PeterS.

What's is an alternative oil weight and brand alternative to the crazy expensive Mercedes dealership oil?

g60wall

Mobil 1 0w-40

PeterS.

European car formula? Good enough for 5.5 v12?

PeterS.

at the Mb dealership the oil filter costs $30. Any good alternatives for the 5.5. And about the oil, can I change brands. Penzoil, royal purple, etc. or should I stick with Mobil.

tusabes

yes mobil 0-40 is oem

amstel78

You can use 0W-40 Mobil 1 Euro formula. The dealer also uses Mobil 1 5W-40.

618Syndicate

Course you can change brands, the question you gotta ask is what do you want from an oil? Less viscosity? Longer intervals between changes? As with everything else that you can modify, the answer to your question is the result of a trade-off. The OEM oil was selected because it met the needs of the manufacturer. Are your needs the same? If so OEM is your best bet. If your needs differ, research and choose accordingly. Sorry if it sounds like I'm being a smartass, truth is you'll get a billion opinions about oil, from a billion sources. Main rule about oil in my experience is that some is better than none! Fwiw I run rotella in my turbo bike, for a variety of reasons.

amstel78

Rotella is good stuff as well. I ran T6 in my diesel Golf once the DPF was deleted. Had it tested by Blackstone several times. UOA always came back positive.

Welwynnick

Mobil 1 is probably the best, but there are lots of good options.

However, never use a -30W oil with the V12TT. The high temperature shear strength is too low. Always use a -40W.

Nick

g60wall

I was looking at valvoline vr1 5w-50 to deal with the heat. What's your opinion nick?

Welwynnick

I don't think it's an MB approved oil, so I wouldn't use it. I'm not at all precious about parts and materials, but there are so many MB approved engine oils there's little point not using one. You can find them here, and search for MB 229.3, 229.31, 229.5 or 229.51:


https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.3_en.html

618Syndicate

Nick, you seem quite well versed in these cars, any idea what MB uses as a standard for approval? I've always been curious as to why certain oils (brand and weight) are recommended by manufacturers for specific cars, particularly when the uses of a given vehicle can be so wide-ranging.

amstel78

Can't speak for MB, but VW spec'd a 507.00 approved oil for my diesel powered Golf. The reason being is it's a low-ash lubricant that wouldn't gum up the emissions system as quickly as a non 507.00 oil would. It became a moot point however once the DPF was removed.

There are other things apart from shear stability and viscosity that manufacturers consider when approving a specific oil for a particular vehicle. Some formulations come from a specific base that the manufacturer feels would best meet engine performance requirements. Others have additives, etc.

The best thing to do if unsure about oil performance is to perform an analysis. I've used Blackstone labs in the past. You take a used sample of oil and send it to them. In turn the provide you with an analysis the covers oil condition, the amount and type of metals and chemicals found in suspension, etc. This gives you an overall idea as to how engine wear is progressing and if the oil is able to provide sufficient wear protection.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Here's a sample of a UOA from Blackstone: