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As a new GLK owner, I'm curious as to how many of you actually change the oil every 10,000 miles. I've always had the habit of changing oil and filter every 3,000 miles. My Mazda and recent Ford recommended every 7500 miles, and even that made me cringe. But, 10,000 miles between changes on that beautiful V-6? Wowser!
The BITOG guys will go routinely on 7.5K OCI on Dyno oil.
So if M1 is what it purports to be as a synthetic & I've seen no engine blowing up while using M1 in all my years of living - then 10K shouldn't be a problem.
If you are afraid, do an oil analysis at 7500 or @ the very least go search the archives on BITOG for Mercedes oil analysis & see what they post.
Me, I will change it out every 7500-8000 miles.
ps - I do my mazda daily driver with mostly city miles at 7500 OCI. No engine blowing up & no performance degradation.
This has been discussed a thousand times... do what you wish, it's can't hurt if you DIY and have the cash. I do, every 5K miles.... No big deal.
I agree with MBRedux.
Do what you wish.
For me, I'll stick with manufacturer's recommandation.
Right now, I have over 14,000 km since that last oil change.
I have to to bring mine in for service in the next 500km.
It's reminds me everytime I start the car. It's a B1 service... LOL
After all, MB are the ones who designed the engine.
That 3K change thing was an invention of Jiffy Lube to generate more business. Quite successfully as many people have that number ingrained in their brains as absolute fact. Manufacturers do a lot of research on this and it wouldn't be good business to have customer engines seizing up left and right.
For me, I'll stick with manufacturer's recommandation.
Right now, I have over 14,000 km since that last oil change.
I have to to bring mine in for service in the next 500km.
It's reminds me everytime I start the car. It's a B1 service... LOL
After all, MB are the ones who designed the engine.
Has your engine given you any issues?
Most likely not.
You're approaching 9K miles OCI on that thing.
Looks like MB know what it's doing like you said & M1 is a trusted product.
That 3K change thing was an invention of Jiffy Lube to generate more business. Quite successfully as many people have that number ingrained in their brains as absolute fact. Manufacturers do a lot of research on this and it wouldn't be good business to have customer engines seizing up left and right.
Maybe Toyota didn't do enough research. Or didn't care. Their oil sludge sure stiffed a bunch of folks. Oops, according to the official court documents, the Toyota engines contained oil gel. Right. What a croc.
The folks where I bought my car said that 10,000 miles would be just right. They discouraged me from a change at 5,000 miles.
Has your engine given you any issues?
Most likely not.
You're approaching 9K miles OCI on that thing.
Looks like MB know what it's doing like you said & M1 is a trusted product.
Touch wood.
Just over 67,000KM and still runs like as it should.
I'll go with a DIY every 5K miles for both oil and filter, but if I were going to extend to 10K miles, I'd change the filter every 5K. And I expect that it matters if the miles are primarily in-town commuter miles, in which case a 10K mile interval is excessive IMHO. BMW's Service Interval computer claims to account for hot vs. cold starts, excessive rpms, etc. I have not sensed the same sophistication on my Mercedes models -- seems only based on miles and time.
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
People clinging to "dealer recommendations" seem unaware of the "Severe Service" clause that states to shorten OCI for many conditions that most of us encounter.
The "recommended" OCI isn't an ideal OCI in the literal sense, it's more like a MAXIMUM OCI for penny-pinching accountants and mindless owners who couldn't be bothered to do "extra" or anything more than the absolute minimum service. Many engine failure modes can be averted with more frequent oil changes.
Non-turbo, non DI engines can run fine on ANY OIL in the store. Tell me one that won't work other than the generic non-detergent SAE 30 SA/SB for old tractors. If you pick a dino 5ww-20....fine. I will run it for 3000-5000 miles in extreme cold winter, 15w-40 or 20w-50 for Texas heat, see what I mean?
Last edited by Audi Junkie; 03-06-2021 at 12:22 PM.
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
BUT people will cry, "oh it's NOT MB 229 oil!" like there's some secret ingredient or special quality to it, no. It's just a licencing scheme that creates revenue for the auto mfg. 229 is a great spec, but see how one single product covers various brands? Nothing special here.
Also, nobody seems to mention the onboard oil change reset also allows for "Standard Oil"....I'll post a pic from the cluster when I find it.
The best plan for OCI is a timed interval, either 6 months or a full year. Under 10k miles in a year, just do a single synth change. If you want a better plan, do two changes 6 months apart. Dino at 5000 miles verses synth at 10,000 miles....two changes for people who don't mind the extra work, the DIYer. There's no substitute for physically draining out the old oil's contaminates and starting over with fresh friction modifiers and detergents.
Just do what suits you. I just brought home a 3.5 that supposedly had a dealer change 2000 miles ago, a 10yr old 60k car. I changed it for the heck of it to Mobil Delvac 15w-40, a $10 a GALLON heavy-duty diesel oil. It'll clean well and going into summer in Florida....who needs a 0w oil, LOL!?!? Plus I'll road trip with towing. Anyway, a $20 oil change reusing the old filter....cringe but no. I don't really have the tools at my vacation home anyway.
Next winter back in PA, I might go with some Maxlife 10w-40 mixed with 5w-30. Usually I do a full jug of 10w-40 and 3q of 5w-30 in summer and the other way around in winter, a full jug of 5w-30 and 3q of 10w-40. At 5000-6000 miles it's PERFECT and BETTER than a single change of 0w-40 spec oil.
I have nothing against spec oil, I have a stash of it I use in my turbo engines. In NA engines, when I know in advance I will change it in 6 months, why would I put expensive spec oil in anyway??? mind you I have 4 Mercedes plus the family cars i work on, should I spend $500 a year on oil jugs?
1000 miles per quart of capacity is not a bad rule, but a predictive method of timed 6 months is best. Good for short trip driving as well as lots of hwy miles. Lets you change visc for seasons...! No need to count down miles to the OC or guess how many miles you actually want to run the oil, you just do it around Halloween and May Day...never need to work on an OC in the middle of winter this way either.
Last edited by Audi Junkie; 03-06-2021 at 12:20 PM.
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Even better is the 10w-30 versions of HD oils, like Mobil or Shell Rotella or Chevron Delo they get a few more $ for it. Rotella SEMI Synth 10w-30 is a standout product. 1000 miles a quart is guaranteed.
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Originally Posted by 420tee
That 3K change thing was an invention of Jiffy Lube to generate more business. Quite successfully as many people have that number ingrained in their brains as absolute fact. Manufacturers do a lot of research on this and it wouldn't be good business to have customer engines seizing up left and right.
2000-3000 miles was the industry standard 40 years ago when base oil and additives were not even close to todays. Old carbureted engines dumped tons of fuel into the oil and sludge was a by product of all that. The fuel was dirty on top of it. The Kendall logo publicized the fact the oil could go 2000 miles...
Typically, the MB engines have a higher oil capacity than the other cheap imports. I have always used the 10,000 mile change on all 3 of my Mercedes with no problems. I also have used nothing other than full synthetic oil as well. Be sure to only use motor oil that meets the MB Specs
That 3K change thing was an invention of Jiffy Lube to generate more business. Quite successfully as many people have that number ingrained in their brains as absolute fact. Manufacturers do a lot of research on this and it wouldn't be good business to have customer engines seizing up left and right.
That is humorous but not very accurate. The first Jiffy Lube did not come along until 1971. The 3,000 mile interval was long established before that time and was actually a product of the manufacturer and their maintenance recommendations.
E Coupe C207, ML W166, ML W164, Sprinter 1500/144, W111 SB220 Fintail(s), A5 chassis Beetle 5+5
Except, why does the mfg "advise" 10k? The biggest factor is the marketing department wanting to show low cost of ownership, while the service department charges a ton of cash for an oil change. Never the mind about "severe service" conditions, including cold weather, driving fast or short trips which actually "advise" 5k changes instead. That's a pretty big gulph to cross based on the advice of marketing accountants, when a more scientific approach would involve your own UOA labs and, god forbid, your own personal experience.
I'm not sure how 10k would be better anyway??? Other than the idea of mindless compliance with a manual written to cover every possible driver and climate combo. You probably think one grade of oil, 0w-40, is the best choice both for old ladies to drive 2 miles to church in Minnesota winter is the same oil that's best for a 100+F track session in an AMG all day. You think so for two reasons, because you think the manual tells you so, and because you have no faith in your own understanding of the subject for various reasons.
Coming from a lifetime of VAG engines, where oil can cause multiple failure points, and in a world where every mfg has had sludge issues with blanket recommendations, please explain to me how 10k changes are "better"? is it because oil costs $25 a jug, or you don't DiY the changes yourself?
Last edited by Audi Junkie; 06-15-2022 at 01:41 AM.
I have always noticed much better performance after a 3500 mile change, probably because anti friction additives are worn out.
10000 mile interval is marketing to make you think it’s cheaper to maintain.
Oil is a bit contaminated at 3500 and some additives have worn away. In winter with short driving oil goes bad quicker than highway driving in summer. These mb motors are too complicated and expensive to fix. But every body does what they feel is right.
02-23-2012, 08:47 PM
