v6pwr

I was considering changing the oil on my 2013 GL550 and went looking for filters. After looking online for a while, I noticed that there appears to be a Warning Notice that there was mixed installation of the filter element on these vehicles. Looking at the previous maintenance A record, the dealer installed the 276- filter on my GL.

Based on the oil filters available for this vehicle, it's either a 278-180-00-09 or 276-180-00-09 filter, based on which original filter came from the factory. Isn't M276 the V6 engines and M278 the V8 designation? Got me thinking, was somebody drunk when they were assembling the motors, or how can they mix V6 and V8 parts? Is it a difference in size (276 smaller because for V6 vs 278 filter larger for V8?) of the filter and/or filter housing on the motor? Has anyone thought about this?

dryla

I have a 2014 GL450 ,V8 4.6L BiTurbo, just like your 2013 GL550(only 67HP less.) I bought it CPO from the MB dealer who changed oil, etc. before I picked it up. The work order lists the oil filter as 276 180 00 09. I just changed oil after 7500 mi and found the filter in the can with part number 276 184 00 25 -- which cross references on Amazon to the 276...09 filter. I went to Amazon to look at the 278 180 00 09 and found it to be quite different from the 276 180 00 09 filter. (Looks like my 2009 ML filter.) Unless yours is an early 2013 where there might be a possibility of them using the 287...09 filter, then the other option is to unscrew the filter top and have a look. I am sure if you know what each filter looks like you will know immediately. But if the dealer lists it as a 276...09 filter on the work order, I would feel very confident that is the filter to purchase.

v6pwr

Thanks for the confirmation, dryla. I ordered some Mahle OX814DECO filters for the oil change this weekend.

I was more curious as to why there would be two different sizes, leading to the "mixed installation" warning. Was one found to be inferior in function to the other, hence a change-over...maybe there was an error during engine assembly and a bad batch with improper, but functional, filter housing made it into the wild?

fabbrisd1

There are "different" oil filters during that model year - yep, kindof confusing - and has no internal cross reference by VIN - my techs put it - then they know which one it is.. kindof funky really...

Moh555

why would MB have different oil filters for the same models??? Have no idea why MB would do this. I also change my own oil and have found the best option was to go to a dealer, gave them my VIN to get a filter that fits and then order the replacement from Amazon (I use Mann).

Der Panzer

They are very different. Bought both, didn't want to take the cap off and see which I had.
Note that no crush washer or dipstick o-ring is included in either. I am planning on using my evaluator anyway but still, filter sets for my C class included all those things.

http://imgur.com/mRxdzkR
http://imgur.com/9B8yIP8

v6pwr

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone. I bought the Mahle filter based off the 276..09 size on the MB printout I got from the previous service, and it was the correct type as the one I saw after taking the cap off. It looks similar to the PurFlux one in that picture.
I got a pack of crush washers, as I knew most filters don't come with it.

What intrigues me most is why MB would use two different types of filter for the same engine? Did they find that one filtered/flowed better than the other? Was there a mess up at the assembly line and someone installed the wrong filter housing on a batch of engines? If one is better than the other, buying the filter housing to switch to the better type of filter is not expensive.

Der Panzer

As far as I know Purflux has pattents on that Zig zag pattern, I might be wrong but that's what I read in the inter webs. When I got it I liked it more than the paper one, just feels better. It's also noticably thicker and wider so it packs much more filtration medium.
When I do the oil change I will see if only the cap is different or the whole housing. Most likely the latter since one filter has that protrusion.