How long to wait for oil change?
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Thank you. Send it to Titon industries in Co. I wouldn't change it but just have them test it. They will tell you if the oil needs changing or not. They will tell you how well your engine is mechanically by the trace elements in the oil. If they don't find anything that means your engine and your oil are still good. I suggest it to everyone that does these excessive oil changes, what can it hurt?. I just sent my oil out on one of my vintage cars, since it has been 8 years and only 200 miles since I change it with Mobil 1 and it came back as with no trace elements or viscosity breakdown. I don't really ever need to change it at this rate. Having 15 cars and changing the oil on each one every year would cost a fortune and would take up a lot of my time. Can't wait to hear your results.
Last edited by 2014CL600; Jan 1, 2016 at 04:01 PM.
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From: Planet Earth
S500
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.
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.
Totally agree with you on a well maintained MB engine of the latter generations with highway miles.
Once , I had a Z28 with an LS1 engine (great motor btw)that needed its oil to be changed every 4-5K miles wether full synthetic or not ,the EGR polluted the engine so much that 1stly it drank oil like a madman(no smoke no compression leaks) 2ndly oil became black almost as Diesel-oil within 4-5K miles.This replenishing practise barely kept the motor without sludge .. After replacing the EGR-valve things slightly improved,but this puppy still remained an oil beater,but it had a rewarding character nonetheless.
With my W221 I only drive relatively short stretches and it barely gets to operating temperature really .
To be on the save side I replace the oill always to the 229.5 specs when I find the oil too burned black.This can be at 5K or at 10K miles depending on usage -load etc.
Guess there is a huge faillure margin.Wish MB engineers designed the same margins for the guys with tranny or suspension issues..there the faillure margins seems just thin enough to make a good profit on the shop-side,sometimes weeks or months after factory warranty has expired, so people are inclined buying either CPO or third party warrs.
Which adds another business model to selling a motorvehicule I guess..
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Originally Posted by mercedesbenzs55
"How long to wait for oil change?"
I'd say more than two hours. At least that is how long I have been waiting at the dealership.
I'd say more than two hours. At least that is how long I have been waiting at the dealership.
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2010 MB S550, 2017 MB SLC 300
Myself personally in 5 1/2 years of owning my 3 series I went 12,000 miles one year. Than I started going every 1 year every 7500 miles. Now, I change it once every two years. Why? Because I am only doing about 3500 miles a year now and the car is covered from December to April.
On the my E class I am changing it once a year every 7500 to 8500 miles.
The oil on my Corvette is regular dino so, I change the oil once a year regardless of miles and I am putting on about 3000 a year.
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Thomas J, why wouldn't you have your Corvette on synthetic? Just curious. I'm thinking about getting a 'classic' car to put very few miles on every year.
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Funny how these cars are considered "classic" cars. They just don't seem that old. My Corvette is a 1988 and pretty much was loaded for time and would be considered "nicely" equipped by today's standards and I have no problem taking it any where.
