I have my first BLUETEC delivery today. The client who purchased this car has not bought a car in 24 years. She is currently driving a 1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D and is picking up her 08' Bluetec today! Any testimonials I can share with her?
As far as I know from my training this is a fantastic car, however its always nice to hear first hand experiences. Thanks guys!
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Tell her to FORGET EVERYTHING she knows about the 240D the minute she steps into the car.
Review the break-in guidelines.
Review the SPECIFIC oil requirements
REVIEW the maintenance manual!!!
Review how to check the oil
Get her 1 liter of oil to top off the engine with in case she needs it between now and the first oil change.
Make sure she DOES NOT leave it idling for extended periods! (more than 3-4 minutes)
Make sure she understands that the same engine and oil in her car goes up to 19,000 miles between changes in Europe. Changing the oil EARLY can result in damage or poor break-in for the new motor! The motor before it was put into the car was run-in at the factory in a test cell using a specific computer controlled system and dynometer. Once the break-in run was completed, all the fluids were completely flushed. A new oil filter and fresh break-in oil (Fuchs Titan GT1 0w30 MB229.51) were added and MUST be left in the new motor for the first 13,000 miles (or whatever the FSS dictates).
Emphasize the importance of STRICTLY following the FSS!
Did I mention, review the owners manual???
DB
Last edited by drivbiwire : 09-17-2007 at 02:56 PM.
Review the break-in guidelines.
Review the SPECIFIC oil requirements
REVIEW the maintenance manual!!!
Review how to check the oil
Get her 1 liter of oil to top off the engine with in case she needs it between now and the first oil change.
Make sure she DOES NOT leave it idling for extended periods! (more than 3-4 minutes)
Make sure she understands that the same engine and oil in her car goes up to 19,000 miles between changes in Europe. Changing the oil EARLY can result in damage or poor break-in for the new motor! The motor before it was put into the car was run-in at the factory in a test cell using a specific computer controlled system and dynometer.
DB
I appreciate your good advice which you offer so frequently.
However, in the case of the 2008 Bluetec, the factory recommended service interval is 15,000 kms or 9000 miles, NOT 19,000 miles.
Why do you suggest that "changing the engine oil EARLY can result in damage or poor break-in" ? What evidence do you have to support this statement ?
I have never heard before that premature oil change can damage an engine, quite the opposite.
As far as a "run-in at the factory", why then are there specific "break-in" procedures written in the Owner's Manual for a car that has been, as you maintain, already "run-in" ?
I have my first BLUETEC delivery today. The client who purchased this car has not bought a car in 24 years. She is currently driving a 1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D and is picking up her 08' Bluetec today! Any testimonials I can share with her?
Well, you can tell your client that she is going to be thrilled with her new Bluetec.
Coming from a 240D, wow, what a difference !
After the first three months , my Bluetec has been flawless. This car really performs, with effortless passing power coupled to a superb 7 speed transmission. The E320 Bluetec is so well designed and has so many usefull features.
Having driven several BMWs over the past ten years (previously 3 MBs ), I have yet to experience such a wonderful combination of power, fuel economy, build quality, handling and comfort.
I am told that in Canada, Bluetecs are now approaching 20% of E Class sales. In my view, the diesel sales will keep growing as more people begin to understand the peformance/efficency benefits compared to the gas version.
I appreciate your good advice which you offer so frequently.
However, in the case of the 2008 Bluetec, the factory recommended service interval is 15,000 kms or 9000 miles, NOT 19,000 miles.
The US due to litigation from DEALERSHIPS not using approved oils makes owners suffer with dumbed down service intervals. In Europe the same oils we use here are APPROVED BY MERCEDES BENZ to go as long as 19,000 miles as written in the MB Sheet specifications 229.5 and 229.51.
Quote:
Why do you suggest that "changing the engine oil EARLY can result in damage or poor break-in" ? What evidence do you have to support this statement ?
In Lubricants engineering 101 it's called "Additive Activation" as well as pre-determined wear levels which result in PREDICTABLE wear rated REQUIRED FOR OPTIMAL ENGINE BREAK-IN. Changing an oil early results in INCREASED wear since the additives in the oil ARE NOT YET FULLY ACTIVATED and results in increased number of additive activation cycles during an engines most critical time of it's life. Oil addtives found in MB229.15 rely heavily on pressure and temperature to completely activate and placement of the additives in the high pressure regions of the motor. Changing the oil more frequently INCREASES WEAR RATES in the motor REDUCING ENGINE LIFE.
The picture below shows the region where the buildup of the additives prevents metal to metal contact. Early oil changes result in a reduced additive boundries between high pressure surfaces resulting in greatly increased wear rates where there would have been none had the oil been allowed to remain in the motor.
Diesel engines in particular use oil additives which disperse soot and prevent the soot particles from reaching a size that can cause wear or damage to the motor. Often these particles in the case of approved MB229.5 and MB229.51 oils will maintain the soot in the nanometer size range. Only if those particles are allowed to conglomerate into the 1-3 micron range with higher than 7% soot content will you begin so see an increase in wear. Again the additives in the oil prevent this polar attraction between the particles. Point being, with the correct use of approved oils the soot will simply remain too small to cause any harm to the motor and pass safely between metal contact areas within the thickness of the boundry of the lubricant.
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I have never heard before that premature oil change can damage an engine, quite the opposite.
Spend some time in Stutgart with some of the folks at Mercedes in the R&D department and they will be happy to tell you all about it.
The Mercedes has a very advanced system which precisely monitors engine oil condition. In addition it monitors the driving conditions and start cycle conditions in addition to oil temperatures and load on the motor to add a predictive value to the FSS system. It's safe to say the car is in fact smarter than you are and vastly superior to anybody who suggests early oil changes are of ANY benefit.
Quote:
As far as a "run-in at the factory", why then are there specific "break-in" procedures written in the Owner's Manual for a car that has been, as you maintain, already "run-in" ?
The initial run-in provides Mercedes with the chance to verify engine and systems operation. New engines require a VERY specific initial run which cannot be left to a human. The engine is run and loaded by a computer following a very rigid program to achieve an optimal break-in. Diesel engines in particular take a VERY long time to fully seat often requiring more than 60,000 miles before cylinder compression reaches it's peak. The first 1,000 miles require Firm application of power (engine load) but limited rpms to prevent glazing of the cylinders. After 1,000 miles the engine requires gradual increases in rpm's with higher engine loading. Don't forget that diesels run at 18:1 compression ratio's and push more than 23psi of boost pressure. This is not your average AMG motor that can be thrashed out the door...then again you won't find ANY AMG motor that can outlive any modern high performance diesel engine.
The US due to litigation from DEALERSHIPS not using approved oils makes owners suffer with dumbed down service intervals. In Europe the same oils we use here are APPROVED BY MERCEDES BENZ to go as long as 19,000 miles as written in the MB Sheet specifications 229.5 and 229.51.
DB himself already clarified he didn't claim the US service interval would have been 19,000 but the fact that the engine is designed for this with proper oil. I actually checked my Service indicator this morning, next service expected after a total of 18,200 miles (and a bit less than two years) and I have quite a lot of city driving and short trips, not at all the ideal case. So the 19,000 miles isn't any advertising stuff only.
In Lubricants engineering 101 it's called "Additive Activation" as well as pre-determined wear levels which result in PREDICTABLE wear rated REQUIRED FOR OPTIMAL ENGINE BREAK-IN. Changing an oil early results in INCREASED wear since the additives in the oil ARE NOT YET FULLY ACTIVATED and results in increased number of additive activation cycles during an engines most critical time of it's life. Oil addtives found in MB229.15 rely heavily on pressure and temperature to completely activate and placement of the additives in the high pressure regions of the motor. Changing the oil more frequently INCREASES WEAR RATES in the motor REDUCING ENGINE LIFE.
DB
DB,
Your detailed explanations are very much appreciated and timely for me. I had an appointment for later today to change my oil and filter @ 2700 kms, which I will now cancel.
Also, the explanation that you and Diesel Benz have provided for the differences in the oil change interval between Europe and NA is very interesting, indeed.
Thank you again for your responses.
"Make sure she DOES NOT leave it idling for extended periods! (more than 3-4 minutes)"
What is your reasoning? Is there a way to mitigate the damage that could occur? In Minneapolis, where I am, since our interstate bridge collapsed, I'm spending a lot more time at or near idle. Not much to be done about it for a couple years.
Also in the US, the FSS has been replaced with a 1yr or 13,000 mile service interval. I believe Canada retains FSS.
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WOW...if I was her...I'd be scared
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