Originally Posted by
pizzaguy
Wait - I know our engines require 229.3 - does 229.5 also apply? I cant find a reference to 229.5 anywhere - the reason I ask is that there are some oils on 229.5 that I can get easier than 229.3.
And what is the 229.51 thing all about? I thought .51 applies to diesels only.
Wha'ts the story here?
DAMN, I've had mine for a year, I bet it has the factory steering damper on it, too. HOW could I overlook that?
But I dare you to find one under $30 these days - seems like the $20 price is history.
The 229.3 & 229.5 oil grades per M-B were listed as suitable for the M-B model years of 1998 thru 2004. Since the XFire is based off the SLK-320 platform from this era, these oils are suitable for the 3.2 liter V6 in our cars. The 229.5 (per M-B) was formulated for model years beginning with 2005 (but could be used as a replacement for 229.3) and has an extended operating range - oil changes could be pushed out. M-B also stipulated to accomplish this, the fleece-type filter had to be used. I'm guessing that using the paper-type filter meant you had to change the oil per the 229.3 spec.
The 229.51 spec, like the 229.31 spec, was suitable for diesels. These are essentially 'low-ash' content oils to reduce particulate emissions. But unlike the 229.31, the 229.51 oil is also a 'long-life' oil with extended oil change intervals. And 229.51 is also acceptable for gasoline engines.
The Mobil 1 Euro Fomula 0-40 oil shows up on essentially all the listings.
Been awhile since I bought a steering damper. Bought 3 or 4 some time back when they were around $15 per.