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classiccarzone said:
This is what happened to some Ford owners with the 1.6 Hdi PSA Group engine when they followed the manufacturers recommendation on oil changes

http://www.theturboguy.com/uploads/1/0/3/5/10358883/api-presentation_1.6_hdi_carbon_issues-3-2.pdf
Click to expand...
Two observations there - it’s not a Mercedes and no mention of what oil was used.

30k miles between oil changes. I think Mercedes are every year or 15.5k. Older cars from the 80s were 6000 mile intervals - probably in part due to oil technology at the time.

Different engines, different problems.
 
That would seem to be a testament of keeping to intervals being more important than the minutae of the oil being put in. The service interval with Ford for those engines is 12.5k.
 
Will said:
Two observations there - it’s not a Mercedes and no mention of what oil was used.

30k miles between oil changes. I think Mercedes are every year or 15.5k. Older cars from the 80s were 6000 mile intervals - probably in part due to oil technology at the time.

Different engines, different problems.
Click to expand...


Obviously it is not a Mercedes but it does demonstrate what can happen when the manufacturers get it wrong.
At the time 30k miles was the stated service interval. It is now reduced to 12.5k

It also states:
"Manufacturers recommended oil"

This engine was a joint development and is used in Ford; Citroen; Volvo; Peugeot and Mazda just to mention a few.

Have a look at the Egr or around the swirl flaps of a Mercedes Diesel, you may be surprised.
 
If Mercedes specified a stupid interval like 30k miles for engine oil then people would probably disregard it - as they originally used to for the ‘sealed for life’ 722.6 transmissions - quite a few people still replaced the ATF.

But you very rarely see Mercedes engines damaged due to following the manufacturer’s service schedule, because they don’t specify a silly interval like 30k and specify decent quality oil. And as said already - they are totally different engines anyway.

Bearing that in mind, draining down and changing the engine oil far more often than is needed doesn’t guarantee a more reliable engine either - and by the time any perceived benefit of doing so materialised you’d be on your second or third gearbox and probably the rest of the car would have been rebuilt :)
 
classiccarzone said:
.. it does demonstrate what can happen when the manufacturers get it wrong....
Click to expand...

Yes they do, from time to time...:

1. In the UK: Nikasil peeling due to interaction with UK fue clausing engine failure.

2. In the US: Use of Low-SAPS oil in Gasoline engine causing engine failure due to interaction with fuel with high Ethanol contents.

3. Vauxhall V6 timing belt renewal interval was changed from 4y/40,000 miles to 8y/80,000 miles, then changed back to 4y/40,000 miles due to belts failing and wrecking engines.

The list is long...
 
Picked up 10L of 229.51 5w30 from Mercedes Benz for £39.99

Can’t complain at that price.

Thanks everyone,
Abs
 
Will said:
If Mercedes specified a stupid interval like 30k miles for engine oil then people would probably disregard it - as they originally used to for the ‘sealed for life’ 722.6 transmissions - quite a few people still replaced the ATF.

But you very rarely see Mercedes engines damaged due to following the manufacturer’s service schedule, because they don’t specify a silly interval like 30k and specify decent quality oil. And as said already - they are totally different engines anyway.

Bearing that in mind, draining down and changing the engine oil far more often than is needed doesn’t guarantee a more reliable engine either - and by the time any perceived benefit of doing so materialised you’d be on your second or third gearbox and probably the rest of the car would have been rebuilt :)
Click to expand...

That may well all be true or partially true, but the point being made was what can happen when the manufacturers get it wrong
 
What with fuel dilution more prevalent in modern engines I'd change the oil every six months , the oil isn't expensive 5L sub £20 and a Mann oil filter sub £4.50 .

Coupled with an oil extractor it's a breeze , everything done from the top of the engine , no jacking , no axle stands , no lying on the ground , no undertray faff.

I did my usual MO at the weekend of servicing a vehicle when new to me although it had only been serviced 2 weeks ago .

Used my 6.5L Sealey extractor first then to the under tray lined with gold , lol , so faff this one time as I always fit a oil sump magnetic sump plug , not my usual aluminium cheapie but a stainless steel Gold Plug - it's a Merc...
 
Just to introduce another spin on the whole subject of oil changes, one of the cardinal sins of many garages nowdays [ MB dealers included] is the overfilling of engine oil. Its as if they and their customers believe -you can never have enough oil- well you can ! In the old days with less complex engine inlet and exhaust manifold assemblies the main hazard of overfilling was air entrainment due to the crankshaft hitting the oil in the sump but in todays cars with sealed crankcase ventilation, exhaust gas recirculation, turbo chargers variable inlet flaps DPFs and SCRs for NOx and their associated sensors getting the engine oil level correct [cold or hot] is vital to maintain engine and exhaust system reliability.
 
Mainstream manufacturers went through a time of specifying "longlife" oil and lengthy change intervals to make their cars more attractive to corporate fleet managers. The missus Fiesta has an interval of 2 yrs/18k for oil changes. She'll only do 9k in 2 years so it's not too bad for us but imo 18k is too long. I do the oil in my car every 4.5k, like Gaz says with a pump and a top mounted filter it's easy.
 
Yes from stealers to Kwikquid overfilling monsters .

Have a LongLife oil as a fixed interval is a winner .

The main enemy of oil is soot and fuel dilution , even more so these days , it's because of the egr we have the dpf .

Egr causes alot of soot through incomplete combustion through recycling exhaust gasses that should of been spooling a turbo , so there's less oxygen and anyone who has got the egr out of the system have a better lower rpm drive , less exhaust smoke and the engine oil stays cleaner for longer .

Egr's are in even more operation since NOx got so much attention and so become fragile and fail on a regular basis on some marques .

As for fuel dilution it's not just a failed dpf regen due to a failed sensor or short journeys or prematurely ending a regen unaware . Hyundai had a issue with their 1.7 crdi that they were baffled by the dilution causing cm's above the max level , Dpf's replaced etc in the end it was a ecu software issue.

Nice soot and fuel explanations here .

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Service completed today....

Oil/Filter, Air Filter, Fuel Filter & Forté fuel treatment.

:)
 
Yugguy said:
Mainstream manufacturers went through a time of specifying "longlife" oil and lengthy change intervals to make their cars more attractive to corporate fleet managers.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It kept the fleet servicing costs down, and problems only cropped up for private owners (Who gives a sh!t about them? They don't buy new cars...), following the manufacturers' service schedules, who owned the cars after they were off the fleets.
 
That's a can of worms. I know from years of putting it in diesels that it definitely quietens them down, and arguably could keep the fuel system cleaner. That said there is also arguments that it is not good for injectors and could coat them with zinc.

I've put it on and off in the W204 but these days I just put a tank of super in every couple of months, and a can of Millers/BG244 every 6.
 
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