Kudo to MB Engineers and a Question
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Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 191
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From: Richardson, TX
'04 Cobra & '04 S430
Kudo to MB Engineers and a Question
I have to send a kudo out the engineers behind this amazing car, for all the self regulating and testing it does on a regular basis.
I was on the road for about a week. I was driving to Chicago (I live in TX) and I got the "Check Engine Oil Level" malfunction. I was on the highway - and knowing how important oil is to the engine, I toke the next exit. I drove into a Mobil station, and stopped the car. I waited the mandatory 5 minutes and then tested the oil level. "Add 1.5 Quarts" I was told. I did as the car told me to do and retested to get "Oil Level O.K." message.
Just wanted to say I was amazed the car could test itself at 75 MPH to determine the oil level was low, and warn me about it before any harm came to it. This is truely an amazing machine in that regard.
It did leave me wondering one thing though. Prior to adding the 1.5 quarts, the next service was scheduled to take place in 5100 miles, but after it was scheduled to take place in 6300 miles
. I'm wondering how it determines how much life is left in the oil. Does anybody know?
I was on the road for about a week. I was driving to Chicago (I live in TX) and I got the "Check Engine Oil Level" malfunction. I was on the highway - and knowing how important oil is to the engine, I toke the next exit. I drove into a Mobil station, and stopped the car. I waited the mandatory 5 minutes and then tested the oil level. "Add 1.5 Quarts" I was told. I did as the car told me to do and retested to get "Oil Level O.K." message.
Just wanted to say I was amazed the car could test itself at 75 MPH to determine the oil level was low, and warn me about it before any harm came to it. This is truely an amazing machine in that regard.
It did leave me wondering one thing though. Prior to adding the 1.5 quarts, the next service was scheduled to take place in 5100 miles, but after it was scheduled to take place in 6300 miles
. I'm wondering how it determines how much life is left in the oil. Does anybody know?
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John Deere
It calculates oil life by some formula of speed/accel/etc. But generally will assume pure mileage targets around 15k.
The sensor overload in these cars is a dual-edged sword. On one hand, they alert you to problems before they are damaging. On the other, they fail themselves, causing expensive repairs for the sensor rather than the part being monitored.
Case in point...my SRS sensor needs to be replaced for the passenger seat. Nothing wrong with the air bag it controls. But $400 anyway.
The sensor overload in these cars is a dual-edged sword. On one hand, they alert you to problems before they are damaging. On the other, they fail themselves, causing expensive repairs for the sensor rather than the part being monitored.
Case in point...my SRS sensor needs to be replaced for the passenger seat. Nothing wrong with the air bag it controls. But $400 anyway.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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'98 E320 4Matic, '85 380SL
It did leave me wondering one thing though. Prior to adding the 1.5 quarts, the next service was scheduled to take place in 5100 miles, but after it was scheduled to take place in 6300 miles . I'm wondering how it determines how much life is left in the oil. Does anybody know?
. I'm wondering how it determines how much life is left in the oil. Does anybody know?The car also has an oil condition sensor. The oil condition sensor measures the oil's electrical capacitance. The higher the capacitance, the dirtier the oil. (It's a bit more complex than that, but you get the idea.)
Input from that oil condition sensor is the reason your service interval was extended 1200 miles after adding new oil. The new, clean oil diluted the older, dirtier oil, thereby lowering its capacitance.
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 191
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From: Richardson, TX
'04 Cobra & '04 S430
Good to know how it all works. I think I will have driven well over 15,000 miles when it is all said and done. I have done two cross country trips in it since the last service interval... 
I'll also have to keep a closer eye on the oil level. I had no idea how it got 1.5 Quarts low, but I got to figure it is burning a little oil here and there and I know my wife doesn't check the level as often as she should.
I'll also have to keep a closer eye on the oil level. I had no idea how it got 1.5 Quarts low, but I got to figure it is burning a little oil here and there and I know my wife doesn't check the level as often as she should.
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John Deere
Huach, for synthetics, figure 15k as the outside limit as a signal to change it. Heck, I know people who let it go for 50k, but they aren't the ones taking over their own lease.
If you want to keep the car for the duration, you must balance between the nutty 3k Jiffy Lube suggestions and the 15k MB suggestions.
If you want to keep the car for the duration, you must balance between the nutty 3k Jiffy Lube suggestions and the 15k MB suggestions.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 191
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From: Richardson, TX
'04 Cobra & '04 S430
That is my intention. I'll keep this information in mind. I was thinking of at least changing the oil filter half way through for the extra little bit of assurance.
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From: Wausau, Wis.
'04 CL500 '08 ML320CDI
Huach: there have been oil change discussions ad infinitum on these forums. My indie guy thinks 12- or 15K miles is absurd, and I tend to agree. I don't put many miles on mine, so 6K tends to equal 6 months, so I get an oil/filter change then. If you're cruising long [highway] distances there's probably no harm in going well beyond that, it's just my opinion that it's pretty cheap "insurance" for that motor. By the way, my '00 E320 needs a quart of oil almost religiously at 3K.
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