Well, whatever it is, I'm going to keep using it based solely on my excellent experience with it.

OTOH, I will continue to avoid WalMart gasoline based solely on my poor experience with it. When I tried it, it pinged and rattled like crazy.

You should try Costco gas. Where I live, I get 91 oct. Premium for the same price if not even slightly cheaper then what regular is sold for at other gas stations. The problems you've stated I've had using Ethonol Additive gases sold here....so i wonder if walmart is using a similar blend down there? but then again other people have had no problems using ethonol blended gases, but from what i remember my mercedes manual states to avoid this gasoline as it may damage the cat.converter.....oh well this is an oil thread anyways.

I buy oil that is listed on the handy dandy Mercedes spec sheet because I am not an engineer and don't know better then the guys who design these engines.:D

wbrian63 Thank you that was one of the best posts I have read on this subject in a long time.

Does the handy dandy spec sheet specify brands?

Where could I see one of these sheets?

Yep brands and weights.

Every few months someone posts it on this forum, its usualy in PDF format. I currantly don't have it handy.

you said....."Well, whatever it is, I'm going to keep using it based solely on my excellent experience with it."




You do that. Back in the day, I was on the VW TDI forums with some friends saying the same thing about using oiled-foam air filters, modifying ECUs, etc, all because WE KNEW BETTER than the VW engineers.

Sadly, I went through 5 airmass meters on my TDI, and ultimately melted - yes melted - the injection pump due to amateur foolery. Ah, but it was fun to think I had outsmarted the engineers. Throw in some Autozone tranny fluid while you're at it - hey, it's cheaper!

Let me also be a real a$$ and get this thread closed by saying that, if you've got to worry about saving $2/qt on oil, you are living beyond your means (and your annual maintenance budget) and you need to seriously consider buying a nice Hyundai. These threads are getting ridiculous\

FWIW, I have a friend who owns several local gas stations. I had been running Shell V-Power and noticed IMMEDIATELY better results than any Walmart or Costco gas. I asked him if I was just being a gas snob, and he, NOT a Shell distributor, said no, that Shell gas IS superior due to the additive package. Make of that what you will

Thanks for your concern. However, let me remind you that we are talking about two 300Es, almost 20 years old, each with close to 200K miles, one of which I opened up and it was super-clean inside. Neither engine has ever required anything more than routine maintenance, except the '90 did get new valve seals, which eventually led to a new oil pump because of the foreign object the mechanic dropped in the engine. My amateur foolery seems to be working out quite well.

These engineers you praise are the same ones who are responsible for radiators with necks that break off, evaporators that leak, valve seals that leak, head gaskets that fail, etc, etc.

If there had been negative consequences of my choices, I could better understand your holier-than-thou attitude, ya know? You may have torn up your VW with your modifications, but my two MBs are faring quite well. You are comparing apples and oranges.

And the fact is, I have always used WalMart transmission fluid, too. Both transmissions are fine. Amazing, isn't it?

And it's not because I can't afford "good" oil. It's simply foolish to pay extra for the same product.

Well for me, 3k a month in "severe" conditions, and plenty of redline runs makes me feel a lot better with a good additive package in an oil that can go 6k between changes - I suppose if you're an easy driver and also change it every 3k, sure, you'll get 200k out of it. You also don't have a 722.6 trans, like I do - so pardon the trans fluid statement.

I can't imagine how it would behoove MB not to put the cheaper oils on the list, unless they had a reason not to. I presume someone will come from the sidelines and say MB is in bed with certain suppliers and are being paid to list certain ones. If you value your vehicle and want the maxiumum durability over a lifetime, why would you not go for the best additive package, one that can suspend the most debris for under the worst conditions?

I've spent $300 in unexpected repairs over the last 48k miles. I also burn zero oil between 5-6k mile change intervals, and as far as using shell gas since 100k, I'm on the original fuel pump and injectors......never a stumble.

I am an easy driver but I don't change the oil every 3K miles.

I'm sure your choices are appropriate for you, just as mine are for me.

Tell ya what, I won't criticize you for using what you like, and you show me the same respect. Fair enough?

I find it funny you'd say I'm living beyond my means. I own 4 cars, and do a business lease on a very fine car that I don't even talk about on this forum or mention....I am probably half your age and if you ever saw my house you'd think I was a drug dealer....this didn't happen by me being stupid, but its the same reason you can't wear my shoes at such a young age and its also why you still have a day job.

Why do I come here? its not to save money like you cheap Ass...I come on here to get tips to learn how to fix cars as I've taken it up as a hobby. The wonderful people on this board have been very helpful in helping me learn different things and teach me where things are so i can do my own diagnosis and maintaince.

Sorry grandpa, but this thread is here to stay, go tell the veterans at your old farts club about your shell gas.

Well oil analysis indicates otherwise.
Many use different basestocks also but still end up with an excellent product.

SM/GF-4 is our friend.:kid:

I quite don't understand the need for people to go slamming Hyundai.

They make very good and reliable(much moreso than MB does now)cars.

Yes with many products that go into a can, bottle or even a box, there will be the same or similar products going into different containers with different labels.

Although the QS, Pennzoil and Shell lubricant products are not my favorite, I am sure that they will serve you well if they are changed in a timely manner.

The whole tone of this thread is further enforcing the statement I made in my original post - "people are intensely loyal to their choice of oils".

What we all need to remember is first - as the old saying goes "your results may vary". Some people swear by the mileage they get from Shell gasoline, other's prefer Chevron, still others Exxon. It is true that some cars seem to "prefer" one brand of gasoline over another.

Plenty of people have opened up high-mileage engines running "brand X" oils, and have seen little or no wear. For each of those stories, I'm sure there's a "googleable" thread out there about the person that changed their oil religiously at the proper interval and suffered massive mechanical failure at comparatively low mileage, using the same "brand X" oil.

There are some situations in life where it is OK to say "sorry, friend, you're wrong" - when you hear about someone putting diesel in their gasoline engine and "everything works even better - you should try it!!!". There are other situations where opinions are the order of the day, and each persons opinion should be offered in kindness and accepted in friendship.

As for the Super-Tech oils - this was in 2003/2004 when I'm sure that the stuff in the bottles was Pennzoil/QS oils. Walmart is free to negotiate with whomever they choose to get the best deal for the oil that goes in their bottles - something they apparently have done.

Part of my exposure while at SOPUS (the correct name for the conglomerate that owns Pennzoil/Quaker State/Havoline....) let me to see how much effort is expended defending the product against lawsuits from individuals who swear that the failure in their engine was caused by the oil. There's a lot of science (and I'll bet a fair amount of magic) that goes into figuring out what the true cause of a lubrication-related engine failure.

A lot of what will determine a buyer's experience with an oil is related to how the car is driven. There are numerous posts from MB owners that experience condensation-related goop at the cap on modern MB cars that are only driven short distances in cold weather. You can take two identical engines in two identical cars in the same town, and with the same oil over the same miles get a completely different result - all from the difference in the way the cars are driven.