[Lane on the fence]

I've read through the manual and saw various weights and ratings but what oil did they install at the factory, that's what I want to top off with. Also, I believe in the 15k oil changes but I thought about changing at 5,000 and then go to 15k.

Lane

 

[howvood]

Mobil 1 0w40 ESP available in 5 qt jugs at most Walmart's or Amazon and has a nice rebate:

https://mobiloil.com/en/promotion/mobil-promotions/up-to-15-dollars-off-with-mobil-1-and-mobil-super

 

[1681]

Also, I believe in the 15k oil changes but I thought about changing at 5,000 and then go to 15k.

I wouldn't. Buy yourself a beer or a flavored soda.

 

[Lane on the fence]

Thanks howvood on the oil tip. Thanks RobbMeex, guess I'll go most of the way to 15k on the oil change.

 

[howvood]

correction

Mobil 1 0w40 ESP available in 5 qt jugs at most Walmart's or Amazon and has a nice rebate:

https://mobiloil.com/en/promotion/mobil-promotions/up-to-15-dollars-off-with-mobil-1-and-mobil-super

sorry, it is called "mobil1 european car formula" 0w40

 

[MOWO]

I suspect many who have 'well maintained' their vehicles in the past will have a hard time mentally going to 15,000 miles for first oil change. With that 7,500 mile oil change cost would bring some solace.

 

[Lane on the fence]

At least the first one anyway. If i tow a camper on some trips i will reduce to 10k, that and It will take two years to drive 10k. On my BMW I've gone by the 15,000 mile changes and at 307,000 runs like new. I changed a valve cover gasket and the head looked new clean.

 

[Greenmanedlion]

Heads up:

There is a theory that changing your oil more frequently can't hurt. This is true if you were to chose to change your oil yourself every 5000 or 7500 miles and then bring it to your dealer (or Mercedes specialist) and perform the proper A or B service. All you are doing is wasting money on Mobile 1 and expensive specialty Mercedes filters, and that can't hurt anything but your wallet. (It doesn't help one iota, but it doesn't hurt the car.)

However, if you use cheaper filters, cheaper oil, fail to go to the dealer every 12 months or 15,000 miles, or some combination thereof, you are hurting things. And your A service at ~$200 and B at ~$600 are expensive enough. They are as thorough and expensive as they are to accommodate the long service interval, both for the vehicle and the dealerships bottom line. Mercedes are unusual mechanically from the engine design to the lug bolts that secure the wheels.

Second, and more importantly, the Mercedes Metris does not have a 12 month/15,000 mile service interval. It has Mercedes Advanced Service SYSTem, or ASSYST, which allows for service intervals UP TO 12/15k. It tracks things like duty cycle, engine load, driving conditions, towing, environmental conditions, and so on. If you are using the system in a way that shortens the prudent service interval, the computer will note this and reduce the interval accordingly.

Mercedes offers this as a way to provide for better customer service and to make people bitch less about the extremely high servicing costs. It's actually cheaper to service than a Lexus- my mom pays $70 for an oil change service- every 5000 miles. But Mercedes does not want people unhappy with their cars- and Mercedes dying from metulurgical engine wear is practically unheard of (that's what oil changes prevent, by the by).

Fully synthetic oils like Mobil 1 don't actually break down. In fact, various tests suggest that if you frequently change the filter, the oil can last practically forever. The 12/15k service interval was set upon more on making sure the car gets inspected with adequate frequency than anything to do with oil life.

 

[Lane on the fence]

I've never bought into the whole A service B service stuff. Most of it is over kill. I've seen it too many times from friends. They take a perfect car in and leave with a perfect car with $700 less dollars. I drove my last car, Volvo 575,000 miles and it was running when I parked it. My BMW is on track for the same and has been cheaper to operate. I've worked on everything from 45 million dollar aircraft to a motor boat and a lot in between and most of the dealer stuff is over kill and unnecessary. I like MB or I would not have bought this metris but MB is not really different from most German cars from a mechanical standpoint. Most of the components are from the same OEM's, with different design specs. and the engine design is about the same, there are different code words and components are in different locations. Cars are more alike now than any time in history.

 

[Volvosrock]

At least the first one anyway. If i tow a camper on some trips i will reduce to 10k, that and It will take two years to drive 10k. On my BMW I've gone by the 15,000 mile changes and at 307,000 runs like new. I changed a valve cover gasket and the head looked new clean.

Well that makes it easy, I do beleive they suggest yearly OR 15 k miles for oil changes, so based on what you said for time to reach 15k, you'll be changing it around 7500 miles.

 

[Road_Ghost]

I'm a stickler for keeping on with recommended maintenance intervals as per MB, especially under warranty. Better chance of getting some good will favours later on if something comes up.

 

[Audi Junkie]

The new Castrol Edge 0w-40 has legit mfg specs inc MB 229.5. It uses the new nano titanium dioxide additive, and is made in Germany or Belgium. If I didn't have a big stash of oil already, this is what I'd use.

Any 0w-40 or 5w-40 will work fine, in fact Chevron Delo 5w-40 is killer.

Mobil 1 0w-40 does have the longest track record, yada yada... I have 16q here for after I use up my PZ Ultra 0w-40.

Timed 6 months intervals works great, but as a 2nd vehicle I will do 1x a year approx 6000 miles.

 

[CyberHippy]

I did my first A service at 7000, the Service A light came on about a month & 1000 miles before then. The independent Mercedes mechanic I went to charged $240 vs the dealership's $370 quote. The mechanic was really nice, he said the clock on the Service A is set when the van rolls off the assembly line which makes sense as mine was on the lot for a while before I was able to get my financing together. He also said doing the first Service A early is a good move in terms of the potential longevity of the van, I'll be following the light's advice going forward and working with him (his loaner Benz had 450,000 miles on it and ran beautifully).

 

[shroom1]

I did my first A service at 7000, the Service A light came on about a month & 1000 miles before then. The independent Mercedes mechanic I went to charged $240 vs the dealership's $370 quote. The mechanic was really nice, he said the clock on the Service A is set when the van rolls off the assembly line which makes sense as mine was on the lot for a while before I was able to get my financing together. He also said doing the first Service A early is a good move in terms of the potential longevity of the van, I'll be following the light's advice going forward and working with him (his loaner Benz had 450,000 miles on it and ran beautifully).

 

[shroom1]

My free dealer oil changes are all used up. Time to do my own. I live in Minnesota and use Amsoil 5W-30 in my other vehicles year round. The dealer has been using Mobile 1 5W-20 in my 2017 Metris, but said 5W-30 would be fine. We plan to do winters in AZ and may need a better grade oil for that climate. Wondering if I could use 5W-30 in MN and switch to 5W-20 for AZ? Also, any tips on doing the oil/filter change procedure?

 

[kbcool]

Why would you want a thinner oil in a warmer climate?

 

[projectvito17]

Here's a link to 229.5 qualified oils:

Mercedes-Benz Betriebsstoff-Vorschriften

Die Mercedes-Benz Betriebsstoff-Vorschriften zeigen eine Übersicht der Anforderungen der im Fahrzeug benötigten Betriebsstoffe und der empfohlenen Produkte. Betriebsstoffe sind alle zum Betrieb eines Mercedes-Fahrzeugs / Aggregats erforderlichen Flüssigkeiten bzw. Schmiermittel z.B. Kraftstoff...

bevo.mercedes-benz.com

General rule:
Cooler climate: 0W-30, 0W-40
Warmer climate: 0W-40, 5W-40

 

[kbcool]

I didn't see 5w-20 on that list. Is it even a approved weight?