It's more then just meeting specs. It's the way each company formulates the oils and how they hold up in real world conditions like we have here. The quote above is from Molekule and I personally like the way the Mobil, Redline and Schaeffer's formulate. I just think Moly is good for the oils. I think at this point, I've seen enough to know that Mobil 1 is as good or in some cases better then Amsoil. I'm don't think it is better then Redline.
I understand that the MB 229.5 cert is very expensive and the smaller oil companies either can't afford it or feel it's not a good value.
Would the Amsoil Series 3000 5W-30 meet this spec?? just wondering.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is NO WAY this Amsoil 5w40 meets MB 229.5. With the exception of Mobil 1 0w40, EVERY oil that meets 229.5 is a full synthetic 5w30. The only reason Mobil 1 0w40 can meet this spec is that it starts out as mid-to-low 40 wt that is designed to shear down initially into the high 30 wt range. A 5w40 oil like this Amsoil, if it performs like other grades of Amsoil, will simply be too viscous to meet the stringent fuel economy requirements of 229.5.
So would the Series 3000 5W-30 be a bad choice for a modern mercedes benz 2.7Liter I5 Turbodiesel?
Absolutely! I'm continually amazed at the cavalier attitude of paying $30,000+ (and usually considerably more) for a car arguably considered at the pinnacle of current engineering practices and then playing motor oil "spin-the-bottle" even though the manufacturer has undertaken at considerable expense to codify what protects best.
