Carsy

You have an attitude problem. Someone take your toys away when a child ?

encoder

Maybe in your country MB's are everywhere, sold a dime a dozen and are used as taxi's. But MB chose to position themselves as a luxury brand in the US. Their cars are priced considerably higher than your avg domestic. They have spent a lot of money cultivating this brand cachet.

They reap what they sow. You are told this is a machine of higher refinement and quality and that, as an owner, you are part of the elite.

There's nothing wrong with that, and there is nothing wrong with expecting them to back that up with deeds.

sknight

lolololol

encoder

Scathing and witty response. I cower in fear from what will drop next from your keyboard.

sknight

It might be composed of letters. Just watch out.

jmayn

Just got the car back. It's running great! Couldn't be happier! Thank you everyone for your expertise and opinions.

Now time to put some wheels and tint on this bad boy!

Glyn M Ruck

Good new! Go and enjoy.

Acapulco Bill

Remember take it easy first 300 miles and one cannot recommend more strongly an engine oil change at 1000 miles.

Mikey52

Do the dealers recommend this? I just picked up a 2011 C300 on a lease and they never mentioned this to me.

earlybird

The service booklet (in Canada) shows the first scheduled service requirement at 20,000 kms. Also, your car will let you know via a reminder message, when it is time for the next service.

So far, my car has been serviced at 20,000, 40,000 and 60,000 kms.

Mikey52

That's what I thought. I was surprised to read that post above about an earlier oil change.

Thanks

Acapulco Bill

What happened to jmayn is proof that new engines create lots of junk. In his case either a ring fractured or a piston had a defect, in any case it left his engile full of filings scraped from a damaged cylinder wall.
If you arent keeping the car or leasing it, I guess the $180 saved could be worth it.
BUT if you are keeping your vehicle, the two recommendations of driving the car modestly for the first 300 miles (again jmayn's engine started failing at 325 miles) and change the oil at 1000.
I remember reading the same MB Service Manual recommendation for the AMG C63/E63 about not stressing the engine for the first hundreds of miles. Then an early MANDATORY oil change, (trans and diff change also VERY early) and if AMG recommends it for a carefully hand built and factory tested engine, then imagine the risk of NOT changing your oil at 1000 miles on a production line C300/350.
So if you plan to keep the W204 a while, take 300 miles easy and change oil at 1000 miles once. Its worth the $180 to me.

Carsy

I agree. I did likewise.

sknight

The "drive easy" part has been something of a misrepresentation because many people can't understand the mechanics and the interaction between the combustion chambers and the crankcase.

Sure, driving easy is one part, but what is actually recommended by engine builders is inducing conditions of high intake vacuum, which will eventually promote the upward movement of oil from the crankcase, through the rings and into the combustion chamber, thus lubing the walls where the pistons slide. This means one should try coasting and alternating between adding gas in a controlled manner and then letting off the throttle to induce a high vacuum. It may cause more oil consumption during the initial break in (provided the engine isn't dry run from the factory and delivered broken in), but will contribute to longevity. However, I've rebuilt many engines, and whether it makes a difference or not is somewhat debatable. Perhaps at the end of an engine's life, it can give many more years, but it's not certain.

Also, every engine builder for OEM (not all engines are built by the company and the subcontractors have different procedures) have different recommendations, different oils, etc. Sometimes there is a specific oil used for the break in, sometimes a break in oil, sometimes nothing more than standard oil. It's best to check for sure for that particular engine, not for the manufacturer as a blanket.

As a rule, for break in, I do change oil earlier than recommended, especially if the company includes maintenance. Typically, there might be a 1-2k mile change, depending on the manufacturer. Then 3-5k or so. Then 10k, then normal. If you're ****, analyze all samples along the way.

Acapulco Bill

Good post, sknight. If one isnt convinced, change the oil and filter at 1000 miles anyway and then break open the filter and see whats inside. If there is a grey sludge (there will be) all that are pulverized imperfections ground-off the cylinder walls, rings and the valve train.

Compare it with the recommended next oil change, which should be almost totally clean.

Glyn M Ruck

Agree with sk on inducing high vacuum - constant throttle is a bad practice during engine break in.

Bursts at full throttle are a good idea to break in MB MOS2 coated rings. Never lug a new engine (low RPM/high torque)

The most important thing during break in is monitoring of temperature. All engines are not blueprint and should you have one that is on the tight side of spec it will show by elevated temperatures over normal. If this occurs just back off & allow temperature normalisation. If temperature remains normal you have nothing to worry about.

Early oil changes are overated with MB engines using the fleece filter. It has huge debris capacity. It does not suffer pump through the media. Once just slightly used it will achieve 1 micron nominal, 3 micron absolute - 75 beta ratio filtration. ISO 16/13/11. A used filter is better than a new one over 10,000 miles. These engines come wet with Shell running in oil from plant & can easily go the 10,000 miles before first change to 229.5 lubricants. Oil analysis will support this position for MB gasoline engines. 229.5 oils from scratch can retard break in of these engines due to MOS2 coated rings & Alusil bores. Retarding break in is not a good idea as it can leave you with an engine the perpetually consumes oil.

Break in to MB recommendations will give you an engine capable of immense mileage especially since MBUSA have aligned oil change intervals with ROW i.e. 10,000 miles & no longer 13,000 miles.

Acapulco Bill

@Glyn: Strange, the regimen here is first change at 25,000 kms or a year, whichever comes first. Felt it was just too long and actually did a change after 2000 kms (however there is a lot of 180+ kph driving around here). And recently did the 25,000 km change.

Comes with Mobil synthetic, and thats what the MB dealers use here in Mexico.

JoeVal

To my knowledge this is the standard interval shown on the "C Klasse" (standard production, non AMG) User's Manual & Maintenance Schedule*, providing 100% Synthetic Motor Oil MB Sheet 229.5 (e.g. Mobil 1 0W40) and Fleece Filter be used.
To me, this combination coupled to a break-in without pushing the motor for the first 500 miles beyond 3/4 of the throttle, nor lugging the engine, has worked very well. The replaced oil and waste particles collected in the fluid and trapped in the carter show normal (or better) wear and tear, plus the oil maintained acceptable lubricity. Engine response is excellent, smooth and within power. It seems that break-in is on schedule and the motor will be at full blast as it reaches 35k miles.
As for failures -and type of wear and tear- it seems to me that are triggered by one or more of the following factors:
1. Substandard component: vendor entrepreneurship, material defect, hurried approval.
2. Poor handling: at manufacturing, in transit, at installation, in use.
3. Bad service: insufficient, inadequate, erroneous.

(*) 25k Km, 13k miles, or 1 year, except when demanded sooner by the car service screen.

A reflection of "elite" vs "great wheels lovers".
If owning a $40k places a person in an elite, how many penthouse floors above are adequate for locating custom armored limo or exotic sport car owners? I believe Mercedes has a couple of lines fabricated and assembled by a two-legged team (e.g. S klasse, AMG) that sell for what high price materials, features, workmanship and service should bring for an expected generously rewarded return. And word out is that AMG is going to meet the robots, and join the lower priced relatives made in plants 99% robotized.

Therefore, I consider that MB are pleasure machines made for the car lovers and their comfort. But luxury or exotic units, only a few. And this differences include how customers will be treated, according to the car category (klasse) they own.

Mercho82

Change of oil at 1000km is simply a waste of money. If that was necessary then it would be stated in the official MB recommended maintenance book and it's not. I don't think this is the first engine MB has ever produced like to know what theirs engine's oil change intervals are or if they need an oil change at 1000km. Don't really care what argument you come with I just go by what MB recommends. By the way, I have owned BMW, Jaguar, Porsche and none of them recommend 1000km or 2000km oil change either.

justthinking

If you really are worried about shred metals, then put a magnet on your engine filter..
A friend of mine would take apart broken harddrives and use those magnet, he swears by the effectiveness of those magnets, but I have no opinion one way or the other..

Glyn M Ruck

The standard for ROW has always been 15,000Km. MBUSA has now instituted this as people with newer W204's will know.

davidbijan

This is an issue that is potentially dangerous to the occupants....ie breaking down in the fast lane and getting hit. The car does not have to break several times to qualify. I know this because I turned in a lemon in 2004 in California. I would at least attempt to get a new vehicle by writing MB and stating he is afraid of driving this vehicle, due to this catastrophic defect, and politely ask for a replacement. Nissan ignored my request for refund until I called them after not hearing a response within six weeks. I threatened them that i had retained a lawyer, and within 30 minutes they offered my money back on the vehicle. Got rid of it and stayed away from the brand.

craiger13

I know that I am late to this thread but has anyone thought about the break in period? This is listed in the manual. It gives maximum RPMs and things of that nature. For example: I watched a video of a guy who took European delivery of his Mercedes and he could not drive the car over 80mph for the first 1000 miles. If you don't heed those instructions bad things can happen to your engine and your transmission. There is a video on YouTube that is called 5 things not to do when you have a new car.

balticgreen

I'm responding because you quoted me. None of the issues I had were the kind that would be caused by observance or non-observance of a break in period. They were all things like an oxygen sensor that was just a faulty part.

Moto_Guzzi

Those magnets are small and strong, you have to pry them off metal.