How often to change filters
- Thread starter Funkyboy
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At the recommended service intervals
W1ghty
MB Enthusiast
My two MB’s have filter costs of about £15-20 for the CLK and £35 for the E class , I change them every 2 years regardless , if I left my E class the recommended interval it would be absolutely shocking
What do they look like at the recommended times?
OneForTheRoad
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Manky if driven for 4 years , Clean if not
Tuercas viejas
MB Enthusiast
Filter change intervals are factory advisory depending upon territory and usage .
They are based upon average use input and factory testing.
Overall though there is this clouded issue of sales & ,marketing of the brand which has a big influence upon interval changes.
As an example I see MB air filter changes recommended in NA of 20,000 miles, (equivalent of 2 years) which in some areas is downright crazy, and clearly does not take high plains desert conditions & dust into account.
All confirmed if at a service /driveability issues the filter has deformed from being choked at 10,000 miles (or earlier) and looks like a pagoda roof !
The same can be said of fuel filters , again 20,000 is recommended when fuel quality issues at the pump really dictates 10,000 mile change intervals , TOPS!
This of course is ASSUMING you are using Gen Yu Wine filters!
Often cheap aftermarket Made in China filters are just an example of early drivability related issues .
And finally oil filters. Oh Me Gawd !
Hold me down son!
Aftermarket filters even by well known brands can vary in construction and materials used. Like the paper quality and strand fiberglass content .
I remember having a series of delightful technical discussions with BMW UK & Duckhams Oils over BMW factory installed filter quality, flow & durability.
Conclusion at the time BMW UK are staffed with non tech B/S'ers !!
I eventually got transferred to BMW Germany ,after about two months which prompted a phone call from "Engineering" in Spandau that was put on speaker phone "inith occif "!
(Much to the delight of us lowly British workers , who know sweet ***** adams auto engineering at the now defunct B/L truck plant in Leyland. )
Conclusion! "That filter brand has been withdrawn from production in Germany several months ago."..
"You understand these things you work in this business came the parting cordial conversation!"
Yeh mate !
So be careful about recommended intervals , and really a good shop should be giving you advisories on filter changing, based upon YOUR operating conditions vehicle usage and budget.
Tuercas viejas
They are based upon average use input and factory testing.
Overall though there is this clouded issue of sales & ,marketing of the brand which has a big influence upon interval changes.
As an example I see MB air filter changes recommended in NA of 20,000 miles, (equivalent of 2 years) which in some areas is downright crazy, and clearly does not take high plains desert conditions & dust into account.
All confirmed if at a service /driveability issues the filter has deformed from being choked at 10,000 miles (or earlier) and looks like a pagoda roof !
The same can be said of fuel filters , again 20,000 is recommended when fuel quality issues at the pump really dictates 10,000 mile change intervals , TOPS!
This of course is ASSUMING you are using Gen Yu Wine filters!
Often cheap aftermarket Made in China filters are just an example of early drivability related issues .
And finally oil filters. Oh Me Gawd !
Hold me down son!
Aftermarket filters even by well known brands can vary in construction and materials used. Like the paper quality and strand fiberglass content .
I remember having a series of delightful technical discussions with BMW UK & Duckhams Oils over BMW factory installed filter quality, flow & durability.
Conclusion at the time BMW UK are staffed with non tech B/S'ers !!
I eventually got transferred to BMW Germany ,after about two months which prompted a phone call from "Engineering" in Spandau that was put on speaker phone "inith occif "!
(Much to the delight of us lowly British workers , who know sweet ***** adams auto engineering at the now defunct B/L truck plant in Leyland. )
Conclusion! "That filter brand has been withdrawn from production in Germany several months ago."..
"You understand these things you work in this business came the parting cordial conversation!"
Yeh mate !
So be careful about recommended intervals , and really a good shop should be giving you advisories on filter changing, based upon YOUR operating conditions vehicle usage and budget.
Tuercas viejas
Last edited:
m80
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Remove and check.
Give it a bang or brush to remove the loose stuff on the atmosphere side.
If it's really dirty I change it, but I wouldn't generally be expecting more than 30k out of one.
But £15 for a Bosch isn't scary anyway.
What's the recommended interval fuel filter replacement on W202 - W208 - W210 series?
I may have used my fuel filter for approx 40,000 miles which is about 15 years now as I have forgot to have it replaced
Me double w@nker!
I may have used my fuel filter for approx 40,000 miles which is about 15 years now as I have forgot to have it replaced
Me double w@nker!
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What's the recommended interval fuel filter replacement on W202 - W208 - W210 series?
I may have used my fuel filter for approx 40,000 miles which is about 15 years now as I have forgot to have it replaced
Me double w@nker!
On my W203 it was every 4 years or 40,000 miles, whichever is sooner. I expect yours will be the same.
OneForTheRoad
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Id expect it might need a water drain.
Justintyme
Active Member
It all depends on usage and the prevailing conditions. I drove trucks ( MB, Scania,Renault, Volvo, Toyota LC's etc ) In extreme conditions, ranging from desert to minus 15. In dry dusty conditions. we cleaned the air filters every day, and sometime more than once in the same day. But even in moderate conditions like here in the West, I'd never leave them in for as long as the manufacturer recommend's. Relatively speaking, they are not expensive, and dirty clogged air filters cause higher fuel consumption. And as for dirty clogged oil filters......no comment.
Petrol Pete
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
Here in the UK I doubt we have enough of the 'wrong' type of airborne 'grit' to harm an engine fitted with a decent air filter , whenever I have changed them on various cars and bikes I have had (here in the UK) insects, leaves, and seeds seem to be the main content. Modern engines will make adjustments as the filters clog up but it is still undesirable especially seeing how cheap they are to replace .
I see this more on my C55 AMG where the two air intakes are directly behind the top rail of the front grille so while driving insects/leaves get sucked directly into the air filters via 2 big tubes (no internal screens) . On my other cars , not so much as the air intakes are pretty much shielded in the engine bay or behind various panels etc.
In the dim and distant past I have raced motorcycles in almost desert conditions and a blocked air filter on a relatively small engine with a carburettor and no electronic aids can be felt in lack of power. In extremis we used to grease the inside of the airbox to trap bigger airborne particles and some would run their foam air filters without the oil coating , they would rather do a complete engine rebuild than stop to change filters or be robbed of power (hard core !) .
The real cure was to be at the front of the pack in clean air and not more than halfway back in the dust cloud......guess where I was most of the time !
The more modern bikes have QD filter covers so the complete air filter can be replaced quickly during a fuel stop . Some used to use filterskins that could be ripped out without opening the airbox.
Back to the OP . 60K miles does seem a bit much , but if that is what MB say.......
I see this more on my C55 AMG where the two air intakes are directly behind the top rail of the front grille so while driving insects/leaves get sucked directly into the air filters via 2 big tubes (no internal screens) . On my other cars , not so much as the air intakes are pretty much shielded in the engine bay or behind various panels etc.
In the dim and distant past I have raced motorcycles in almost desert conditions and a blocked air filter on a relatively small engine with a carburettor and no electronic aids can be felt in lack of power. In extremis we used to grease the inside of the airbox to trap bigger airborne particles and some would run their foam air filters without the oil coating , they would rather do a complete engine rebuild than stop to change filters or be robbed of power (hard core !) .
The real cure was to be at the front of the pack in clean air and not more than halfway back in the dust cloud......guess where I was most of the time !
The more modern bikes have QD filter covers so the complete air filter can be replaced quickly during a fuel stop . Some used to use filterskins that could be ripped out without opening the airbox.
Back to the OP . 60K miles does seem a bit much , but if that is what MB say.......
Yesterday, I drove my car for the first time this year as it was off the road during winter season.
My car fired up on the first attempt but was a bit sluggish as it wanted to take it's time to fire up.
It was not an immediate start like it always does, it took several seconds to fire up and my car sounded a bit rough from exhaust and on idling.
Could it possible be my old clogged fuel filter causing this strange start up?
During my 15 years of usage with the same fuel filter on my car
, I noticed the last 2 years from 2018 to 2020 that my car was very heavy on fuel consumption.The total mileage on a 62L full tank of petrol decreased very much.
It must have been my old fuel filter which I have neglected to replace for many years causing waste of fuel?
I'm having my fuel filter replaced tomorrow Thursday.
2 years ago I had my spark plugs and all vacuum hoses replaced.
Perished rubber hoses doesn't hold vacuum very well, they could cause lean fuel mixture which could damage your cats in the long run.
Hopefully my car will run better and be more economical when I get it back?
Do you have plastic covers on each side on the inside of your AMG grille from the runners to prevent muck entering air filter compartment?
Petrol Pete
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
No, just two intakes just under the bonnet lip that run straight into the airbox , just how it came from Bremen in 2006.
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My W203 was serviced by Indies, and I changed the cabin and air filters myself every 2 years. The filters were cheap enough (Mann, Mahle, Bosch, etc), and easy enough to do. I had the fuel filter replaced by the Indies at 4 years (twice during my ownership).
I used to do around 9,000 miles a year back then, and yes the air filter did look like it needed changing after 2 years.
My current W204 is serviced by the dealer under Service Care Plan, so the cabin filter gets replaced every 2 years (on the C-Class it is included with Service B), and the air filter gets changed every 4 years. The fuel filter is now inside the fuel tank and only needs replacing every 15 years, apparently.
I might have changed the air filter myself at the 2 years point I.e. between services, but then COVID hit, and with the car now doing just around a 1000 miles a year, it seems pointless. It is next due replacing at the end of this year, so I'll just get it done then under the Plan.
I used to do around 9,000 miles a year back then, and yes the air filter did look like it needed changing after 2 years.
My current W204 is serviced by the dealer under Service Care Plan, so the cabin filter gets replaced every 2 years (on the C-Class it is included with Service B), and the air filter gets changed every 4 years. The fuel filter is now inside the fuel tank and only needs replacing every 15 years, apparently.
I might have changed the air filter myself at the 2 years point I.e. between services, but then COVID hit, and with the car now doing just around a 1000 miles a year, it seems pointless. It is next due replacing at the end of this year, so I'll just get it done then under the Plan.
