OM617 motor - how long do they last? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Ducati · #31 09-26-2004, 02:13 AM

So then, I can expect my OM617 with 272,000 miles on it to last for many many more years with my maintenance schedule being to use Mobil 1 Delvac and change it every 6 to 7000 miles, with oil filter raplacements at about 4000 miles, and valve adjustments every 15,000 miles? I replace both fuel filters every spring.
The rad was new 2 years ago & the coolant will be changed in Oct. if I keep the car any longer.

I have the unusual habit of draining a few litres of trans fluid out of it every time I change motor oil, and replace it with fresh stuff. I do this because I have heard horror stories of transmission failures occurring just after a fluid and filter change. So I do what I can to keep the trans fluid clean.

I use Hawes Diesel treat or Kleen Flo diesel additive in my fuel with almost every tankful, and never let the tank go much below 1/4 full.

Do you think I should change oil sooner, given that I am using Delvac synth., and change filters frequently?

If I buy the relatively low mileage SD that I have been contemplating, I will install an Amsoil dual filter setup.

Does installing a water separator in the fuel line between the tank and injectors have any merit?

nachi11744 · #32 09-26-2004, 02:39 AM

Hello,
The Audi 5 cylinder diesel from the 1980s may have been related to the GM 350 diesel :p
My friend was a VAG exec and his company car at that time was a 100CD diesel. It had all the GM engine's problems, there were so many modifications that even the VAG techs could not keep up. The car had three replacement engines in about 6 years of service and eventually wound up in a junkyard, cannibalized for body and trim pieces. Then VAG turbocharged the thing, it was a disaaster here and only a handful of demo units were ever brought over here, all usually overheating on a customer's test drive

Mercedes diesels have some very *heavy duty* features, like the *6 bolt* head fastening pattern over each cylinder bore and substantial main/rod bearing sizes plus a fully machined and hardened forged crankshaft. There probably are many more, but AFAIK, the OM636,621,615,616,617 series of engines are milion mile engines with ease.
I have heard that the OM601 is just as good on longevity, but have no first hand experience with it or the OM602,603 as the trend was away from diesel passenger cars and only a handful were sold on Malaysia. The new CDIs seem to be gaining ground, but are very expensive here, the C270CDI costing about US$100,000

Just my two cents.

Ducati · #33 09-26-2004, 03:00 AM

Hmmm..I wonder about the durability & longevity of the little turbocharged 3 cyl. diesel in the new Smart cars that Mercedes Benz has recently began selling here in British Columbia?

Cute little cars, though!

braverichard · #34 09-26-2004, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducati

So then, I can expect my OM617 with 272,000 miles on it to last for many many more years with my maintenance schedule being to use Mobil 1 Delvac and change it every 6 to 7000 miles, with oil filter raplacements at about 4000 miles, and valve adjustments every 15,000 miles? I replace both fuel filters every spring.
The rad was new 2 years ago & the coolant will be changed in Oct. if I keep the car any longer.

I have the unusual habit of draining a few litres of trans fluid out of it every time I change motor oil, and replace it with fresh stuff. I do this because I have heard horror stories of transmission failures occurring just after a fluid and filter change. So I do what I can to keep the trans fluid clean.

I use Hawes Diesel treat or Kleen Flo diesel additive in my fuel with almost every tankful, and never let the tank go much below 1/4 full.

Do you think I should change oil sooner, given that I am using Delvac synth., and change filters frequently?

If I buy the relatively low mileage SD that I have been contemplating, I will install an Amsoil dual filter setup.

Does installing a water separator in the fuel line between the tank and injectors have any merit?

Hmm... regarding transmission failures occurring after a fluid and filter change, that's a bad reason not to ever give your tranny a full filter and fluid change. The cause of the early tranny failure is due to people not changing their tranny fluid often (at least as often as they should). The end result then is that when they do perform a change after a long time of no changes, the new fluid's lubrication properties loosen up all the dirt that had accumulated in the transmission due to improper intervals of fluid change. The dirt then clogs the filter and eventually the transmission, resulting in failure. The solution? Well, if you just purchased an old car and have no record of when the fluid was last changed, perform a complete fluid and filter change, drive the car for a few thousand miles and then perform another fluid and filter change. That way you can get rid of any dirt that may have been loosened.

However draining some of the fluid out once in a while and replacing it with new fluid can't hurt the transmission. I use Amsoil Heavy Duty Diesel Synthetic oil and I change the filter every 3500 miles and the oil every 7,000 miles. Amsoil always recommends a filter change half way during the entire period of time the fluid will be in the system. I don't know if Delvac synthetic oil is 100% synthetic like Amsoil, so I can't really tell you if you're going off a proper change interval or not. However changing your filter frequently will always help, considering the amount of soot that gets in the oil of diesel engines.

FrankM · #35 09-26-2004, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braverichard

I use Amsoil Heavy Duty Diesel Synthetic oil and I change the filter every 3500 miles and the oil every 7,000 miles. Amsoil always recommends a filter change half way during the entire period of time the fluid will be in the system. I don't know if Delvac synthetic oil is 100% synthetic like Amsoil, so I can't really tell you if you're going off a proper change interval or not. However changing your filter frequently will always help, considering the amount of soot that gets in the oil of diesel engines.

Oil failures are usually a result of the additive package wearing out or contamination by fuel or water. The filter can not help this. Replacing that huge filter may be a good placebo.
There are many other diesel oils that are 100% synthetic and sold locally in stores...One must look beyond the Amsoil hype to find them.

braverichard · #36 09-26-2004, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankM

Oil failures are usually a result of the additive package wearing out or contamination by fuel and water. The filter can not help this. Replacing that huge filter may be a good placebo.
There are many other diesel oils that are 100% synthetic and sold locally in stores...One must look beyond the Amsoil hype to find them.

Who is talking about oil failures? What is an oil failure anyway? I don't get what your posting is all about.

FrankM · #37 09-26-2004, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braverichard

Who is talking about oil failures? What is an oil failure anyway? I don't get what your posting is all about.

Sorry, I forgot never to question Amsoil users or products.
It won't happen again

whunter · #38 09-26-2004, 03:05 PM

Hello Everyone

The authoritative and indisputable answer is:

YES!!!

Any other answer is impossible from data supplied.

Even when I know the PO, it is a theoretical – theological question.

Has it been severely abused?
Has it been parked to rot?
Who drove it?
Where has the car been geographically?
Do you have full, honest maintenance records?
Did the technicians working on it know what they where doing?
Are there any hidden flaws in this specific engine?
And the list goes on and on, like the movie Groundhog Day.

whunter · #39 09-26-2004, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankM

Sorry, I forgot never to question Amsoil users or products.
It won't happen again

To forget the intimate and personal relationship between an owner and their oil.

Shame on you.. :p
LOL, ROFL, :CRACKING-UP:

Some people do get a tad sensitive over OIL.

Remember, you are a professional, don't let them spook you.

Ducati · #40 09-26-2004, 09:23 PM

...but I thought Mobil 1 Delvac was fully synthetic...?

Anyways - it looks lik my maintenance regemen is ok, so the old tank should last almost forever. Thanks for all of the input.

whunter · #41 05-19-2013, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whunter

Hello Everyone

The authoritative and indisputable answer is:

YES!!!

Any other answer is impossible from data supplied.

Even when I know the PO, it is a theoretical – theological question.

Has it been severely abused?
Has it been parked to rot?
Who drove it?
Where has the car been geographically?
Do you have full, honest maintenance records?
Did the technicians working on it know what they where doing?
Are there any hidden flaws in this specific engine?
And the list goes on and on, like the movie Groundhog Day.

Tony; This is the only honest answer for the question.
We can talk further at the meeting.

.

BenzDieselTuner · #42 05-19-2013, 09:20 PM

to meet the API requirement to be a "Full Synthetic", the oil does not even have to be entirely Synthetic, only 60 percent........AMSOIL is 100% Synthetic.......nice even identical molecules.....gotta keep my molecules all in a row....