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No, the drain on the m256 is a plastic use-once bolt with a slotted head for standard screwdriver. You could use a penny too. No Allen anywhere that I've found.
I thought the procedure for determining fill levels involved that drain plug, and a fill to overflowing then tighten sequence. Instead of a measured amount of oil.
Am I thinking of another engine and oil fill procedure?
I thought the procedure for determining fill levels involved that drain plug, and a fill to overflowing then tighten sequence. Instead of a measured amount of oil.
Am I thinking of another engine and oil fill procedure?
Yes you may be thinking of a different engine. The PDF instructions I followed said to tighten the new drain plug (step 8) and then go up to the top of the engine and add the 9 quarts (step 15). After that I drive it for about 6 miles to let the oil gauge reset and let me know if I'm at Max or not. The first time I did the oil change I did not quite get it to Max but I went back and added about an eighth to a quarter of a cup of oil and then it registered Max next time I checked it. The second time I changed the oil I did a little bit better job at guessing and got it exactly to max on the first try.
In the void of not being able to physically see the oil level, I will likely follow suit by filling as much as 3/4 qt short, then nurse it up in small increments until the minimum amount added gets me to full.
In the void of not being able to physically see the oil level, I will likely follow suit by filling as much as 3/4 qt short, then nurse it up in small increments until the minimum amount added gets me to full.
The published fill amount for your engine with filter change will be spot on. Don't be afraid to get real close on the first try. Just go 1/4 short. Bet you nail it the second time.
I will say that I am in the minority and let mine drip for over an hour to void as much old oil as possible. The dealer or others may not want to take that much time. Might be why my fill level is exacty as published.
I bought a drain plug, though after getting it in my hand realized I did not need to. Metal (not sure what metal yet) with brass crush washer. Old school, like me…as it should be.
Changed the oil on my 63S yesterday. Straightforward. Had to pull the fiber “aero-pan” to reveal the oil pan and filter. The oil pan, plug and filter cap are pictured. I’m still “nursing up” the oil level at about 3oz at a time. I’ll say it for the 50th time, I do hate the digital oil gauge. I want to lay my eyes on the change with every addition I make. The reason I am nursing the level up so slowly is that I want it to register full with the least possible amount of oil. It doesn’t have micro increments on the digital oil level gauge that one could see on a dipstick. Anyway, it was easy to change. I would say that it’d be nicer to have the cartridge filter (Germans seem to be inexplicably married to cartridge filters. I guess I shouldn’t question the superior engineering) on the top of the engine - versus upside down. Nonetheless, I managed. Vehicle is nice. I feel very lucky to have bought it the way I did.
Changed the oil on my 63S yesterday. Straightforward. Had to pull the fiber “aero-pan” to reveal the oil pan and filter. The oil pan, plug and filter cap are pictured. I’m still “nursing up” the oil level at about 3oz at a time. I’ll say it for the 50th time, I do hate the digital oil gauge. I want to lay my eyes on the change with every addition I make. The reason I am nursing the level up so slowly is that I want it to register full with the least possible amount of oil. It doesn’t have micro increments on the digital oil level gauge that one could see on a dipstick. Anyway, it was easy to change. I would say that it’d be nicer to have the cartridge filter (Germans seem to be inexplicably married to cartridge filters. I guess I shouldn’t question the superior engineering) on the top of the engine - versus upside down. Nonetheless, I managed. Vehicle is nice. I feel very lucky to have bought it the way I did.
Thanks for the photo of the underside!
I thought the oil drain plug was a single use plug, and it's devised with a "fill through the plug to overflow before closing" procedure. Which, As I understood it, required special fill adapters.
If you're filling from the top, it's always best to wait several minutes, even with a dipstick, for the oil to drain all the way through.
I too, prefer a dipstick, but understand why they are being eliminated.
Thanks for the pic of the pan/filter on your 63. Glad to hear it was easy to change. I too dislike the digital oil gauge, but when I did my second oil change around 7500, I got lucky and hit full on the first try. I'm hopeful the V8 remains an option in a couple of years vs perhaps only EV. The V8 couldn't be had in the fall of 2021 when I ordered my 22 GLE53, so the I6 it is. Car is plenty powerful for me and fun to drive, but I miss that V8 sound. Guess I should enjoy the better MPG while I can lol.
PFL205.064 with M276.823 (Oil pump solenoid defeated)
Originally Posted by RDT-G23
Changed the oil on my 63S yesterday. Straightforward. Had to pull the fiber “aero-pan” to reveal the oil pan and filter. The oil pan, plug and filter cap are pictured. I’m still “nursing up” the oil level at about 3oz at a time. I’ll say it for the 50th time, I do hate the digital oil gauge. I want to lay my eyes on the change with every addition I make. The reason I am nursing the level up so slowly is that I want it to register full with the least possible amount of oil. It doesn’t have micro increments on the digital oil level gauge that one could see on a dipstick. Anyway, it was easy to change. I would say that it’d be nicer to have the cartridge filter (Germans seem to be inexplicably married to cartridge filters. I guess I shouldn’t question the superior engineering) on the top of the engine - versus upside down. Nonetheless, I managed. Vehicle is nice. I feel very lucky to have bought it the way I did.
Thanks for the photo of it! Agree with the micro increments that digital can never present. Thanks again for sharing!
Finally nursed it to the point it would tell me it was full. It took all but ~7oz. of the 10 quarts specified. 98% of folks (MB techs included, especially MB techs, in fact) would just dump 10 quarts into it. That same 98% would just say, “7 oz. over wouldn’t hurt it.” Whatever makes all of us happy, I say… I’m not hurting anybody by being exact; it is just much more of a pain with this oil level check meant for the masses who will never raise a hood.
1st one - from the factory, exactly 10 quarts came out (when front of the car is on ramps), so 10 went back in.
Same the next 2 times.
There's really no need to nurse it to "full".
I know 10 qts. will register it full; that was never in question. The question for me is - what is the minimum that will register it full? I want to be at the lowest point that gets me there. That answer is 7-8 oz short of 10 quarts. I drained mine perfectly level on a lift.
First 2 OC I left the plastic drain bolt in most of the way during draining, and just walked away for a while as it drained into the catch pan. Nice, slow, steady oil stream with no drama. Even the wind outside didn't push on it too much, so no mess.
This time, I went ahead and pulled the plastic bolt completely, letting the oil dump into the catch pan. Car was 100% up to temp too, as I just got back from a 10 mile drive.
I was used to a fast, thick stream of oil "peeing" into the catch pan (when removing drain bolts completely) from other vehicles like my F350, but this M256 just DUMPED oil out and not in a discreet stream. I am on ramps, fwiw.
Oy.
Just be ready if you do it this way. I had the driveway protected and there were no issues, but I had more splash than I had anticipated. Just sharing my experience.
What oil weight and manufacturer did you all use and where did you get it? I have a 53 and the dealer quoted me $36/qt. That’s absurd.
thanks
c
Viscosity depends on your climate. I'm in FL with the car 345 days/year, so I prefer 5W-30. You can pick your favorite from the bevo site as long as you use an approved oil per the owner's manual. I go with the 229.51 list here: https://operatingfluids.mercedes-benz.com/sheet/229.51
I get it from WalMart and buy several 5qt jugs at a time when the price is good. I am on OC #5 with 27k on the car. I follow an initial 2k breakin and 5k OC intervals from there on. Everyone has their own style and favorite brands.
Look at your OM. Mine is a 2022. Here's page 31 of my amg manual :
Find your model, and the approved oil specs are in the right column. So correct, if I want a 229.51 oil, anything with a greenish/blue check from the bevo 229.51 page is OK to use.
Look at your OM. Mine is a 2022. Here's page 31 of my amg manual :
Find your model, and the approved oil specs are in the right column. So correct, if I want a 229.51 oil, anything with a greenish/blue check from the bevo 229.51 page is OK to use.
Ok. I don't doubt your expertise or the Mercedes website, but the box stores are pushing me to 0W-20 weighted oil. There would be an awful lot at stake for them to recommend the wrong oil type. Any thoughts on why this is the case? It is saying the 5W-30 doesn't fit the vehicle...
I called the dealership and they gave me several different answers. First I talked with the parts manager and he said 5W-30 but not ESP 5W-30. Then I spoke with the service manager and he said 0W-40. Then I spoke with the parts department and he ran a check on his system for the vehicle year and model and he said 0W-20. Different weight and again no ESP. Then he ran the same search on my VIN and he said 5W-30. I am going to go with the Mobile 1 5W-30 ESP. I'm not a mechanic but like to work on my cars. Maybe the weight differences don't really matter but on my other 5 vehicles there isn't any confusion on what is specified.
Bevo says Mobil1 ESP 5w-30 is approved as a 229.51 spec oil. Personally I would trust the MB site, not the box store. MB is going to ensure their list of approved oils is very accurate.
I can't speak to the box stores or any other sources, but Mercedes superceded their Owners Manual specs last year because of new formulations addressing LSPI.
That's why there's confusion. The sources don't agree.
First oil change for me today on the 2022 AMG GLE53. Only at 2,700 miles but I wanted to (a) try the whole process and see what I was dealing with for future changes, and (b) wanted the factory fill oil out around this time. Plus, the weather was just NICE today and I enjoyed being outside. Whether it was necessary to change the oil now or not is a moot point. It is done. This is just documenting what I did. You might do an oil change quicker/better/cheaper/etc. (or leave it to your dealer) and this is cool. I am just trying to help others who might desire to wrench on their own by writing this up. If you get some help from this post, then I am happy. It's all good guys. No big deals.
The factory oil was juuuuuust starting to darken (expected with a Turbo engine) just a little bit at 2,700 miles (did not look bad of course), but the OEM filter element was pretty clean. The whole process took a couple hours as I took my time, used ramps/chocks, and let the oil drip into the drain pan for an hour since it was a fairly consistent drip once the steady stream drain had completed (like a drop every 3 or 4 seconds, then when it got to about every 20 seconds I was done) - wanted as much of the old oil out, and the small incline from the ramps could have lengthened the drain time needed. Who knows. Plus, I had the afternoon off so time was on my side. Ramps I used were BISupply Vehicle Service Ramp Set – 6.6in Car Lift, 5 Ton Heavy Duty Truck Ramps for Vehicle Maintenance, 2 Pack. I have read where others used the vehicle air shocks to lift the car for oil changes, and did not need ramps etc. I am not that guy. Ramps make it easy AND I feel safe under there without jack stands in place. You do whatever you prefer.
TLDR:
1. Warm car engine up, Put car on ramps, engine off, set parking brake, chock rear tires, open hood
2. Remove engine cover plastic bits and the air intake port on the driver's side (some pics below to help) (NB - I chose to remove this intake port vs just swiveling it out of the way - do whatever makes you feel comfortable)
3. Loosen oil filler cap and loosen oil filter housing (not completely, just about 2 complete revolutions; stuff shop towels around oil filter housing to catch drips later on when taking filter out - I used a ARES 71152-27mm Low Profile Fuel Filter Socket
4. Remove windscreen underneath the engine (eight 8mm screws). Position drain pan under drain bolt, loosen bolt until oil is flowing out but I did not fully remove it yet - left it in by a couple threads for now - you certainly could remove it fully right now if you want; oil seemed to be flowing out well so I just left it alone to drain for the time being
5. Fully remove the oil filter housing, wipe out old oil from housing, remove old filter, remove and replace o-Ring gasket, insert new filter (be sure to line up the green barb into the slot first!) and screw the housing cover back on to the engine
6. Go do something else for an hour while the oil drains out, then remove plastic drain bolt fully, and wait again until the final drip-drip slows to about once every 20 seconds (why 20 seconds? I dunno.... seems about right)
7. Remove drain pan, wipe oil drain bolt area well and install/tighten new plastic drain bolt; re-attach the windscreen panel under the engine
8. Add 9 U.S. quarts of your favorite dino juice matching the MB BEVO specs (I used a 5w-30 oil). Here is just the 229.51 list (there are other 229.xx specs to choose from, refer to your owner's manual): https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevoo...229.51_en.html
9. Put the driver's side plastic air intake port back on and the other engine cover bits; secure oil filler cap
10. Remove chocks, take car off ramps and test drive - check for any leaks; then check your engine oil level (the computer takes a while to measure the oil level - maybe 10 minutes) and add more if it is not at the MAX (what I call "full") level - exactly 9.0 quarts got me to MAX
11. Use the hidden workshop menu to record the Service interval maintenance you just did, if you wish (A or B) : https://youtu.be/SmXO-mt7p7E
12. Dispose of the rags, old filter and old oil at a recycling center, naturally
Pics or it didn't happen section (no comments needed, I know the car needs a wash and tire dressing LOL):
Below: The under engine wind screen.
This pic below is before I wiped all the old oil from out of the filter housing - I just used blue shop towels to push in/soak up the old oil until it was shiny aluminum (did not take a pic of what the fully clean housing looked like). That little brass circle area in the oil filter housing at the 12 o-clock position is where the green O-ring-tipped barb on the oil filter inserts into.
The pic below shows the black O-ring rubber gasket on the filter housing that needs to be thrown away and replaced with the new one that comes in the box with the new oil filter.
Below is a top-down pic of the two push-in style bolt clips (circled in red) that hold on the front of the driver's side air intake just behind the radiator support. Just lift up the center plastic bolt head with a screwdriver and it will come out, then there are still bolt clips in the slot that need to be gently pried out as well (see pic even further down below). When you have all 4 pieces out, the air intake assembly will pull right out, giving you ample room to get to the filter housing area.
In the pic below, the push in bolts are out but the bolt clips are still in - must take these out too.
Below: Plastic bolts and their clips are now out (4 pieces total, set them aside and don't lose them) and the air intake is also removed - lots of room to work now.
Hope this helps others - it's really pretty easy as long as you have the tools, time, and inclination to do your own wrenching. Nice weather helps too. Have fun guys.
thank you for the amazing details! Is this a GLE 53 or 63?
also, what exact tools did you need for the entire job? I have a 996 Porsche that I do my own oil changes on but was wondering if I need to buy any specific tools for 2021 GLE 53.
thank you for the amazing details! Is this a GLE 53 or 63?
also, what exact tools did you need for the entire job? I have a 996 Porsche that I do my own oil changes on but was wondering if I need to buy any specific tools for 2021 GLE 53.
TY
I ordered in summer of 2021 (Covid year) and could not order a V8 since they stopped production for a while, so mine is a 53. Still love the car! Next one will be a 63 most likely.
- ramps, wheel chocks
- flat blade screwdriver to remove the quick fasteners holding the front clips holding air inlet duct at top of engine and release clips at back of duct near ECU, to remove/install the plastic oil pan bolt, and to remove the oil filter o-ring from the housing
- socket wrench/driver
- 8mm socket to get the windage tray off/on - ARES 71152-27mm Low Profile Socket to remove/install oil filter housing
- oil catch pan and home depot bucket to take old oil to recycle center
- bunch of disposable rags/towels (I use those blue shop towels to get the old oil out of the oil filter valley before installing the new one)
I've changed the oil 7 times so far. Easy as can be. Have fun.
08-29-2022, 11:50 AM
