platt-deutsch

Dealer says my S600 should have 5W 40 Mobil 1.. Cant seem to find it in the local auto parts stores.. Is this the correct oil to use or is 10W 30 OK?

paulv

Use Mobil 1 0W40 if you can't find the 5W40 -- don't use 10W30. Here's alink with oil info:

http://www.whnet.com/4x4/oil.html

Regards,
paul...

vettdvr

Paul is correct. I used M1 0w40 which states on the label meeting the Mercedes spec for the engine.

Paul have you changed the auto transmission fluid. I am now on the search for the correct fluid vs. MB spec.

Have a great day. Jim

platt-deutsch

Thanks for the info.. I will also be interested in what you find out on the transmission fluid as mine is 60K so I say its probly time to change ..
Gary

whoover

The only ATF that meets MB specs is MB fluid. You can use either A001 989 21 03 10 or A001 989 45 03 13. The first one is for the 722.6 (5-speed) transmission only; the second one is the later fluid for the 722.6 and 722.9 (7-speed) transmissions. No other brands are certified.

whoover

Does anyone know if the MB-approved 5W-40 Mobil 1 is available in quarts yet? Last I checked, only the dealers had it and the official policy (per a call to MBUSA) was top up with 0W-40. The only people who absolutely need it are new urea-injected Bluetec diesel owners, so I assume it will be available retail when the 2008 diesels reach market. 0W-40 will mess up the pollution controls on those diesels. That's the only reason dealers have switched, so they can continue to use one oil for all recent models.

lkchris

Actually, my GL320CDI has a sticker under hood cautioning against adding ANY AMOUNT of non-229.51 motor oil.

This is the requirement for all 2007-on diesels since they all have particulate filter.

Consequently, this is the only oil most dealers will use in all cars, as they won't have multiple filling systems. It is certainly approved for all Mercedes. It is Mobil 1 ESP Formula M 5W-40 (ESP = emissions system protection).

Your dealer told you this because it's all he has.

Any Mercedes prior to 2007 will do fine with 229.5 oils, which includes Mobil 1 0W-40.

Mobil 1 10W-30 is NOT approved. NO 10W-30 oil is Mercedes-approved.

whoover

Makes sense. We don't have 2007 diesels in California. It was MBUSA HQ who told me it's ok to mix in my non-diesels, not the dealer. Can you get ESP 5W-40 retail in NM? At the dealer? At parts places? It's not available in CA except in drums to the dealers, probably because no CA cars yet must use it.

paulv

Jim,

I haven't changed the ATF yet, but I'll probably have it done in the spring. The car has 77,000 miles on it now and my wife drives only a few miles each week. I thought about doing it myself, but I can't get the car high enough in the air and this isn't a DIY to do lying on my back!

BTW, whoover is correct and we can only use the MB ATF that he states.

Regards,
paul...

vettdvr

Paul I have done some checking and found:

Transmission Fluid E500

MB Spec for the 722.6 tranny is 236.1

Fuchs Titan 4000 is mineral based and meets MB Spec 236.1 and 236.5

Fuchs Titan 5000 is Fully Synthetic and meets MB Spec 236.8

I also found Amsoil had a Universal Synthetic ATF that meets the 236.1 spec and If I remember correctly it also meets 236.5 for the 7 speed.

I have priced the MB fluid and it runs $14 to $16 but they don't state the quantity. Gallon? Qt? Ltr? I have to call to find out but it had the MB label on the oil.

I plan to change my tranny fluid later this year. After all what' the worse that can happen. Ok don't answer that !

Going throught the MB manual drain the oil, pull the pan,, refill. (this doesn't include flush but I never flushed any of the tranny's I have owned)

I will need to order the dipstick for the tranny to confirm the fluid level before I drain it.

I tried Exxon Mobile, Pennzoil, and their response they have no fluid meeting the Mercedes spec.

So there are only a few that do. Jim

uberwgn

It is available in quarts. I'm afraid you've got to contact your local Mobil distributor for it. It comes in 6-pks.

FWIW, MBUSA is pulling back on this oil and returning to the long-standing 0W40 recommendation for all cars except diesels. There's some issue with the 229.51 spec and gasoline mixed with ethanol. The dealership bulk oil is being switched back to 0W40.

My local dealer has the ESP 5W40 for $US6.50/qt.

vettdvr

[QUOTE=uberwgn;2428236] There's some issue with the 229.51 spec and gasoline mixed with ethanol. The dealership bulk oil is being switched back to 0W40.
[QUOTE]

I am suprised at this.? I am using only 0w40 M1 but can't help what the issue is with ethanol.

uberwgn

I don't know, and it is a big surprise since they just switched to this newer product that was to be used in all cars regardless of fuel source.

I'm trying to get the TSB so we can see what the low-down is. Somebody else told me it's a widespread issue that will affect all 229.51 oils.

If somebody was up to it, a quick note could be sent to MBUSA asking why the change. I don't know if they're going to be a position to disclose what the issues/concerns are.

vettdvr

If it affects all 229.51 oils this will affect M1 0w40. I don't use any fuel with ethanol but our gov. had made the decision for us and as soon as the state funded plants are operational it will be manditory to use ethanol in Louisiana.

At least from how I understand the oil.

On Tranny fluid I got a response from Pennzoil stating they would look into determining what fluid they mfg that would meet the MB spec for the 5 / 7 speed auto's.

uberwgn

Yeah, we've got mandatory 10% ethanol here in MA, too.

Somebody had said M1 0W40 was going to be re-formulated so it would be 229.51 compliant. I just looked at their website and it only shows 229.5. However, I looked at some bottles at Autozone two weeks ago and could swear they showed 229.51.

I'm not gonna worry too much about this...there are still plenty of 229.x oils available at this time.

vettdvr

I bought 0w40 M1 at autozone that clearly stated meeting 229.51 on the back of the bottle. That is what I used on the last change.

uberwgn

OK, thanks for clarifying...glad my eyes weren't deceiving me

FWIW, the only vehicles in the USA requiring 229.51 are the diesel wunderwagons. The newest gas-engine cars don't require it.

whoover

The MB recommendation doesn't list the spec sheet, only their part number. This is different than the way they list oil, for instance.

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...7&d=1177856937

uberwgn

The factory fluid for the 5 spd cars is around $16/L.

There's a long thread at one of the other forums addressing the Chrysler transmissions and their trans fluid. Those are Benz transmissions and they use ATF+4 which is easily found. Some of the guys are running it in their Benzes and report no issues.

The ATF+4 specification describes a specific formulation regardless which mfr is producing it. That's a bit different compared to Dexron, etc.

vettdvr

That was a good list of approved items. Hadn't seen it before. I have been using the MB service manual on CD I bought from MB for the specs.

I worked for a fortune 500 company and at times trying to standardize lubricants for equipment. You would not believe how may lubricants are in a major corporation and the $$ involved. By knowing the standards and consolidation lots of $$ can be saved in inventory and mistakes.

Engine oil and Tranny fluid should be a no brainer. but apparently it isn't.

Jim

lkchris

Since as soon as I bought my GL I was going on a long trip and didn't know how much oil the new engine would consume, I purchased two quarts at my dealer with no problem. Have not seen it elsewhere.

Now at 7500 miles have no oil consumption and am confident will make it to the 10K change with no additional required.

lkchris

The Dexron specification is determined by General Motors and does not vary.

The ATF+4 specification is indeed for Chrysler transmissions. Your Dodge Sprinter, however, uses something different. You'll not find an ATF+4 manufacturer that states it's for use in Mercedes transmissions.

vettdvr

What I find interesting is that Mercon/Dex III is spec. for my Diesel Truck auto tranny but after researching that found that Dex V is replacing the III.

So,, If the MB shows Dex III as approved and Dex III is phasing out does the Dex V meet the spec?

I bought the Dex III in the last few cases for the tranny change .

whoover

Dex III is not approved for the 5-speed transmission. It was used for the earlier 4-speeds. Page 7 of the document I linked above says so explicitly. No car with the 722.6 transmission should use it.

paulv

I believe you, but I'll have the work done at a MB indy and he has the MB ATF -- I want to do a total ATF replacement/flush which will use about 14L (IIRC) which is what I was eluding to earlier about trying to do that in my garage.

BTW, I was trying to buy some Fuchs Titan Supersyn motor oil for my other car and contacted Fuchs US. They told me that Fuchs doesn't market this oil in the US and if I wanted to buy some, the minimum import order was 4 barrels!!! I told them that if I bought 4 barrels of oil, my wife would kill me and bury me in with the oil!!! Maybe this is how Jimmy Hoffa ended up!!!!!!

Regards,
paul...