FattyLumpkin

I have a maintenance question regarding my 2008 MB E320 Bluetec. My last servce was at 28k mi, approximately 1 year ago. I have read and been told that with a diesel, the car should be serviced every 13k mi. However, it has been only 9k mi, but also a year's duration between services.
My question: do I get the car serviced now, or wait until 13k mi. between services.

Thanks!

DubVBenz

A service certainly wouldn't hurt the car. I change my synthetics around ever 5-6K despite the MFR's recommendations .

u001elg

The flexible service (FSS) takes into account both mileage and time duration between services. A case in point; my 2010 ml350 Bluetec was purchased off lease after the original owner turned it in after 4 months and 600 miles (his spouse didn't like the diesel). The ML sat on the dealers lot for almost 6 months before I purchased it. The FSS came on for me at 6018 miles and 14 months from original in service date to perform the first service.

I would follow the FSS indication and service when it starts to state to service in either so many miles or days. In this manner you are staying within the recommendation of the manufacturer as well keeping you from paying needless service costs.

edwinwalke

what does your maintenance booket say? 10K between services I suspect. My 06 E320 CDI is 13K between services. MBUSA changed to the 10K service for diesels with the 2007 model year.

ImInPA

The best maintenance you can do for the ad blue system is to keep the tank filled. Many problems are related to the ad blue crystalizing on the walls of the tank. Keeping the tank full limits this from happening. It is a very simple process to perform. I find I use a little over .75 gal. every 2000 miles. AdBlue (DEF) is pretty inexpensive and I notice more and more truck stops carrying it too now that the big trucks are using it too.

edwinwalke

Don't think the 2008 E320 Bluetecs have the Adblue. The M class and G class did if I am not mistaken.

lkchris

Yes, no W211 with urea injection.

These cars come with a maintenance booklet which makes this sooo simple.

The interval is 10K miles or one year, whichever comes first.

FSS no longer exists on US cars, and the dasboard reminders are simply clock based.

ImInPA

Sorry, I just noticed that this was an E320.

dougiebear

Mr Lumpkin should have never been sold a diesel.
You don't drive enough your engine is unhappy :o(
Even with synthetic oil, change at least twice a year regardless of mileage.

edwinwalke

Changing twice a year with MB spec (229.51) synthetic oil and under manufacturers recommended mileage is money wasted. Follow the 10K or 1 year intervals and you will get not have any problems.

C43AMG

2008 M Class is not Bluetec and doesn't require Adblue.

listerone

That may well be a reasonable position for some but I,unlike many,plan to keep my Bluetec for at least 100K miles and probably more.As a result I'll pay an extra $60 per 10K miles for an extra oil change.

listerone

If what I've read is correct this might not be wise thing to do.Specifically,DEF has a limited shelf life (2 years according to the bottle I have).This,to me,strongly suggests that the best plan is to follow the recommendations that BMW has (had?) for its diesels....empty,flush and refill the tank every year.

edwinwalke

Have owned several MB Diesels- most recent with FSS has been 99 E300TD. Followed the FSS and at 200K miles it used no oil and ran like the day I bought it. Currently have a 06 E320 CDI and it has 95K and it uses no oil. I use Total Quartz Energy 9000 0W30 which is a MB Spec 229.5 approved oil that is built with a group IV pure synthetic PAO oil. The engine runs perfectly.

listerone

Sounds like you have long experience with diesels and have had good luck with them which is in keeping with the reputation of diesels...particularly MB's diesels.The one area where my situation differs from your is that "AdBlue" and DPFs are part of my world and not yours (yet,at least).My understanding is that AdBlue and DPFs add a level of complexity and "fragility" to the diesel scene,including where oil issues are concerned.So given that an oil change costs me something like $60 (DIY) I'll consider the extra money as an investment in peace of mind.

Of course any diesel mechanic or mechanical engineer is free to set me straight on the subject.

edwinwalke

The AdBlue is a additive that is added to the exhaust and DPF are both in the exhaust system and have really nothing to do with the oil circuit. If you are using the Low SAPS(sulphated ash, Phosphorus and sulphur) (MB Spec 229.51) oil you should not have anything to worry about.

Carsy

I think you fellows will have to agree to disagree .

It is all to do with what you feel comfortable with. If spending an extra 100 bucks a year gives you piece of mind , so be it.

I am told older diesels contaminated oil quicker & had smaller sump capacities hence the more regular oil change recommendation.

I personally changed my oil & filter after 2000km of running from new because of the supposedly old fashioned thinking of left over machining " debris" & the high wear rate of running the high spots off mating surfaces.

I now change every 10,000 km which, as it happens, is about 10 month intervals.

My previous little diesel 1994 405 Peugeot's oil was changed every 5,000 km & is still running perfectly ( 320,000km ) without any intervention bar fuel pump seal replacement.

As oil becomes less available ( Peak Oil) & more expensive my thinking may change !!

Cran

There is no such thing. There wasn't 30 years ago when Carter tried to scare the Sheep and there won't be 100 years from now. The oil shales in Colorado alone contain enough oil to supply the USA for another 200 years at current consumption rates, Canada's oil sands fields add a further 264 years to that.

Carsy

I am interested to know your source for this info ?.

A few points :-

Is it suitable for making lubricants ?

Lube oil will become more expensive as the easy recoverable suitable crude is used up.

Massive BRIC country growth in useage of all types of energy will make lube oils expensive in the future.

Cran

refine |riˈfīn|
verb [ trans. ]
remove impurities or unwanted elements from (a substance), typically as part of an industrial process

Crude oil can be refined to anything needed, from heavy grease to coke bottles.

Carsy

Cran, A very broad statement !!

A lot less if any lube oil can be extracted from light compared to heavy crude.Please see page 11 of this article ie variation from 10% ( North Sea ) to 70% (Arabian). :-
http://www.eagle.org/eagleExternalPo...1_HeavyFuelOil

Pierre Louis

Ester based synthetics, as was the original Mobil-1 5W20, (or was it 0W20?) are made from ethanol. Silly argument here.

Carsy

Good point but :-

Types

[edit] Synthetic Base Stocks

Synthetic motor oils are man made oils from the following classes of lubricants:
Polyalphaolefin (PAO) = American Petroleum Institute (API) Group IV base oil
Synthetic esters, etc = API Group V base oils (non-PAO synthetics, including diesters, polyolesters, alklylated napthlenes, alkyklated benzenes, etc.)
Hydrocracked/Hydroisomerized = API Group III base oils. Chevron, Shell, and other petrochemical companies developed processes involving catalytic conversion of feed stocks under pressure in the presence of hydrogen into high-quality mineral lubricating oil. In 2005, production of GTL (gas-to-liquid) Group III base stocks began, the best of which perform much like polyalphaolefin. Group III-base stocks are considered synthetic motor oil only in the United States;[13] elsewhere they are not allowed to be marketed as "synthetic".

[edit] Semi-synthetic oil

Semi-synthetic oils (also called 'synthetic blends') are blends of mineral oil with no more than 30% synthetic oil. Designed to have many of the benefits of synthetic oil without matching the cost of pure synthetic oil. Motul introduced the first semi-synthetic motor oil in 1966.[14]

Lubricants that have synthetic base stocks even lower 30%, high-performance additive packs consisting of esters can also be considered synthetic lubricants. In general, ratio of the synthetic base stock is used to define commodity codes among the customs declarations of tax purposes.

[edit] Other base stocks help semi-synthetic lubricants

Group II- and Group III-type base stocks help to formulate more economic-type semi-synthetic lubricants. Group I-, II-, II+-, and III-type mineral-base oil stocks are widely used in combination with additive packages, performance packages, and ester and/or Group IV polyalphaolefins in order to formulate semi-synthetic-based lubricants. Group III base oils are sometimes considered synthetic, but they are still classified as highest-top-level mineral-base stocks. A Synthetic or Synthesized material is one that is produced by combining or building individual units into a unified entry. Synthetic base stocks as described above are man-made and tailored to have a controlled molecular structure with predictable properties, unlike mineral base oils, which are complex mixtures of naturally occurring hydrocarbons.[15][16]
Source :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_oil

Cran

Lube oil is an extremely small % of crude utilization. The average road vehicle uses 8-16qts/year compared to over 400 gallons of fuel. Even a semi with a 16 gallon sump capacity will only go through 64 gallons at most per year while using upwards of 6,000 gallons of fuel. Start comparing with marine and rail and the ratio goes even wider.

Pierre Louis makes a great point, pretty much every new vehicle requires synthetic oil and every old (decently maintained) vehicle greatly benefits from it too. The days of dino oil in your crankcase will be over in the next 25 years, and its not because of oil shortages.

Group III oils are NOT synthetic. They are only allowed to be called such because Exxon Mobil's lawsuit against Castrol for false advertizing failed. Because of that, every oil company in the USA can lie to their customers if they want. Castrol is #1 in that, Shell does it with their Rotella "synthetic", even Mobil does it in their newest "cheap" oils.
http://www.1st-in-synthetics.com/a_d...synthetics.htm

dave2001auto

Not only money wasted on the oil, but wear on the engine. There's reports of over changing the oil and getting excess wear. Then the oil is drained it make an air pocket when no oil is available.

I've had DELO in older mbz diesels with 10k miles easily. Big rigs have over 30 to 50 kmiles between oil changes. Many Europeans with group IV just change the filter and add make up oil to get almost 20 kmiles. Would be best to have an engine oil analysis but that too much money for the 2 gallons of oil. Maybe paper chromatography analysis with a TNB measurement at home or just how thick or clumpy it feels.