Will this harm the mercedes if it was only done 2 to 3 times?

 

don't worry about it
so long as it is the "prescribed" oil type that you use, it won't hurt your engine.

Castrol is alright, but i highly recommend redline oil

 

most people will differ on what brand and vicosity they like, but all of the advice i have heard is to stick with one brand. most different brands have different additive packages and base oils. two or three times isn't going to destroy anything, but it is usualy a good idea to pick a single brand, use the viscosity recomended by your owner's manual, and stick with it. just my .02
good luck.

 

Mercedes oil?

A Mercedes is just another car.

Use high quality oil, just like you would in any other car. Oil is always cheaper than metal.

And no, you can't harm the engine by not using 'mercedes oil' because there is no such thing. If you're so worried, just go and change it now.

Now coolant, that is another story....

 

when changing the oil, the old oil should be very similar in color to the new oil. If it's not, then you have some type of leak or you've waited to long to change the oil (probably not serious). That's one thing I think is unique to these engines. If taken care of and properly serviced, you almost can't tell the difference between the old oil coming out of the engine after 3k and the new oil going in, even with 100k plus miles on the engine. Not like my Jeep that turns new honey clear oil into black mud after 3000 miles.

 

Jared is correct, there is no such thing as 'Mercedes' oil. Just use whatever oil is specified for your engine. Usually you only look for the "S" rating, i.e., SJ, SL, and the viscosity rating, i.e., 10W30, to make sure the oil is appropriate for your climate and engine.

On a related note, you may want to download and print the following link for your records:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/x0rr0/MBASP.pdf

 

If you live in a climate like mine (canada, where there is cold winter and hot summer) use mineral oil (not synthetic) on the W124. 10W30 for winter, 20W50 for summer. If you live where it is always warm, 20W50 year round.

You don't need MB oil.

 

This reminds me of the Kikkoman soy sauce table bottles that have the fine print: "Only refill with Kikkoman" which made me wonder . . . the other brands don't fit?

 

Why mineral oil and not synthetic?

As far as I know, synthetic is better in every single way than natural oil.

 

... except on price!

 

I'm going to open a can of worms but here goes...My take on the whole synthetic vs. mineral oil has always been to compare the two to a set of golf clubs. Your average duffer might play marginally better with a $1200 set of clubs than he would with a $100 set of clubs. Only pros can really tell the difference between the two and need the more precise type of control. Same thing with synthetic vs. mineral oil. Yes synthetic oil does offer marginally better protection in average car engines, but at such a steep price that you have to ask is it really worth it? As much as we love our cars we have to realize, these are not F1 engines, and don't really need the same type of protection.

 

Agreed. Especially since engines with regular maintenance and repair often outlast the car bodies.

 

That by using synthetic oil, I am perhaps saving my car from having to go through much more expensive repairs than the price difference between synthetic and dinosaur oil.

I don't have any data to back this up, and I think that data would be hard to come by, since there is a high correlation between people who use synthetic oil and those who take very good care of their car--making a control group difficult. The thing is, over the life of your car (A few hundred-thousand miles), you are only spending maybe $500 more or so on oil changes. That means all the synthetic oil has to do is prevent pretty much one trip to the mechanic and it has done enough good.

Anyways, it's worth it to me. But perhaps I should re-evaluate my ideas about the whole thing....

 

this what the jiffy lube mech told me
he said that if i put mineral oil in my car, i would change it in 3000 miles. If i had synthetic, i could change it at 5000 miles.

 

What repairs would synthetic save you? It's all imagination. I just went through a rebuild of my V8 Olds after 170,000 miles. The engine used regular oil it's whole life. I rebuilt it not from wear, but the gaskets got old and were leaking badly. All oil-related wear parts looked like they could go another 100,000 miles.

Most people give up an old car not because of a worn engine, but because the a/c gives out. Nobody wants to spend $1000+ to repair an a/c system on a car that has other issues and is worth almost nothing. After 150,000 miles, there's a whole laundry list of things that need attention for any car. An engine with oil-related issues isn't one of them. Save the $500 and apply it to the next purchase.

 

Synthetic generally has a broader viscosity range which MAY mean it flows earlier in the ignition session ( the time the engine is spinning). However, if you use the correct vis rating for the engine, aligning to ambient temperatures, the oil will flow just fine.

Please don't take advice from jiffy lube technicians as they generally haven't the faintest idea of what they are talking about. There are exceptions, but a good tip off is their recommendation to use "heavier" oil, say a 20W50, in an old engine. Sitck with the manufacturer's guidelines. A 20W50 may actually provide poorer lubrication to an engine requiring a 5W30/10W40.

Anyone ever see a 20W50 "flow" at 25 degrees F? It doesn't.

 

Umm, that's why you DON'T use 20W50 in the winter, it's a summer oil. Change it in october to 10W30. Case closed.

 

Many times the jiffy lube techs will suggest the 20W50 for an older engine all year round. Don't listen to them.

As info even a 10W30 in a 5W30 engine will short suit the engine in cold or warm weather. Take it from a guy who has blended and packaged oils for a living - follow the manufacturer's suggestion on Viscosity and Service (SE, SG, SH, CC, CD, etc)


Changing oil by the calendar date is really for beginners. Keep your normal change/service interval and consider the driving conditions you will be facing in the interval after your oil change. Choose your oil accordingly


By the way, there is really no summer or winter oil. Oil should match your driving conditions as much as possible. If you anticipate taking a southern car to a northern climate in the winter for any length of time, check the manufacturer's suggestion. Match the oil to the conditions. The same is true for northern cars going to warmer climates.

 

I work with an STLE member who knows his stuff (4-ball testing expert, author, etc.). He tells me it's amazing how little viscosity an regular automotive engine requires nowadays from an oil for proper lubrication. One reason why lower viscosities aren't specified is because after a certain point you start losing oil from vapor loss at operating temperatures At that point you need to start using synthetic formulations, which are resistant to vapor loss.

 

Agreed. Newer metalurgies and more precise manufacturing results create less need for heavy films. More the need to get oil to contact surfaces sooner. Improvements in additive packages ( the true differentiators in motor oil brands) also help protect engine parts. I haven't heard the evaporation argument before -- older engines have open air breathers and tended to lose quite a bit to the atmosphere-- but it may contribute. My impression of synthetics' value are based in their greater stability ( less volume loss to heat as smaller more volitile molecules are not present in the oil ) and in their greater range of viscosity.

 

You're talking about very old engines - over 40 years old. Interestingly, some engines actually used 5W-20 oil back then.... and volatility was an issue! But also back then engines ran at much lower temperatures and oil loss was more tolerated as people (or the gas jockeys) actually checked the oil every fillup.

 

http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbi...oil_bible.html

engine oil bible

 

Apparently a Castrol fan!