[brownie4042]

As a result of my local dealer overfilling my crankcase on my 2007 Sprinter two out of the last four oil changes I am at the point since I have crawl under the van to let some oil out. I am going to skip the aggravation and just change it myself. I have checked the threads and come up empty. So does anyone know how to set the oil change maintenance reminder on the dash back? It is a 2007 Sprinter without the the controls on the steering wheel. Also other then the dealership at 20% off bringing it down to $9.44/liter, where can one purchase at a resonable price Mobil 1 ESP Synthetic 5-30W in the liter bottles (12 1/2 per change)? I wish it was the same spec as the 2006 Sprinter's and before (0-40W Euopean), that oil is readily available, still not cheap, but reasonable. Any help would be appreciated, and thank-you in advance.

Brownie 4042

[danthewolf00]

your luckey my dealership always underfills mine by a liter. mine sells a box of esp for like $150 +tax

[bill98]

ther is no way to do it the book is wrong had oil change at non sprinter center once had to latter take it to a center to do it it has to be done pluged into there computer

[Turtle]

Yeah, you can't manually reset the computer like you can on the older Sprinters. Have to take it to a dealer to have them reset it. There should be NO CHARGE for them doing this.

As for the oil, try Europarts of San Diego
They're on vacation until Sep 4th, but last time I looked they had the 07/08 oil $7.63 a quart ($6.38 a quart (liter) when bought in 5 liter jugs). It's not Mobile brand, it's Total (very popular brand in Europe), but it's on the list, which is the main thing. It meets 229.51 specs.

[geo]

autozone has a good price on oil

[OntarioVanMan]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Yeah, you can't manually reset the computer like you can on the older Sprinters. Have to take it to a dealer to have them reset it. There should be NO CHARGE for them doing this.

As for the oil, try Europarts of San Diego
They're on vacation until Sep 4th, but last time I looked they had the 07/08 oil $7.63 a quart ($6.38 a quart (liter) when bought in 5 liter jugs). It's not Mobile brand, it's Total (very popular brand in Europe), but it's on the list, which is the main thing. It meets 229.51 specs.

Why reset the computer? I don't reset my 05...just let it rollover

[Turtle]

Well, if you don't use the Maintenance ASSYST computer to assist you with maintenance schedules and oil quality measurements for oil changes, there's really no need to reset it.

As for Autozone having good prices on oil, yeah, I've been getting Mobile 1 0W-40 there for a while now. But as far as I know, the new oil for the 07 and 08 Sprinters can't be found at Autozone.

[OntarioVanMan]

I, like you use a log book to track mileage and repair schedule...

Some Walmarts also carry Mobile1 0-40w even cheaper then Auto-Zone bout .50 a quart cheaper.

[Turtle]

The next time you see any actual Mobile 1 0W-40 in a Wal Mart, please let me know where that Wal Mart is. I keep reading where Wal Mart carries it, but I have yet to find it on the shelves. They have the little bar code sticker thingy on the fronts of the shelves all ready and waiting, but never any oil there.

At Autozone, they have a loyalty card that gives you a $20 credit every time you have 5 purchaces of $20 or more within a 6 month period. A single purchase of $100 is still only one $20 purchase. But, what I do is, every now and then, when I pass an Autozone, I'll go in and buy 4 quarts of oil. It's like $6.49 a quart, and 3 of them is only $19.47, so no credit for a $20 purchase. Four of them is $25.94, so that qualifies. Sometimes I'll buy 3 of them and then get something that's $1 or something, to get above the $20 threshold. About every 5th purchase they will apply the $20 credit right then and there to whatever I'm buying at the time, usually more oil.

Here's the thing. If I always buy 4 quarts at a time, that's $25.94 for each purchase, and when I do that 5 times, that's 20 quarts for a total of $129.70. I take off my free $20, and that makes it $109.70 for 20 quarts of oil, or $5.49 a quart.

If I need a replacement headlamp, I won't buy one for $10 if I can two for $20, that's a $20 purchase. (although, I use the Silverstar Ultra's that are more than $20 a pair). In other words, every time I buy something at AutoZone, I try to make it at least a $20 purchase, even if it means something I don't need at the moment, but eventually will. And if I'm buying a bunch of stuff that's well over $20, I'll break it up into multiple purchases to try and keep each purchase as close to $20 a pop as I can. I need to go by there and get some windshield washer fluid, so when I go I'll probably also get a windshield wiper or two, or something else that I know I'm gonna need, to make it a $20 purchase. I won't buy something that I don't, or won't, need, tho, just to make it $20. That defeats the purpose, even though AutoZone would be fine with that.

[FIS53]

Look for oils having the spec listed for MB. Even Amsoil has one for the new Sprinter. Shop around for the oil. I just go by mileage for my changes. Oil weight (5w-40 or 5w-30) is not overly important as I've changed mine a couple of times and even tried 15w-40 dino oil. Found it thickened up too much for my liking so back to synthetic.
Rob

[OntarioVanMan]

Originally Posted by FIS53

Look for oils having the spec listed for MB. Even Amsoil has one for the new Sprinter. Shop around for the oil. I just go by mileage for my changes. Oil weight (5w-40 or 5w-30) is not overly important as I've changed mine a couple of times and even tried 15w-40 dino oil. Found it thickened up too much for my liking so back to synthetic.
Rob

Rob...Be very careful playing with your oil...it's not a place to cut costs in these vans.

Turtle..I do the same thing...but never windshield fluid..too expensive..I buy the Prestone Bug remover...works pretty good and takes less then the no-name brand...and thats in Wal-Mart....
Been having problems finding the oil as well...either don't carry it or sold out...I think theres 2 Jeep models and the Crossfire use 0-40w as well....

[Turtle]

I've got a couple of applications of the Aquapel that I'm gonna put on here. I've seen it work and it really is better than RainX (plus, it lasts from 6 months to a year between applications, and it doesn't leave that white film on the glass), and it should reduce the amount of washer fluid I use.

Rob, on the oil, I concur with OVM. The oil in a European engine is not the same as oil in a traditional North American engine, so be very, very careful playing with the oil insofar as changing brands, types and viscocities. With most vehicles, and with European engines in particular, it's best to pick an oil (obviously, making sure it's on the MB List) and then use that brand and weight pretty much forever. An engine wears differently with different weights and brands of oil. Last thing you want to do is have it wear in a certain way with one oil, then feed it a different oil causing it to wear differently.

"Oil weight (5w-40 or 5w-30) is not overly important as I've changed mine a couple of times and even tried 15w-40 dino oil."

That's a statement that makes perfect sense to any North American, but any European who knows about their oil would cringe if they heard that. With Euro oil, unlike American engineered oils, among many other things they are tightly spec'd for something called "shear factor" and it's that "shear factor" that is the primary reason for European formula oils being so much more expensive than other oils. Oil shear is how well it resists having its viscocity change versus engine protection as the oil ages and breaks down. Shell Rotella T dino oil is a 15W-40 oil, and it's on The List (for 06 and earlier models) and there's nothing wrong with it. It was even the initial fill for many 04's and some 05's.

But Shell Rotella T 15W-40 is hardly the same as some other brand of 15W-40. The weights are the same, but the shear factor is different. In fact, oils engineered specifically for the North American market usually don't even use sheer factor as a factor in the engineering. Dino or synthetic, as long as it's on The List, it'll have the proper shear factor, so even if it looks like it's too thick, it won't be. The proper viscosity will be maintained, as long as it's not too long between oil changes, of course.

As for going by mileage to determine the oil changes, that's fine, but everyone should also keep in mind the fact that in between oil changes, the most engine wear that occurs happens within the first 3000 miles after the oil has been changed. That's obviously the reason why it's not very smart to change the oil every 3000 miles (that was true 30 years ago, but not today, not with the new detergent oils), but it's also the reason you want to use the same oil every time. It's gonna wear with each oil change, and if you put the same oil back in there the engine will wear the same way, and much less, than if you use a different brand, type or viscosity of oil.

I use the ASSYST (which has been several times confirmed and corroborated with oil analysis), and I change the oil filter every 5000-7500 miles, adding fresh oil as needed with the filter change. I average about 17,000 mile between changes, usually getting anywhere from 15,000 to 18,000. Once it was 13,700, and once it was 19,600 miles. Mostly it depends on weather and how much I've been idling. But any time the ASSYST tells me to change the oil after really low mileage, or really high mileage, I'll send a sample fo Blackstone just to make sure. So far, the ASSYST has been dead on.

[brownie4042]

First off, I want to thank everyone for the positve and informative responces. After a ton of research I have even with the exact instructions from the Dodge tried the manual "punched in" reset, and it did not work. It must be reset by the scanner at the dealer, or anyone who has a scanner and know how to use it which I will not pay for. Like it was mentioned in the responses, no big deal I will strickly go be maintenance log.

Secondly, as far as the oil goes, if you are going synthetic (which I think is the only way that is recommended) 2006 and earlier the correct spec of 229.5 0W-40 which is readily available at about $6.50 normal street price, and if you look hard for bargins it can be netted down to about $5.50. The 2007 and 2008's Sprinters needs a spec. of 229.31. or 229.51 5W-30 Mobil 1 ESP Formula, something to with all the new diesel emission controls. I read a ton on both the US and Euro chat rooms about how if you use the older spec. the oil will sometimes casue problems withe oil filter getting clogged earlier than normal. The Sprinter owners's manual even states you should only put no more than 1gt of 229.5 in an emergency situation only. The best I was able to do was $9.44/liter, or $113.28/case of 12 liters with my business link membership with Dodge allowing for a 20% discount. I am still looking for other retail outlets cheaper. My feeling is the van has about 90 k on it, and neither burned leaked, or had any oil related problems, so although I do not like the price I am sticking with the MOBIL 1 Euro synthetic. The only oil problem was the dealer sometimes could not figure out how to add exactly 12.5 liters (I quess leaving that 1/2 liter out of the crankcase bothered some of the tech's changing the oil), which I was able to figure without too much difficulty.


Brownie 4042

[piper1]

Originally Posted by Turtle

the most engine wear that occurs happens within the first 3000 miles after the oil has been changed.

Can you educate me on this statement Turtle?

[Jeff35]

can any one tell me where they are getting there filters at (for 2007 v6 diesel at ) seem to be a hard thing to find

thanks