c4791p

My C320S has just about 5500 miles on it and the FSS display says now about 7500 miles to first service A.

The only MBZ dealer here in LV, NV (who handled my two warranty issues to date) sent a letter recommending an oil change at 5000 mi because of all the desert heat and dust (This is now October and daytime temperatures rarely reach 70F.)

I called my selling dealer (bought in CA because they would chase down the car for me and ship it to my front door, while the LV sales rep was only serious about selling one out of their lot) and his comment was "wouldn't hurt, but of course not under FSS warranty, but why bother? He also said the obvious "it gets a lot hotter in the engine than in any heat outside in LV." He did say that for his new 2004 slk, he just bought a wrench so the oil filter top could be removed safely and easily and every 5K miles he just changes the filter since the synthetic is a long life oil."

Filter costs retail at MBZ $22.05 and the wrench cost me $9 off ebay.

Interestingly enough, the same wrench fits the aluminum oil filter top/cover my 92 SL. I carry it with me in the SL because even though I've used the same place to change it's oil for years, apparently their one and only wrench belonged personally to one of the techs who moved elsewhere. The last time they almost started trying one of those spring loaded clamps.

So that lack of a proper wrench would be my only caution about going to a non-dealer for an oil change. It would be really expensive to replace that plastic oil filter cover/cap which MBZ now provides. And if you want to talk about an oil leak, try driving with a break there while you're trying to get the new cap.

Chuck