Quick Oil Question!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 26
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From: Lewisville, NC
'03 C230k
Quick Oil Question!
Hey everyone,
I've got a quick question regarding my 03 C230K's M271.
I traded my 01 Jeep Cherokee for this car a few months ago so bare with me for my lack of basic knowledge as far as MB's go.
I purchased the car from an indy, it has 140~k miles under it's belt. He told me that he has been filling it with 20w-50 synthetic, this sounded very unusual to me but I didn't know the factory spec at the time so I just went along with it. Now that I've had the time to get to know it a little bit and research what I can about it, I now know that it wants 0w-40 synthetic 229.5 (still not clear on that number's meaning).
My questions are, why in the world has he been putting 20w-50 in it!? And would I be wrong to want to change it back to the correct 0w-40 as soon as possible, especially with winter approaching?
I called my local dealer
and they didn't seem too concerned about it, but I didnt even come close to running that much of a different viscosity in my Jeep's glorified tractor motor.
Thanks in advance for your patience, I'm sure this has been covered before but I wasn't able to find any relevant threads on it.
I've got a quick question regarding my 03 C230K's M271.
I traded my 01 Jeep Cherokee for this car a few months ago so bare with me for my lack of basic knowledge as far as MB's go.
I purchased the car from an indy, it has 140~k miles under it's belt. He told me that he has been filling it with 20w-50 synthetic, this sounded very unusual to me but I didn't know the factory spec at the time so I just went along with it. Now that I've had the time to get to know it a little bit and research what I can about it, I now know that it wants 0w-40 synthetic 229.5 (still not clear on that number's meaning).
My questions are, why in the world has he been putting 20w-50 in it!? And would I be wrong to want to change it back to the correct 0w-40 as soon as possible, especially with winter approaching?
I called my local dealer
and they didn't seem too concerned about it, but I didnt even come close to running that much of a different viscosity in my Jeep's glorified tractor motor.Thanks in advance for your patience, I'm sure this has been covered before but I wasn't able to find any relevant threads on it.
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Raleigh, NC
2005 C230K, 2019 Honda CR-V, '74 Lotus Europa
This really is a question for Glyn, but I suspect that it wouldn't hurt to start using the correct oil like Mobil 1 0W-40, but there are several other brands and weights of MB approved engine oil (none are 20W-50.).
For example:
Penzoil European Formula Ultra 5W-30
Quaker State European Formula Ultra 5W-40
Castrol Syntec 5W-40
Kendall GT-1 Full Synthetic 5W-40
Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 or 5W-40
Valvoline SynPower MXL 0W30
These are probably easily found. There are others but I couldn't get copy/paste to work on the PDF I had.
For example:
Penzoil European Formula Ultra 5W-30
Quaker State European Formula Ultra 5W-40
Castrol Syntec 5W-40
Kendall GT-1 Full Synthetic 5W-40
Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 or 5W-40
Valvoline SynPower MXL 0W30
These are probably easily found. There are others but I couldn't get copy/paste to work on the PDF I had.
Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,295
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From: VA
THE C350
I would head to your local WalMart tomorrow and see if you can get the 5quart bottles of 0w-40 European formula. Its usually the cheapest way to buy it and has been at every walmart I have ever looked at on the east coast.
Also pick up a mann or good quality filter and get that oil out of the car this weekend.
Do you have any maintenance history on the car?
Also pick up a mann or good quality filter and get that oil out of the car this weekend.
Do you have any maintenance history on the car?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: Lewisville, NC
'03 C230k
Thanks for the reply,
I'm still a little confused on the whole "approved oils" thing. That isn't implying I can use any of those weights as long as its one of the approved brands/formulations is it? I was under the impression that you should always use the weight it specifies and pick one of that weight from that list? If that made any sense.
I'm still a little confused on the whole "approved oils" thing. That isn't implying I can use any of those weights as long as its one of the approved brands/formulations is it? I was under the impression that you should always use the weight it specifies and pick one of that weight from that list? If that made any sense.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: Lewisville, NC
'03 C230k
I would head to your local WalMart tomorrow and see if you can get the 5quart bottles of 0w-40 European formula. Its usually the cheapest way to buy it and has been at every walmart I have ever looked at on the east coast.
Also pick up a mann or good quality filter and get that oil out of the car this weekend.
Do you have any maintenance history on the car?
Also pick up a mann or good quality filter and get that oil out of the car this weekend.
Do you have any maintenance history on the car?
I'm going to drain it as soon as possible for sure, but can you think of any reason why he would have used 20w-50 specifically? Unless I'm about to find out that it burns thin oil insanely fast, I can't think of any other reason.
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: VA
THE C350
You really just have to pick what you can find approved to the 229.5 specification. Make sure it says approved and not meets 229.5 as meets just means that they think to whatever degree that it is good enough but has not been backed by MB testing. In the USA the easiest one to find in a pinch if your down a quart is the Mobil one 0w-40 European that is why most on here use it. The Penzoil European Formula Ultra 5W-30 in my experience at least is probably second easiest to find and if you can find it local great but on road trips up and down the east coast that I have done I have had issues finding it.
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,295
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From: VA
THE C350
I don't have any history on it at all other than that it lived in my town until I bought it three owners later.
I'm going to drain it as soon as possible for sure, but can you think of any reason why he would have used 20w-50 specifically? Unless I'm about to find out that it burns thin oil insanely fast, I can't think of any other reason.
I'm going to drain it as soon as possible for sure, but can you think of any reason why he would have used 20w-50 specifically? Unless I'm about to find out that it burns thin oil insanely fast, I can't think of any other reason.
The reason I ask about maintenance history is that the timing chain on the m271 likes to eat timing chains anywhere from 75k on and is recommend to be changed. If you hear any noise at startup get it done ASAP. You can find videos on here of what it sounds like so be on the look out.
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Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,295
Likes: 22
From: VA
THE C350
Yep just to be clear buy this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-0W...Quart/23636902
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 26
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From: Lewisville, NC
'03 C230k
Yep just to be clear buy this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-0W...Quart/23636902
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 26
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From: Lewisville, NC
'03 C230k
Could be to try to fix something but probably just what the shop had and most places don't know any better or think they know better then MB lol
The reason I ask about maintenance history is that the timing chain on the m271 likes to eat timing chains anywhere from 75k on and is recommend to be changed. If you hear any noise at startup get it done ASAP. You can find videos on here of what it sounds like so be on the look out.
The reason I ask about maintenance history is that the timing chain on the m271 likes to eat timing chains anywhere from 75k on and is recommend to be changed. If you hear any noise at startup get it done ASAP. You can find videos on here of what it sounds like so be on the look out.
I'm all for DIY, but I don't trust myself with timing.. Do you have a rough estimate on what it should cost, parts and labor?
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Yep! 20W-50 is not appropriate. Only use products & viscosities from the 229.5 (and NOT 229.51) approved list.
