Oil Question
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Southern California
2001 E 320
Oil Question
Sorry for such a basic question but this the first Benz I have had. So regular oil changes are suppose to be every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. I bought my E 320 Starmarked with 14k miles on it. I dont have any record of when the last oil change was. I called the dealership and I talked to this guy (he had a really thick accent). He said that oil changes were every 10,000 miles. And that the computer will tell me when to do it. My question is, is this correct? And what does the computer say exactly. When I check the oil in my driveway, it says to "perform service on time" but it may be from it being uneven. If this is correct, what will the computer say exactly? And will I have to check the oil or will it alert me automatically? Sorry for such a long post but just wanted to know if this is correct (dont wanna void my warranty). Any information would be appreciated.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Bloomington, IN
1997 Toyota Tacoma 4x4
The Flexible Service System (FSS) determines your next scheduled oil change based on how you drive the car. The minimum mileage the computer will let the car go between oil changes is 10,000 miles. The maximum is 20,000. Most people will get the indicator for service between every 11,000 and 13,000 miles. You can manually check to see when the next service is due by bringing up the main odometer screen, and then press the up or down arrow buttons until you get the screen that says "A service in XXXX miles" or "B service in XXXX miles". Once you get to within 1,000 miles of the next service due date, the screen will automatically pop up when you start the car.
Your display says "perform service on time" because either the car was uneven or it was just turned off and the oil had not all drained into the pan. Don't use this method to check your oil anyways, it's a shady, unreliable way to check it. I advise checking the oil level with the dipstick under the hood. The dipstick never lies. If the oil level is too low or too high, the display on the cluster will alert you, but again, this is very unreliable. Many 2000 and 2001 model cars have had faulty oil level sensors that indicate "Oil level high" when in fact the level was OK.
Your display says "perform service on time" because either the car was uneven or it was just turned off and the oil had not all drained into the pan. Don't use this method to check your oil anyways, it's a shady, unreliable way to check it. I advise checking the oil level with the dipstick under the hood. The dipstick never lies. If the oil level is too low or too high, the display on the cluster will alert you, but again, this is very unreliable. Many 2000 and 2001 model cars have had faulty oil level sensors that indicate "Oil level high" when in fact the level was OK.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 5
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From: Laguna Hills, Ca
2000 E430, 1998 ML320
Oil Changes
I have a 2000 E430 and a 1998 ML320 and both use the FSS system. I don't pay any attention to it as I'm a believer that the oil should be change at 3K miles if using dino oil and extend the interval to 5-7K if using synthetic oil. When Mercedes first came out with the FSS they said using dino oil was fine to use with the system, but within 2-3 years they discovered that was not correct. They started having trouble with the engines gumming up behind the rings due to the infrequent changes. A little over a year ago a bulletin came out to all of the dealerships and to owners of 1998 and newer cars advising them that if they were going to adhere to the FSS they should swich to synthetic oil. A list of the recommended oils was provided. If it it your desire to buy a new car every 3-5 years then it would be fine to change the oil every 10K or when the FSS said to, but for me I can't do that to an engine or create problems for the new owner
