Im about to change my oil but i dont know which type to use? 5w30? im not sure! and also what will you guys suggest regarding fuel injector cleaners?? by the way i live in So. Cal.

 

The search function will tell you that the preferred oil is 0-40 Mobile 1 Synthetic.

 

Mobile1 5w-40 will work too... it's more widely available (you can get it at walmart) and cheaper (~$20 for a gallon, iirc)

 

i use what mobil1 reccomends 0w40 i got mine at walmart too...

 

i checked all the 4 walmarts in my town and none of them have 0-40 they only carry 10w40! do i need the thicker one or the thinner one?

 

Did my oil change this weekend. Picked up 9 qts of Mobil1 0w-40 at walmart for $5.50 a pop. Also saw at Autozone for $6 a qt. Don't cheap out with oil......just get the right stuff(Mobil1 0w-40 fully synthetic) and follow the oil change instructions in DIY. They are well done by "splib".

 

Apparently the local SoCal Walmarts (at least the 4 that I've checked) don't sell the 0W40 in the cheap 5 liter containers ($22). So if you wanted to go cheap with the oil, your only options are probably 5W30 and 10W40.

My local shop has been using the wrong oil (Mobil 1 10W40) in my car for the last 60k miles. He might have thought that the high mileage was deserving of the thicker oil. Who knows.. So lately with my DIY oil changes, I've just been going the cheap route and continuing with that weight oil.

Best bet is probably to go with the recommended oil (Mobil 1 0W40). It just means spending the extra $20 per oil change, but I'm a cheap ba5tard and will probably get rid of this car before I notice less compression or any other potential issues caused by using this weight oil.

 

Don't go cheap, just buy them quart by quart even if they don't sell a jug of 5 qts. what's a few extra bucks to save a engine from going bad? You are driving a Mercedes Benz....

 

Let me start by saying there are 3 things you shouldnt go cheap on. 1. Brakes 2. Tires 3. Oil
There are alot of great posts on this board about which oil is right or wrong for the CLK. In oil terms from what i understand, 0w is actually very close to 5w, only difference it has a lower pour temparature than standard 5w, but flows at the same exact viscosity. With that being said different oils have different viscosity even at the same 40 weight rating. For a great example is quaker state oil, if you pick up a bottle of any synthetic weight at the store and shake it you will notice it is more "watery" then others at the same .

According to mobil1 the pour point of 10w-30 is -45. The pour point of 5w-30 is -48. There is no pour point officially listed on the 0 weights.

Honestly at the end of the day the 430 as we all know is a V8. A heavier weight oil is not going to ruin your motor. Will it take a bit longer to get to where it has to go? , absolutely.
The moral of the story is use what is recommended and you will be fine, if your in arizona, new mexico, texas, so cal ect heavier weight oil will not harm anything but your fuel economy. If your in michigan, oregon, maine ect 15-50 probably will do more harm then good in all aspects.
If its not -12 or colder outside regualrly feel free to use 10-40, 5-40, 15-50 ect with no ill effects.
I have personally used 5-40 and 10-30 synthetics with outstanding results. When I drove the entire lenght of whats left of rt 66 (chicago - LA) and when i go from new mexico to new york i use 15-50.

this post is not intended to supercede the manufactuers recommendations, it's rather a collection of personal preference and experience that i wish to share. By reading this you agree that I will not be held liable for any damages incurred. proceed at your own risk. (its sad but i know someone who was sued for a informational post)

 

A quick lesson in oil weights.

First number (0, 5, 10) is cold weight.
Second number (30, 40) is hot weight.

0w40, 5w40, 10w40 will all have the same viscosity at operating temp (40weight)

the difference is the cold (starting) weight... now in a place like california, the oil never gets to temperatures cold enough to be able to warrant use of 0 weight, or even 5 weight for that matter. Even a 20 weight oil would be perfectly fine for use in cali.

Of course, M-B designed their cars with the whole world in mind, so that's why they recommend 0w-40... usable in sub-zero climates as well as in the desert heat.

 

I have found the 0-40 in pepboys but now i dunno how many i need (quart) and also by the way i live in the desert part of cali & a bit concern bout the 0-40 even though its mb rated. it gets so freakin hot here up to 120degrees during summer. i just hope that this will work.

 

180, the way testing for oil viscosity is performed every oil company or type will be different. 40 weight to mobil, is not the same 40 weight to pennzoil. Also dino oil and synthetic oil 40 weights will differ also.

SAE J300 Viscosity Classification
The Cold Cranking Simulator test has excellent correlation with engine cranking data at low temperature. All values are expressed as centipoises (cP). Oils cannot exceed the maximum value to qualify as a particular weight grade. For example, oil classified as 10W cannot exceed 3,500 cP of viscosity at -20°C.

The Mini-Rotary Viscometer test is run under a low shear environment. Slow sample cooling is the sample’s key feature. This correlates with the pumpability properties of oil.

To qualify for a particular viscosity weight classification, oil must not exceed 60,000 cP for a designated temperature.

Kinematic viscosity measurements are run at 100°C (212°F). Oil with a W designation must achieve a minimum viscosity in cSt. Oil with no W designation has to fall within a minimum and maximum range; 40-weight oil must have a minimum viscosity of 12.5 cSt at 100°C (212°F) and must be less than 16.3 cSt.

Oil must be able to withstand high temperature and high shear conditions. This is achieved with the High Temperature, High Shear Viscometer Test. To qualify as a particular SAE grade, an oil must achieve a minimum viscosity at high shear and high temperature conditions.

Multigrade Oils
How does motor oil have good low temperature flow properties and give the protection necessary at high engine operating temperatures? This is achieved by having a high Viscosity Index which is defined as an empirical number indicating the degree of change in viscosity within a given temperature range. A high VI indicates relatively small change in viscosity with temperature change, whereas a low VI reflects a larger viscosity change with temperature. Most mineral oils range in VI from 0 to 100. Synthetics (used in motor oil) and hydrocracked stocks usually have VI temperatures exceeding 100.

 

Some great information in this thread... and on the same vein, as ratha67 mentioned, the previous owner of my 1999 CLK 320 has been getting oil changes with Quaker State 5w30 Synthetic, at the MB Dealer, per the maintenance book and dealer receipts.

Since the general consensus around here seems to be Mobil 1 0w40, and I've personally sworn by M1 in my previous cars, should I have any concerns about switching to M1 0w40 from the QS 5w30 at this point? The car currently has 103,000kms on it, and is due for a change in 800kms per FSS.

Thanks!

- Alex

 

Hi
I recently purchased used clk320 2001 convertible. How do i know when its time to change the oil? I read on here a code will show up? Also living in Florida do i do the mobil 1 o40 or whatever it is i read on this board?
The car did not come with owners manual so im lost on alot of things.

Also anyone know where to purchse an inexpensive owners manual for 2001 clk 320 convertible. I dont even know if the car body style is a 208 or 209 or how many cylinders the car is or anyyhing im very lost its my first mercedes ever thanks my email i agr8chef@yahoo.com thank u. Joe

 

The A208 (cabriolet), were model years '98-'03, has four separate round headlights (see thumbnail pix) and the front of the soft top needs to be latched manually, by hand.

Also, you'll find the date of manufacture, on a label, located on the driver side door jam.

Your CLK320 has a 6 cylinder V6 engine.

Mobile 1, 0W-40 Euro is the preferred oil to use. Using a buttons on your steering wheel, you can navigate to the FSS (flexible service system). If it was reset properly when the oil was last changed, based on mile/time etc., it will indicate when the needs to changed. Note: This usually works out to be every 10,000 miles or 12 months. IMHO, not knowing the history, replacing oil and filter now, would be cheap insurance. I would also do the coolant and air filter too.

If you go to the MB USA web site, you'll find a copy of your owners manual, in .pdf format, that you can read, print or download, for free. It's a large document and I would suggesting downloading and saving it on your computer's internal storage device, a thumb drive etc. Since it's a .pdf file, you'll be able to search key words for the information you want.

 

Thank you so much for the information. I will download owners manual that way i can find out what all the buttons on tbe steering wheel do and what the w & s switch is next to the gear shifter and im im still trying to figure out what the two slots are for on sides of the car near the rear windows one covered slot on each side like something clips into it?????. Also under the rear seat is a roll screen?? Yes my ignorance is bliss. Lol anyways thank you once again you were a blessing. at least i now know a lil about my car.and wherevto gain more info.. Joe

 

The W/S switch selects Winter / Summer mode. In S the initial transmission shift point starts in 1st gear and in W, it starts in 2nd gear. It's somewhat useful when driving in snow.

The 2 slots are used to attach the upper section of the wind deflector, which works quite well to reduce top down wind turbulence and noise. The roll screen pulls up and attaches to it. The upper section is removable for storage in the trunk, a garage etc., when not used (e.g. Winter). If it remains missing, a new one is $$, but you can sometimes find a used on for sale in the forum, eBay etc..

 

When in doubt call MBUSA, or go to the website.