Oil is oil, innit?

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Satch

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
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Location
Surrey
Car
S211 E320Cdi Avantgarde Estate & Toyota Land Cruiser
So, for my C36 AMG(1996) I should use -

Mobil 1 0W40?????
 
Same for the C43, i have been advised 15W50 by Birds of Uxbridge. Will try it at the next service.
 
It's a bit like asking for legal advice - everyone has a different opinion :) . They probably put any old rubbish in when it goes in for servicing. If you take your own oil, they probably keep that themselves, and still put any old rubbish in!!

I wonder if the Halfords person was right :) After all, it's well known that a lot of it is the same, but in different packaging, simply for marketing reasons.
 
The oil on my last service was £115 including VAT. More than I was expecting......
 
On my recent service the oil for the C320 came to £93.50 ex VAT hence why they kindly suggested I could supply this in future.
 
Rory said:
I wonder if the Halfords person was right :) After all, it's well known that a lot of it is the same, but in different packaging, simply for marketing reasons.

Marketing hype & multiple brands is what caught out MB in the US a few years ago, where many of their "approved" oils were marketed under the same name as in Europe but were actually inferior the European specs. (the US motoring public having long been accustomed to frequent oil changes) and so could not cope with the extended drain periods. Many a ruined engine and mucho cost from settlement of legal action.

You need to be very careful, especially with modern EU4 compliant diesels. Use the wrong oil and the particulate filter can die due to ash build up.
 
My local tyre and exhaust shop will change oil and filter using Mobil 1 for £34.95 all in (labour,VAT the lot). It's so cheap that I take it to them inbetween services at about the 6k mile mark as a "belt and braces" measure. :)
 
Where are they located? as i live in Weybridge, very handy as mine is coming up to the 6k and i am driving to Spain in September
 
I used Humphries Tyre & Exhaust in Market Street, Bracknell (01344 485851).

Try typing the postcode (RG12 1JG) into multimap.com
 
Finding the correct oil for your Mercedes should be an easy task (the right price a little trickier).

My attachment here will help (pdf).

Cheers
Simon
 

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oilman said:
Finding the correct oil for your Mercedes should be an easy task (the right price a little trickier).

My attachment here will help (pdf).

Cheers
Simon

Hmm....At 7K the oil light flickered on the ML270 cdi; I checked and found it to be at Min level. Bit heavy use I thought but aware that new engines use more initially I thought it must be a diesel thing (never had one before). Checked the service book to see what stealer had used. No entry. Called the stealer and asked them: "we use Castrol Softech sir". Ok, never heard of this so I checked the web, no entries. Wasn't surprised then when Halfords hadn't heard of it either. Used Halfords chart and decided on Castrol GTD Magnatec 10W-40. Still don't know if I've put the right oil in :confused:
 
IanAlexander2 said:
Hmm....At 7K the oil light flickered on the ML270 cdi; I checked and found it to be at Min level. Bit heavy use I thought but aware that new engines use more initially I thought it must be a diesel thing (never had one before). Checked the service book to see what stealer had used. No entry. Called the stealer and asked them: "we use Castrol Softech sir". Ok, never heard of this so I checked the web, no entries. Wasn't surprised then when Halfords hadn't heard of it either. Used Halfords chart and decided on Castrol GTD Magnatec 10W-40. Still don't know if I've put the right oil in :confused:

I was concerned to have to top up on several occasions in between services on my wifes 2003 ML270 CDi - the first being a couple of litres. Never had to do this on any car, ever.

My dealer said that all dealers have their own preference with regards to brand of oil, but all must confirm to the usual minimum standards. They had recently switched to Mobil 1 but at the time my car was serviced then they would have used Magnatec GTD - so that's what I used.

Whilst it was in for some warranty work I mentioned that I was alarmed, and estimated (generously) that it was using around 0.8 litres over the course of 1,000 miles. When I picked the car up, they provided a print out which said no investigation unless consumption exceeds 0.8 litres over 1,000 km, so I was well within parameters.
 
IanAlexander2 said:
Used Halfords chart and decided on Castrol GTD Magnatec 10W-40. Still don't know if I've put the right oil in :confused:

Check your handbook and it will say MB229.3 or MB229.5.

I believe the Magnetec meets MB229.1 which is an old specification.

If the manual says MB229.5 the you need the latest spec oil.

Lem me know what it says and I'll get back to you, I suspect that Magnatec is not good enough for your engine.

Cheers
Simon
 
Manual says 229.1 and 229.3. Does that mean my engine won't disintegrate with GTD?
 
IanAlexander2 said:
Manual says 229.1 and 229.3. Does that mean my engine won't disintegrate with GTD?

If you are using the 5w 40:

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdetailmin.do?categoryId=9000380&contentId=7000272

then it meets MB 229.31 then should be OK.

But not the 10w 40

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdetailmin.do?categoryId=82915282&contentId=6008663

OK it meets MB229.1, but that is not a very challenging specification these days. For a modern turbo diesel it is not really up to it unless you do frequent oil changes.

I use Mobil 1 Turbo diesel, which Halfrauds are knocking out for just under 30 quid for 4 litres.
 
If it's an 05 car I'm surprised that it doesn't specify 229.5.

229.1 as mentioned above is today a very basic spec, I would use 229.3 minimum.

Cheers
Simon
 
Plot thickens. Called the stealer again to clarify what oil they told me I should use. This time I was told it was "Softex", not Softec and no, nothing to do with Castrol! Called MBHQ, they have never heard of Softex. "It depends what they have in" (the stealer) and..."the list of reccomended oils runs to about an inch thick Sir.." Asked for a specific and easy to access oil. "Castrol GTD 10W-40, Sir" Well that's all right then eh? Is this a circus or one of the largest prestige car manufacturer in the world? I do wonder.
 
Shambles!

Disgraceful really and how difficult can it be for a Dealer to follow specific oil codes in a handbook, a child could do it!

Cheers
Simon
 

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