Help with engine oil
 

New Benz diesel owner and I cannot understand the Benz oil terminology, specs, grades!

Book says you can pick from about 17 specs (the 722.xx) and each one of those has heaps of different grades. Argh. Not used to this, I am used a spec (the letter cleanliness one) and a temp graph to pick what viscosity.

W164 and w211 both with om642.

Thanks

Tell us more about "the letter cleanliness one."

Grade / weight doesn't matter. You just need to look for something meeting MB spec 229.51.

Here's a list stolen from another site:

Rowe Hightec Synt RS DLS 5w30
Total INEO MC3 5w30
OEM Mercedes-Benz fully-synthetic 5w30 oil
Pentosin HP2 5w40 - higher viscosity than most other 229.51 oils
Liqui Moly Top Tec 4200 5w30

-J

Check your owners manual. My 09 W211 OM642 calls for "MB sheet number" 229.51. So go here and pick anything with a check mark: https://operatingfluids.mercedes-benz.com/sheet/229.51/en

I have been running PENTO HIGH PERFORMANCE II SAE 5W-40.

Liqui Moly or Amsoil are the top tier oils. Both companies have laboratories that are totally OCD about oil testing.....

Where I live its very mild, year round, except for maybe 2-3 weeks total miserably hot/humid days.
I never worried about the # specifications, ever.
From new '79 Rabbit through '83 300cd & '84 Chev diesel, and all in between, (all diesels), All I have ever used is straight 30w oils.

Synthetic, diesel rated that has ESP stated on it. Where do you live? I'm interested in moving to that type climate area.

Personally I'd avoid an ESP oil - that means it's got lower Zinc. Plus many of them are 5w30.

-J

You could spend days in web rabbit-hole of oil discussions. Good to have a new owner like the original fussy owners of M-B cars, though you will surely encounter bigger battles and compromises in maintaining the car. I just get CJ-rated oil, usually 10W30 for my mild climate, but your newer engines might be fussier.