Jim Banville

Fair enough. If someone were to say they were worried that the oil was not longer cleaning/lubricating/etc. at 8K miles of normal driving in their MB, and the computer wasn't recommending a change until 10K miles, I'd say MB is warrantying (is that a word?) your vehicle and proscribes you stick to the computer's recommendation, therefore don't worry/be happy
If someone was worried that their oil may be low, I'd say check it with the computer (which may or may not be 100% accurate). If the oil is within a qt. of normal, and you aren't getting any low oil warnings and you aren't hearing any valve rattling, don't worry and keep driving until the computer tells you to get the oil changed. I'd hope that car makers figured out a long time ago that the oil pan should hold a good amount of oil over the minimum amount needed to properly clean and lubricate the engine.

DCXdynodog

ROTFLMAO

GTIDAN

Yada, yada, yada...................Go ahead and change your oil whenever you want........it is......after all.......your car.

Back in 1997 when I purchased my VWGTI VR6 the manuel called for oil changes every 10 thousand miles. When I was in Europe the very same car called for oil changes about every 15 thousand miles. Why? So I asked this question when I was touring the factory and the guy said Americans just don't buy new technology and would never go for a change that long. So they didn't waste the time to try and enlighten them...as he put it.

Anyhow I followed the manuel from the gitgo. From the beginning the car used about a quart every 5 thousand miles. 90 thousand miles later when I traded the car in on the benz it was still using about a quart every 5 thousand miles. I figured hey VW gave me a 100,000 mile drivetrain warranty so why worry if they don't. BTW: you could eat off the floor in the engine room. All the parts are pressure washed at least twice before any assembly.

My Dad never believed in oil filters. He said they only put them on so the dealers could make more $$$. So he just changed the oil every 1000 miles no matter what the manuel said.

Old wife tales die hard...........

If you check almost all the 2002/2003 models for there oil change intervals I think you'll find 10000 miles to be the norm. My son's Porsche calls for a change every 15 thousand milles or one year. Whichever comes first....

I followed the break-in instructions to the letter on my new benz and now with about 6000 miles on the clock the oil level still checks full using the dipstick or the dash computer. It seems to have paid off with a nicely broken in motor. I drive the car fast but I don't see how fast I can burn the tread off the tires. Like most I love to hear the supercharger make it's music.

Most of us older farts remember when Mobil 1 first came on the market they claimed you could run it for 25000 miles. It was only after the manufactuers got on them they backed off and now tell you to follow your owner's manuel.

Don't let the guys at JiffyLube con you into believing you have to change your oil every 3000 miles. It's there business to make you do it sooner....

But in the end........it's your car and $$$. Spend it anyway you want.

Just my take on the subject.........

Mike T.

Oil changes every 100 miles would probably be worse than changing it every 1000 miles. Why? Ten times the number of dry starts...

Jim Banville

I think you missed the mark on this one. Whether you change your oil or not, every time your engine is stopped, the oil drains down into the pan. Also, even when you empty the oil pan, your oil pump is still "primed" (filled with oil).

Mike T.

You don't know what a dry start is, do you Jim?

A dry start is where the oil filter is not full upon the engine start.

You're welcome

GTIDAN

MBs use a anti-backflow filter that prevents the oil from draining back into the pan. Thus you don't get a 'dry start' in the truest since of the word. VW and Porsche also use this type of filter and probably many other companies as well...

Mike T.

Bad first edit, try again...

Everybody uses filters that have anti-backflow valves/diaphragms! Everyone has done this for 2-3 decades. That is why a normal engine start is not a dry start.

But when you change the oil (and filter), typically the filter body cannot be completely filled with oil (even if you try to before putting the filter on the engine). So it does not fill until the engine starts and the oil pump fills it. The time between engine starting and the filter body filling and pressurising (=development of adequate oil pressure) is lengthened with a dry start, which normally would only occur immediately after an oil change. Anyone who has changed their own oil knows this.

On most cars with spin-on oil filters, there is a 3-5 second gap between the engine beginning to run and oil pressure building to the normal level, to the point where the pressure warning light goes out and/or the pressure gauge needle rises appreciably.

Of course, in all subsequent starts, the anti-backflow valve or diaphragm in the new oil filter prevents dry starts from happening. Unless the anti-backflow diaphragm fails on the filter, which has happened to me twice on my Peugeot 405. It's easy to tell when this has happened; the oil pressure takes too long to build up after a normal start (say 3-4 seconds).

So with a normal start, oil pressure at the sensor location builds to normal maybe <1 second after the engine begins to run. In the valvetrain it is not quite as fast - most cars' oil pressure sensors are next to or on the oil filter housing.

Hence my comment about excessive oil (and filter) changes leading to additional engine wear. More dry starts = more wear.

Outland

All motors leave the factory with some sort of contamination...on some its just a little dust, on others it can be metal chips, grit, bits of emery cloth, tumbling media, etc. Heck, in some you'll even find missing fasteners Next time youre at a dealer's service bay, ask them what's the wildest thing youve found in the engine...

Ever been in an engine assembly plant? Its not a clean room enviroment.

Not to worry, unless the contamination is in a oiling passageway, getting pumped UP--it can clog small oilways or sprayers. If its anywhere else it will just drip down, get filtered and not be a problem.

GTIDAN

Mike T.
You make some good points. Not sure if the wear you mentioned is worth talking about using modern oils. But I'm sure there is some wear nevertheless.

Outland;
Completely disagree. I've been through the BMW M-works and the VW factory engine rooms. In both cases you could EAT off the floor and the workers wore white overcoats. The place was spotless to say the least. Are you sure your not talking about some FORD or GM plant?

Both MB and BMW engines are assembled by teams and there signature code is on the engine somewhere. Can it be said that a piece of junk can NEVER find it's way into a motor? Of course not. But the norm would be not likely to happen. Just too much $$$ at stake. New engine plants can cost 'billions'....ya with a BIG B.

Be that what it may....if ya feel better changing the oil at 1000/5000 so be it.........it's your cash

viper

Absolutely false. Modern engine plants are very clean. Maybe the Lada or Skoda factory in Europe does not have very refined assembly processes but the cars we own were made in modern factories with high levels of error-proofing during the assembly process.

tonewheel

How'sa bout a friggin reply to the ORIGINAL QUESTION...waaay back on page 1...all of you engine oil experts!!!!

Outland

When you become an engineer, and have done some work in an engine factory come back and say that again. Ive worked in 3, toured many many more for work. There IS CONTAMINATION that gets in.

Its ABSOLUTELY true. The assembly area is often relatively clean, that's just to make the tours look nice. Because each sq ft of a factory has a dollar value, they keep packing the machining centers tighter, and making them closer to the assembly lines to reduce material movement time and cost. Each machining cell has an area where an operator pulls off parts, to blow off, for measurement on a cordax...the spray of loose chips often floats over to finished parts or the guy doesn't get all the material out.

Sometimes its a special cause, maintenance working above a line over a weekend, or in a cell, stuff gets in the parts. Error proofing? You guys are dolts. 'Error proofing' systems like line monitors, process monitors and vision systems are designed to make sure the assemblers put the right parts in, put all the parts in, and make sure the stuff is torqued down right. These systems can't detect chips, flaws, and lost fasteners.

guitarman

I take it that no one has changed their own oil in a 2003 C230K. You all are pontificating on everything under the sun, except about what the OP asked.

Jkw

whitecar2003
I give you credit for finding the Oil Filter, I looked around and couldn't find it, I'll now look in the Back. If you change you own oil & filter let me know how hard it is , I haven't done my first oil change yet. (3,700 miles on the car). Thanks.

As far as the rest of the debate goes, 5,000 miles between oil changes seem like enough for me.
Jkw

czachari

And still no Service A light. So, I checked the oil level and then added some fresh Mobil 1 to top it off. Lo and behold, the Service A in XXXXX miles went higher indicating to me that the computer is actively monitoring the amount and quality of oil and then estimating when the next oil change has to happen. I used to ALWAYS change my oil every 3K but these days with Mobil 1 and better filters there's no need for that...


CZ