__________________
1998 W210 diesel (wiped out by a texter)
Baum spring compressor "for rent"

From 8/95, this is the temperature/viscosity chart from the Factory Approved Service Products for Passenger Cars leaflet. I'd remembered the approved oil classification wrong: it's actually SH.

As you can see from the third bar from the right (10W-30 CCMC G5), the temp range is from about -10 F./-25 C. to + 90 F./+30 C.
.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

I am beginning to suspect that my mechanic has been using lighter weight oil all along. With the 15-40, oil pressure, when the engine is hot, is not dropping to near zero as it did previously.

However, since doing my last oil change, ambient temperatures have been in the 70's to low 80's, and my thermostat has been failing in the Open position (can run with A/C on full blast on the higway, and coolant temp will never exceed 79-80C).

When I replace the thermostat this week, and the engine temperature returns to normal, I will have clearer knowledge.

__________________
2008 E350 4matic / Black/Anthracite

------------------------------------
Gone but not Forgotten:
2001 E430 4matic, 206,xxx miles, Black/Charcoal
1995 E320, 252,xxx miles, Black/Grey
1989 260E, 223,00 miles, Black/Black

Usually with 15W-40 I see around 1.5 bars hot idle in both cars (with tranny in gear). With 5W-40 Delvac 1 it's closer to 1 bar.

__________________
(2) 1988 300 SEL W126

with 5k change intervals. I run this from March to November or so, and then 0w40 in winter. MBUSA replaced all my seals including head gasket at 80k, I now have 133k, and zero leaks, zero oil usage at 5k. It was unusually dirty at 130k, so I may try the Delo or Delvac treatment at 135k.

__________________
former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

It really works!

Cheers!

__________________
'91 420 SEL @ 199K, '92 SVX @ 181K, '93 SC400 @ 86K, '93 Kaw ZX-11 @ 30K, '87 F250 @ 181K , 2001 Valkyrie Interstate @ 6K, Y2K Honda NightHawk 250 with 1.5K, '88 420SEL I.@ 179K & the 2nd latest, an '88 420SEL II.@ 210K runnin' parts car, '85 F150 300/NP435

I don't know the answer to that. I do know the 617, 102, 103, 104 engines all have cams acting on a flat, non-roller valve lifter.

__________________
Thank You!
Fred
2009 ML350
2004 SL600
2004 SL500
1996 SL600
2002 SLK32
2005 CLK320 cabrio
2003 ML350
1997 C280 Sport

Check this interesting little peice on German Motor Oil I found. Apparently there is a special blend of German Castrol out there, now wouldn't this apparently Green sometimes Gold colored oil be better for our cars?....
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http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=711450&an=0&page=0#Post711450

FAQ - GC ( German Castrol )
#711450 - 04/03/06 11:23 PM Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply



I wrote this to answer the basic questions people have about GC. The forums are intimidating and finding information can be tedious.
I hope this helps anyone looking for basic info.

If you see any errors or have suggestions, please PM me.


GC FAQ
Created: April 3, 2006
Last Edited: April 15, 2006

Disclaimer:
This FAQ was written for the U.S. audience. Not everything here applies if you live in another country.

Basic information:

What is GC?
GC stands for German Castrol. It's officially named Castrol Syntec 0w-30.
I'm not sure who coined this term.
Why is it called GC?
It is the ONLY Castrol Syntec made in Germany.
What makes this stuff so good?
With any oil, it may not work well with your car. However, the majority of us love it.

Produces great UOA results.
Engines run quieter and smoother. (OK, that may be an opinion.)
Comparable price with other synthetics. ~$5 qt
GC is a TRUE synthetic. Made from PAO/Esters, not Group III. Click here for more reading.

The other Castrol Syntecs are not true synthetics.
Other examples of true synthetic oils are Mobil1, Amsoil, Redline, and Royal Purple to name a few!
GC is good enough to have its own forum! That's gotta mean something.
What's bad about this stuff?
Not much.

You might have a hard time finding it depending on where you live.
Your car might not like it. You'll never know until you try.
Keep trying oils until you find one you're happy with.
Addicting. You'll see what I mean...
Is it "thin"? Come on, 0w-30 has to be watery.
NO! Please don't completely buy into that myth.

At cold temps, the 0w weight correlates to cold cranking viscosity.
That means GC will still flow at cold temps. (Which is a good thing!)
At operating temps, the 30 weight is actually close to a 40 weight.
GC is one of the thickest 30 weight oils around.
I don't want to go into too much detail about this here. It can be very confusing.
My point is, GC is not "thin" in most temperatures that we use our cars in.

Click here for more details about the "Thin Oil Myth".
The example uses Mobil1 5w-30 and 10w-30, but GC still applies.

Click here for some viscosity comparisons.
Click here for a chart about cold cranking viscosity.
Can I use this oil even if my car manufacturer recommends a different weight?
Great question. Your best bet would be to search or start a new topic if it hasn't been discussed.
It should be fine if your car needs 0w-30 (Duh), 5w-30, or 10w-30.
Personally, I wouldn't use GC if my car called for non-30 weight.
Where can I buy this stuff?
In the US, AutoZone is the only major store that carries GC. Most AutoZones carry it, but not all.
In Canada, you can try your luck at AutoZone and Wally World.


More information you should know:

There are 3 types of GC.

U.S. - So it's not really GC, but it's U.S. made Castrol Syntec 0w-30.
Green - Yes, the oil is Green.
Gold - The most recent stuff.
What's the difference?

There's not much research done on the U.S. stuff, so just don't buy it.
Green vs Gold

No one is 100% sure which is better.
Green has proven itself to be great.
So far, Gold has been great too!
Gold is probably just as good as Green. (Maybe better?)
Click here for more reading.
Bottom Line

The U.S. stuff probably isn't as good as the German stuff.
Buy Green if you can find it. Otherwise go for the Gold!
How can I tell the difference?
First, I'll teach you how to read the date codes.

Look at the bottom of the bottle, it'll say something like M05216xxxx

The 05 represents the year it was made. (2005 in this case)
The 216 represents the day it was made. (001 - 365)
U.S.

No need to look at the date code, it'll say "Made in the U.S.A." on the back.
It was last made in 2002, but many AutoZones still have some lying around.
Green GC

It'll say "Made in Germany" on the back.
Anything until and including M05010xxxx is Green.
This stuff came out in 2002.
Gold GC

It'll say "Made in Germany" on the back.
Anything after M05010xxxx is Gold.
This is the current GC.
Click here for some photos of US and Green GC.
The Gold GC bottles look similar or identical to the Green GC bottles.


Miscellaneous Questions:

Are you a chemical engineer or tribologist?
Nope, just an enthusiast. I am an Electrical Engineer and I got A's in all my physics/chem classes. (I still don't know jack about those subjects.)
Why do people hunt for Green GC so frivolously?
I don't know. There's something novel about losing gas/time/money/relationships for the Green.
What's the deal with the elves?
Shhh, don't get involved. They'll pull you back in if you try to get out.

Credits:

BITOG
sxg6 for the GC photos.
AndyH for the cold viscosity table.
427Z06 for the viscosity comparisons.
Everyone who gave me suggestions and caught my errors. If you think your name should be here, don't be shy and PM me!

Thanks for reading!

__________________
My Cars
Mercedes CLS
Mercedes C-Class W203 - All time favorite

R.I.P.
Mercedes C-Class - W202 Lemon
Mercedes ML - Warrior
VW Jetta – Worst Car I ever owned - Alot of problems

MB sheet 229.5 approved oils; "MB Longlife Service Oils"
for passenger cars with gas and diesel engines with extended drain intervals beyond 229.3 oils, to 30,000 km, min 1.8% fuel saving, first oils introduced summer 2002. ACEA A3 B4. For gas engines of the M100 series, gas engines of the M200 series and diesel engines of the OM600 series (not models with Euro 4 diesel particle filters).
229.5 engine oils must be used with fleece oil filter designed for use with 229.5 engine oils.

AGIP Formula LL DC 5W-30 (I)
Aral SuperTronic G 5W-30 (D)
Aral SuperTronic M 5W-30 (D)
Castrol DCO TOPUP 0W-30 (D)
Castrol Syntec European Formula 0W-30 (USA)
Elf Excellium 229.5 5W-30 (F)
FormulaShell Ultra AB 5W-30 (GB)
Fuchs Titan Supersyn SL MB 5W-30 (D)
Labo MB 229.5 5W-30 (F)
Liqui Moly Longtime High Tech 5W-30 (D)
Mobil 1 SuperSyn European Car Formula 0W-40 (USA)
Mobil 1 Turbodiesel 0W-40
Mobil SHC Formula MB 5W-30
Motorex Profil M-XL 5W-30 (CH)
OMV full syn MB 5W-30 (A)
Pennzoil European Formula Ultra 5W-30 (USA)
Premium Synthetik Motorenöl 5W-30 (DaimlerChrysler, D)
Quaker State European Formula Ultra 5W-30 (USA)
Shell Helix Ultra AB 5W-30 (Mercedes-Benz) (GB)
Shell Helix Ultra DC 229.5 (GB)
Total Quartz 229.5 5W-30 (F)
Valvoline SynPower MB 5W-30 (NL)

__________________
2007 C 230 Sport.

imho, for pre-FSS cars (pre 1998) it doesn't really matter whether you use 10W-40 or 15W-40 dino oil. In fact I'm betting you could use walmart special el-cheapo oil that meets the SJ/SL rating and the engine could run til 300k no problem as long as the oil gets changed every 4000 miles.

__________________
Current cars:
2001 MB E55 AMG
2003 Honda S2000
2000 Honda CRV

Gone but not forgotten:
2004 BMW 325i 5sp sport
1999 BMW 540i sport
1997 MB E420
1995 BMW M3 coupe

Hey manny thanks for the response. So this German castrol is fine to use as long as "fleece oil filter designed for use with 229.5 engine oils" is used? where do they sell these filters?

__________________
My Cars
Mercedes CLS
Mercedes C-Class W203 - All time favorite

R.I.P.
Mercedes C-Class - W202 Lemon
Mercedes ML - Warrior
VW Jetta – Worst Car I ever owned - Alot of problems

IF they are available for your engine, the dealer would be the best source.

__________________
2007 C 230 Sport.

In my 97 E420 I have almost 8K miles on my last oil change to Castrol Syntec 20/50. I live in Houston so it doesn't get cold. (It will be a bitterly cold 42F tonight.) I previously used Castol GTX 20/50 and changed every 3K miles. The 20/50 Synthetic has the A3/B3/B4 ratings. The 5/40 flavor also adds MB 229.1 and MB 229.3 to it's list of ratings. A document I read said for MY1997 and earlier without FSS, basically any combination is OK but I am not sure if I am reading that right. And it doesn't mention oil change intervals. My intent is to extend the oil change interval beyond 3K miles. But to how many miles using synthetic oil? And should I change to the Castrol 5/40 synthetic or stick with the 20/50 synthetic? From the pressure chart previously posted, 5/40 seems compelling. This thread seems to be dancing right around the answers to my question, so I thought I would give it a shot.
Thanks,

__________________
John
89 260E 236,000 miles
97 E420 106,000 miles
87 Volvo 765 312,000 miles
07 Volvo S40 T5

To each their own.
I would go with the 5 W 40 and change it at 6 - 7 k miles.
On my own vehicle I use Mobil 1 , 0 W 40 and change oil & filter every 6 k miles, even though my FSS would let me change at 10 k miles.

__________________
2007 C 230 Sport.

Does nobody use Mobil1 15w50 extended life? I'm using that, changing every 5k. For winter, I've used 5qts of 15w50, and 1.5 of 5w30, for about 12w45. My most respected indie shop guy says he uses 15w50 on ALL the pre-FSS cars. His arguments is thicker oil = better protection.

I'm surprised to hear no one uses this oil

__________________
former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL