Pure marketing positioning.
A low cost dino, a mid-price semi and a high price synthetic.
For car enthusiasm, costs may not be an issue, but for Mr. Joe-Normal Consumer, price is a more sensitive element.
JackD
....all on dyno oil.

It was made for those who are "semi" convinced.

As eluded to above, it's a little like mid-grade fuel. If the low-end unleaded isn't up to snuff, then use the high-end; not the "semi" stuff.

By the way Jack, I still think you need to keep your 260. Forget the problem-prone latter model you're considering.

I smell an oil war coming on and I've likely just pissed off a bunch of 104 owners.

Oh well..............

__________________
Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Perhaps the reason for synthetic blends is that they can be better lubricants than straight synthetics such as Mobil 1 - according to european tests and Mercedes engineers.

MB sheet 229.3 approved oils
for passenger cars with gas and diesel engines with extended drain interval indicator FSS up to 20,000 km, or 40,000 km - 25,000 mi, min. 1.0% fuel saving compared to 229.1, based on ACEA A3 B3. For gas engine 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).

AGIP EXTRA HTS 5W-40
AGIP Synthetic PC 0W-40
AGIP Eurosport 0W-40
Amsoil 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
Amsoil 10W-30 Synthetic
Amsoil Series 3000 5W-30 Heavy Duty Diesel
Aral HighTronic 5W-40
Aral SuperSynth 0W-40
Aral Super Tronic 0W-40
Aviasynth 0W-40
Castrol DCO TOPUP SAE 0W-30
Castrol Formula RS Road and Track 5W-40
Castrol GTX7 DYNATEC 5W-40
Castrol Formula SLX 0W-30
Castrol TXT SOFTEC PLUS 5W-30
CIFAB Synthoil Hydrocrack HC7 5W-40
Elf Excellium LDX SAE 5W-40
Esso Ultron 0W-30 (fuel economy)
Esso Ultron 5W-40
Fuchs Silkolene Pro S 5W-40 - 100% Synthetic Oil For All Race Engines
Fuchs Silkolene Pro S 10W-50 - 100% Synthetic Oil For All Race Engines
Fuchs Titan SuperSyn SL 0W-30
Havoline Synthetic DS 0W-30
Kendall GT-1 Full Synthetic 5W-40
Liqui Moly Diesel Synthoil 5W-40
Liqui Moly High Tech 5W-40
Liqui Moly HC7 5W-40
LUKOIL SYNTEETIK 5W-40
Mobil 1 SuperSyn European Car Formula 0W-40
Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-40
Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-50
Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel 0W-40
Mobil Synt S 5W-40
Mobil Synt S Turbo Diesel 5W-40
Mobil Syst S 5W-40
Motul 8100 E-Tech 0W-40
Motul 8100 X-cess 5W-40
Pennzoil Synthetic European Formulation 5W-40
Pentosin Pentospeed 0W-30 VS
Quaker State Full Synthetic European Formulation 5W-40
Schaeffer Micron Moly 5W-30, 10W-40
Schaeffer Supreme 7000 5W-30, 10W-30, 20W-50
76 Pure Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-40
Shell Helix Plus S 5W-40 (Mercedes-Benz)
Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30, 0W-40, 5W-40
Sunoco Synturo Gold 5W-40 (introduced January 2002)
Total FINA First 5W-40
Total Quartz 9000 5W-40
Valvoline DuraBlend MXL 5W-40
Valvoline SynPower MXL 0W-30
Valvoline SynPower 5W-30, 0W-40, 5W-40
Veedol POWERTRON 5W-30
Veedol SYNTRON 0W-30

Note that according to Valvoline, their Durablend 15w40 also meets MB 229.1 and AECA.

Some oils which are not recommended:
Mobil 1 SuperSyn 0W-30 SL/SJ/CF A1/B1/A5 9.7 doesn't meet 229.1 nor ACEA A2 or A3
Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 SL/SJ/CF A1/B1/A5 9.8 doesn't meet 229.1 nor ACEA A2 or A3
Mobil 1 SuperSyn 10W-30 SL/SJ/CF A1/B1/A5 10.1 doesn't meet 229.1 nor ACEA A2 or A3

The six "4's" on Jack's odometer via dyno oil says it all. Guys his age and mine have taken many cars into the mega-mileage range on dyno oil.

If I can drive a car over 300,000 miles on dyno oil, what do I care about an xxx.y standard? This comment is not intended to knock the previous poster...interesting info, but...........

I wonder if profit margins are higher for syn vs. dyno???

__________________
Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

It's called "market segmentation" - flood the market with every conceivable viscosity range, base stock - useage such as "trucks" or "high mileage" - whatever - and someone is bound to buy something.

Duke

From above:

For a car that does 85% of its monthly mileage on the highway or about 2,500 a month ... how long can a synthetic be left in the crankcase?

Is a 10,000 mile interval OK? I am speaking of the 190e 2.3 specifically.

Haasman

__________________
'03 E320 Wagon-Sold
'95 E320 Wagon-Went to Ex
'93 190E 2.6-Wrecked
'91 300E-Went to Ex
'65 911 Coupe (#302580)

Given that the recommended change interval for mineral-based oil is 7500 or six months, a full synthetic should be okay for 10K, but why not just use conventional oil and change the oil and fiter every every 7500, which would be three months. Assuming you do your own oil/filter changes, you should save enough in oil cost to make it worth your time. If the engine has low oil consumption, consider a HD diesel engine oil, which will benefit the engine due to its better additive package, but the additive combustion byproducts can degrade catalysts, so only use CI-4 oil if consumption is low.

Highway miles are easier on the oil than stop-can-go traffic, because the oil temperature will be lower cruising at freeway speed than urban traffic and you have less hours on the oil and fewer cold starts the higher your average speed over the interval. Back when my 190 was a daily driver with a mix of city and highway miles I changed the oil and filter every 5K, which was about three times a year.

Now that the 190 is my "winter car" and only gets used on average once or twice a week accumulating 1000-3000 miles over the six months it's in use I change the oil once per year - just before I store it for the summer.

BTW, I will be swapping the '91 MR2 for the Merc in the next week or two. It's always nice to rediscover the pleasant driving charactericts of the 190. Swapping cars every six months keeps them from getting boring, especially two cars with such different driving characteristics. Just got back from a 1000 mile road trip to Nevada City over Thanksgiving over mostly two-lane roads. Highway 33 over Pine Mountain Summit is almost as good as a day at the track!

Duke

Yes, yes, yes! It is a market economy. Why you can buy anything, and if there becomes a possibility for something different, someone will be there to invent it! No stone is unturned!

How about a "left nostril inhaler" BB

Very impressive.

What is your oil change interval?
How do you drive the car?
Do you change by calander time or by mileage?

My 93 Ford Taurus 3.0 just turned 200,000 miles. Unfortunatly my odometer is not quite as impressive it reads something like 00,067. My goal is to get to 300,000 but the car is really getting too boaring for that?

I use Mobil 1
I change oil in April and October which puts me at about an 8000 mile interval.
I drive 80 % highway.
Engine (and rest of car) still runs like new.

John Roncallo

I have about 186K miles on my W124 wagon. I upgraded to a AMG C36 powertrain (engine & tranny) at about 109K miles, and the powertrain had 18K miles on it.

My interval which includes filters, is EVERY 3-months or 3K miles whichever comes first.

However, I use my car under SEVERE conditions, including a commute that's under 5-miles with wide-open throttle runs twice a day, and SCCA autocross once a month.

:-) neil