oil changes between mercedes service

logrider · 07-25-2021, 04:10 PM

Wanted to get some opinions on doing oil changes between the 20k A&B services recommended by Mercedes.
(I have 25k miles after 28 months with the first oil change at 18k miles)

I have no data but it "feels" like 20,000 is a long time between oil changes. Heat, moisture, etc. would seem to take a toll on even the fancy Mobile 1 synthetics. I would like this engine to last a looong time.

1) Does anyone perform oil changes on their Sprinter diesels more frequently than 20,000 miles?
2) if so, do you do it yourself or take it to a special shop? (The Mercedes dealers that can work on sprinters aren't close and are $$$)

mine is a 2018 3.0l 4x4 and I live in the Santa Cruz area.

Thanks!
Scott

I searched to see if this had already been discussed.

Steve Hunt · 07-25-2021, 07:34 PM

Pull a oil sample, spend $20 and get the actual data to decide. I use Blackstone Labs for years on my tow vehicle, daily driver, race bikes etc. Engine oil, transmissions, diffs etc.
I can tell you that I would never go 20,000 miles on engine oil, the additive package would surely be depleted but that is the purpose of a oil analysis it will quantitatively tell you exactly. The report will also compare your engines oil data points to the database of their oil samples from other 3.0L diesels.

logrider · 07-26-2021, 08:37 AM

thank you. good advice

kcshoots · 07-26-2021, 08:56 AM

Synthetic oil will last much longer and deal with temperature changes and humidity absorption much better than conventional oil. And for certain the manufacturers aren't going to recommend oil change intervals that would create a recall to replace engines or hurt their reputations, so likely very well tested and vetted from years of experience.

I do change the oil and do all other regular maintenance on my Sprinter as I have found it to be easy and a significant cost savings while providing additional feedback on conditions. Changing the Sprinter engine oil takes less than an hour and costs about $150 in all parts compared with dealer charging over $400. I have gotten it down to just over 30 mins total to change engine oil, air filter, cabin filter and fuel filter. Watch my video here for tips and tricks: https://youtu.be/9173amXrl0Q and save yourself a lot of money and some frustration.

I do tend to change my air filter and cabin air filter at shorter intervals than recommended especially after driving in dusty conditions, and same with fuel filter if I had to use what I think may had been lower quality fuel. The fuel filter is the only expensive and difficult one to replace/change.

jrobe · 07-27-2021, 08:38 AM

Having spent over $100k on a vehicle after the RV conversion, I think it is worth doing more aggressive maintenance than I might do on my cars which will cost closer to $50k to replace. I have decided to do oil changes every 10,000-12,000 miles. I can do them myself in about 20-30 minutes with pretty low cost. I also then know that I have used the best possible oil (who knows what my Freightliner dealer would use). The Sprinter is an easy vehicle to do oil changes on.

I also do fuel filter changes every 20,000 miles. It is possible that this is more important than oil changes with the low quality fuels, biodiesel mixes, etc. that are now sold. I do take it to the Freightliner dealer for these since it is a little more complicated. I replace the air filter about every 20,000 miles. I let the dealer do brake work including brake fluid flushes.

I never let them do the formal "A" and "B" services but instead just request the specific service items that I want.

We bought our Sprinter from our local Freightliner dealer (owned by Mercedes) but I would take it to Freightliner even if I bought it from a Mercedes dealer or a RV dealer. They are cheaper and probably even better diesel mechanics since they mostly work on diesel semi trucks.

kcshoots · 07-27-2021, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrobe

... I have decided to do oil changes every 10,000-12,000 miles. I can do them myself in about 20-30 minutes with pretty low cost. I also then know that I have used the best possible oil...

I also do fuel filter changes every 20,000 miles. I replace the air filter about every 20,000 miles. I let the dealer do brake work including brake fluid flushes.

I never let them do the formal "A" and "B" services but instead just request the specific service items that I want...

Yeah, even though the oil and filter likely will work fine for well past 10k miles, I too do mine at least every 10k miles and also the fuel filter at the same time. Probably over kill but fuel is the one thing other than a weak battery that keeps a diesel from starting. I have a BMW with a 3.0 diesel (and about twice the power and torque fo the Mercedes 3.0), and it's oil service intervals are 20k and fuel filter 40k, so we're probably being overly careful with more frequent changes.

I also change my air filter at least every 20k miles, and even more frequently after driving in dusty conditions as fuel and air are the two ways contaminants enter an engine. At roughly $150 total/A-B service, plus 30-60 mins of time, it's reasonable even if a little more than necessary.

Like you, I also like doing it myself to check everything and know it's been done right and also to choose a high quality oil, but I too leave the brake service up to others as not my area of experience and key to safety.

logrider · 07-27-2021, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcshoots

Synthetic oil will last much longer and deal with temperature changes and humidity absorption much better than conventional oil. And for certain the manufacturers aren't going to recommend oil change intervals that would create a recall to replace engines or hurt their reputations, so likely very well tested and vetted from years of experience.

I do change the oil and do all other regular maintenance on my Sprinter as I have found it to be easy and a significant cost savings while providing additional feedback on conditions. Changing the Sprinter engine oil takes less than an hour and costs about $150 in all parts compared with dealer charging over $400. I have gotten it down to just over 30 mins total to change engine oil, air filter, cabin filter and fuel filter. Watch my video here for tips and tricks: https://youtu.be/9173amXrl0Q and save yourself a lot of money and some frustration.

I do tend to change my air filter and cabin air filter at shorter intervals than recommended especially after driving in dusty conditions, and same with fuel filter if I had to use what I think may had been lower quality fuel. The fuel filter is the only expensive and difficult one to replace/change.

Good advice - enjoyed the video even if I decided to have someone else do the oil change. Glad to know about the O-rings. Thanks!

kcshoots · 07-27-2021, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logrider

Good advice - enjoyed the video even if I decided to have someone else do the oil change. Glad to know about the O-rings. Thanks!

Thanks--glad that you enjoyed my oil change video. No shame at all in letting someone else do the dirty work. Better to spend your time building it out and enjoying trips in it.

mk216v · 08-01-2021, 10:09 AM

Definitely cut the intervals in half, at least. Off the top of my head (I don't have my cheat sheet in front of me), up to '14 was LOF's every 10k. In '15+ they stretched it to every 20k....why? One reason is that MBUSA can then market the costs of maintenance over your ownership as being less $ than it actually is, so it's more enticing for buyers to buy a new vehicle. Sneaky.

So, at least every 10k for LOF's. That being said, if you're using it as a daily driver, to/from work 2mi away, you're never getting the engine up to temp to burn off contaminants. So in that instance, I'd recommend LOF's ever 5k or ~12months.

Make sure your 5w30 full synthetic meets MB 229.52 spec.

Fuel filter every 20k, interior cabin(heppa) filter and engine air filter 20k-40k depending on the roads you drive (lots of dirt roads, change at 20k), rear diff service at 40k, if a 4WD(ie selectable AWD) then front diff and t-case at 40k. Trans service at 60k, unless towing heavy or lots of mountain grades and then maybe 40k-60k. And make sure to use DEF that is ISO 22241 rated, and go thru it--don't let it sit in the DEF tank and crystallize = $$$ repairs.

Joe Hohner · 08-02-2021, 10:13 AM

Great question that we have wondered about ourselves. We change the engine oil, oil filter, engine air cleaner, cabin air cleaner, and fuel filter once a year which works out to 10,000 to 12,000 miles. We have a 4x4 with the Agile RIP and spend a lot of time off-road with one long trip (4 to 6 months) and several short trips each year. We have concluded after talking to others that it is better to error on the conservative side and that the Mercedes service guidance does not take into account how we use our van.