Oil Filter Change - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ggspeed · #1 02-01-2009, 10:40 PM

I have been told to change the oil filter in between oil changes. how much oil will most likely need to be added when i do this if any? Is this a good idea to change the filter every 1500 miles as opposed to the normal 3000 miles when i change my oil?

tangofox007 · #2 02-01-2009, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggspeed

I have been told to change the oil filter in between oil changes.

Columbus was told that the Earth was flat.

t walgamuth · #3 02-01-2009, 10:45 PM

I wouldn't do that. Changing it every three thou is pretty conservative. Besides what good is it to change the filter and not the oil anyway!

Bio300TDTdriver · #4 02-01-2009, 10:59 PM

Where did you get that bad advice?

compress ignite · #5 02-02-2009, 01:11 AM

YouAll got some of them deserts full of blowing sand up there "Down East"
(Even then you'd change BOTH and the air filter)

jt20 · #6 02-02-2009, 02:38 AM

some more mythology:

I was always under the impression that changing the filter was a 'luxury', while changing the oil was a 'necessity'.

Diesel911 · #7 02-02-2009, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggspeed

I have been told to change the oil filter in between oil changes. how much oil will most likely need to be added when i do this if any? Is this a good idea to change the filter every 1500 miles as opposed to the normal 3000 miles when i change my oil?

Bad advice or not if you do not have a Spin-on type filter on your car; the Cartridge type filters only hold in as much Oil as is absorbed into the Filter Element.
Whereas a Spin-on type filter will most often have a rubber Anti-drain Back Valve in it and trap almost the whole filter volume of Oil inside of it.

So I would be guessing that on my 84 300D somewhere around 1/2-1 cup of Oil would remain trapped in the Filter Element and that would be mainly in the cotton by-pass section of the Element.

If you change an all pleated paper type cartridge element I would not expect to see any difference on the Dip Stick.
However, the Fleece media type cartridge elements would retain more Oil than the paper element types.

babymog · #8 02-02-2009, 09:27 AM

Model and year makes this easier to answer as different models have different change intervals (mostly due to how much soot they produce and how much sulfur was in the fuel when they were built).

Usually the filter is good for the change interval, the exception to that rule is if you are running extended oil-change intervals (such as with good synthetic in a clean-running engine) and stock filters. On a couple of my father's cars he runs 15,000mile oil change intervals with normal filter change intervals (1-2 filters between oil changes).

So the answer to your question is normally no, but please include year/model.

ggspeed · #9 02-02-2009, 02:37 PM

1987 300SDL by the way im talking about the engine oil filter.

babymog · #10 02-02-2009, 03:06 PM

I believe that your oil change interval, by the book, is 5,000miles for normal use. Changing the oil and/or filter sooner than this, unless the driving conditions or engine conditions are not good, is a waste of oil, money, and our environment IMO.

The filter should be good for the original change interval, Mercedes has built a car or two in the past 120years and has figured out that much.

84300DT · #11 02-02-2009, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggspeed

1987 300SDL by the way im talking about the engine oil filter.

just curious...
what type of engine oil are you using dino or synthetic? it makes a difference
whether or not you may want to change the filter out or not..

seems like sdls are a becoming a rare breed in CT these days..lol

LUVMBDiesels · #12 02-02-2009, 07:51 PM

I do the filter every 2500/3000 miles on my SDL. I change the oil every 5000/6000 using M1.

The amount of oil in the filter is negligible. The oil in the filter housing is around 1 qt.

You can all do what you want, but for $8.00 I will change the filter between oil changes...

Bio300TDTdriver · #13 02-02-2009, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

I believe that your oil change interval, by the book, is 5,000miles for normal use. Changing the oil and/or filter sooner than this, unless the driving conditions or engine conditions are not good, is a waste of oil, money, and our environment IMO.

The filter should be good for the original change interval, Mercedes has built a car or two in the past 120years and has figured out that much.

I'll go Jeff one further. If your car has an OM603 and you are using a "real" synthetic and you change your oil more than every 10,000 or once a year, you are wasting your time, money and hurting the environment. I'm not making this up. Oil analysis has shown that it is safe.

Change your oil hot and once every 10,000 miles.

ggspeed · #14 02-02-2009, 10:02 PM

for now i run shell rotella non syn, or mobil delvac non 1300. I spoke to a life long mechanic who works at a good benz dealership, and he said its not worth it to switch over to synthetic as long as you change it at short intervals. I do mine between 2500 and 3000 miles. She has 190k on the engine and is an original engine and tranny as far as i can tell, and have been told. She has no blow by and runs good now that the overboost lines have been cleaned. The only issue i have is a little click diagnosed as a stuck lifter, but its not too bad yet and can wait i have been told.

Based on the results from this thread i am hypothesizing that changing my oil every 3k, and doing the oil filter with it is going to be fine for the car. However if i was to make the switch to syn, i should lengthen my intervals, and possibly change the filter at some point in the middle of those intervals.

Bio300TDTdriver · #15 02-02-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggspeed

for now i run shell rotella non syn, or mobil delvac non 1300. I spoke to a life long mechanic who works at a good benz dealership, and he said its not worth it to switch over to synthetic as long as you change it at short intervals. I do mine between 2500 and 3000 miles. She has 190k on the engine and is an original engine and tranny as far as i can tell, and have been told. She has no blow by and runs good now that the overboost lines have been cleaned. The only issue i have is a little click diagnosed as a stuck lifter, but its not too bad yet and can wait i have been told.

Based on the results from this thread i am hypothesizing that changing my oil every 3k, and doing the oil filter with it is going to be fine for the car. However if i was to make the switch to syn, i should lengthen my intervals, and possibly change the filter at some point in the middle of those intervals.

Want to venture a guess as to what my un-stick your lifter?

Group IV or V synthetic oil. Then you can save yourself 2 oil changes every 10,000 miles. What will you do with all that free time?