session

my service rep said 5.8 qts, but i wanted to confirm this. i'd rather buy my own oil and bring it in for the change (a non-scheduled change) than pay $5 per quart like MB charges.

also, i should just buy mobil 1 synthetic with supersyn, correct? sorry to be so naive... what viscosity should i buy?

price club (costco) has 6 qts for $20 i believe...

TimmyC230boy

are your services like that not included with the car? I get free tire rotation, balancing, oil change, everything. But I have always liked 20w-50 oil myself. Mobile 1 synthetic always.

session

nope, the only services included with my car are the scheduled maintenances... service A, B, etc. i don't feel comfortable waiting til ~10k (service A) miles to get my first change done. plus, there are some other issues with the car (faulty spring in drivers seat, pops/rattles) that i want to get checked out.

you get all that services includes with your car? was this a dealer special or something?

Lynn

Many people like Mobil1 0W-40, but it is hard to find. In most locations, it is only available from the Mobil distributor. 5W-50 will work fine. In your folder, along with the operator's manual, is a booklet entitled "Factory Approved Service Products". Any of the oils listed in there will be suitable. There is also a chart showing which grades are acceptable for your climate.

On page 377 of the operator's manual it gives the oil capacity as 7.4 quarts including the oil in the filter. On the other hand, when I did an early oil change, I was charged for 6 quarts. I checked the dip stick and it read full.

Buellwinkle

I don't get it, you'll take the time and energy to go to Costco to save under $10 on a brand new Mercedes that you want to ignore the maintenance schedule on and march to your own drummer. I drive my car harder than many and have the performance mods and track time to prove it. When I checked the oil at 9,500 miles just before Service A it looked clean and fairly clear with no evidence of grit or burned smell. It looked better than the oil in my wife's Honda after 3,500 miles. Also, my dealer only charges $39 (including the oil and filter) and I still won't do it early.

SoCal240/6

Here's an oil analysis result from someone posting on a different site. For what its worth.

______________________________________

"I decided to get out of the realm of speculation about oil change intervals on my 2001 530i. (I'm an engineer and like real data!) To do this, I sent a sample of motor oil to Oil Analyzers, Inc., a company that does testing of the oil to check on physical properties, oil degradation, and metals content (a specific test for wear rates of engine components and a powerful way to predict failure).

The idea is to analyze the oil at intervals so a picture builds up of how the oil degrades over time. You can watch how the viscosity changes, how water and/or fuel builds up, how much the oil degrades due to oxidation, nitration, and solids buildup. Then, of course, you can track the wear rates of the engine components

My first oil change was at 5500 miles. The results were consistent with the break-in of a new engine, i.e. iron, aluminum, and silicon were higher than "normal". Oil properties were all within normal range. By the way, I do not hot-rod my car. I want to keep it for a long time, so I treat it well, altho I don't baby it.

I did my second oil change when the service light came on at 14,900 miles, almost twice the miles on the oil at 9300 miles. The wear rates of iron, aluminum and silicon reduced by almost half, despite the larger mileage. This was evidence that breakin was complete (no surprise!) The real story for me was the change in the physical properties of the oil. The viscosity no longer matched the "30w" specification of the 5-30w grade oil. It was between 30-40w. Also the oxidation was about 60% higher, and the nitration was over 100% higher. NItration causes sludge and varnish formation.

What I conclude from all this is that 10k miles is too long an oil change interval. I'd be at risk from increased varnish and sludge formation. Somewhere between 5-10k is right, so I'm going to error on the conservative side and shoot for 5k miles between changes.

For me, this data takes the discussion of oil change intervals out of personal opinion and popular mythology. That's what I like."
_____________________________________________

session

exactly... the entire reason i'm changing my oil early is BECAUSE i spent the money and bought a nice mercedes. if i can save a few bucks for the same product then of course i'm going to do it, but it's not like i'm trying to cut corners. i'm still putting high end oil in my car and changing the oil early will do nothing but help my engine.

9000+ miles before the first oil change seems like such a long time, especially after break-in. if i get a ton of responses saying i'm idiotic for doing this (i don't have it scheduled til next monday anyway), then maybe i'll reconsider... but until then i'm changing it.

tommy

Well if you're going to use a sample size of ONE for a car that's not the same model as your own as your support for doing your oil change, then feel free to do what you have to. Sounds like flimsy evidence at best. Of course, I haven't heard of any scientific study of oil change frequency to support either side, so if it lets you sleep better at night, then it'll be worth the funds.

I'd still side with MB for what time/mileage is best, as I'm sure that they don't want to replace engines and/or have their engine reliability records damaged.

revstriker

It's your car, go ahead and change the oil if it makes you feel better. Just because you spend 30k on a car does not mean that you should not care about money. If you can save a few bucks by getting the oil at Costco, I say go for it!

I will personally wait until the scheduled service, not to save money, but because I believe that MB knows what they are talking about when they designed the sevice intervals. But I am proabably only keeping my car for 4 years tops, so it will be under warranty the entire time I own it.

session

i wasn't basing my decision on the one article that the bimmer owner posted... like i'd listen to bimmer owners anyway

and actually, i've changed my mind. i called 800-for-merc and asked them what they thought... they said that given the amount of testing the C230K's engine has gone through, the oil change intervals wouldn't be vastly incorrect and would surely incorporate break-in time into the equation. i suppose i'm just stuck in the old way of doing things, and i was raised on 3k/3months. 9000+ seems SO LONG after break-in! call me paranoid, but i just didn't want to ruin my car's engine as i plan on keeping it for a long long time (it's too much fun to sell). luckily, the MBUSA tech talked some sense into me and will save me $90 (and the trip to costco :p)

the opinions on here only help, on both sides of the issue. that's what the forum is here for right?

Jcapp3078

Foremost, I would like to say everything herein is my opinion, and it is not based on any scientific testing whatsoever. I believe one of the cheapest and easiest things to do to care for you car is to change the oil. One of my oldest and dearest friends got me into synthetic oils back in the late '80's. My first car that I started using this oil in was my new '92 Ford Thunderbird. After purchasing the car, I changed the oil out at 1,000 miles with Mobil 1 10w-30. I still have that car as it is my daily driver--I am a school teacher in an urban district; therefore damage from angry students is always a concern. Nevertheless, the car now has over 120,000 miles. I've done my best over the last ten years to change the oil every six thousand miles. However, sometimes that 6,000 has easily become 10,000. Needless to say, the car has never been in the shop for any kind of engine work. Additionally, the same friend that turned me onto synthetic oil has a '92 Thunderbird SC with over 165,000 miles. He too uses Mobil 1. In short, having an American car with these odometer numbers is something I awe. I never thought I would reach 100,000 miles on a Ford (fix or repair daily).
Specifically dealing with my new Mercedes, I am not going to sacrifice when it comes to oil changes. The first thing I did when I picked up my car was order a Topsider. Once I hit 800 miles, I changed the oil out with Valvoline 5w-40. I now have 4200 miles on the car, and I plan on changing the oil again within the next 1500 miles. I drive the car hard. Quite frankly, every car I ever had I drove hard. I've been through Skip Barber, and I love to push whatever it may be. I agree with some of you about Mercedes and their oil change intervals. I am sure they know a hell of a lot more then I when it comes to engines. However, that does not mean I cannot due what I have always done. The way I drive, I feel 10,000 miles is just to long. Foremost, the Benz is not my daily driver, so it sits more than it is driven. Secondly, I feel that changing the oil in between the FSS interval is nothing more than a preventive RX. I purchase the Valvoline at Napa for 24.00 for a six pack, the filters from Mercedesshop.com for $7.00. With the Topsider I am done changing the oil in about 30 minutes. Is all of this going to make a difference? I have no idea. Does it make me feel better--you bet. I view the oil change question like this--it can't hurt, and it makes me feel better.
For those of you wondering why I am using the Valvoline 5w-40 instead of the Mobil 1 0w-40 is simply because I can get the Valvoline. I phoned several Benz shops, and I was told the same by all--they do not sell quarts. I will continue to do this until the car dies. Oh! as far as some of you using xw-30, I was told by both Mercedes and Mobil t hat the most important aspect with the C230 is meeting that 40 number. I was explicitly told that the 40 number was of utmost importance. That is why the Mobil 15w-50 is the other option from Mobil because it meets that requirment. I prefer not to use such a heavy oil. To me and my laymens understanding, I don't understand how that thick of an oil can pass sufficiently through oil passages that were designed for 0w-40.
In conclusion, as I stated this is all opinion, but having a Ford with over 120,000 is pretty good evidence to me that I am doing something right. Cars are not cheap, repairs coveredd or not are a pain in the butt. Therefore, if I think something is going to help me get the most out of my vehicle, I am going to do it. With today's technology in engine design, there is no reason cars should not see 200,000 miles. That is the number I am waiting to hit on my T-bird, and I hope to exceed that with my Mercedes. The bottom line, do whatever makes you feel good. I found out one thing when it comes to oil changes, and that my friend is there are more opinions on the topic than there are ways of making tomato sauce. As long as it taste good, I don't care how it was made, and being and Italian, I have yet to meet two people that have the same recipe. Oh! as far as the Topsider, it is probably the easiest oil change I have ever done. Not a drop of oil on the pavement or my hands. I probalbly could change the oil in dress clothes and not get dirty. Good luck to all with whatever you drive. I hope my .14 made sense to you. Love all of you guys and girls. This forum is worth my cable modem bill in of it self.

jscavo

just hit 1000 miles. thinking about first oil change. using the correct Mobil oil but what about filter? does it have to be MB? or a good aftermarket OK?

session

you see, now THIS is cutting corners (assuming you're trying to save a few bucks on the filter). just buy the MB one; it may be more money but you'll know you're using the right thing.

ps - what's a topsider? is it the same as www.liquivac.com ?

hrh

Actually, the subject line asks how much oil the COUPE (not the engine) holds. . .And my answer is "depends on whether the windows are opened or closed." :p

Sorry, bit by sarcasm bug this afternoon!!

Jcapp3078

Session:
Ther Topsider is the same as the www.liquivac.com in purpose. However the Topsider is metal. I got mine from www.overtons.com. They are a boating supply company. I paid around 40 for it. It works great and the durable body will hold up better with the way I care for stuff like that.