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After CONSIDERABLE looking, here is the cheapest per oz. MB 229.52 approved (and VW 507 approved--an even tougher standard) oil available in north America:
You may want to make a note of it. Comes in 5 qt. jugs, 3 to an order, so 15 qts. for $78 making the oil $5.20/qt. You're not going to beat that price with a stick. It's literally HALF TO A THIRD of the cost of the OEM MB oil and the euro brands like Ravenol and LiquiMoly and also significantly less than the other MB approved American brands Mobil1 and Pennzoil (Pennzoil LX only comes in 0W-30 weight btw). I've picked up three years worth and I'm thinking of adding a fourth, pending the wife's insistence on having at least a few sq. ft. of garage space....
To have this amount of oil (just over two full changes for my OM651) purchased and changed at the dealership would cost me $550 with filters AND I'm out my car for 12-24 hrs. total AND out the time it takes me to drive to and from the dealership FOUR times (a single round trip there for me is actually longer than it takes me to extract and refill my oil and spin on a new filter), not to mention the mileage and wear and tear.
Another DIY pearl: Mann's OM651 filter: $8 on Amazon
So, my cost for two full oil changes: $78 in oil and $16 in filters--and I still have a liter left over towards a third change. For those of you without your calculators pulled up that's $94 DIY vs. $550 at the dealership. So, I just paid a measly $47 for an oil and filter change! We're approaching Kwikylube standard pricing here gang, on a modern diesel Benz with the latest oil spec and an OEM filter! So yeah, hit up Amazon and stop bending over at the dealership or buying the Euro brands/kits online at FCP/ECS/Pelican. Seriously guys! Why??
Bonus DIY pearl: Oil filter housing wrench for OM651: $10 on Amazon
This thing is perfect on a 3/8" ratchet and 3" extension, but if you have a 27mm socket you're in business with any ratchet and 3" extension. No engine harness disassembly needed--reaches right in there. On and off that filter like a pro! You can even use a torque wrench to get the exact filter housing torque spec if you're **** like me.
For those that don't care about the 0.7% fuel economy hit and would rather save about $3 per 5 qt. jug, the cheapest 229.51 spec oil is here:
I can personally attest that this all-steel extractor is super sturdy and has worked quite well for several years after hearing about it originally from Kent, the diesel guru at Mercedessource.com. I know, the plastic extractor models are everywhere, but I don't trust them for years of service and with every type of fluid. If you look at the online reviews, you'll always see several pics of the cylindrical plastic extractors with cracks and even huge wall blowout failures when pressurized. Hello! They are PLASTIC! You won't have these problems with the metal extractor unless you decide to park on it, and maybe not even then. It's STEEL! This extractor is 30-50% less than the cost of the leading plastic extractor--and you'll only ever buy one if my experience is any indicator.
One downside of this extractor is that you can't gauge the amount of fluid extracted as you can with a clear-sided plastic extractor. For the price and the build quality, however, I think that's more than a fair trade-off, especially if you know your capacities already. Anyway, you're just a quick pour into the container from finding out the volume extracted. The other possible con of this extractor is the 8 qt. capacity. That may be too small for certain diesel powerplants, but should be adequate for most 4 and 6 cylinder diesel cars and pretty much all gas cars. Sprinter owners need not apply...
If you're still under your car (or wisely never wanted to be there in the first place), skinning your knees and elbows, replacing crush washers every time, rounding off/out your plugs, staining the garage floor, dodging oil, losing belly pan screws, getting road grit in your eyes and just praying the whole thing stays aloft, it's time to evolve. Mercedes has designed their sumps for oil extraction for nearly 50 years now. What are you waiting for? Get some work done. Have some good CLEAN fun and save yourself a boatload of money. These parts all just help to lower the threshold for auto autonomy. Nobody will ever take as good care of your car as you will. Nobody cares as much, plain and simple.
OEM Mann filters are not the same as the ones they sell at the dealer. The OEM Mann filter I bought from AutohauzAZ was made in Mexico. The one I got from the dealer was made in Germany and had noticeably better build quality. With other brands such as Porsche I've had good luck finding the OEM manufacturer and getting a discount on identical parts. MB has a very tight control of their suppliers and doesn't appear to let the current revision of their parts be sold outside.
Do you have oil test done on Valvoline?
The price is much better than for Motul I've been using in last 6 years, but my test looks good and I wonder if for few dollars saving I want to be "tester" again.
Over at BITOG they have some UOAs in VW diesels. I haven't seen one for a Mercedes.
It looks a little high in the Zinc and Phosphorous for 229.52 approval. But that could be a Blackstone error. They've had problems with low TBN readings in the newer oils too. Probably due to be set up for the old style add packs and not the newer low SAPs ones.
Do you have oil test done on Valvoline?
The price is much better than for Motul I've been using in last 6 years, but my test looks good and I wonder if for few dollars saving I want to be "tester" again. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
At $50 a pop for the basic analysis w/TBN and soot add-ons, this is actually MORE than the cost of an oil change for me. Now, if I made my living from this engine, like an indy trucker, fleet manager, heavy equipment owner/operator or equipment rental company etc. etc., I'd probably test so as to mitigate risk. However, that's not my situation. I drive my car for basic transportation. Period.
I don't want this to get into a religious discussion, which often happens with oil. I contend, and always have, that WHAT you put in to a vehicle is not as important as WHETHER and WHEN you put something in. I also usually find that the truth, or sweet spot, for most things is somewhere in the middle. So, I'm going with spec fluids rather than Dollar Store fluids, but I'm not necessarily going with the OEM spec fluids when they costs two or three times what other spec fluids costs. One spec fluid may be marginally better than the other, BUT I contend that any difference is minimal and certainly less than the often exorbitant OEM consumable costs and the time, trouble and cost of testing your oil on the regular for the average car owner. This is a perfect example of "diminishing returns", IMO, and there is a law that governs that...
In sum: Go spec, go cheap and GET 'ER DONE the right way and on time.
PS- Even the principals at Blackstone (and Consumer Reports) have repeatedly said, when questioned by customers (and even the media) about their preferred "oil religion", that they, "recommend conventional motor oil following the manufacturer's suggested weight(s) and change interval." There you have it: It's not about fancy, expensive oils and additive packages, it's more about following the weights and change intervals that the manufacturers suggest. I respect Blackstone for basically speaking this truth to their (often obsessed) customers even though it would actually hurt their business if those customers stopped testing their oil and just used common sense. LOL Props to Blackstone! That's integrity.
At $50 a pop for the basic analysis w/TBN and soot add-ons, this is actually MORE than the cost of an oil change for me. ....
But in case of wrong oil, comparing $50 to $20,000 for new engine looks like a bargain.
I do basic $30 oil tests BTW.
My OM651 engine has 229.51 on its approval sheets, yet I treat it to 229.52 becouse I want the best. Only after 6 years of use I learned that 229.52 category oils can give you 0.7% fuel savings, what is just icing on the cake.
Regardless, the times when you could find independent oil comparisons are long gone and the only way to find what is the best is to compare the test results.
Few years back I was driving Ford Truck commercially, so putting lot of miles on it, I was putting different oils at each change and send the old samples for testing.
That proved that Ford-approved oil was garbage, when Rotella for older diesels was the best oil and best value combined.
Now I don't drive much anymore, so it takes me years between oil changes and getting other's test results is the only solution.
Reposting this info to its own thread. After CONSIDERABLE looking, here is the cheapest per oz. MB 229.52 approved (not to mention VW 507 approved--an even tougher standard) oil available in north America:
You may want to make a note of it. Comes in 5 qt. jugs, 3 to an order, so 15 qts. for $78 making the oil $5.20/qt. You're not going to beat that price with a stick. It's literally HALF TO A THIRD of the cost of the OEM MB oil and the euro brands like Ravenol and LiquiMoly and also significantly less than the other MB approved American brands Mobil1 and Pennzoil (Pennzoil LX only comes in 0W-30 weight btw). I've picked up three years worth and I'm thinking of adding a fourth, pending the wife's insistence on having at least a few sq. ft. of garage space....
To have this amount of oil (just over two full changes for my OM651) purchased and changed at the dealership would cost me $550 with filters AND I'm out my car for 12-24 hrs. total AND out the time it takes me to drive to and from the dealership FOUR times (a single round trip there for me is actually longer than it takes me to extract and refill my oil and spin on a new filter), not to mention the mileage and wear and tear.
So, my cost for two full oil changes: $78 in oil and $16 in filters--and I still have a liter left over towards a third change. For those of you without your calculators pulled up, that's a measly $47 for an oil and filter change! We're approaching Kwikylube standard pricing here gang, on a modern diesel Benz with the latest oil spec and an OEM filter! So yeah, hit up Amazon and stop bending over at the dealership or buying the Euro brands/kits online at FCP/ECS/Pelican. Seriously guys!
Bonus pearl: Oil filter housing wrench for OM651: $11 on Amazon
This thing is perfect on a 3/8" ratchet and 3" extension, but if you have a 27mm socket you're in business with any ratchet. No engine harness disassembly needed--reaches right in there. On and off that filter like a pro! You can even use a torque wrench to get the exact torque spec if you're **** like me.
For those that don't care about the 0.7% fuel economy hit and would rather save about $3 per 5 qt. jug, the cheapest 229.51 spec oil is here:
I can personally attest that this all-steel extractor is super sturdy and has worked quite well for several years after hearing about it originally from Kent, the diesel guru at Mercedessource.com. I know, the plastic extractor models are everywhere, but I don't trust them for years of service and with every type of fluid. They are also typically more expensive. One downside of this extractor is that you can't gauge the amount of fluid extracted as you can in a clear-sided plastic extractor. For the price and the build quality, however, I think that's a fair trade, especially if you know your capacities already. Anyway, you're just a quick pour into the container from finding out the volume extracted. The other possible con of this extractor is the 8 qt. capacity. That may be too small for certain diesel powerplants, but should be adequate for most 4 and 6 cylinder diesel cars and pretty much all gas cars. Sprinter owners need not apply...
If you're still under your car (or wisely never wanted to be there in the first place), skinning your knees and elbows, replacing crush washers every time, staining the garage floor, dodging oil, losing belly pan screws, getting road grit in your eyes and just praying the whole thing stays aloft, it's time to evolve. Mercedes has designed their sumps for oil extraction for 50 years now. What are you waiting for? It's a new year. Get some work done, have some good CLEAN fun and save some money. These things all just help to lower the threshold for auto autonomy. Nobody will ever take as good care of your car as you will. Nobody cares as much, plain and simple.
I used to have a system like the one in the last picture to change the oil I my boat with twin 454 Chevy big blocks.
Reposting this info to its own thread. After CONSIDERABLE looking, here is the cheapest per oz. MB 229.52 approved (not to mention VW 507 approved--an even tougher standard) oil available in north America:
If/when the other brands aren’t on sale then Mobile 1 ESP is plentiful and meets MB 229.51, 229.52 and VW 507.00 specs (which is what their Diesel engines recommend) I just used it in my Passat TDI.
Auto zone currently has a rebate towards a oil filter and rewards program if you sign up. Overall it may turn out to be a little more than the Valvoline when the sale is on like the original post but it’s still a good deal and you don’t have to wait for the stars to align to get it.
Just ordered some of the valvoline for $78. It jumps back and forth pretty frequently probably depending on how many people are buying it which triggers the amazon computers to bump the price back up. First time I went to order it the page got refreshed and it went back up in price, checked today (day later) and price back down so ordered some.
When I went to Valvoline European 5w-40 on Amazon I got a pop up that says "This does not fit 2012 Mercedes Benz Bluetec". I am curious why it would say that?
Says the same for my car, its whether or not they put what it fits in the description properly for that product in order for Amazon to say if it fits or not. Wouldnt rely at all on if Amazon says it will fit or doesnt fit. Go off the specs on the bottle or the manufacturer website.
EDIT Meant to say it says the same for the 5-30 for my E250BT which does meet the specs for my car.
Per Mercedes-Benz BEVO, the vast majority of oils approved for meeting the “229.52 Low SPAsh Multigrade Service Engine Oils” specification are 5W-30.
However, there are numerous approved products that are 0W-30, 0W-40, and 5W-40. An example of an oil that is 5W-40 and 229.52 approved is MOTUL 8100 X-CLEAN GEN2 5W-40, also on Amazon at a considerably higher price than the approved Valvoline product.
Valvoline European Vehicle Full Synthetic SAE 5W-40 is NOT an approved 229.52 oil.
An example of an oil that is 5W-40 and 229.52 approved is MOTUL 8100 X-CLEAN GEN2 5W-40...
It appears it only meets the 229.51 spec, not the .52 spec. Also, the pricing is confusing. They show 5W-40 12x1L, which one might think would be a 12 pack, but it's only $20.00...
I’m not pushing MOTUL 8100 X-CLEAN GEN2 5W-40. I was just giving an example of an available and approved 229.52 motor oil other than strictly 5W-30. As of the 8 July 2022 Mercedes BEVO, MOTUL 8100 X-CLEAN GEN2 5W-40 is definitely 229.52 approved, as well as the following as example:
-apollostation oil premium 5W-40
-COFRAN SINTOLUX FORCE 3 SAE 5W-40
-eni i-Sint MS 5W-40
-EURO TOURING 5W-40
-Eurol Fluence 5W-40 New Formula
-Fuchs TITAN GT1 FLEX 3 SAE 5W-40
-Gulf Formula Elite 0W40 and 5W40
-etc. (9 or 10 more)
My point is 229.52 is not strictly 5W-30. I’m not sure of the availability of any of the above in the US other the Amazon available Motul I mentioned above. The only reason I have an interest and have researched is my TDI background is 5W-40 and motor oils intended for diesels also have an API Cx or ACEA Cx rating. I have yet to find a 5W-30 and 229.52 approved oil meeting either API Cx or ACEA Cx specification. The relatively expensive MOTUL 8100 X-CLEAN GEN2 5W-40 is approved for ACEA C3.
OK, I see the confusion. The 5L bottle, $42.67, only states 229.51. The 1L bottle, $14.99, does list 229.52. The BEVO approves MOTUL 8100 X-CLEAN GEN2 5W-40 for 229.52.
Maybe some of the pictures are simply out of date. I'm not sure if the oil was changed to meet the later spec, or if it simply wasn't tested for the newer spec until after the picture was taken. Regardless, confusion reigns... Now, If we could just get 12 one liter bottles for $20.00, all would be good!
The real question(s) in my mind are: do these engines benefit from using -40 weight oils over -30 weight oils, and do the engines approved for 229.51 benefit from using 229.52 instead (other that that minuscule increase in mileage)? I can still get 5 liters of 229.51 oil in 5W-30 for about $22.00 locally. Hard to beat...
[Update] Putin price hike... 5 quarts, not liters, for $26.44
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