If you are not concrerned about any technical reason the manufacturer has about oil change intervals, I would wait till you can't stand it any more. Every driving environment is different.

 

i think a same!

 

Where did your understanding that you needed to spend above a certain ($) threshold annually with Mercedes to qualify for road side assistance
come from??? First time heard here!

 

The free For life roadside/ towing hinges on the vehicle being maintained by a certified mb dealer. Dealer oil changes satisfy this requirement

 

Go to this link...

http://www.mercedesroadside.com/road...y-and-coverage

The footnote states...

*Roadside Assistance will be offered on vehicles which have received at least $100.00 in customer pay services at an Authorized Mercedes-Benz Dealer prior to 1/1/2014, provided that the request for Roadside Assistance is made within 18 months of said services.

Note that these terms were dated as of January 2014 and hence the specified dates. They even state a requirement for the purchase of any MB car prior to 2011 to be from a Mercedes dealership. When I called for MB Roadside for the dead starter battery, I think they were able to check their database to see that the vehicle was purchased from a local MB dealership.

Perhaps this change came about because it was costing MB some coins for all the old W126's, W123's, and R107's still on the road, requiring some form of roadside assistance under the old lifetime policy.

 

question? U really go 12k between oil changes.

 

Mercedes official maint says every 10k. But 12k isn't going to hurt anything.

http://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/DigitalA...ce_Booklet.pdf

 

For those that change their own oil, do you use a Mercedes oil filter? I will probably just drain it like my other cars. I think dealer sucks it out.

 

Cheapest maintenance you can do on a car that will provide the best protection to the engine. Too early and it is a waste of money, too late and potential engine problems such as different compression rates in the cylinders etc etc. So why take the risk.

 

I'm changing in a week or two and I think I'm going to take a sample like you did and send it in for fun. I'm just going to put it in a small tupperware cup with a lid I guess until I find something better to ship it in.

 

I'm curious to see how the engines compare with use and miles.

 

Yes atleast 12k, but no sooner than 10k.

 

As I have always said miles not time. I have gone 8 years between oil changes with full synthetic Mobil 1 and that wa with a total of 800 miles driven but the car gets run every month for 20 minutes.

 

I change my oils every 3-4k miles just to be safe. I like feeling of pouring out the dark oil and pouring in the fresh golden mobil1.

 

Like I tell everyone, it's your money you can waste it however you see fit. If MBZ says 10k, then any more than that is a waste of the earths resources.

 

Its true that MB says 10k, but I notice a difference when using mobil1 full synthetic at 3k/4k/5k. Both apperence of color and the smell is stronger with each thousand miles over 3-4k.

I may be wrong, but I can feel a difference in the running and shifting of my car after 4k miles w/o oil change.

My future MB will have more than 100k miles on it. Through the modes that I'm purchasing through, my MB will most likely have no service records to be had(unless they were stored inside the car). Meaning, I have no way of knowing how the car was cared for before I own it. Thus, I use extra care and maintenance to keep everything running the best it can. More than likely the previous owner would not have cared for it like I will. If he/she did, then I lucked in.

This is my thoughts around why I change so soon.

 

The best approach to engine and transmission maintenance should be evidence-based. The manufacturers recommendations are based upon this approach. Statistically, one should be safe with these guidelines.

For the individual, a car may fall out of the statistical curve. Factors may be failures of oil, maintenance interval, antifreeze contamination, air filter contamination, internal component breakdown, moisture, and on and on. So a change in the oil maintenance interval may neither identify or prevent an engine/transmission failure.

I would start with the manufacturers recommended service intervals and have a sample of the used fluids analyzed by a lab, such as Blackstone Laboratory in Fort Wayne, IN. The cost is about $38 with TBN levels.

 

i always change my oil before 5k miles. i know its a bit much but $100 per oil change is cheap. my mechanic tells me i can go longer but i still do it. i drive my car alot.

 

A 5k service interval is nice if it includes a full inspection, tire rotation, and filters. For some drivers, it may be the only time anything is checked under the hood.

 

I also exchange 1-2q. of tranny oil every third oil change. Just to flow out metal shavings and the piece of mind as I'm already under the hood.

I'm going to get the oil tested! Thats a brilliant idea for learning contamination levels and which components are "grinding" most.

 

Wow you a very sensitive guy! Wish I could connect so deeply with my cars feelings! lol

 

I'm a believer in long life through early fluid replacements and preventative maintenance.

Doing changes early keeps me in tune with my car. Because I'm already working on the car it gives me a few minutes to check everything. (no rusting, new dings/chips, undercarriage dirt, engine bay dirt, I make sure no hoses/Bolts have begun to come loose.

Doing so gives me great peace of mind that the vehicle I drive is in a good stance to serve me for the life of my ownership.

I also drive very carefully(I give the car more than 50% throttle 1-2 times a month(to overtake someone going dangerously slow). I take corners like a typical European driver ensuring my tires/suspension/bushings last as long as possible.

I think every 'Cedes owner in my category should follow this method to save money and get the most out of their product. I only "Drive it like I stole it" when I'm not the one suffering the consequences.

 

I hear Mike & Dave on the way.....lol

Hd

 

Well, I don't do it to save money. I do it to save the environment. Also, any article you read says that full Synthetic's have NO viscosity break downs and my lab results proved that. I am more of a based on science guy, than a gut feeling kind of guy. Also, we here in Ca have the most stringent emission laws in the world and if your oil is loaded with hydrocarbons, it shows up on the testing. My emissions results were almost 0 on every reading. Changing the oil early is a waste of money and the environment, that is fact not fiction. I do not begrudge anyone who feels differently. It's not my life and I have no business telling others, what they should and shouldn't do. I just try and inform them of facts not fiction.
When I was younger and oil was paraffin based, oils should have always been changed every 3K miles. Now that they are so full of detergents and are Synthetic those days are gone, the old school thinking has gone away with the Walkman.
Example my 19K mile Eldo convertible only had a few oil changes and sat for most of its life, in a museum. Well, the car was 100% original but it ran like crap. Well, I took it out for a long drive and when I got home the car was running so poorly and so rough, it was missing like it only had 7 cylinders. The lifters were making a horrific noise and I thought something had broken inside the engine. So, I decided to remove the valve covers. OMG, the oil had turned in hard crusty carbon. The rocker arms had actual wholes in them, and no wet oil was present on the top half of the motor. I took the intake off and replace the lifters, with NOS ones and the old ones were literally concaved from lack of oil. The push rods had burs on them and almost all the rocker arms were worn though. I bought a set of NOS pushrods and a set of NOS rocker arms. Cleaned out the entire engine (which took weeks of scrapping) and put everything back. The car now runs like a sewing machine (smooth and quiet) and when I was done I put in Mobil 1 synthetic oil and have never had a problem since.
New oils aren't what old oils once were plus the fact cars engines today have such low tolerances that blow by is a thing of the past, so contamination isn't a factor.

 

I'm going to get my oil tested after 4k miles and see what they say. You are right about no breakdown in synthetic. What happens to the oil when its put out on the street during garbage day?

I commend you for doing your own work 2014.