How often for Oil Change

[Dalwyn]

I know what the service manual says is the interval for an oil change, but I since I don't put that many miles on my unit each year, should I at least change the oil once a year? All thoughts would be appreciate.

[Isuzusweet]

Since you live in Mississippi your engine won't experience condensation problems that affect northern cold weather units. This occurs when the engine goes through a fairly extreme heating and cooling cycle. Moisture is then trapped in the oil as condesation is formed in the engine cool down period until heated enough to be burned off; (your exhaust goes through the same cycle, which is why you see steam in cold weather). So in other words your oil life will be extended.

I don't know what the oil interval schedule for you MB motor is but I am of the school that fluids are cheap. The longest interval I would run is 7,500 kms between a diesels oil change. If you're finding that the truck stays idle for long periods (say 6 months or longer), you may want to do an oil change BEFORE the storage.

This is just my opinion; others will vary.
Cheers
Tony

[tjdonahoe]

I have always changed my diesel's oil around 4500 miles or every 6 months, our Toyota is twice a year. The new engines get very little condensation in the oil, when driving my model A during the winter, you do see the condensation in the oil ,

[InterBlog]

We changed ours (and we use a synthetic) in January 2016, drove about 2,000 miles over the next number of months, and changed again in September 2016 immediately following a 6,000 mile, 3-week trip. I didn't look it up in my own manual, but I'm remembering 10,000 miles for synthetic and Sprinter Forum confirms 10,000 miles for T1N Sprinters that use synthetic.

With vehicles that are driven irregularly like this, I think an owner has to apply a degree of best judgment, keeping in mind that it should be at least once a year. It was a tough, hot, high-RPM 6,000 miles we put on ours all at once this past summer, and so we decided to change when we got home.

It's an easy and inexpensive DIY job if you'd like to do it that way - this blog post contains instructions and pics. Note that it's a T1N Sprinter being shown in that post, though. I don't know what differences may exist for an NCV3. YouTube also has good vids on this kind of thing.

[73shark]

Inexpensive it's not, at least for the 3.0L which takes 13 qts. of Mobil 1 ESP or equivalent at about $9-$12/qt. and filter runs in the $7 range. It is however an easy DIY job especially if you can let the front end hang out over the end of driveway so you don't need to elevate the van. Just remember that used oil from a diesel is hard to get off if you get it on your hands, etc.

FWIW, MB has recently upped the recommended interval from 10K to 15K. Never could discover if anything had changed in the engine to warrant this change.

[Alluminati]

Back in the day, owner's manuals said to change the oil every "3 months or 3,000 miles". We all drove more than 3,000 miles in three months, so we got programmed to thinking distance rather than time separated our oil changes. On our last major road trip, I changed the oil before we left, at our farthest point, and when we got home. Time was not a factor at all.

Reprogram your thinking according to time rather than distance.
Do owner's manuals still have time's listed? Or is it only according to distance these days? Every 6 mos or every 7,500 miles? Every 12 mos or every 10,000 miles? Regardless, change your oil according to the time listed in your owner's manual, and don't even consider whether it's been driven or not.

[amirm]

The indicator on our 2016 came on just 6 or so after we owned it. I think it only had 6,000 years on it. Took it for service to MB. They said to bring it in every year regardless of what the indicator says and I plan to do that as they found other service items to deal with.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Dalwyn

I know what the service manual says is the interval for an oil change, but I since I don't put that many miles on my unit each year, should I at least change the oil once a year? All thoughts would be appreciate.

If you don't drive much then having the oil changed once a year is probably a good idea. I drive mine about 20,000 mile a year so I get the oil changed twice a year.

You probably read in your manuals that the Sprinter, like most Mercedes vehicles, has an Active Service System (ASSYST) that monitors oil quality and vehicle use to tell driver when to change oil. I've attached a few documents from the Mercedes Workshop Information System (WIS) that explain how ASSYST determines the mileage or time for oil change and a document that explains how the oil quality is measured. I've also attached a document that discusses some conditions that impact oil change intervals. Note that a basic oil change interval of 40,000 km is a base value that appears to get adjusted for specific markets. In USA the Sprinter oil change intervals recommend by Mercedes have been 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 miles depending on model year.

Note: The Sprinter V6 diesel in our Interstates since 2010 is the 642 engine.

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

If you don't drive much then having the oil changed once a year is probably a good idea. I drive mine about 20,000 mile a year so I get the oil changed twice a year.

You probably read in your manuals that the Sprinter, like most Mercedes vehicles, has an Active Service System (ASSYST) that monitors oil quality and vehicle use to tell driver when to change oil. I've attached a few documents from the Mercedes Workshop Information System (WIS) that explain how ASSYST determines the mileage or time for oil change and a document that explains how the oil quality is measured. I've also attached a document that discusses some conditions that impact oil change intervals. Note that a basic oil change interval of 40,000 km is a base value that appears to get adjusted for specific markets. In USA the Sprinter oil change intervals recommend by Mercedes have been 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 miles depending on model year.

Note: The Sprinter V6 diesel in our Interstates since 2010 is the 642 engine.

I've always been confused by the service interval displayed by ASSYST, even after the software was updated which supposedly increased the service interval to 15K. I've just had a B Service (expensive from an MB dealer) and after driving home its telling me the next A Service is due in 9900 mies. No time interval displayed.
My VW Touareg TDi seems to apply more logic to the service interval display, telling me the next X Service is due in Y miles or Z days, whichever is sooner.
I have my Interstate serviced once a year on my limited miles.

[amirm]

That's darn useful information Mike. Thanks for posting it.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by 73shark

Inexpensive it's not, at least for the 3.0L which takes 13 qts. of Mobil 1 ESP ....

That is a bit of a difference - the T1N 5-cylinder takes only 9.5 quarts. We use Mobil 1 5W-40 Turbo Diesel Truck Motor Oil, which Walmart sells for just under $27 per gallon. We need two gallons plus the fraction of the third, and we reserve the partial gallon for the next change, so it's not that bad for us, price-wise. Effectively around $75, filter included.

[lewster]

My 2011 Sprinter 2500 service van just passed 151,000 miles. When I initially purchased the van (after owning a T1-N since 2004), I followed the ASSYST suggestions for oil changes.

After the first few services, I was speaking with the Sprinter tech and the shop foreman at my local Mercedes dealer (it has only been serviced by either Mercedes or Freightliner dealers) that due to the large amount of miles that I place on the van and the fact that it is usually at or close to the GVWR, that I replace the oil every 5000 miles rather than following the ASSYST.

I have been following this routine for the last several years with no issues (except a bit lighter pocket ) and will continue to do so. As the tech said.......'cheap insurance'!

[Dalwyn]

Thanks everyone. Appreciate your responses.

[AirHog]

Might be a little off topic here- apologies for that. I have changed the oil of our 2014.5 Interstate twice myself. However, for the life of me, I cannot reset the message to change oil (total milage 15,000). It states my maintenance is now over year old. I have followed the instruction per a few Utube videos but no luck.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Titu

[Alluminati]

So the owner's service manuals no longer say "XXX months or XXX miles" ?

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by AirHog

Might be a little off topic here- apologies for that. I have changed the oil of our 2014.5 Interstate twice myself. However, for the life of me, I cannot reset the message to change oil (total milage 15,000). It states my maintenance is now over year old. I have followed the instruction per a few Utube videos but no luck.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Titu

Here are a few pages from a Sprinter Training presentation I have. Also attaching a PDF file of procedure from Mercedes Workshop Information System (WIS). Hope these help you reset the Maintenance Interval

[AirHog]

Many thanks. I will follow the instruction. Just have to trudge through the snow to the back garage/barn where the little MH is sleeping next to the larger uncle the 34'.

[Land Sailer]

My 2017 MB seems to keep track of months, not mileage for service. I only have 5000 miles on it and it has been giving me "due in xx days." MB service said that the oil breaks down over a certain amount of time.
What are your thoughts/experiences?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Dalwyn

I know what the service manual says.... .

You have answered your own question.

Since dw retired our GLK barely see's 5k/yr...still done every May.

Bob
🇺🇸

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Dena m

My 2017 MB seems to keep track of months, not mileage for service. I only have 5000 miles on it and it has been giving me "due in xx days." MB service said that the oil breaks down over a certain amount of time.
What are your thoughts/experiences?

If you don’t drive much it will give you a count down for changing the oil once a year.