Oil treatment recommendations

[Desmk11]

I have been pondering with putting an oil treatment/additive into my 2014 C220 S205 but I'm unsure whether it will upset my dpf after reading some reports of dpf problems being caused by not using low ash type oils.

To be honest I know nothing about diesels this is my first. I'm not going for an oil thickener type i don't think these are made for modern engines.

Does your type of oil really make a difference to the fueling side of things?

 

[W1ghty]

A lot of people (me included) will add Cetane E2Hn to diesel fuels for a cleaner burn , or additives like Millers.
Have a look at the www.Powerenhancer website for more details if you fancy more reading .

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I have been pondering with putting an oil treatment/additive into my 2014 C220 S205 but I'm unsure whether it will upset my dpf after reading some reports of dpf problems being caused by not using low ash type oils.

To be honest I know nothing about diesels this is my first. I'm not going for an oil thickener type i don't think these are made for modern engines.

Does your type of oil really make a difference to the fueling side of things?

I would avoid it unless there’s a specific issue which requires some kind of treatment. Mercedes state that additives shouldn’t be used in the car’s handbook (or at least they have in the past).

 

[markjay]

I wouldn't add anything to the engine oil. Modern engine oils have all the additives they need. Just make sure that the oil spec is MB 229.52.

(In the olden days we used to add things like Liqui Moly, but it is no longer required).

For fuel, you can use premium Diesel fuel e.g. Shell V-Power or BP Ultimate etc, which, again, will have all the additives you need.

 

[DSM10000]

Companies spend millions developing oils for automotive uses. The recommended oils contain the additives thought necessary by the manufacturers of the oils in conjunction with the vehicle manufacturers,

Use a high-quality oil that meets or exceeds the requirements of your engine and change it at the recommended intervals, nothing else is required.

 

[Gazwould]

Or use a higher manufacturer spec .

 

[Desmk11]

Thank you for all your replies, it is much appreciated.

Coming from thirty years of driving petrols, this is my first diesel, I suppose I am still adjusting to it.

I am using Cetane E2Hn in each and every fill up, I'm putting two 50ml syringes in with at least 50litres of diesel, mainly because I am not doing high miles.
My trip to work is now only 3 miles each way, I do between 6 and 7000 miles a year so the car is not being used now anywhere near what it has done in the past.

I shall try a premium diesel, this seems like a good idea too, thank you.

 

[W1ghty]

Thank you for all your replies, it is much appreciated.

Coming from thirty years of driving petrols, this is my first diesel, I suppose I am still adjusting to it.

I am using Cetane E2Hn in each and every fill up, I'm putting two 50ml syringes in with at least 50litres of diesel, mainly because I am not doing high miles.
My trip to work is now only 3 miles each way, I do between 6 and 7000 miles a year so the car is not being used now anywhere near what it has done in the past.

I shall try a premium diesel, this seems like a good idea too, thank you.

Ideally you need a 20 mile “blast “ every week (Italian tune up ) to get the car to temp and clear everything . 3 miles each way the car will choke itself to death

 

[Desmk11]

I am giving the car a run every chance I get, as you say for about 20 miles or more.

I wish I could tell when exactly the car is cleaning or performing a regeneration.

When it's up to full operating temperature I try to achieve about a half hour run.

 

[markjay]

There are quite a few people on Internet forums as well as car mechanics who say that using premium fuels in Diesel cars that aren't driven much will help protect the DPF.

I run a Diesel car for 5 years, which only did around 1,000 miles a year - mostly school runs and trips to the park to walk the dog. Based on advice I found online, I only ever used premium fuels (which I would have done anyway, to keep the engine clean), and had no problem whatsoever with the car under my ownership.

(We were going to sell it when ULEZ came into effect in London as it was a EU5 engine, but then someone crashed into it while it was parked outside our house and it was written-off)

That said.... the car was a Kia, and reading online Kia cars seem to have far less DPF issues than MB cars do. So it's very difficult to reach a definitive conclusion based on a sample size of just one car.

On balance, I would advise anyone who is concerned about the DPF to use premium fuels... even though I have no proof that it will actually help with the DPF.

 

[amazighman]

Oil treatments work , however imho best treatment is a good quality oil changed at right intervals

 

[alabbasi]

Save your money. Diesel oil is high in detergents so if you're trying to keep your engine clean, just change your oil and filter more often. There are some on this forum who think 20,000 miles is acceptable. They're bonkers.

 

[Gazwould]

Thank you for all your replies, it is much appreciated.

Coming from thirty years of driving petrols, this is my first diesel, I suppose I am still adjusting to it.

I am using Cetane E2Hn in each and every fill up, I'm putting two 50ml syringes in with at least 50litres of diesel, mainly because I am not doing high miles.
My trip to work is now only 3 miles each way, I do between 6 and 7000 miles a year so the car is not being used now anywhere near what it has done in the past.

I shall try a premium diesel, this seems like a good idea too, thank you.

You only need 50ml per tank of 2-EHN and that costs 36p Vs the £5+ ? for so called premium diesel that has no Cetane number disclosure .

If you want to clean the fuel system now and then use Redex , on offer in the supermarkets it's £2 and requires half the bottle per tank .

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[ray_hennig]

Save your money. Diesel oil is high in detergents so if you're trying to keep your engine clean, just change your oil and filter more often.

Yes, that's what my son's doing with his 30 year old 190D 2.5. Every 8000 Km with premium MB 5W30 oil and he's noticed a marked reduction in valve clatter in the 18 months he's had it. No extra additives and supermarket Diesel.

He's also noticed getting almost 900 Km to a tankfull, versus around 770 when he got it. But that maybe more due to new thermostat and engine running at the right temperature.

RayH

 

[markjay]

You only need 50ml per tank of 2-EHN and that costs 36p Vs the £5+ ? for so called premium diesel that has no Cetane number disclosure .

If you want to clean the fuel system now and then use Redex , on offer in the supermarkets it's £2 and requires half the bottle per tank .

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This thread is about engine oil, not Diesel oil, but to your point:

I have indeed been using standard fuel and Redex for the best part of 20 years... and I can vouch for it - on the occasion that I removed the inlet manifold and the injectors, they were shiny clean after 40-50k miles, no deposits or residue. And the valves were reasonably clean too.

I was using Redex at the time, but I am confident that Forte/Millers/BG etc would have been equally good. I didn't try 2-EHN, because all my cars at the time were petrol.

But in the past 15 years or so, I switched to using premium fuels exclusively (mostly BP Ultimate or Shell V-Power). It's a more expensive but a much more convenient way for me to achieve the same effect of keeping the top part of the engine clean. Combined with a significant reduction in annual mileage and hence cost of fuel, it was a no-brainer for me. Though I accept that anyone running an airport shuttle or a mini-cab service will have different considerations.

As for Cetane Number or Octane (which are two very different things), I don't personally care much about either. As someone who used to take engines apart when younger (as I am sure many people on here did and still do), having a clean engine - injectors, cylinder crowns, and valves - is paramount.

To people who say they have been using standard fuels for years and had no issue, all I can say is that you have probably never seen what the inside of an engine looks like... it's a bit like a heavy smoker who insists that they feel fine. I won't argue with either, but for me a clean engine (and lungs...) are important.

BTW, I do agree with those who say that the margins for the oil companies on premium products is far higher than on their entry-level offering. But this is an unavoidable common practice... it applies to almost everything in life from airline tickets to cars to watches and TVs etc etc. So yes, the manufacturers and retailers will make more money when they sell me a premium product, and premium fuels are no exception. However, I am not on a quest to achieve the cheaper motoring experience possible... and that's across the board, including servicing and brakes and batteries and tyres etc - I buy what I am comfortable with, and I'm sure most people on here do the same.