HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE ENGINE OIL ON MY 2004 C230 - Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum

kumars123 · 08-30-2009, 08:02 PM

i OWN A 2004 C230 AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY ENGINE OIL? THE DEALER SAID 12000 MILES OR 1 YEARS BUT WHICH EVER COMES FIRST BUT I DONT BELIEVE THAT...

wichipong · 08-30-2009, 08:33 PM

you would probably get more accurate answers by posting this in the w203 section...

but anyhow,

you should always do the 30k, 60k, 90k regular maintenance and after that you should change it every 3k-5k miles (imo)...

xvvvz · 08-30-2009, 08:51 PM

Hi car uses synthetic, so it will go 10k+ depending on how it is driven. Just change it when the car's computer tells you to do so.

Andrzejek · 08-31-2009, 06:06 AM

The car's computer (maintenance reminder, flex service) not only tells you when it's time for maintenance, but it's also programmed to fatten your dealer's wallet.

We were not using our 2004 as a daily commuter, so the mileage was very low. The service indicator did not come on for two years while the car was under the maintenance warranty. The dealer would not perform maintenance until the indicator came on. They finally did, but only after I complained to the fat cats.

The B service was done, and I checked the results -- they didn't even check the air filters (unbelievably filthy). Not trusting what else they claimed they did, I changed the oil.

I have been doing my own maintenance. DON'T TRUST DEALERS.

Not changing your oil for 10K miles, or waiting for the indicator to come on, only invites major repairs, or better yet for the dealers, a new car every few years.

Synthetic or not, hange your oil 3 to 5K miles or every six months, whichever comes first.

'91 300CE · 08-31-2009, 10:53 AM

Follow the FSS. It constantly monitors the oil quality and mileage. Use the correct synthetic oil and you will have no problems.

Anyone that tells you to change any sooner than FSS says is telling you to waste money.

both of my cars are at just about 100k miles and never seen an oil change before FSS said. Except for the break in oil change.

dwijesh sheth · 08-31-2009, 07:58 PM

It's weird my indie benz mechanic puts 5w/30 mobil 1 full synthetic oil and tells me to change it between 8,000-10,000 miles (no more than 10,000 miles). I know you guys are thinking 5W30?? But the mechanic says 5W30 is only for Turbo engines not sure if it's true?

amcink · 08-31-2009, 08:16 PM

I change it every 5K on 1999 c230 Kompressor with 5w30

xvvvz · 08-31-2009, 08:42 PM

Ditto what '91 300CE said.

MBDownUnder · 09-01-2009, 03:50 AM

I think it all comes down to the quality of the oil in the end. Not the quality when it's new but the quality when it's used. Different oils have different characteristics and lose their lubricating efficiency at different times. It might take a while but by trying different types of oils you will soon see a pattern and will know what is best for the engine.

I myself change the oil every 5000 km. This seems a bit strange to some people but my old Volvo did 300,000+ km with this regime and the oil looked pretty much the same coming out after 5000 as going in. I think it's worth spending a bit of money on oils if it means protecting the engine.

jerk_chicken · 09-01-2009, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrzejek

The car's computer (maintenance reminder, flex service) not only tells you when it's time for maintenance, but it's also programmed to fatten your dealer's wallet.

We were not using our 2004 as a daily commuter, so the mileage was very low. The service indicator did not come on for two years while the car was under the maintenance warranty. The dealer would not perform maintenance until the indicator came on. They finally did, but only after I complained to the fat cats.

The B service was done, and I checked the results -- they didn't even check the air filters (unbelievably filthy). Not trusting what else they claimed they did, I changed the oil.

I have been doing my own maintenance. DON'T TRUST DEALERS.

Not changing your oil for 10K miles, or waiting for the indicator to come on, only invites major repairs, or better yet for the dealers, a new car every few years.

Synthetic or not, hange your oil 3 to 5K miles or every six months, whichever comes first.

I'm with you on a couple grounds. I've seen the inside of these engines that had extended oil change intervals. Not only is the buildup impressive and shocking sometimes, but secondary issues sometimes arise, such as breather/crossover ports or any type of small orifice passages getting clogged. An old friend of mine is a BMW tech, and he saw such things in the cylinder heads of those engines, including v10's, that needed head replacements because crossover passages were completely blocked. When the change schedules were revised, the problems went away. From what I've seen, I've been pretty impressed with how BMW reacts to such things, when compared to MB.

Additionally, even though modern oils are meant to resist this, and do pretty well, they can and do oxidize while just sitting around. That is typically minor, however.

I have the older type of system in my car, where it bases the change on miles, RPM's, and hours of use. I still change it before, but it does come out to something like 8-9000 miles between changes, which I'm ok about. I go about 7,500 on longlife oil. I can get the factory fill Aral oil here, but it's prohibitively expensive, so I just use Liqui Moly Toptec 4100 5-40.

The later type might work better, but it also can't sense all oil conditions that would necessitate changing. This is why the owner has to use common sense as well.