oil change c220cdi w203

mits

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hi dont know if im in the right section here but i want to give my mercedes c220cdi 2003 TD estate an oil change can anyone tell me the recomended/best oil to use i want to use synthetic or semi synthetic oil and also not sure on the capacity and viscosity,
any help would be appreciated,
thanks.
 

jibcl500

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hi dont know if im in the right section here but i want to give my mercedes c220cdi 2003 TD estate an oil change can anyone tell me the recomended/best oil to use i want to use synthetic or semi synthetic oil and also not sure on the capacity and viscosity,
any help would be appreciated,
thanks.

Mobil 1 0w/40. 6.5 litres, there is no dipstick on that engine so you will have to use the level checker on the dash.

jib
 

turbopete

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ive always used castrol gtx magnatec diesel in dads. semi synthetic IIRC, but its what the local stealers were using at the time too, apparently.
 
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mits

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thanks guys for your fast replies,
whats difference with the mobil 1 0/40w and the edge 0/30w
and i have access to a oil suction tool for getting old oil out as i understand they dont have drain plugs.
i also run a couple of gto TT's i use magnetec in those and seems to be good oil,
dunno which to try now,
will ponder over it.
 
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mits

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Rory

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ive always used castrol gtx magnatec diesel in dads. semi synthetic IIRC, but its what the local stealers were using at the time too, apparently.

The Magnatec the dealers use is a professional version. It's fully synthetic and it's different to the stuff you buy retail.
 

Rory

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thanks guys for your fast replies,
whats difference with the mobil 1 0/40w and the edge 0/30w
and i have access to a oil suction tool for getting old oil out as i understand they dont have drain plugs.
i also run a couple of gto TT's i use magnetec in those and seems to be good oil,
dunno which to try now,
will ponder over it.

They do have a drain plug, but suction is easier as getting the undertray off on your own and with limited clearance is a pain.

Ideally use an oil that is MB229.3 or 229.5. Mobil 1 or Castrol Edge is fine. If you have access to Costco then Mobil1 is available there for £20+VAT for 4 litres - that about as cheap as you'll see it anywhere.

In the UK, the viscosity isn't critical as we don't have extreme ambient temps.
 

turbopete

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The Magnatec the dealers use is a professional version. It's fully synthetic and it's different to the stuff you buy retail.

stuff we use is on the castrol site. 10w40 IIRC to MB 229.1 spec. no idea what a 2001 c220cdi should have, but up to press, its had no problems with turbo's, oil useage, or any other engine related problem. should i be advising him to change to edge stuff instead? until recently, based on the car's useage, assyst has told us to change the oil every 20k miles.
 

Rory

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stuff we use is on the castrol site. 10w40 IIRC to MB 229.1 spec. no idea what a 2001 c220cdi should have, but up to press, its had no problems with turbo's, oil useage, or any other engine related problem. should i be advising him to change to edge stuff instead? until recently, based on the car's useage, assyst has told us to change the oil every 20k miles.

It's a confusing area, but one thing that is clear is that you shouldn't be running a 229.1 oil to 20K miles!

The car must be set to 229.3 or .5 fully synth oils to be giving that mileage before calling for an oil change, and, according to MB blurb, it should also be using a fleece oil filter, but that doesn't seem to ever happen in the UK.

Magnatec Professional is MB 229.31.
 
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mits

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im still a little confused to which oil to use for the best
mobil1 0w-40
castrol Edge 5W-30

i dont see any castrol magnatec that is mb229.3
only 229.1
confused????

also im going to do all the filters whilst im at it oil/fuel/air/cabin
is it advisable to get these from mb or or somewhere like halfords/parkers/motor factors etc,
thanks.

and whilst im at it aswell is there any clear instructions for resetting the assyst (c220cdi 2003 est)after ive completed my service,
thanks all for the info.
 
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tonksy

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hi i am new to this we have a 203 cdi coupe so basically same as yours i done all filters and oil no problem the undertray was easy six bolts if i remember as for sucking out oil do you not do this through dipstick ours does not have one i put new oil in using measuring jug and left a half of litre short of the amount when checking through computer reads correct my theory is you may never remove all oil so rather a little less than too much plus how would you remove excess oil
 

turbopete

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im still a little confused to which oil to use for the best
mobil1 0w-40
castrol Edge 5W-30

i dont see any castrol magnatec that is mb229.3
only 229.1
confused????

also im going to do all the filters whilst im at it oil/fuel/air/cabin
is it advisable to get these from mb or or somewhere like halfords/parkers/motor factors etc,
thanks.

and whilst im at it aswell is there any clear instructions for resetting the assyst (c220cdi 2003 est)after ive completed my service,
thanks all for the info.

the magnatec is in a seperate section. i had to look it up
 

turbopete

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It's a confusing area, but one thing that is clear is that you shouldn't be running a 229.1 oil to 20K miles!

The car must be set to 229.3 or .5 fully synth oils to be giving that mileage before calling for an oil change, and, according to MB blurb, it should also be using a fleece oil filter, but that doesn't seem to ever happen in the UK.

Magnatec Professional is MB 229.31.

i can only go by what assyst tells me to do! the car has never missed a beat in the 6 years/86k miles dad has owned it (bought at 7k) so im reluctant to change what seems to work, but we may have to! however, he does not do the long runs he did now, so i anticipate the mileage between changes coming down significantly
 
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mits

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ive decided on either

castrol edge 0w-30
castrol edge 5w-30
mobil 1 0w-40

anyone know the diff on them please as i see all are good for my model.
 
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mits

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hi can anyone show me or tell me where abouts you suck the oil out of the sump on a merc c220cdi 2003
 

Silver_Star

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i can only go by what assyst tells me to do! the car has never missed a beat in the 6 years/86k miles dad has owned it (bought at 7k) so im reluctant to change what seems to work, but we may have to! however, he does not do the long runs he did now, so i anticipate the mileage between changes coming down significantly

Pete, the only fully synthetic oil in the Magnatec range is the 5w/30(for Fords), the rest of the Magnatec is only semi-synth and only confims to 229.1 as does their GTX range. - This spec should be changed every 6k as it is not for extended drain periods. If you are running an oil for near on 20k it should be fully synthetic meeting 229.3/229.5. - See below a summary I found on the 'other' site.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/8803-oil-specs-mb229-1-mb229-3-a.html

"MB229.1 is intended to cover minimum specifications for passenger cars with petrol or diesel engines prior to the introduction of 2002 model year vehicles from Mercedes.

Although it calls for high detergency, MB229.1 is not a particularly onerous specification for modern lubricants and can in fact be achieved even with a plain mineral oil of say, 15W40 viscosity grade if the right additive pack is selected. It equates to ACEA grades A2/B2 and to some of the requirements of ACEA grades A3/B3 but despite its A3/B3 rating it is NOT intended for use over extended drain intervals. This means the oil must be changed every 6,000 miles if it only complies with MB229.1.

The latest generation of engines from Mercedes are higher performance BUT need to give improved economy and longer drain intervals dictated by the need to reduce service time and cost.

Hence MB229.3 was introduced to ensure that the engine lubricants can cope with these new demands.

The need for drain intervals of 12,000 miles or more in higher performance engines can give rise to problems with plain mineral oils since the lighter base stocks can evaporate off over this time, thickening the oil, concentrating contaminants and increasing oil consumption (topping up is required to replace the evaporated stocks). Additionally, the demand for better economy means that the oils viscosity MUST be relatively low and plain mineral oils are not very good at preventing wear when they are low in viscosity.

This incompatibility with plain mineral oils and MB229.3 means that MB229.3 oils are generally Fully Synthetic. Equally they will have low viscosities (typically 5W40 or 0W40 but they can be as low as 0W30!) and must meet the full requirements of ACEA grade A3/B3 "
 
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Silver_Star

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hi can anyone show me or tell me where abouts you suck the oil out of the sump on a merc c220cdi 2003

take the plastic engine covers off, as you look in the engine bay from the front of the car, there is a red 'cover' over the dipstick tube (at the rear right of the engine). Remove this and that is where you suck it out from.

To be honest is really isn't a big issue to drop the undertray, once the oil is warm I can have the undertray off and the oil draining within less than 10 minutes. - That is DIY in my garage, no 4 post ramp or pit. But if you already have a pump you may as well use it.

However if you are self servicing it is good practice to remove the under trays for a visual inspection of components for leaks and other issues as it is often cheaper to catch them early!
 
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mits

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take the plastic engine covers off, as you look in the engine bay from the front of the car, there is a red 'cover' over the dipstick tube (at the rear right of the engine). Remove this and that is where you suck it out from.

To be honest is really isn't a big issue to drop the undertray, once the oil is warm I can have the undertray off and the oil draining within less than 10 minutes. - That is DIY in my garage, no 4 post ramp or pit. But if you already have a pump you may as well use it.

However if you are self servicing it is good practice to remove the under trays for a visual inspection of components for leaks and other issues as it is often cheaper to catch them early!

thanks Silver_Star for that info have suked it all out and replaced all went well except the diesel pipe with the silly plastic ends one broke on removal so had to change that one then whilst fitting that one i disturbed the diesel return one at the front of the engine now i got to go and get another pipe from mercedes price not too bad tho only £20 and merc say these are very common whilst servicing as they become very brittle over the years
anyway all should be completed tomorrow and back on the road,
i see you live in leicester aswell and drive the same car:):):)
 

Silver_Star

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thanks Silver_Star for that info have suked it all out and replaced all went well except the diesel pipe with the silly plastic ends one broke on removal so had to change that one then whilst fitting that one i disturbed the diesel return one at the front of the engine now i got to go and get another pipe from mercedes price not too bad tho only £20 and merc say these are very common whilst servicing as they become very brittle over the years
anyway all should be completed tomorrow and back on the road,
i see you live in leicester aswell and drive the same car:):):)

Yes the fuel lines are very common on these engines, I had a very slight leak near the diesel pump on mine so changed all 3. They can cause starting problems as they progress. Probably worth putting a new diesel filter in if you are changing the pipe from the diesel filter to the HP pump (fill it up with diesel first) and it will take a lot of cranking for it to fire up, just keep cranking to get the air out of the system don't do it in bursts.

Well I actually live in Lougborough, but I do work in Leicester :) Is yours a silver one as well :lol:
 


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