1995 E320 Engine oil question
 

Just bought a 95 E320 wagon. I believe this is the M104 motor built in mid to late 1995 (door sticker says 9/95 and the books are actually saying 1996 on the cover ) but if that is wrong it is a 6 cyl gas job. Anyway, I looked all over the owners manuals and believe it or not there is not any wording of specific engine oils. It says 7.9qts with filter and change at 7500 miles but with what??? I see from the old maintenance records they were using Kendall 20-50. Is that the same as 20w50? I assume so but can anyone confirm the best oil choice for this car. North Carolina operating temps (hot as heck in the summer and down to ~10 F at worst in the winter). Car has 87K on it. Thanks!

Hi, Benmack1,

If your manual is anything like the one with my late '97 C230 (4-cylinder), then no, all the instructions say is to ask the dealer. Of course they'll tell you Mobil 1 $ynthetic, which is a fine oil, but pricey.

I used 15W-40 dino oil mostly on my Benzes; it's a "universal" oil, used all over the world. Brands here include Chevron Delo, Shell Rotella, and Mobil Delvac (though I think that latter is synthetic). The 20W-50 is a good oil, but it might be a bit heavy for the winter even in NC. You could do a 5W-40 synthetic like the Shell Rotella syn and get the best of both worlds, the deposit control of a diesel-rated oil -- which is also good for a gas-engined car -- and the cold flow properties of a synthetic.

How often do you plan to change the oil, and what kind of driving do you do?
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any good 20w50 oil will do fine.by the build date your car should have been a 96 but the 210 wagon did not come out until much later in the model yr and all 96 wagons were 210 body.i am told that they might even have built 95 wagons[124 body] up until nov of 95.

It's the 21st century: 0W-40 Mobil 1.