I own a 2004 C230 Kompressor ... and its time for an oil change. This is my first oil change after I bought it used from a BMW dealer.

I went by the local Mercedes dealer and purchased the correct oil filter.

I also have six 1-QT of the Mobil-1 5W30 full synthetic oil.

Got a few questions ...
- Is the 5W30 safe for this vehicle in this part of the country? (I live in South Carolina).
- I am planning on getting a local oil-change shop do the work (to save money). Are there any gotchas to the oil change process that they may not be able to figure out? I don't want to be penny wise pound foolish. I cannot do it myself due to other constraints.
- Any other tips?

Thanks !!

First question is: are you due for an A or B service? There are different things to do on each, none of them really rocket science, once you get past the oil & filter change.

I don't have your engine, but I think you'll need more oil than that for a change. Do a search here for discussions of necessary oil grades - I forget what the current approval number is.

Generally, it's easier on Benzes to suck the oil out from the top through the dipstick tube than by going underneath the car and loosening up the drainplug. I'd see if I could find a guy who does it that way - you'll then be safe in knowing that they won't overtorque the drain plug, because they won't be using it.

My biggest piece of advice, if you're not going to do things, is to find a local independent who specializes in Benzes. I have no idea if you're good with working on cars yourself, but one of the biggest things about the A and B services is the check of all belts, hoses, etc., to make sure that they're fine. If you're not totally comfortable with doing that yourself, a local oil change place won't help you with that.

No Clue. Under the hood the vehicle appears to be in mint condition. I have changed the air filters. The hoses look great.

It'll say on the MFD which is due, when you go to look for how long it is until the next required service.

how many miles?

The M271 will need 5.8 quarts of 229.5 approved oil. Discussed millions of times... But yes, car will tell you when it is due.

Make sure that oil is the approved stuff

The Mobil 1 5W30 is not approved on MB Sheet 229.5.

You need an oil that has that number (229.5) on the container.

The only Mobil 1 generally available is 0W40. Other oils will not have the additives necessary for your engine to run the extended oil change.

Find a shop that as a vacuum to suck the oil out from the top. If you cannot find an indie Mercedes shop, head down to a marina. Boaters have been taking it out the top for decades.

Do not let a fast lube shop take the drain plug out. They will keep turning to stop the leak and strip the drain pan. It will leak because you must replace the plug with a new one, and they won't have one.

You only need to change the oil every 13,000 miles. Doing it early has no benefit, just a waste of money.

The place that changes my oil has never replaced the drain plug, only the crush washer, and my car doesn't leak any oil whatsoever @ 128k miles. Maybe ideally having it vacuumed out the top would be best but isn't an absolute must.

The oil being 229.5 spec is, however, a must.

Display says its due for Service B. What does that mean?

The mb site says the following for 229.5 grade ...

url - http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.5_en.html

Mobil 1 0W-40
Mobil 1 Arctic 0W-40
Mobil 1 Formula M 5W-40
Mobil 1 New Life 0W-40
Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel 0W-40
Mobil SHC Formula MB 5W-30
Mobil Super 3000 Formula M 5W-30

Does that mean that certain 5W-30s and 5W-40s will work? I would like to get this at Costco and save some money.

It says don't do a Service A.

Look at Johnand's thread in the sticky section above for your car's service manual in the "Official C-Class Technical Information / FAQ Thread - Testing" thread.

Generally, a Service B is an A plus cabin air filter change, topping off the battery with distilled water, checking a few more things, and most importantly, about an additional $150 if done at a dealership.

Mobil 1 229.5 spec. 0W-40 is on the shelf at Walmart in Houston for about $7/qt. with tax. Why would you use potentially incorrect and potentially damaging oil just to save a buck? Did you not get any of the M-B documents with your vehicle? Fortunately for you, they are available online.
Does Service B for this vehicle not include a brake fluid flush and fill? It does for all current models.
How many total miles do you have on the vehicle? Was the transmission fluid replaced in the transmission AND torque converter at 39,000 miles? If you are approaching 39k miles, you might want to think about the fluid change now. 39k miles should be viewed as a not to exceed figure. More information here...

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...s-60k-kms.html

Good luck.

Wayne

That warning is regarding the 722.9 transmission - his car has the 722.6. Still not a bad idea, but that is not the same transmission nonetheless.

My apologies. Better safe than sorry.

Wayne

Mine is a 6-spd.
Mileage is 74000

Do I do anything with the tranmission?

Also, the dealer recommends that I change the spark plugs. Is that necessary?

The car is in like new condition inside out. And it gives me 32 mpg highway. So I intend to keep it that way.

I will get the 0W-40 oil for it.

Two schools of thought...
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Or...
In the absence of prior service records, several things need to be looked at and pondered:
(EDIT) Brake fluid replacement.
You already mentioned filter changes. That is good.
Brake pads, rotors, belts, hoses and spark plugs inspection. Replace as needed.
If the plugs are original, at 74,000 miles they could be due for replacement.

Wayne

Oh you've got a 6MT.. be happy. I don't know about the fluid change requirements on the 6MT but I do believe it is a lot less of a headache to maintain.

The spark plugs, if they have not been changed, will need to be changed. There is no reason to have the dealer do it.

Thanks!!!

All service intervals are listed in the service manual I mentioned previously.

If you don't have the prior records, assume the worst.

the MB is the easiest car to do your own oil changes, no need to crawl under as the filter housing is on top and other than pulling the filter off the holder no mess or getting dirty; and to drain suck it out of the tube with a oil vac

Buy a 7L Moeller vac pump from West Marine about $60 and a 27mm or 1 1/16" socket with a universal or wobble extension to undo the filter cap (m271 engine only) For M272 motor get a plastic filter remover 'socket' that will fit over the housing and use your ratchet drive

You don't even need the 27mm socket for an oil change. I think I used it once. Now I just grab the "lid" (the circular part, directly below the hexagonal bit) with my bare hands and turn it. Much like opening a jug of antifreeze or whatnot. It's not a super tight fit at all.

For the M271 you need 5.5L of MB229.3 oil. 229.5 is for 2005+ cars, which yours is not. Your oil change interval is 15000km, or 10000 miles. Anything that says 229.5 will also pass 229.3, but not the other way around.

Buy 6L of oil (most dealer sell in boxes of 6 1L bottles ), and use 5.5L for the change. Keep the 0.5L handy in your garage. The M271 burns oil, so when I'm about 10000km in (ie 5000km left), I always get a "Add 1.0L Oil" warning in the dash. At this point I dump in the remaining 0.5L and it tides me over until the service interval. It's actually super convenient.

Boom Vang is right. Changing the oil on a modern MB is super-easy if you have the pump. I use a Mityvac 7400 (some $60 on Amazon). Just make sure the pump obviously has at least 6L tank. Forget going underneath the car, it's oldschool. There is actually a metal tube next to the engine block that is specifically used for oil changes. Stick the pump hose in there, drain the oil, then swap out the filter, and buy yourself something nice with the money you save.

I got the oil changed.

now I need to get the exact oil level. Can someone remind me how to get into dyno mode for the 2004 C230 to get an accurate reading level. I searched the forums and they all talk about putting in dyno mode and starting the car. Wouldn't starting the car lower the oil reading ?

So please tell me precisely how to check the oil level in dyno mode.

Don't start the car, just turn the ignition to the ON position.

Slammer - per resident oil expert, Glyn, Mercedes did update this to say that 229.5 has replaced 229.3 as required.

Figured it out. Thanks !

- Turn to Position 1
- Hit reset 3 times
- Battery Volts are displayed.
- Hit down button to get to Dyno menu. Highlight Dyno.
- Turn key to Pos. 2
- Screen changes to show oil level among other things.
- Go back to prev screen and turn off Dyno
- Remove key from ignition