Flawed

Hey guys, I got my first oil change coming up.

To be honest I've never had to do an oil change on a car before. This is the first car that's actually my car. In the past I use to just drive my dads car and he took care of all of that.

However, I have owned plenty of motorcycles and have always done the oil/filter changes myself on my bikes. But I am not so sure how doing it on a car, especially a complicated Benz build, will compare to a bike. I popped the hood and took a look under the cover and that stuff looks like a science lab with all those tubes and sensors going everywhere.. doesn't resemble a normal car too much.

I learned everything I know about bikes by doing my own research and asking online for help here and there so I was wondering if doing the oil change on my car would be a wise idea or should I just leave it to professionals?

If I have to take it to someone, what are some recommended places and some places I should most definitely stay away from?

I purchased the car at a CarMax (used car dealer). It's a 2008 c300. I asked the guys at the service desk how much it would cost me and he gave me a rough quote of about $80-$110.

Other choices I guess would be JiffyLube (not to sure on quality here, any feedback?), and there is also EuroMotors near me but for some reason I feel like it would cost me a lot more there than it would at CarMax.

And my last choice would be to do it with my friend who says he would help me out and it would only cost the price of oil and the filter. Based off the conversations I have had with him, I would say he does seem like he knows what hes talking about. He said he would find the OEM filter and look up the proper oil and he has all the lifting tools and everything. Also he's Russian and in Soviet Russia car gives you oil change.

Thanks!

snowmuch

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...-pictures.html

black lavender

Buy 2, 5qt jugs of Mobil1 0w40 at Walmart.

Take to one of those quick oil change places.

Dealership wanted $150 for a change.

C300Sport

Do not take it to a quick lube type of place. Get the proper equipment to DIY it, go to an Indy MB shop or take it to the dealer.
The two biggest dealers in Atlanta offer $99 oil changes...and using the dealer for service at least once a year gives you lifetime MB roadside coverage.

Uncle

I concurr, buy two 5qt jugs of Mobil1 at Walmart, about $25 each, and a Mann Filter from RM European, about $6.00, remove the lower panel and the drain plug. buy a filter wrench, and have at it. One hour later, you are done for about $60USD.

Flawed

Ended up doing it myself. Thanks for the advice guys!

Car seems to be running way smoother.. not sure if they had some cheap crap in there that the dealer put in there or what but it feels different. I like it.

giovannifh

ya i had the same thing happen to me.
Carmax uses crappy oil just to flip the car and say they changed the oil.
of course they'll tell you its synthetic but they don't tell you what kind it is.

they also sold me the car with "new tires". 4 months later i had to slam on my brakes because i got cut off and next thing i know i have cuts in my side wall almost all the way through the tire.
i tried looking up the model of the tire to replace the damaged ones but i could not find it anywhere. finally found them for $50 each (cheap crap) needless to say i replaced all 4 and the car was so much smoother.
after replacing them i took one of the old ones and was able to push my thumb through the side wall .... really?

Flawed

Ugh, I was worried about the tires too. Hoping I wouldn't have to replace them anytime soon... since I just got the car and they told me they were new. -____-''

Thanks for the reply, if you ever plan to blow up a CarMax dealer let me know.

Flawed

Hey umm, one last question!

How long does this oil last? So I know when to change it again.

I used Mobil1 5w-40.

Pete7874

Which particular M1 was it? Was it the ESP formula? If so, it has lower TBN which means it may not last as long in service as an oil that officially meets the MB 229.5 spec like M1 0w-40 (which is what you should have bought).

If you use 229.5 approve oil, then you can easily go the full interval which was 13K miles or 1 year for 2008. MB dropped it down to 10K miles for later years, but never officially said that 2008 model year cars should be dropped back to 10K as well.

Anyway, I just did a used oil analysis on mine running on M1 0w-40 after 11K miles, and it seemed to have held up quite fine with plenty of additive level still remaining.

Flawed

I actually went to EuroMotors and purchased the oil/filter from them, was a little bit more expensive than Walmart I assume but it was much closer. They gave me that one and I thought it was the one that MB recommended. I didn't note the 0W or 5W part.

Mobil1 Formula M 5W-40. So I have 10k miles to go before the next change? Or are you saying I have less than that since I used 5W instead of 0W?

Pete7874

Was it this one?
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lub...a_M_5W-40.aspx

Or this one (ESP)?
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lub...a_M_5W-40.aspx

If it was the first one, then you're good for 10-13K miles or 1 year. If it was the second one, you might want to cut it a bit short.

It doesn't really have anything to do with "0w" or "5w". It has to do with carrying the MB 229.5 spec.

Flawed

It was the first one, thanks man!

clarkz71

Q-1-09-0162 is the MB part# for the correct 5W40 formula M but....

The Mobil 1 5W40 Formula M TBN is 8 and the VI is 168

The Mobil 1 0W40 has a TBN of 11.8 and a VI of 185

Maybe Glyn can comment, but seems the 0W40 has better specs.

Both are 229.3 and 229.5 however.

Glyn M Ruck

Only use 229.5 products in modern Benz Gasoline engines.

The M1 0W-40 is the better formulation of the two but this has to do with meeting vs exceeding specification & not TBN or VI. The broader the temp operating range the higher the VI & higher TBN is really a diesel requirement for acidic combustion by-product neutralisation produced when using higher sulphur containing fuels like diesel.

See this & especially post # 26 to save me repeating myself.

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...ghlight=amsoil

clarkz71

Very good read, so what is a very good TBN for petrol engine oil?

8?

Glyn M Ruck

8 is more than enough! These higher TBN's are to give the oil some diesel performance at the same time. While 229.5 oils can't meet 229.51 by MB decree & ash limitation. They can be used successfully in other diesel engines from other manufacturers.

clarkz71

This is what I'm using now, 100% synthetic base stock.

Glyn M Ruck

Sorry to put you through that thread. There is some dreadful misinformation out there well
"supported" by urban myth.

Motul makes great products.

The 100% synthetic thing has also become a bit of a misnomer due to the US definition of synthetic vs. the European & especially German definition. Today the US permits severely hydrotreated petroleum Group II base stocks to be called synthetic. In Germany & most of Europe it requires to be a true synthetically built hydrocarbon.

To be absolutely technically correct all 229.5 products are semi synthetic. They all contain a small proportion of petroleum base stock in them to act as a co-solvent & improve additive miscibility. As you go up the Base Oil quality structure from Group I to UCBO so it becomes steadily more difficult to disperse & dissolve additives in the base stock.

clarkz71

So do you think since it's made in France it's still a semi syn?

Pete7874

FYI, most of the gasoline in the US is still NOT ultra-low sulfur (maybe apart from California). This is one reason why companies such as BMW still don't allow the use of mid/low SAPS oil (LL-04) in their gasoline engines in the US, even though they do allow it in Europe.

Pete7874

Did you mean to say Group III? Group III is hydrocracked petroleum and can be called synthetic just about anywhere in the world with the exception of Germany. In Germany, only Group IV/V bases can be called "fully synthetic." Everything else has to be called "synthetic technology" or something like that. That is one reason the current M1 0w-40 cannot be called "full synthetic" in Germany anymore. Not that it's a bad oil or anything. As you pointed out, you don't really need group iv/v to formulate a good oil that will meet MB 229.5 spec.

Glyn M Ruck

No I meant high end Group II

Glyn M Ruck

Yes ~ but only slightly. I just get tired of marketing departments taking liberties.

Pete7874

Glyn, to the best of my knowledge, group II has NEVER been allowed to be called synthetic in the US. Can you provide a source of your info. Group II is basically mineral oil.

It is group III that was the subject of Castrol-Mobil debacle in the US, following which the NAD ruled that group III can be called synthetic (from a marketing standpoint).

It is group III+ (VHVI, GTL, VISOM) that have now pretty much caught up with the performance of group IV/V and have started to be widely used and called "synthetic" just about everywhere except Germany.

http://www.zddplus.com/TechBrief10%2...e%20Stocks.pdf