2018 MBS oil? what did factory utilize?

[PixelBum]

I don't know people. Go to Stephens Service Center - Sacramento's Best Mercedes-Benz Service & Repairs and be prepared to spend some time on his dedicated website. If you own any of the Sprinter V6 Diesels and are trying to maintain it correctly there is a GOOD chance that you are not...esp. if you using Mobil1 ESP oil, etc(which Mercedes "approves"). Everything this guy sez and advises is eye-opening. The problem with this engine are monumental...leaks, glopping it up,soot, and changing the oil every 10,000 miles(!), etc. There is and has been an owners lawsuit in Europe against Mercedes, ongoing, esp. insofar as warranty issues. Be forewarned, be armed.

Let me know what you think after you go there! If you are already having issues such as NOx sensors, filters, swirl valves, etc., ad nauseum, you are on your way to a series of events that you will not like($$). Good luck.

[Mikegjax]

The following is from another forum and reflects another operators experience with the MB 3.0 Bluetec engine. As for my two cents; I have over 51,000 miles on my Sprinter based RV and it has performed very well. I use Mobil 1 ESP X1 0W30 and change my oil/filter every 8,000 miles (because I tow) I have yet to add oil between changes and I don't use higher than bio5 fuel. I also don't let the engine idle unnecessarily: not even at fuel stops and to date the engine as not gone through a regeneration.


Still waiting to see a single newer MB diesel engine in our shop with any major problem. And I see plenty with some pretty high miles:



I have four Sprinters in my care with well over 500k miles now.

The only problems I see are:

occasional sensor (NOx, O2, EGT, or DPF pressure), EGR valve, DEF tank heater, and a couple cracked DPFs (flex section) and if not corrected right away they can leak in such a way as to shoot out a jet of hot exhaust when the DPF regens that melts the DEF injector and line.

Engine proper, though? Nothing. Zip. Nada. No leaks, no noises, no nothing. Oil change with Pentosin 5w40 HP2 (a 229.51 compliant oil) and Mann filter every 10k miles. Alternator clutch pulley once in a while, glow plug once in a while, accessory belt idler pulley bearing once in a while, etc. But these are all just the 3.0L V6 diesel, as the 2.1L 4cyl (like mine) are still too new. But a guy on the Sprinter forum already has over 400k miles on his 2.1L with zero issues, and so far none of the ones I see have had any issues either but the highest mileage one for me is only around 60k. The V6s I see all have 150k+ miles on them before they've needed anything.

Now I cannot say how these engines do in the smaller vehicles (M-class, E-class, Jeeps, etc.) but I would assume if they can push a big box like a Sprinter around for half a million miles they should be just fine with the others.

I did have one HPFP on one of the V6s, around 470k miles IIRC. We just put a new pump on, and it is still to this day on the road.

And I did replace a transmission once on one, it was a 2007 DRW model with a giant vocational box on it. And it had over 100k hard miles on it at the time. That is the only NAG MB trans I have ever seen fail. See a few leaky pass through electrical connectors on them, easily fixed.

I really have no idea what the author of that article is talking about, because I certainly have never seen it. Maybe sitting in all that SoCal traffic is not beneficial, who knows.

[Rich.M]

Originally Posted by PixelBum

I don't know people. Go to Stephens Service Center - Sacramento's Best Mercedes-Benz Service & Repairs and be prepared to spend some time on his dedicated website. If you own any of the Sprinter V6 Diesels and are trying to maintain it correctly there is a GOOD chance that you are not...esp. if you using Mobil1 ESP oil, etc(which Mercedes "approves"). Everything this guy sez and advises is eye-opening. The problem with this engine are monumental...leaks, glopping it up,soot, and changing the oil every 10,000 miles(!), etc. There is and has been an owners lawsuit in Europe against Mercedes, ongoing, esp. insofar as warranty issues. Be forewarned, be armed.

Let me know what you think after you go there! If you are already having issues such as NOx sensors, filters, swirl valves, etc., ad nauseum, you are on your way to a series of events that you will not like($$). Good luck.

I think the website is shock porn for sprinters.

I've seen the site in the past and subsequently did further reading on other sites to come to the same conclusion as mikegjax. Sprinters have great engines with few problems and run for high mileage. I have the updated nox sensors changed under warranty and no further problems at 30300 miles. Recently changed my oil with motul 8100 xclean efe 5w-30 ( 229.52 approved and avail at amazon) , I only drive in hot weather and have reservations against using 0 grade oils. Engine seems happy and a little quieter than the Mobil 0w30 esp the dealer used last change 5000 miles ago.