New Sprinter 1st Oil Change Advice?

ebsprintin

Veteran Expediter
Every few months NAPA has Valvoline SynPower 5W-40 MST for around $6 per quart. I stock up 6-10 six-bottle cases at a time. I agree with the idea of letting the dealership do the changes until after warranty.

eb
 

Opel2010

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
What shop charges 10 dollars? I just bought 3 cases at 7.79 a quart from freightliner.

Mister Hotshine in El Paso. I paid $90 for oil change, 7.5 qts plus filter. I must admit that was the most expensive ever. Plus I usually put Pennzoil, not Mobil.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I thought a Sprinter held quite a bit more than 7.5 quarts.
 

coalminer

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
When the warranty is up, take it to Expresslane oil on Broad St in Elyria, they have the correct oil and the filters for the Sprinter, $97 and done in 15 minutes, unless there is someone in line in front of you.
 

geo

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Navy
go by owners manual and you won't have a problem go to dealer and nobody else
10,000 is ok but i do it about 8,200 or so
i don't use mobil 1 have a customed blend of oil that tysinger motors carries in stock for me
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
When the warranty is up, take it to Expresslane oil on Broad St in Elyria, they have the correct oil and the filters for the Sprinter, $97 and done in 15 minutes, unless there is someone in line in front of you.

Not sure its even possible to buy the right oil and filter at that price. What year is yours? Exactly what oil are they using?

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123
 
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Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
The people who get these Sprinter oil changes for really cheap are the same people who get 450,000 on a set of tires, and get new tires when half the tread is still there. They also know that oil is oil is oil and "The List" is just a racket to get you to buy expensive oil.
 

coalminer

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Not sure its even possible to buy the right oil and filter at that price. What year is yours? Exactly what oil are they using?

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

I am partial to Castrol oil, here is a spec sheet that shows it meets the Merceded spec:

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/b...ts/downloads/p,q/Edge_BLACK_PDS_Sept_2011.pdf

My sprinter is a 2005 also, forgot to mention that.

I didnt know that the 3.0 took more oil, so it would be another 7.50 for each additional quart.
 
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coalminer

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
The people who get these Sprinter oil changes for really cheap are the same people who get 450,000 on a set of tires, and get new tires when half the tread is still there. They also know that oil is oil is oil and "The List" is just a racket to get you to buy expensive oil.

I think the dealer service managers are the ones that think that all oils are the same....I bought a 2010 PT cruiser, they said that the first oil change was free, so I took it in there and they had an offer to pre-pay for 5 oil changes for 49.95. I thought that was a good deal so I asked the service manager what brand of oil they use, he didnt know, and said it changes according to what they can get a better deal on. Needless to say I passed on that deal and only put Castrol oil in my vehicle.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I know that most dealers have a dedicated oil-change pit where they do all the routine oil changes. Next to the pit they have anywhere from three to six 55-gallon drums of oil in different viscosities. It's whatever is cheapest, usually. They are usually high quality, brand name oil, but three to six sizes doesn't necessarily fit all.

I have a rather special relationship with my dealer at home. They let me wander around wherever I want, stand there and talk to the technician while he's working on my van, I even help out with many things they are doing. Frankly, they learn as much from me as I learn from them, particularly about some of the quirks of owning and driving a Sprinter, instead of just what they see on their end. I'm also privy to conversations about vehicles and customers that most people would never hear. But that kind of a relationship has allowed me to see up close and personal how things really work at a dealer.

Fortunately, at most dealers, when you bring in a Sprinter, it'll be the Sprinter tech who does the work, including oil changes, so the correct oil is likely to be used. But, you never know unless you watch them do the work.

It might not be the best idea to rely on literature from the manufacturer as to whether their oil is approved by MB. Castrol is one that can probably be trusted, but I still well remember when Amsoil got busted for claiming MB approval when MB didn't know anything about it. I haven't trusted Amsoil since.

In any case, to be sure what kind of oil you can use, the Owner's Manual has a list and is accurate, but it only includes oils that were approved at the time the manual was printed. This Web site: Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Operating Fluids: Engine Oil, Gear Oil, ATF, Coolant, Brakefluid, is continually updated with The List of approved fluids for any given MB Spec. Just click on the Spec number.

For oil, an older Sprinter would use 229.5 and for later models it would be 229.51 or 229.52. For the 229.5 oils, you will see that Castrol Edge with SPT SAE 0W-30 (the SPT stands for SYNTEC Power Technology) is indeed on The List. :)
 
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