MATT300SD

I'm fairly new to the diesel side of the Mercedes 300 series. I'm not a novice who doesn't have a clue about diesels but I know a few things. I need to know more. So without further delay...

What kind of oil is required for the Turbo Diesel engines in the SD and SDL?
What brand is best? Any recommendations/suggestions climate wise? (I live in Northern California where the winters are fairly mild. Frosty mornings, either rainy and cold or mild and dry during the day and cold nights. The coldest it gets is rarely below 25F. Summer is hot and dry)

What brand and type of glow plugs is best?
What coolant should I use?
What problems should I look out for? (I know timing chain is one)

I've heard a lot of +/- stuff about WVO/SVO/biodiesel. From what I was told, you never know if a restaurant has put salt in it (can't be taken out once it's in) which will damage the engine. The good thing(s) I heard was most restaurants will gladly give it up for free or a small fee. Fairly cheap to modify engine if required. You can mix the fuels together etc.

What's your opinion on this biodiesel/WVO/SVO stuff? I'm trying to figure out if it'll be worth it if I ever choose to change over to it, reason being if the fuel prices keep going up. For many states, #2 diesel is cheaper than gas. Here in CA it's different esp in the Bay Area. Diesel is the most expensive (darn it) and last time I checked it was $3.89/gallon. I like diesel powered vehicles better because they don't have as many problems as the gas powered cars do, they get far better MPG and are actually much cleaner than gas cars are despite what the fony environmentalist/global warming/so called "ecology experts" think eventhough diesels seem dirtier because of the black soot.

Last two things...

Nowadays there are special mufflers out there that collect that black soot that can be cleaned and re-used. Do those affect MPG?

Do the SD's and SDL's smoke a lot? Do they smell like a truck on the inside when the air is on?

Thanks,

-MATT300SD

Untertürkheim

As far as oil, the Mobil 1 5w-40 synthetic is designed specifically for diesels. I have always used this oil in my diesel engines, as far as I know it is the best.

Mercedes can only use Mercedes coolant (I have heard there is one aftermarket coolant that meets MB spec, but I do not know which one, and it does not pay to gamble).

Beru or Bosch glow plugs are good.

Do not bother with the mufflers, a properly kept SD/SDL will not smoke or smell.

If you want to use bio-fuel, do not use SVO or WVO. If you want, refine and filter the SVO or WVO yourself, and if you do it properly, the car should run well without modification.

hineywineries

Matt,
I don't have time to respond to your whole list right now. I have to do a full service on a 300E this morning so I can stain my deck this afternoon if the weather stays at 64*F. I am going to have to disagree with the other poster. If he really lives in Sttutgart, then mabe Mobil ! is best, but I gather from your post we don't live too far apart. You mentioned the SF Bay Area. I live in Fairfield ehich is next to the Napa Valley. I can't see them planting millions of dollars where it freezes. I have used good old 20/50 Dino oil for years in hundreds of MBs without a problem. If you go to Tahoe, you might want to use synthetic for easier starts in the morning. I use sunthetics in 1998 and newer MBs, because the oil sensor and computer are designed around it for the Flexible service system. I use Pentisin (sp) from Germany.

kellerboy

sorry guys but don`t use 5 -40 if you have california weather

Otherwise your car Leaks like a sieve

use swepco 15-40

cost about 7-9 $ Liter

good for about 6000 mil and more

you get what you pay

hey_allen

Oil: for warm climates, 15-40 works in similar weather to yours, with little to no grumbling in similar winter conditions.

Glow plugs: Bosch, bosch, and bosch... The diesel section on mercedesshop.com is very active, and keep having problems with other makes of plugs. Autolite ones seem to be the most problematic, and some have been reporting short life spans out of Monark (sp?) brand plugs as well.

Coolant: Either genuine MB stuff, or Zerex G05 is all I've heard to use. I'm not sure where the argument finally wound up, but the last I'd heard was that the G-05 stuff was what MB buys and labels as MB.
I find the Zerex stuff at local parts houses occasionally, but get better prices at the commercial hydraulic and equipment repair shop when it goes on sale. ~$7/gal

You'd do well to check the timing chain condition, especially having just bought it, not knowing what condition and when it was last changed.

I wouldn't worry about running bio-diesel, but I'm staying away from WVO entirely. I like the idea of getting cheap fuel, but you never know what is in it, and from what I've heard about CA regulations, you end up having to get licensed and bonded as a waste products hauler or you can be fined by the state for moving waste oil.
On that note, though: If your car has not been running on Bio, you'll probably gunk up a filter(or 10..) depending on how much crud is sitting in the bottom of the fuel tank when you start running bio. Unless you want to flush the whole system before you do, I'd carry at least one extra primary filter and a screw driver to change it with, in case it clogs up on the side of the road. Easy fix, just annoying if you don't have the tool and filter when it needs it.

I don't think there are any soot trapping exhaust systems available for our older cars, and the new ones are having all sorts of issues, at least the ones on the light duty trucks here in the states. (catching fire and burning the truck to the ground... Small issues, you see... )

If the engine is well adjusted, you shouldn't have much soot coming out of the tail pipe, other than a little when you first start it and it's running cold.

Happy motoring!

Untertürkheim

Like I have said before, synthetic oils offer superior protection and lubrication that is just not possible to achieve with dino oils. You are asking about oil for a diesel engine, so use a diesel rated oil, I do not know of any 20/50 oils that are diesel-specific. Furthermore, that oil is too thick for a diesel engine. Diesels generate less heat than gasoline engines and will not benefit from such a heavy oil. Mobil 1 is not required, Pentosin is also very good, as is Amsoil, and I have heard Red Line is also good.

If you would like a list of the cars in which I have used synthetic oil, I would be glad to type it out.

hineywineries

No need for us to get in a pissin contest over oil. If you want to see a thread go to 20 pages, just start an oil thread. If you system works, that is fine. I'm just pointing out that I don't see the need to spend money on Synthetic when dino works just as well. I can't even begin to count the millions of miles that have been put on cars I have serviced with good old 20/50. I've never had a problem. I'm not recommending it for all climates. I live in a very mild climate area here in the SF Bay Area. The most important factor with oil besides viscosity is TBN ( total base Number). If you send an oil sample to a lab, it should have a TBN above one or higher which indicates there are still protective additives in the oil.

Untertürkheim

I have no intention of getting into a "pissing contest". The question is not what the car will run on, because almost anything will allow the engine to turn. The question is what is better, and it is physically impossible for a dino based oil to perform as well as a well made synthetic. I did not mean to imply that anyone's engine will blow up as a result of sub-standard oil, but to say it is "just as good" is not possible.

Untertürkheim

Since location is apparently an issue, my SEC is in Los Angeles, so I am familiar with warm climates.

hineywineries

Gosh, how did cars survive before synthetics? They must have lumbered along praying for a synthetic god. Get real, dude. What is your real background? Have you ever really studied mechanics? Do you have 30 or 40 years experience as a professional mechanic? Please don't tell me you are an engineer, because that would explain everything.

Untertürkheim

The fact is that cars did not survive as long, and were not as sophicticated as they are today.

Nobody in my family is a mechanic, although several of my family members work or have worked for Daimler-(Benz). My views on oil are shaped largely by my uncle who recently retired after working as an engineer for MB for 40 years. Considering was one of the people directly responsible for many of the engines in our cars, including the M116/117 that is in both of ours, and the OM60x series engines, among others, makes me trust his opinion over nearly any other.

It also may be of note that all of MB's and the ACEA's oil quality and rating tests are based on tests with an OM602A.