I'm considering upgrading from my 2008 E350 to a newer model, and I'm wondering how the direct injection engines in the W212 handle infrequent use. I drive about 5-6000 miles per year, mostly in the city with the occasional longer highway trip. I also don't drive every day, sometimes I go up to a week without driving my car. I've heard of carbon buildup issues with other manufacturer's DI engines caused by short/infrequent trips, but not too many reports of this with the M276. Is this something I need to be worried about?

I change my oil twice a year regardless of mileage, in the spring and fall at the same time I swap my summer/winter tires, would continuing that service schedule be enough to avoid problems with a DI engine?

 

I don't see how the DI aspect changes the answer to the question relative to other vehicles. Vehicles need to be used. When they aren't used, they deteriorate. How far and how fast they deteriorate is unknowable.

Rodents chewing wires and making nests in the most undesirable places (HVAC system) in low-utilization vehicles have been reported on this site fairly recently. It doesn't mean this will happen in your case, but it can happen.

If you upgrade to a newer vehicle, why not sell the E350? What is the reason to hold on to it if there is worry about not using it?

 

Sorry if I was unclear, I was thinking of selling and replacing my current E350 with a newer one, 2012+.

 

Thanks for the clarification. You do not intend to own a high utilization vehicle and a low utilization one, but rather one low utilization vehicle. Same comments - vehicles deteriorate through lack of use whether DI or non-DI.

Solutions are to use them, check on them regularly, or don't own a vehicle at all and rent/uber/fly/train as needed.

 

To add, the issue you mentioned with build up and DI occurs when the vehicle is running. Best way to avoid build up...don't drive it, but then mother nature owns the car and she is not very nice in every other aspect.

 

I don't necessarily agree that disuse means deterioration. There are many variable involved... for instance, I keep my W212 in a garage when not used, and just sheltering the car in this manner prolongs it's life out of the sun, IMO. I have no indication a mouse has ever visited my garage, let alone built a nest in the A/C system.

Since the Pandemic, I've put less than 6,000 miles on the car (since 2020) and sometimes a week or two will pass between uses. But I recently drove the car on a 1,300 mile road trip, and it didn't skip a beat.

 

Certainly. All things being equal, use of a vehicle is preferable over lack of use. No two vehicles or vehicle owners are alike and a garage kept vehicle in a rodent free environment will fare better than a desert-baked car in a rat's nest.

A broad brush is being used here: disuse results in deterioration, all else being equal.

 

Actually my W212 E400 is a seldom used car during Covid, and now the non-use at its worst.
Used to be my daughter get sent to school by my driver and I told him to use my car at least 1 trip, worth 70KM or so.
So my driver have to roll between 3 cars. Morning sent to school, late afternoon pick up from school and some other activities.
Once per 2 days, guaranteed my E400 will do 70KM.

Now that my daughter has gone abroad for study, and me is as good as retired, me wife likes her own Toyota driven by the driver, I do weekly run 30KM worth to keep
E400 engine & tranny properly lubricated. On this 30KM run, at least a few redline pull is a must, sometimes I use manual gear and maintain 4,000+ RPM for few minutes.
I want my engine to run hot enough and intake valve will be cleaner this way. Aside from water moisture in oil get dried out.

Today I am out of town and will be out of town for 30 days at least, oil drying out at the cylinder liner is my no 1 worry.
At the best I can do is do non start crank for 10 seconds x 2 ( using Xentry compression test feature ) so that I get pre-lubrication at lower RPM thru cranking,
before allowing the engine to start to 1,100RPM ( cold start RPM of a few seconds ). Cranking is about 200 RPM only.
Since my engine is turbocharged, my crankshaft pulley nut can not be accessed due to aftercooler being there, otherwise I would gladly spin the crankshaft
by hand first for say 10 revolutions.

Aside from the fear of oil film gone on cylinder liner, brake rotor rusting is my other worry. So when I know I will not use my car for say 1 week, I will make sure by
rotor is dry. Usually after washing the car rotors got wet. I use compressed air and do short run near my house just to dry the brake system.

Your oil change twice a year is a very good practice for seldom used car. I am on a 9 months per engine oil change if mileage not reached.

I still maintain weekly battery charging regime when car is 30 days non use like now. My staff will handle that.
Per today 17 days ago was approx my last use on my car.

 

I bought my "12 new, I have had it now for ten years, 30k miles, so 3k a year, I replaced the tires at 18k, dry rotted, I have changed the coolant, tranny fluid once and the wiper blades three times, I have changed the brake fluid four times and the battery once, I use a trickle charger on the battery between uses occasionally, but mostly in the winter and after driving if I'm not going to use it for a while. I have also changed the oil I think nine times, car always starts and runs fine, even if I drive it 400 miles or more, then park it for a month. Air filter twice and cabin filter twice, both times came out clean, not clean enough to put in my '13 but clean! Since my car has never seen salt, even though I'm in the lake effect snow belt, I plan on keeping it another ten years if possible. I think you'll be fine! My mechanic says I will wear out my bleeder screws before the factory brake pads and am on my third oil drain plug gasket. I also park indoors at home and work , both heated and at home A/C as well, so no climate issues

 

My mechanic says... I will wear out my bleeder screws before the factory brake pads!

LOL, that's a good one!

 

I've averaged around 7k/year on mine for the last 5+ years that I've owned it. No issues related to relatively low usage. Using it more now, as it has become my primary vehicle with the recent sale of a secondary car that owned. Runs no different as a my daily as it is as a my not-so-daily, which is good.

Garage it and use fuel stabilizer every now and then, and you should be good.

 

Yes, NC21 brings up a good point, I also use fuel stabilizer if I know I'm not going anywhere for a while, but specifically in the fall. I also try and go to Sunoco for the ethanol free gas for winter storage. One other point is after two months of not moving the tires get flat spots, I try and warm them up more than just the two miles to the closest freeway exit if possible, as getting on with cold tires is not good!