₦airaland Forum

A 3.2L 190E is a transplant a lot of MB enthusiast do. It was never fitted from factory with that enigne setup. Another transplant that is usually done is a v12 Brabus engine transplant from the 124 chassis series. It fit exactly into the engine bay without much modifications. The chassis can actually handle the torque as well.

switchmax8:
this car does not look like it has arrive nigeria

How could you tell besides the plates? The bus isn't floating.

sultaan:
For the paint job, a clay bar and a good coat of wax should be good enough.

Pressure wash engine bay

Synthetic oil should help remove some of the gunk in engine, and could make an existing leak worse.

Cooling system needs to be flushed thoroughly to clean out the rust in radiator, engine and evaporator.

Fuel injector cleaner is also a good idea. Brake fluid flush(basically all fluids changed)

Grease slide pins, resurface rotors(if going cheap) otherwise change binding caliper all brakes and rotors.

Suspension needs alignment suspension(V70s struts& mounts, Control Arms,ball joints) go bad easy.

Wheel can be buffed and painted with duplicolor wheel color in spray cans

Cooling fan recalled.

I was looking to ship one to naija this year, because of ability to carry seven pas, without paying N350k duty on 5 pas SUV, fuel economy, not armed robber magnet, cargo space.

For the deal you got I would have bought it too knowing engine and trans were in good shape.

You cannot resurface the rotors. The rotors are soft and they warp evenly as the shoes wear. The service life of the rotors are very short also. You are to replace the shoes (pads) with the rotors lest you get steering vibration. A normal rotor wouldn't work right if you bolt it on normally.

Suspension - I really wouldn't go there except it is really bad and it's more of a necessity than opinion. They cost a lot and you will be doing everything and the little things cost so much money. I'm talking about the ball joints, strut mounts with bearings, tie-rods, tie-rod links, sway-bar links, spring seats, strut brace link, control arms and so on. When you sum it all up, it's more than a thousand bucks in dollars in parts alone. The springs also sag.

One thing that I am sure that will be replaced is the strut mount and the spring seat.

Siena:
Trac, not really worth building a bespoke suspension set-up for this car. If it wasn't given to me gratis, I wouldn't get one, not really a Volvo fan. Especially this generation. Styling a Volvo's like putting make-up on a pig. 

No interior rattles, feels really tight.

Let's not forget Siena, pigs are smart animals and are also good at what they do (and also being dirty). So, I'm speaking to the effect that there is hope for the Volvo. The previous owner put in a lot of effort to arrive at this state.

I don't believe in exterior modifications except you know what you are doing and it serves a function.  I'm not big on Volvo but I own one.  I have babied it and everything works and all maintenance done but interior rattles and it gets on my nerves.  The build in my opinion is bad/poor.  Three years ago, I wanted to trade mine at the dealership for an S60R that was 3 years old and that Volvo also rattled and I gave up totally on anything Volvo.  I wanted something smaller not something that I am not sure of.  Engine and transmission is strong but the little things and interior go south and they are costly.

Claracuzio:
Good morning ma people, as a hater of japaneese cars I am buying a benz E320 2000model (e class)
Dear benz lovers, pls advice me on how to care for this beauty. Thanks

Have you bought it?

Costee:
Hi Siena, sorry to hack into your thread. Pls. what is the hydraulic control circuit with respect to the automatic transmission?

It is responsible for the shifting. When it starts to go bad, you have incorrect shifts as the RPM demands within specified condition (WOT or standard throttle application) then a code is thrown.

Siena,


This grabbed my attention. Though a bit disappointed, though (don't mind me) - I thought you were going to tailor your own suspension. Honestly, that's why I scrolled to the very bottom.

OEM parts are expensive and there use to be a site where I would order Volvo parts a few years ago. The parts were genuine with the Volvo logos on them and would arrive the day after the following day. I cannot remember the name but I do recollect another which is FCPgroten (may not be spelt right). For the one I cannot recollect, it is swedish, something. Hei, you are in Europe, so things may be very much different.

Are there interior rattles?

The question wasn't answered.  I think the original poster was considering maintenance cost and engine bay access not firing orders.  It depends on where you take it for service.

Both engines are fundamentally different.  The difference between the 4 and a 6 cylinder is its powerstroke.  A V6 is inherently a defective engine.  You cannot match a 4 cylinder to a 6 or 8 or 12 no matter how much power per piston or per litre.  The inertia load on the pistons are greater and you have greater dynamic at RPMs.  Same as lower cylinders against higher (V6 against V10).  In some cases, you may get away with it if the power/torque overwhelms the greater cylindered car due to other factors.  In a circuit, yes but linear acceleration -- it will be inconclusive.  Don't get me wrong, there are cars that out-perform cars with more cylinders but inertia and dynamic loads will be greater with more rotating and reciprocating mass at the rods while the higher cylindered vehicle will do similar performance with a lot less load.

PBundles:
All the reasons given for choosing a 6 cyl over 4 cyl are correct but actually outdated. In short it used to be a power issue (HP),  torque, stillness etc. The flip side was that you knew that you would pay more on fuel and possibly repairs. Nowadays auto manufacturers are discovering that with the latest technology a [s]4 cyl accommodates and make the 6 cyl an expensive alternative[/s]. There are 4 cyl with lots of HP, incredible torque [s]( torque is that ability to move force[/s], [s]so when you are climbing a hill or accelerating while in a high gear)[/s] etc. A good example is BMW and MB who have adopted this in many models of their 5 series and E Class respectively. Not to mention that they are good for the environment ( exhaust ext). I doubted a bit at first, but I have an E class 2010 and I was shocked at the performance and the fuel efficiency though its a diesel, is sick ( I get 17-18 KM per liter) and push the pedal on the highway (120+km). Torque is crazy. The dealer showed me the new S Class, yes you guessed it with 4 cyl. I test drove it and couldn't believe it. Who would have believed that you could make a S Class using a 4 cyl. technology means we can achieve more using less.

This isn't quite correct.  Your definition of torque is wrong and your application of torques when accelerating is off principles.  I believe what you wanted to say was torque is the force that produces rotation.

Torque = Mass * Acceleration

  It is not the ability to move force as you have stated.  You can add friction to the equation (+ friction) to this if you desire.

You can derive another definition of torque from the common equation most are familiar with.

Power (hp) = Torque (ft.lb) * [(RPM (*1000))/(5252)]

  From this relationship, you can see that power is solely based rpm and torque. In other words, power is proportional to torque at any given rpm.  On the flip,

Torque (ft.lb) = [((5252 * (Power (hp))) / RPM (*1000)] 

  In other words, less torque as RPM climbs.  This is the engineering conclusion that you cannot generate torque when climbing a hill on high gears.

Now, we can put all that aside.

Lowering the gear sends torque to the wheels and upshifting gives rpm to the wheels.  Whenever you upshift, torque to the wheels drop.  This is the reason why you have to downshift to a lower gear for passing.  You are basically "conjuring" torque to the wheels as you build acceleration in favour of RPM.   You cannot upshift and gain torque.

Engine to the S Class is denoted as peak horsepower/torques which is useless to the average and a substantial percentage of spirited drivers.  There isn't any innovation there.  What M B is passing across is that the S Class is heavier and enough torque to overcome the frictional and gravitational forces so that it is still benzy.  It is still an internal combustion engine.   You cannot match the diesel to the lower displaced V8 of the same class.  It just doesn't have the power.   All Benzes are torquey.  This is why passing is effortless and better performance at the top end (except for the v6's gassers).

The automotive industry does not reflect the technologies of today. As a matter of fact, it is a lot behind. Same with computers and wireless and the wireless technologies that are out to the main public. If you are really interested in ground-breaking technology and what's up currently, look into the Oil and Gas sector/industries. The automotive is just a profit-making ground. Few companies are into innovations in the automotive but the real innovations in the auto world are from private individuals, not the major auto companies.

tweex:
Anyone with experience on the error "ESP VIST WORKSHOP" on a 2004 C240?

Check all your fuses. If any is burnt, replace it. Check all your external bulbs. If it's not of these, you have a faulty ESP module or a module going bad.

You can actually reset it. If I remember correctly, turn your wheel to a full left lock then turn it to a full right lock and take out the keys from the ignition. I believe it should be at the ON position.

AMADU77:
benz is benz, it will never put a model in market if its not sure about it

personally i dont see a need of V6 or V8

i have a V4 e230 , its very easy to reach 160kmh speed at highway, what do i need more?

inside town its more economic

anyway if you wanna buy a car, check the particular one your buying, if the v6 u saw is clean go for it, bcs in 9ja we thank god the petrol is 65 naira only so the difference btwn the v4 and v6 will not reach 5000 naira / month inside town if u use it daily which is nothing if your income is ok
some spare parts r cheaper for V4

thanks

You are wrong.  . . .  17 years wrong to be precise.

You have the mentality of Mercs when engineers ran the entire company.  Now, you have financial analyst and other business administrative running working in tandem with the engineers.

Sleek Reek:
Trac i need your advice,i'm about to buy a Benz for he first time,i'm trying to decide between a 2005 Benz C230 Kompressor engine 1.8 litres 4 cylinders or the 2006 Benz C350 Luxury sedan,can you advice on which is better and why?

Sleek,


I'm just coming across your quest. If you haven't bought any, then you can read on.

In my personal opinion, I would suggest running from any supercharged engine. Besides cooling, the turbine is also a wear item and it cost thousands of dollars when it fails. It may or may not fail but that is the main worry. I don't know about the 1.8L and I am not too familiar with the C Class model lineup. Fast-forward -- I am not aware of a 2006 C350. The 203 chassis wasn't fitted with that engine except different markets launched at different times. However, I will be blunt with you. If it's the v8 engine fitted in it, run! I am referring to the sectioned 273. This is why they are so cheap and nobody wants them. They all are of low-mileages. This goes for all the lineups, not just the C's. The problem is that the engine itself is defective and the sprocket to the shaft will fail causing a serious advance-repair. It will take so long to explain it but it's an internal engine problem. A quick-fix that the dealer would do is to replace the crankshaft positioning sensor but the problem still exist.

kabukabu50:
Hey Trac,
What do you think of using Brad Penn 20W50 Partial synthetic racing oil?Its what my tech uses when I get oil changed,he says its low in the sulphites and he uses it in all the Mercs he works on.For a w124 M104 engine.

You don't get any benefit using racing oils and the oil weight is wrong. The dipsticks will always tell you the right weight. However, the type of oil doesn't matter because the engine was designed around straight dinosour oil. However, every other (transmission etc) uses synthetic. M104 is one of the softest engines MB has ever built (9500 miles service interval) and one of the durable engines in the last 50 years.

kuntash:
Thanks TRAC for the detailed pics, however I doubt if I can find any of such oils here aside the regular mobil-1,
Also in a bid to getting the correct oil spec, I went out over the wkd to look for the oil grade and the coolant.

I was able to get the proline engine oil, 10w-40, and its 5litres, I intend to use it for my next oil change.

on the Coolant, its almost impossible as I searched and asked most of the marketers, non could really identify the right one, they all had , the green coolants and the red one by ABRO & HOLTS, HOLTS=green; ABRO=red or green.

so when one cannot find the correct coolant spec, what would be the best alternative? I current have the HOLTS as my cooling liquid and worried cos of what you and many say could be the doom associated with it.

No problem. I presented the alternatives because I felt M1 is too expensive for the price you quoted.

I am totally unaware of Abro product (as you have mentioned). As a matter of fact, I have never heard of them. If you look in the above thread, I attached an MB newsletter. All the information you want is on there. If you don't find a HOAT, look for a coolant without phosphate and low silicate. This is to lubricate the water pump. You will only have to change the fluid as often as you can. Also, the mixing proportion. I don't know what's best where you live. More water means more cooling. I personally tend to favour 35% coolant and 65% water. Your issue is not pressing at this point. You may stumble upon a better coolant than what you have soon. Nairaland is importing cars for sale. I don't think it might be wrong to exploit that. Someone would export some if an artificial demand can be made. Right now, you are only two. If people can educate themselves wrongly on NL and it then becomes a fad or number 1 choice, how much more having to have a person order in bulk and have it shipped as they bring in vehicles (maybe it isn't as easy as I am saying it).

You shouldn't panic. The fluid is wrong but you won't be going the next 100,000 miles on it. It is interim. Look at the newsletter that I attached in my previous post. You will have to look for a Hybrid OAT of HOAT coolant. It will have no phosphate.

@ Tweex


What you will be looking for will be HOAT (Hybrid Organic Acid Technology) or Hybrid OAT. It should have little or no silicates, absolutely no phosphate but the availability of benzoate. In others, benzoate with little to no silicate and no phosphate. It is also termed as the silicate-no phosphate formula or G05.

Look at the article. It covers MB's 1990 to date. In my opinion, I believe you'll benefit a lot more from the article than what you already know.

If you can't find the anti-freeze where you are, you may want to get a bunch of people that share the same demand and order in bulk (may not be a bad idea, after-all).



All the best.

What is baking? What makes a so-called baked car of better value?

Use a high resolution image of your classified.

kuntash:
wrt,  my earlier mpg I shared last week,

I think I would do better after the thermostat change,  I have done 150miles already and the pin is around the 3/4 mark, this wasnt so before now,

Note, during fill up, I always stop at the first click,  (I understand over-filling does affect the guage),  I hope to fill up this wkd the calculate my mpg,

saving over 500 naira on fuel weekly is smthn to be considered I must say,

WHATS your MPG 

When you replace your oil to the right grade and spec, you will have no parasitic loss that is outside factory normal.  The car burns the best at operating temperature. 

I don't know what my gas mileage is but my gas economy is good  for the sizes of engines (5, 6 and 8 Cyl).  Gas mileage is not my priority but it has to be acceptable. As a matter of fact, none are heavy on gas.  I work on my own cars and cannot afford a car with poor economy.  Gasoline is $4.36 a gallon and you need 18.5 for a tank of gas for each of them. In addition to that, I'm a very picky person, so I will know when it isn't running right.  With the Benzes, the best of my mileage is at 80 miles and higher.  I believe this is due to the tall gearings.

This are images taken at the store.  They vary in specifications.  Avoid RP if you choose the extended drain interval.  You will have crystals. You are best to avoid it. It is overpriced and offers no benefit.  As for MB's, all but the 0w-40 meet the minimum requirements.  As shown, 10w-40 tends towards a generic synthetic and not worth your money for the purchase purpose.  I believe the message is conveyed.


https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/0-20.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/0-40.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/0-401.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/0-402.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/0-403.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/10-30.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/10-40.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/5-20.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/5-30.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/5-30Adv.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/RP.png
https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h347/dsgnn/Oil/RP1.png

tweex:
Hi Trac, can you confirm the the chemical compounds that differ the mercedes recommended coolant fluid from the EVIL green coolants. I can just get something off the shelf based on that info. The most common brand of coolants in this part of the world are abro and holts. No prestone and zerex.

I could remember a few years ago and could state it in detail and even the colours. All I can think about is silicate and non-silicate but that doesn't answer your question. If you wouldn't mind, give me a few days. I will look for it over the weekend.

@Kuntash,


I need to make a correction.  229.3 & 229.5 are only 0w-40.  10w-40 is more like generic.  0w-40 has more phosphorus and zinc level than any of the other brands save for 5w-50 and 15w-50.  0w-40 are not sold in gallons but quarts.

I have attached the Mobil 1 documentation to this.  I have images currently being uploaded to photobucket (but it's taking quite long).  I was at the store and I took pictures and went through every brand that made sense.  It was just M1.

In MB's documentations for their contemporary engines, many brands were approved.  It will explicitly state 229.3/229.5 or 229.5 or MB Approved 229.5.  I just added the 229.3 but I doubt if you will find the .3 formulation as a standalone.  I believe they have all been upgraded or deprecated to favour the .5.  Every single one of them is European Fomulated.


229.3 (outdated but might still find some in the shelf)

AGIP EXTRA HTS 5W-40
AGIP Synthetic PC 0W-40
AGIP Eurosport 0W-40
Castrol Formula RS Road and Track 5W-40
Castrol GTX7 DYNATEC 5W-40
Castrol TXT SOFTEC PLUS 5W-30
CIFAB Synthoil Hydrocrack HC7 5W-40
Elf Excellium LDX SAE 5W-40
Esso Ultron 5W-40
Fuchs Titan SuperSyn SL 0W-30
Havoline Synthetic DS 0W-30
Kendall GT-1 Full Synthetic 5W-40
Mobil 1 SuperSyn European Car Formula 0W-40
Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-40
Pennzoil Synthetic European Formulation 5W-40
Q8 Formula Excel 5W-40
Quaker State Full Synthetic European Formulation 5W-40
Schaeffer Micron Moly 10W-40
Shell Helix Plus S 5W-40 (Mercedes-Benz)
Shell Helix Ultra 0W-40, 5W-40
Sunoco Synturo Gold 5W-40
Total FINA First 5W-40
Total Quartz 9000 5W-40
Valvoline DuraBlend MXL 5W-40


229.5 (This is backward compatible with 229.3)

Castrol Syntec European Formula 0W-30 (USA)
Elf Excellium 229.5 5W-30
FormulaShell Ultra AB 5W-30
Fuchs Titan Supersyn SL MB 5W-30
Mobil 1 SuperSyn European Car Formula 0W-40 (USA)
Pennzoil European Formula Ultra 5W-30
Quaker State European Formula Ultra 5W-30 (USA)
Shell Helix Ultra 229.5
Total Quartz 229.5 5W-30
Valvoline SynPower 5W-40

tweex:
oh . Just clearly read your question. DId you mean the coolant? I dont use coolant for now, just distilled water. Searched all over town for zerex, no luck.

Tweex, that isn't good.  You risk a radiator, a water pump, shorter oil intervals and possibly a warped head.  No corrosion inhibitors for the radiator, no lubricant for the bearings and seals in the water pump and the engine oil will break down sooner.  Water only absorbs heat and boiling point is low.

Man, that was some decision you made.

If you can't find Zerex, look for a comparable alternative, like BMW, Audi/VW and so on.  Do not opt for anything as DexCool or Toyota Red.  Don't drive on water alone.

. . . and the green coolant!!!   That shouldn't be a thought for any vehicle.  What's annoying is that it is not even cheap.

You are welcome Kuntash.

I actually misunderstood you and took your price as quart instead of a gallon. But still, it is too expensive. A quart of M1 is $6.99 here. As far as I am concerned, it is still overpriced because it is not better in quality than many of the other brands due to several independent tests that I have come across. Yet, MB engines are tailored to it. MB lost a lawsuit a few years ago because the dealerships weren't reinstalling M1's after an oil change.

I do understand how you feel. $140 is what it cost me for oil and filter and almost $110 on my older E when I used M1. This is minus labour. So, it will be stupid of me not use the extended drain interval and dump money in labour.

On the other hand, there are some other oils MB recommended if there isn't access to M1. I don't know them by specification. I'm having some service done sometime between today or tomorrow. If I am not opportuned to, then I will call and feed you back the information I get. Wait, for the meantime.

kuntash:
ORIGINAL MB 224.1 sheet (full name: BB00.40-P-0224-01A), recommended viscosities: all temperatures: 0W30; 5W30; 0W40; 5W40; 5W50, temperatures above -4° (-20°C): 10W30; 10W40; 10W50; 10W60, temperatures above 5° (-15°C): 15W40; 15W50, temperatures above 23° (-5°C): 20W40; 20W50.


@TRAC , I got d above details online, pls can u confirm if this is correct, also considering here in Nigeria, temp could rise above 30 deg. I guess its d environmental temp dats being refered.

I still see 20w-50 for temp above 23 deg C.

The minimum oil for your vehicle is 229.3 (which is multigrade oil sheet spec family .3). I have never heard about 224.x. Every fluid or paste has a number in MB, from windshield washer to brake paste. What matters above all is the coolant, transmission and engine. The 225.x are MB break-in oils. These are the oils when you purchase a new car or the pre-filled oil at new purchase to allow the engine break in. 228.1 is a single grade oil and 228.3 to 229.xx is multigrade oil.

According to MB, the minimum requirement for the m111 is 229.3. The oil was tailored with the construction of the engine. At this point, 229.3 has been superceded by 229.5. You can use either but I doubt if you will find any that isn't backward compatible.

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil_1_0W-40.aspx

kuntash:
also considering here in Nigeria, temp could rise above 30 deg. I guess its d environmental temp dats being refered.

I still see 20w-50 for temp above 23 deg C.

This has nothing to do with the ambient temperature but engine running temperature. I doubt if Nigeria gets as hot as 117degF and i addition to that, humid. Look at the viscosity chart. The 0w all the way to 5w offers protection across the temperature bands.

0w-40, 5w-40 or 10w-40 is all you need. The moment you crank the ignition, the W cancels out. No 20w-50 is approved for any MB product. There is 10w-60 and those are for the lorries and you are one notch below that weight.

If you have thicker oil, you will have poor circulation leading to poor economy and engine wear. The pour point in the 20w-50 is too high and not appropriate for your vehicle. So at cold-startup, you have no protection and the flow of the fluid is very poor till it warms up. The engineers that designed the vehicle made their documentations. It is the same grade specified for tropicalised and non-tropicalised regions. This doesn't just apply to Mercs but all vehciles. Japenese vehicels use thinner oils.


http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Synthetics/What_Is_Synthetic_Motor_Oil.aspx
http://hubpages.com/hub/Whats-the-difference-in-car-oils-and-whats-the-best-oil-to-put-in-your-car

kuntash:
ORIGINAL MB 224.1 sheet (full name: BB00.40-P-0224-01A), recommended viscosities: all temperatures: 0W30; 5W30; 0W40; 5W40; 5W50, temperatures above -4° (-20°C): 10W30; 10W40; 10W50; 10W60, temperatures above 5° (-15°C): 15W40; 15W50, temperatures above 23° (-5°C): 20W40; 20W50.


@TRAC , I got d above details online, pls can u confirm if this is correct, also considering here in Nigeria, temp could rise above 30 deg. I guess its d environmental temp dats being refered.

I still see 20w-50 for temp above 23 deg C.

The minimum oil for your vehicle is 229.3 (which is multigrade oil sheet spec family .3). I have never heard about 224.x. Every fluid or paste has a number in MB, from windshield washer to brake paste. What matters above all is the coolant, transmission and engine. The 225.x are MB break-in oils. These are the oils when you purchase a new car or the pre-filled oil at new purchase to allow the engine break in. 228.1 is a single grade oil and 228.3 to 229.xx is multigrade oil.

According to MB, the minimum requirement for the m111 is 229.3. The oil was tailored with the construction of the engine. At this point, 229.3 has been superceded by 229.5. You can use either but I doubt if you will find any that isn't backward compatible.

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil_1_0W-40.aspx

Re : 20w-50

kuntash:
I still see 20w-50 for temp above 23 deg C.

This has nothing to do with the ambient temperature but engine running temperature. I doubt if Nigeria gets as hot as 117degF and in addition to that, humid. Look at the viscosity chart. The 0w all the way to 5w offers protection across the temperature bands.

0w-40, 5w-40 or 10w-40 is all you need. The moment you crank the ignition, the W cancels out. No 20w-50 is approved for any MB product. There is 10w-60 and those are for the lorries and you are one notch below that weight.

If you have thicker oil, you will have poor circulation leading to poor economy and engine wear. The pour point in the 20w-50 is too high and not appropriate for your vehicle. So at cold-startup, you have no protection and the flow of the fluid is very poor till it warms up. The engineers that designed the vehicle made their documentations. It is the same grade specified for tropicalised and non-tropicalised regions.


http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Synthetics/What_Is_Synthetic_Motor_Oil.aspx

kuntash:
hmmm, Mobil -1? thats heavy O, to even think it comes with a 4-litre bottle, and I require like 5-6ltrs. a bottle is about 8k naira or more over $50, two bottles would be over $100 USD.

I think what I would do is to buy PROLINE engine oil 5litres. I thinks its like 0w-30 or so, I am not sure, and its sold for like $50.

I would look for engine oils of such grade as recommended and replace it, but I am not sure I would buy mobil-1 , at least for now,

I would update you once I am done.

I do appreciate your contribution on this thread and I am sure it has assisted many benz owners in one way or the other.

No Kuntash, Mobil 1 cannot be $50 for a quart. . . . and if you are right, find somewhere else and buy it. There are some alternatives that MB stated but not as good. I will have to look for it. The reality is that Mobil 1 (M1) fluid is cheaper and many miles better.

In the mean time, which is cheaper -- M1 vs the rest.

With the M1, you go 15 months or 15,000 miles on a crankcase and then you replace. On the others, you go 2,000 or 3,000 on a crankcase and then you replace. Depending on the way you drive, M1 might still good after 15 months. $50 dollars a bottle is senseless. Find another distributor. I use privately owned oil brands and they are more expensive than M1 but no where near a-third of $50.

BMW is an epitome of lies.  The only thing good about them is how the marketing sector projecting perception.

You are driving a car not an 18-wheeler or a super-duty pick-up truck. 

20w-50 is not an approved oil for any MB gas engine mounted on a sedan or 4x4. The AMG's never use the 20w-50 weight and they are high power and torque output.


You have to consider the weight of the oil at 100degC and not as you pour the fluid from the bottle.  At 100degC, the viscosity is at 50.  That is too heavy and thick for your oil pump, too thick for the upper profiles of your crankcase and will not flow to the hard-to-reach areas (tight restrictions) including pores within the crankcase.  Besides that, you will have drag in your crankcase which will lead to parasitic loss.  You also waste fuel too and will ride as smooth.  You will also damage the rear main seals that mate the engine to the transmission.  For the 20w, you are going to have difficulty in cold start.

Your MB engine formula requires specification 229.3.  You can upgrade to specification 229.5 and exploit the extended oil interval change.  I replace my oils on all my cars after 15 months and for years with Mobil 1 SuperSyn 0w-30 and 0w-40. I don't use Mobil 1 anymore for personal reasons but it's what MB recommends.  Since it is your daily driver, you can reduce the interval life since it is driven everyday and your environmental conditions differ.  The grade you should use should be 0w-40, 5w-40 and in convenient cases, 10w-40.  I am not sure about the 30 viscosity but it should state it on your dipstick.  Look for Mobil 1 SuperSyn or Mobil 1 AdvanceSyn and at the back, it will state the 229.5 specification requirement.  You shouldn't use anything less than a 229.3 spec oil.  You may not find a 229.3 spec for it has been superceded by 229.5.  One note to take into consideration is 229.3 or 229.5 and not 229.31 or 229.51.  The latter (Bleep.x1) is for diesels).

To counter some arguments -- some people believe as a car ages, thicker oil is required.  That is totally false.  If you have leaks, mechanical repair is required.  The first note to consider is that no one makes engines like MB.  On the M111 engine and all Mercedes engines set up on the HFM injection system, ignition control and fuel injection has been unified to one module, so the coil are mounted directly on the plugs eliminating a distributor.  The innovation is smart and has adaptive technology within its configuration and its adaptive nature allows it to compensate for engine wear throughout the course of its engine life keeping it running like new throughout its life. 

Above all, the bottle must explicitly state 229.3 or 229.5 specification.  Anything short of this will not meet MB's specification for high temperature high shear strength.  Also, the xw-30 weight is not recommended.

How about 20w-50 engine oil in the transmission to correct an oil sensor error

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-661922.99999.html


People mess cars in the United States as well but Nigeria has it on an advance level. The dealers are not innocent of this.

The ethical thing to do is not to patronise such people.

kuntash:
Thanks Trac for your contribution.

I have actually looked for this coolant, but couldn't find, I understand the colour is yellow. what I use currently is Green, (HOLTS), there's another colour RED made by ABRO, I ve looked for the MB coolant, No way.
From your comment, I will flush it out and use another whose properties meet that of Zerex

from what I read, they say this is MB approved coolant- see pics.

Question: where can one buy this in Nigeria? alternatively, what other products matches its properties?


Suffice it to say here that I did 300miles with 50 litres, both urban and highway, with 75% of usage was with A/C. before now it wasnt so, I still think there could be room for improvement. .
I am convinced many people do not get such mpg with their cars, whether MB or another of its kind.

I know 300miles on 50 litres of fuel is still poor, but considering the kinda fuel we get here etc, I think my effort in trying to get the best out of this 13+ yrs old car seem to be paying off, NOTE: this was before the thermostat change, so I am still expecting better mpg. lol

huh!! how I hate wastage ,

To be honest Kuntash, I did not want to push because I don't know what is available where you are. This is why I gave you the option of frequent changes/less intervals.

But to my surprise, you just struck the nail on the head. The Zerex Z05 is the only antifreeze that exceeds the MB Antifreeze. It has Glysantin, hence the G-05. MB approved it as a certified alternative. It is also newer. To be honest with you, it is also "bulletproof" as the MB logoed fluid and it is plenty dollars cheaper. With the Zerex, you can go the normal interval. For the price, you cannot go wrong.

To answer your question, Zerex is made by Valvoline. If you cannot find it, look for alternatives.
Get rid of the green coolant at the slightest opportunity you can. The consequences are not worth it (water pump and radiator) and may eventually lead to warping your cylinder heads.

It is true that the grade of fuel isn't the best and might still be mixed with ethanol. There isn't really much you can do about that. However, you can always use fuel treatment every three months. Attaining fuel mileage that the manufacturer states is a bit unreal. Same goes for the 0 - 60 in x seconds. 13 gallons for 300 miles is not bad plus your engine is quite small. I don't know if your gearings are tall but for the models in the United States, the gearings are tall and the best of gas mileage is done at higher speeds. What you need to understand is that fuel consumption data is given at 35mph and 55mph for city and highway respectively. Except you religiously follow those limits, you will not get such. In addition to those results, the cleanest of gas and the right air temperature was used. You will get better gas mileage after your thermostat change.


Get some fuel treatment and ensure you are using the right plugs and it is gapped right.


Quick question: What grade of oil do you use?

The answer to your question is "No."

On a brighter note, you shouldn't be listening to professional that can't differentiate between fluids meant for the transmission as oppose to the crankcase.  All he has told you should be null and void.  The problem(s) still persist, however.

Find somebody else and get a logical conclusion to what is going on.  At this point, you don't know what's going on and nobody can help you till you can come up with a diagnoses that makes sense.



@Cretin

You are wrong.  The inherent properties of both fluids differ right from the sheet of paper to the final compositions.  The factors that differentiate them are fundamentally different.  It is not lightness or thickness that make them differ.  Engine oil weight is measured at 100 degC and not when you are pouring it out of the bottle.  Wear characteristics are measured also at 0, 40 and 100 degC.

, seems "neat"

Some of you know "what time it is."

Kuntash,


Wahler thermostat for MB's fail a lot too soon making it unpredictable.  It always fails at the pin due to poor build. Wahler and Behr were factory OEM for Mercs at the time. I believe it is just Behr now.  Behr is a far superior build than Wahler. 

The temperature in your cluster is right and you shouldn't be experiencing frequent dips and rising of the needle as it were in the failed thermostat.  It is also not uncommon for your needle to be at 105 - 110degC in a hot summer.  According to MB, it doesn't start overheating till it gets to 135degC.  If you indeed feel uncomfortable in a very hot day, roll your windows down and engage the heater at full blast.  Temperature will drop down to the 80's in a matter of minutes.

Replace your coolant in shorter intervals if you are not using MB antifreeze.  In other words, you will not be doing the 5-year interval.  Above all, do not use the green coolant.  The 6 cylinders of the aluminum and steel engine (like your engine block) were not forgiving to this.  In terms of coolant prices (non-MB), they are the same or little in difference.