Geminiman

I changed the oil on my S550 every 5000 miles in-between the dealer service oil change. It is good to do on a high millage turbo motor.
Drained the oil from the lower pan, it took 8.5quarts. The cost as follows, ( with discounts )

- Mobile1 0W-40 from Costco - $40 ( $28 - 6quarts)
- Genuine Mercedes fleece filter, StarParts or Mann - $16
- Copper crush washer - $3

Nice Ride

Oil Walmart, free delivery $25.47... https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-A...-5-qt/23636902
Filter Amazon, Free Delivery $21.88

seamus2154

I have several cars and all have a sweet spot for oil intervals based on oil analysis. On my 2016 S550 it is 5ooo miles. The analysis came back great and that it had more life. But the oil is still relatively clean and I am happy with 5K but if I had to I would not be uncomfortable going to 7K. I too hit up Walmart Mobil 1 0W/40 and ecs tuning or FCP euro for filters. The 2016 does not use a crush washer but a new oil plug from MB. I have reused mine now 3 times with no leaking. I will probably use the new one next.

SilberGrau57

You don't say how many months it takes to reach your 5,000 mile change interval? I only put 5,000 miles/year on my M285 motor, change DIY and send the oil to Blackstone. I am encouraged by another report I saw from them for a M275 motor. Based on this, I have no trouble exceeding the 12 month interval on my motor in order to extend the life to 10,000 miles. How many months are you changing oil?

superangrypenguin

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forum...rm-your-engine

Why is it harmful to change the oil too frequently?

In a word; volatility. Oil volatility is at its greatest in the first 3000km after an oil change. After that the volatility reduces and the oil stabilises.

Volatility is particularly bad for a DI engine because all of the lost fractions exit via the PCV system. Much of it goes out through the rocker cover vent, into the intake, through the turbo compressor and intercooler, then puddles in the bottom of the inlet manifold where it combines with the stuff coming through the PCV valve to coat the inlet valves and combustion chambers in gunk.

hyperion667

Love how in this day and age, with dwindling resources.......people consume more oil than needed......for basically NO reason.

Utopia Texas

Haven’t you noticed the thousands of cars sitting on the side of the road with oil related engine failures?

Nice Ride

Do you know that you can return your old Oil Filter to FCP and get a FREE replacement? They also take back Used Oil. YES! Don't take my word for it, call them As long as you purchase the exact same item from them, upon return of the old part/fluid, they will refund your card.

seamus2154

I have been averaging 4 1/2 months so far. I drive the S more than any of my cars and tend to take it on most of our trips. As I said my Blackstone report showed a lot more life and recommended pushing out my oil change further. 7500 miles will be my max. But I can agree these motor do not beat up the oil. I had a 2007 BMW 750 years ago. Required 10K oil changes. The Blackstone analysis on that particular car was terrible. Oil was done at 7K.

seamus2154

You do realize that is just an internet guys opinion backed up by no real data right? It is repeated and quoted on several forums, but is not supported by any testing, data or facts. Its opinion. Oil opinions and recommendations usually end in chaos. I am of the opinion that new oil causes alot less problems than old oil...which BTW is much more abrasive causing wear. I have had the pleasure of tearing into some of my engines over many years with my maintenance and they are like new. If you are only keeping a car 2-3 years it really doesn't matter what interval you keep. The reward is years and thousands of miles down the road. I average 3-5 years on many of my cars but have 4 cars right now that I own for 6,9,11, and 18 years. I take care of them for me in case they are a keeper. For a 55 dollar oil change, that I am doing its a no brainer.

seamus2154

Thats a great report.

2012 merc amg

I use to own a chain of quick lubes so know a little bit about the subject. Back when I first opened in the mid 1980's we recommended every 3000 miles and that was legit back then as oil technology is far from what it is today. As I remember when I first opened I think it was SF rated oil that was out, then went to SG and SH and so on. The quality of the oil made a huge difference and I have no issue going what is recommended on these MB's and that is 10K miles or 1 year whichever comes first.

superangrypenguin

If you actually take time to research it you would know Castrol and Mobil 1 came to the same conclusion.

I don't give a crap even if it was $1k for an oil change. This isn't about money. I don't care about money in this case. It's about doing what's right for the car. Prove to me that NOACK is lower with virgin oil. You can't, because that's how virgin oil behaves - it's volatile.

seamus2154

Do me a favor Google this statement: "Oil volatility is at its greatest in the first 3000km after an oil change"-------- That link with that opinion from a guy in Australia is the most copied and pasted statement on no less than 15 forums till I stopped counting. Not one word is based on any test or fact. It is not even authenticated or defended. To the contrary alot has been shown to to be misinformation if you read further. Like I said oil opinions quickly decend into chaos and defending decisions. Also NOACK testing is done on new oil and results published. Synthetic oil comes out as the best or least however you interpret it. Show me this test of older stabile oil compared to newer volatile oil?? Also oil doesn't initially evaporate then stop, it continually evaporates and that is what is tested...that amount. Yes, Mobil 1 and Amsoil both have tested their oil in excess of 20K....but both change the filter during that time, because that is where issue really comes in. This a little bit better reading. .https://www.ilma.org/PDF/ILMANews/2017/AAAreport.pdf. Page 26 is the noack testing. Notice it states towing and agressive driving are related to making the oil volatile. Any mechanic will explain he sees more damage from neglected oil change maintenance than someone changing their oil too soon. I am not looking to argue and never said 10K is too high. I even explained Blackstone said to push out my oil change. For me, it's good to know. Todays oil is highly advanced compared to many years ago where many opinions come from. 10K on these motors with synthetic oil is hurting nothing. But likewise 5-7K is hurting nothing. Do as you please with your car.

hyperion667

This was what google told me

Is it bad to change oil too often?

If you're changing your oil more frequently than necessary, it won't help your car. It doesn't harm it either, but you're wasting money, time and resources. Keep in mind, too, that throwing away oil that's still usable puts a strain on the environment.Aug 17, 2018

seamus2154

Anyone who is dumping oil, putting it down a sewer, or throwing it away in their trash is a criminal. That isn't a strain on the environment it is destroying it. It's poisoning it. Recycling oil as I do at my local waste management (which is a PITA) is responsible, and repurposed. Again google can be a source of information but is a liberal platform with an agenda just as Snopes is. They spew opinions into facts because someone saw it in writing just like newspapers. That does not make it accurate or true. That is what I was trying to show, that the link is one big farce that is copied and pasted all over the internet. It's not completely factual...it had an agenda. Testing, studies, and facts can be true...till you find out the study was paid for by an environmental group. Again we are back to opinion.....again I wasn't looking to argue. This could go on forever as these oil debates always do because people "believe" something they read but fail to verify its accuracy. If you have ever opened up a BMW or Mercedes motor with 70 plus thousand miles that had 10K oil changes you would see the varnish and a very different looking motor that one with more frequent changes. Most would never see that or care to see it. I just changed a valve cover gasket on my wifes VW....80,000 miles. 5k oil changes with 0W/40 Mobile 1 and VW filter since new. The inside looks like new. Engine is quiet as a mouse. In my opinion changing your oil sooner is like eating healthy when your young. The benefit comes when you're older. So people who say I do what the manufacture states every 10K and sell their car 2-3 years later have nothing to base their opinion on. I know better that to get into oil debates but this coronavirus has given me too much time in the house!!!!! The most important thing is to use the correct oil as stated from the manufacture. The wrong oil can cause more damage than anything. Change it whenever you want. Good luck

bkdc

I refuse to believe that my Group IV polyalphaolefin synthetic oil is going to spew volatile fractions of polycarbons. This isn't dino oil, and it's not gasoline. I would believe that statement for old school dinosaur oil, but not for fully synthetic oil. When I took the valve cover off my BMW at 70K miles, the engine looked PRISTINE. There is some magic cleaning stuff in that synthetic oil. But I swap at 5K miles. It's cheap and easy. 35 bucks of oil and a 10 dollar filter. BTW, I swapped out the PCV valve as well which was integrated into the valve cover when I swapped the valve cover. Prophylactic maintenance when what I was really going for was to change the valve cover gasket which disintegrates near the exhaust manifold from the excess heat.

seamus2154

Thats because it isn't and your correct. :

All tested conventional and synthetic oils passed the Selby-Noack volatility test as specified by ILSAC GF- 5. The standard deviation for both groups was low, indicating little variation within each group. All tested conventional oils exhibited higher volatility than all tested synthetic oils. This is likely due to the greater presence of lower molecular weight compounds within conventional base stocks.

On average, the percent volatility of tested conventional oils was 46 percent higher than that of tested synthetic oils.
https://www.ilma.org/PDF/ILMANews/2017/AAAreport.pdf

page 26-28 and page 50

Audi Junkie

Go a full year or 6 months, depending on the miles you accrue.

Pennzoil Euro L 5w-30 with MB 229.51 is the only real bargain in spec oil in terms of getting more than you pay for.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil-...uart/495194903

With a turbo and Direct Injection, lower SAPS oils like this can reduce valve deposits. Think Mobil 1 ESP, and how it's more expensive than 0w-40. PZEuro L is the same family as ESP, but normal priced.

Also, Castrol Edge 0w-40 is very well received from guys who do lab UOAs, same price as Mobil 1 and better.

Attachment 439763

Audi Junkie

I use mine to start brush fires. You can also add it to an oil furnace up to 15%, it cleans the burners.

Audi Junkie

NOACK is higher with fresh oil.

Audi Junkie

Engines run cleaner now. So the same 1980 oil will actually last better in a newer engine.

Unfortunately the formulation will fail rapidly compared to modern oil.

PZEV engines don't dump hydro carbons into the oil like old carbed engines. This is why Honda went to a tiny lemon-sized filter, no need for a big one.

superangrypenguin

Precisely, and this is a behavior of oils since the dawn of time for reasons I won't rehash.

I guess I find this thread odd, in fact, perhaps the oddest thread I have ever participated in.

I don't own a W222, nor do I have any skin in the game. None of us who own flagship cars care about $60 in oil and $20 in an oil filter. The opinion I brought to this thread was that perhaps more frequent oil changes (versus oem specs) may be/are worse than just leaving it until the manufacturer specified intervals.

Then - wow, people got upset at that and we started a back and forth. But for what reason? If people's cars go to poop it's no skin off of my back, and yet this topic illicits so much emotion. (all oil threads since the dawn of time have done this to everyone's defense).

Change your oil early? Great - go for it
Don't change your oil early? Great - go for it.

The purpose of internet forums is to help people formulate a solid and informed opinion. You do you, I'll do me. No harm no foul

Audi Junkie

Plato tells us, "the highest good lies in the mean". For instance, it's saying not to be so cheap that you never give away one cent, but also not to be so generous that you give away everything you own. The "best" is always someplace in the middle. It works in a LOT of places in life.

For us, that means neither 3000 miles changes, nor 20k changes.... someplace in the middle will be best.

I don't worry one bit about overly frequent changes, but do worry about the ills of infrequent changes. So, I'd bias my decision towards more frequent changes. Plus, I'm often trying to clean out an older engine...

An example might be 10k annual changes. I feel that 2 changes of decent dino oil at 5000 miles will work better than one change of premium oil. Let's assume the driver makes tons of short trips, and rarely heats up the oil to self-cleaning temps. There is literally no substitute for draining out all the old oil and contaminates; condensed water and excess fuel in the oil. After 5000 miles, no "synth" oil will be better than fresh oil. Churn that slop up into a warm froth and shut off the engine, again and again. In my old V6 and V8 Mercedes, draining it out and replacing with fresh 10w-40 oil is preferred to running it twice as long, for about the same cost.

Using a timed method, I never have to change oil outside in the cold, since my PLAN takes care of that around Halloween and May Day. It would be silly to count down arbitrary MILES to a change for it to expire on the coldest day of the year, -10F here! Plus fresh oil works better for cold cranking.

This being said, I think TIMED intervals of 6 months or one year is best. It covers the short trip drivers as well as lots of highway miles. Just select an oil that allows you to go the anticipated miles in that time. If you drive under 5000 a year, one change of dino is fine. If you drive 10k, you have a choice of two dino changes or one synth. I like 6 month option, partly because it lets me switch viscs for seasons. 10w-40 / 5w-30.

My turbo cars get 1 change of synth a year, my non-turbos only get one dino change, since I drive only a few 1000 a year in each car. Wife's turbo VW gets 2 changes a year 6 months apart, thin oil in Nov and then thick oil in May. She drives just under 10k a year, I could do 1 change of synth, but I do 2 since she loves her new VW so much.

Audi Junkie

10w-40 "Suitable for Mercedes"...
Some have MB 229.3
&#]https://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-657-10w40-engine-oil.aspx#Filter=[EntityIDs=@(980)@]&#

Havoline 10w-40
Mobil Super 10w-40
Magnatec 10w-40
MaxLife 10w-40
https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-87258-v...ngine-oil.aspx

My fav is Maxlife 10w-40, it specs out VERY well. 10% volatility in a cheap jug oil...?!
http://www.pqiamerica.com/June%202014/maxlifeHM.htm

I'm using Quaker State 10w-40, the HM version is excellent, same for Pennzoil. Chevron Supreme has great specs, dirt cheap on Amazon.

I paid $7/jug for my QS from WalMart https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quaker-St...uart/148916832