newguy2008

I'm new to this but can anyone tell me where the best place to pick up 5w40 Synthetic Motor Oil and the recommended brands?

Is another grade of Synthetic Motor Oil compatible such as 5w30 or 10w30?

Also, what type of non-synthetic Motor Oil can be used instead of the MB "recommended" Synthetic? I know that it's not as "good", but what will work?

I've been told by a mechanic/neighbour that MB purposely uses 5w40 because it's hard to find off the shelf at a retailer and that non synthetic is fine as long as you regularly change the oil.

What is the difference between 100% synthetic and "multiblend synthetic (Mobile 1 carries this).

Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks in advance.

mbtech208

I wouldn't use non-synthetic oil in your car, or even a blend. Fully synthetic is best, due to the long service intervals of the FSS. 5W-30 is perfectly fine if you can't find 5W-40. The best brand is Mobil 1, which is also about the most expensive, but if you plan to keep your car for a while it's well worth the extra money.

Ted Baldwin

.................you may even void your engine warranty if you on your own use non-synthetic oil and MB finds out. They are shelling out big bucks because they made the same mistake of using non-synthetic oil in pre-2001 cars.

Ted

nickv

I have a 99 430 and the dealer is using non-synthetic to change my oil, should they be using synthetic?

newguy2008

What brand and grade are they using?

I'll probably go with 100% Synthetic in a 5W30. Unless anyone can tell me otherwise about 5W30 vs 5W40.

Thanks.

Ted Baldwin

I have a 99 430 and the dealer is using non-synthetic to change my oil, should they be using synthetic?

...............I cannot even remotely imagine that your dealer is this stupid. But in case he/she is that stupid, then you are entiled to some free cash in the form of coupons from MB and free extension of your warranty from 5year/50,00 miles to 10year/80,000 miles. Plus of course...........tell the stupid dealer to stop using non-synthetic.

You may be interested in the article below frm "Lubrication News"

Mercedes-Benz and the Flexible Service System
Mercedes-Benz's Flexible Service System encourages extended drain entervals, but neglects to specify use of synthetic motor oils.
Half a million Mercedes-Benz owners nationwide could soon find themselves with significant warranty extensions under a proposed $118 million class-action lawsuit settlement. The suit, being heard in federal court in Easton, PA., was filed last spring on behalf of owners of 630,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced between 1998 and 2001.

Mercedes-Benz began incorporating a system called the Flexible Service System (FSS) in its vehicles in 1998. Utilizing an electronic monitor, the system is designed to monitor engine oil life and alert drivers of the need to change oil by measuring such factors as engine temperature, oil level, vehicle speed, engine speed, distance driven and time since last service. Advanced versions of the system alert the driver when the oil level is below minimun, indicate how much oil needs to be added and automatically lengthen the interval between service requirements.

According to attorney Kenneth Jacobsen, Mercedes-Benz claims customers can extend their oil change intervals to 20,000 miles through the use of the Flexible Service System. However, they didn't tell customers until 2001 that they needed to use synthetic motor oil in order to take advantage of the extended drain intervals. As a result, some of the customers who used conventional motor oils began experiencing engine problems.

Under the proposed settlement, owners of Mercedes-Benz vehicles would have their warranties extended from five years or 50,000 miles to 10 years or 150,000 miles. In addition, owners of 1998 and 1999 models receive $35.00 coupons, representing the additional cost of synthetic motor oil for one oil change. The coupons are redeemable for any service. Owners of newer Mercedes-Benz models don't receive the coupons because the company began offering free oil changes in 2000.

The suit is worth $118 million total, and conditions include that Mercedes-Benz does not admit liability. According to Donna Boland, manager of corporate communications for Mercedes-Benz USA, "We feel that the settlement terms are consistent with our customer-car philosophy and will resolve the situation to the satisfaction of any affected owners."

Bohdan J. Zelechwsky, who has a law practice in Bethlehem, PA., and owns a 1998 Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle, comments, "From everything I know, a warranty going up to 10 years and 150,000 miles is very good."

Jacobsen is also satisfied with the proposed settlement, saying it "is an exceptional recovery for class members. It gives them protection for the vehicles."

"We would like this coverage to begin immediately," continues Jacobsen. "One of the good aspects of this settlement is that some of the older vehicles may be coming out of the regular warranty, so it would be nice to have the extended warranty come into place. I think it's a good result."

AMSOIL INC. introduced the concept of extended drain intervals in 1972 with a recommended 25,000-mile/12 month drain interval. Formulated with the highest quality synthetic basestocks and advanced additive packages, AMSOIL Motor Oils effectively reduce friction, heat and wear for maximum power, performance and fuel economy.


YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THIS LINK.


Ted

newguy2008

Unbelievable story about this whole FSS MB mess.

Thanks for the info.

hinhin7

My FSS still tells me to drive 7000miles more before the next time I service my car. I confirmed with Mercedes Benz dealer and the service advisor told me to change the oil (synthetic Mobil 1) every a year or 10,000 miles.

theine

I don't care what my FSS says. I change my oil, which is Mobil 1 every 2500 miles, which in my case is once a year.
What are you saving? $50 bucks? The oil is the blood of your engine.
To me it's worth it, cause I buy my cars, and like to keep them in tip top condition.

hinhin7

theine: did you only have 2500 miles every year? Wow... you treat your baby really nice...always garaged :-)
Don't you have maintenance warranty from MB dealer? Because they said they wouldn't charge me for the oil change.


How does it affect your engine's performance if you change the oil (synthetic oil) frequently? Lets say, once every sixmonths compared to every 12 months.

theine

I work out of my house, so I don't have to drive to work., last year I put 3,000 miles on it, this year I am trying to drive it more, but I am so busy at work that I have no time, and when the weekend comes I usually use my Jeep, so the CLK stays in the garage most of the time. Yes I have MB warranty until 2004, but like I said I don't pay attention to the Fexible Service System, 2500 miles or once a year, whichever comes first is good for me.

nickv

I just called the stealership and they told me to use Mobil 1 5W-50 in my 99 430. Is this right? Also, I was told the oil filter is $11 for my car, part number MB 000 180 2309, can anyone confirm? One more question, do I need a special tool to remove the oil filter cover? Safet?

Deception

Definitely use synthetic for better protection and longer drains. Dino oil is a thing of the past... MB indeed had a mess with class action lawsuits in regards to engine failures from customers who were following the FSS but with dino oil rather than the synthetic that the whole program was designed for.

If you change your synthetic every 2500 miles, you are wasting good oil and money! Oil is the lifeblood of your engine, but modern quality synthetic oils last a long time.

I use AMSOIL's 5W-40 European Engine Oil in my '01 CLK430 Cab and follow their recommended drain interval of 25,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. I hit the one year mark way before 25k miles, so essentially the oil is changed once per year, with an oil filter change (OEM MB part) in the middle at 6 months. I've been doing this for the past 3.5 years and my CLK purrs like a kitten.

Best regards,

Jason

Chappy

My CLK's oil gets changed every 5000 miles with 0W-50 Mobil 1.

Brian_I.

Does anyone know more about this Class action lawsuit? The claim period is expired so how does one find out if their car is still covered under this extended warranty?

joeray

with respect to the extension of the warranty by MB USA, isn't that just applies to the moving, oil lubricated parts of the engine only?

lz_clk

I think Mobil 1 is best (what i use) , but heard Royal Purple and Redline are good too, anybody using those?

TNH

Same here.

blackbenzz

Am I the only one using Mobil1 0W40?

varainstructor

How does it affect your engine's performance if you change the oil (synthetic oil) frequently? Lets say, once every sixmonths compared to every 12 months.[/QUOTE]


If you are good about changing your oil then there isn't any performance enhancement in changing more frequently. The miles/time that are put on synthetic lubricants doesn't come close to the break down point of the product.

The only way to effect the performance by way of oil choice is to change grades of oil to reduce the weight of the "spun" lubricant that is thrown by moving parts within your engine. This is a common practice in race motors. A lighter weight oil such as 30w as opposed to 50w could mean the difference of a few horse power, (or hundreths to tenths of seconds on track). Of course, in race situations, we're talking hours between changes not weeks or months. Thus the risks of the lighter weight oil usage is mitigated in the high compression performance applications. For street use, the difference would be neglegible.

Audi Junkie

Do NOT use Mobil 1 30 weight oil! It is a thin 30 weight and totally insufficient viscosity for a German engine. Any 15w-40 dino meets MB 228.3 spec and is suitable for warm weather. Any 5w-40 will work well. Mobil 1 0w-40 is what you are supposed to use, but the SUV 5w-40 might be better. I use German Castrol Syntec 0w-30 from AutoZone. It says "Made in Germany" on the back. It is a thick 30 weight, on the 30/40 borderline. Syntec 5w-50 is suitable. Newer dino oils that say "SM" or "GF-4" are the equivalent of most synth oil of not long ago. For winter, 5w-30 Motorcraft, Mobil Drive Clean, Havoline or Pennzoil if you don't want to spend for synth.

oldnews

Amen theine.

djantlive

For Mobil 1, MB recommends 0-40 or 15-50 full synthetic. 0-40 is designed for european vehicles that are 75k mi or less. 15-50 is for high performance vehicles. I use 0-40 but if you live in really hot weather or sit in traffic a lot, try 15-50. You'll get better mileage using 0-40.

Other synthetic brands like Syntec are also MB recommended. They are mostly 5-30 since they probly don't offer 0-40.

Synthetic oil pretty much cost $5/qt across all brands. Since Mobil One has been the longest, that's what I use. I think synthetic tends to lubricate the engine faster upon cold startup and that reduces startup wear. Also, it is more stable at hot temp.

For filter, you can either buy from dealer at $10-12 or buy bulk from internet. Mann and Mahle are both excellent filters and I think one of them is the OEM supplier. Allgermanparts.com is a good source for oil filters. Thepartsbin.com is another.

Do note that MB holds 8 qts of oil so make sure your drain pan is big enough.

To change the filter, you can get a filter wrench from the stealer or buy a clamp-type ring that you can couple with ratchet. The generic filter wrench w/ a handle won't work.

sped

While doing research on oils for my 1999 Corvette I came across the C5 Registry. They gave charts and examples on why NOT to use Mobile 1 and why TO use Redline oil.
Redline is safe to use in passenger cars for up to 25,000 miles but they recommend changing it at about 12,000 miles.
I purchased a case of it for the Corvette but traded the Corvette in on the 1999 CLK 320, I now use Redline in it.
You'll have to break out the wallet for the oil it usually runs $9.50 per quart, but since I change it at or about 12,000 miles the cost is about the same as Mobile 1.

Ed

c4791p

Ever since I bought my 92SL used about 5 years ago I have been using 0-40 in it, but with my wife's C wagon, 2004, dealer uses 0-50 -- or so they say. But where can you find it in the US? Mobil doesn't even list it as a product. Dealer says I should just bring the 92 in to them instead of screwing around changing the oil and filter myself, and that they will use 0-50, but I thought that the 0-50 and the new style fleece oil filter had to be used together? Although I drive the SL very little and haven't done any checking, I don't think anyone offers a fleece oil filter for my 92, even if I went along with the 0-50 grade for it.

Chuck