treiberg

Changed my oil and filter in my 2000 S500 a few weeks ago, and the procedure is fairly simple. With Mobil 1 Oil and filter, it cost about $55. There is an oil filter wrench available at AutoZone called a Type "B" that fits the S500's oil housing cap perfectly! However, I am wondering if someone knows anything about the two different types of filters I found for this car. One I bought of of ebay, and the other from AutoZone. They both have the same dimensions, but the ends of the filters are different (see picture below). Anybody out there know why? I am thinking they changed the filter to a different style somewhere along the way. Although I assume either one works.

The procedure - takes about 20 minutes.

1) Remove four screws that hold on the plastic covers below the engine, near the center, locate the oil drain plug, remove it, and drain the oil. You need a pretty big container, as you will drain about 8 or 9 quartz. I did all this without lifting the front end. A little tight underneath, but manageable.

2) The filter is located in a housing accessible under the hood, near the front of the engine. I used the Autozone wrench mentioned above to remove the plastic cap that is threaded on to the housing. It is the type that you use with a socket wrench.

3) When you pull the cap off, you will see that the cap is actually an assembly which includes a center peice, and the filter will come out with the assembly (see picture below). You need to pull the filter off of the assembly. There are a series of o-rings which should have come with your filter kit, four if I remember correctly. These all need to go on that plastic assembly at the various location (of course, after removing the old ones). Push the new filter onto the assembly, all the way as far as it will go. Then put the assembly with the new filter back on, threading it and then tightening it with your wrench. It should be snug, but don't bear down on it too hard. If it is snug, the o-rings will do their job of sealing everything.

4) Now that the oil is drained, put the plug back in (use new washer if kit came with one), and button up the bottom panels.

5) Put oil in. I used Mobil 1 synthetic. If I remember correctly, it used about 8.5 quarts. I kept adding until I could get the oil on the dipstick to the full level. Do not overfill!! Also, the filter will abosorb a little oil, so check it again after you have run your engine.

I enjoy doing this myself - save money, time, and you'll know it was done right!

Good luck. (Let me know if I missed anything, for those who have also done their own oil changes.)

newton22

Wow, $55? I spent a whopping $75. $52 for oil and $23 for filter.

kenstudios

Buy OE filters. Some filter commonly found at Autozone may only last you 3-4K miles. OE filters last atleast 7500 miles. They both appear to fit in the filter shaft and you shouldn't be worried about the lip on the bottom of one. Just worry about how many miles they last.

Also are you sure you bought Mobil 1 0W40? That alone cost about $50-60 for 9 qts depending on where you buy.

treiberg

I paid a little over $5 per quart for oil at AutoZone (Mobil1 0w-40), so around $45 for oil and $10 for a filter. I bought a 4-pack of filters on eBay (Mahle type) for about $40.

Jayhawk

MB is very specific about what type of filter should be used. For example, "229.5 engine oils must be used with fleece oil filter designed for use with 229.5 engine oils." Please see this MB engine oil recommendations site for more information: http://www.whnet.com/4x4/oil.html

BTW: My MB dealer has a regular oil change, plus 27 point check, for $59.99.

newton22

That is a crazy price. Are you still under warranty?

Jayhawk

No warranty. This is a regular deal for everyone. They have it posted in the service department and customer waiting room. Besides being great PR for them it is a great deal for the MB owner. It is probably not a total humanitarian offer though because I'm sure that occasionally that 27-point check turns up a major repair or two that needs to be done...

treiberg

$60 is a great deal at the dealer. I'd still probably do it myself, even if tempted with that price. Doing it myself gives me a chance to really see what's going on under the car, let's me be confident that its done right (although the dealer mechanics should do it perfectly!). But probably the biggest reason it time. In the time it takes me to drive the the dealership, I can have it done. (This assumes I don't waste a bunch of time getting my parts and fluid - filters I get online, and I seem to make a trip to AutoZone every few weeks or so, so just stock up on oil).

Having the dealership do an inspection could be worth something too, no doubt. They might see something I would miss.

Jayhawk

Yes it is.

Have you been using a fleece oil filter? MB demands it w/ Mobile 1.

treiberg

I assume the ones in the picture above are paper filters and not fleece? What looks different about the fleece ones? Do you have a picture to compare?

I seem to remember reading in my WIS that the fleece ones replaced the older style sometime after the production date of the car, which means the first cars must have used the older style. I used one of the ones in the picture...again, probably not the fleece style. But I am not sure since I don't know what the fleece ones look like.

treiberg

I searched eBay and found the fleece-style.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MERCE...spagenameZWDVW

There is even a picture. $65 for five, not bad. Looking at the picture, this is very close to to the one I removed from the car and it was the first oil change I had done since purchasing it.

I'll be sure to use this for future changes.

Thanks for the information.

newton22

$65 for 5 isn't bad. I had to pay $23 for one. Next time I'll look elsewhere, but stay with the OEM filters.

tee024

Does everyone but me know how to turn the radio off and have it stay off?

I would like to have the radio remain off until I want it on rather than have it come on with every engine start.

Please help if you are able.

Thanks,

Tom

kenstudios

Power OFF.

tee024

Thanks

tee024

Thanks, but the radio is back on the next time the car is started.

Tom

kenstudios

Are you pushing "POWER OFF" or are you pushing "DISP OFF"? You might have some other issue going. Try this, next time you exit the car, power the radio on and leave it playing. Your system can play for about 10-20 min with the key off the ignition after which it powers off by itself. Then start the car once it powers off and see if it stays off.

1phd1jd

Stay away from oil filters not manufactured by Benx. If you use non benz oil filters, they only last 5000 miles. The Benz oil filters are 10,000 mile filters.

newton22

I think the OEMs are Mann. Benz doesn't make any.

tee024

Thank you Ken. I will do as you suggest. I have owned the car since Feb.

It is wonderful in every way. I think the radio is probably something that I am doing wrong.

Thanks again for your help.

Tom

gregwang

Someone else recommended previously on this Forum to buy from this place since they had the lowest price of $ 13.49 each if you buy a case of 10 and the shipping is free(Since I change my oil every 5,000 miles a case will last me 50,000 miles.) http://www.germanfilters.com/2001-s5...1446_2772.html

Also, sometimes places like Kragen Auto Parts have sales on Mobil 1 0w-40 oil for $ 4.99 a quart so I usually pick up about 18 quarts each time they have a sale which is enough for the next 2 oil changes on my car. Even when not on sale they still have the lowest price of $ 5.99 a quart. http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...artnumber=0W40 And they do have a sale this weekend for $ 4.99 a quart http://www.partsamerica.com/default.aspx they have 3,000 store in the U.S. Just scroll to the bottom of their home page and input your zipcode to find the store nearest you. Cheers!

Jason Killion

I just bought a MightyVac fluid extractor/filler, oil (Mobil1), 2 filters (fleece) and the filter cap removal tool for less than my dealer here quoted me for a basic oil change...

Soplayer73

Go to Walmart
Never buy oil from the auto shops like Auto zone or advanced xcetera you'll save so much money..

wallyp

That post was from 2006 - he hasn't been here since 2014...