w-40 Castrol Edge because (unless I am mistaken) it is made with a group IV base stock, whereas the 5w-40 is group III. (Is that still true???) Call me a dinosaur, but I think I’d be more comfortable with a 5w-40 oil. It seems like the 0w oil is quicker to bleed down from the timing chain tensioners, as there seems to be a little more chain rattle for the first 2-3 seconds during a cold start.
So what will provide the most long term wear resistance possible, and allow for long drain intervals with relatively low accumulated mileage between changes? I’m stumped on what to choose. Maybe something that still has a dash of ZDDP? High calcium? These cars don’t require low SAPS / modern emissions compliance oils... and whatever detriments (if any) those type oils may have in comparison to earlier spec oils. But are those still better candidates due to helping the catalytic converters last longer?
Thank you in advance for any & all recommendations!
I’ve used Mobil-1 for many years, but decided to look at others too. I’d love to get your recommendations for a widely available oil which meets Mercedes 229.3 or 229.5 specs. It is for use in several early 2000’s Mercedes cars with the M112 and M113 engines, all of which have anywhere from 174,000 to 243,000 miles on them. (Three 3.2 liter V6’s plus a normally aspirated AMG 5.4 liter V8.) Despite the high mileage, none of the engines display any signs of significant oil burning.
Driving conditions are winter temperatures as low as the mid 30’s, (Fahrenheit) and oftentimes reaching 110+ during summers. Maybe 25% of the miles are short (less than 10 mile) trips, and the remainder are highway trips of 25+ miles, allowing for moisture to be burned off. Cars may sit for several weeks unused. Due to fairly low mileage accumulating on any one car, OCI’s are based on time, not mileage. (Does having the highest possible TBN benefit this scenario?) My driving style is best described as “spirited”, although I allow time for fluid temps to fully rise before doing anything that requires a passenger’s mouth to be duct taped.
I would love your opinions! Last year, I switched two of the E320’s to 0w-40 Castrol Edge because (unless I am mistaken) it is made with a group IV base stock, whereas the 5w-40 is group III. (Is that still true???) Call me a dinosaur, but I think I’d be more comfortable with a 5w-40 oil. It seems like the 0w oil is quicker to bleed down from the timing chain tensioners, as there seems to be a little more chain rattle for the first 2-3 seconds during a cold start.
So what will provide the most long term wear resistance possible, and allow for long drain intervals with relatively low accumulated mileage between changes? I’m stumped on what to choose. Maybe something that still has a dash of ZDDP? High calcium? These cars don’t require low SAPS / modern emissions compliance oils... and whatever detriments (if any) those type oils may have in comparison to earlier spec oils. But are those still better candidates due to helping the catalytic converters last longer?
Thank you in advance for any & all recommendations!