Recommended service intervals .

[Quick Silver]

The recommended service interval on my 1990 SL 300 (not 24 valve) is every 6000 miles .Is there any particular reason for this ? If I use Mobil 1 oil will I be able to stretch the service interval . Every 6000 miles is quite low by todays standards . Other MB cars that I've owned (C&E Class) I've used Mobil 1 and the recommended service intervals on these cars were 10000 & 15000 miles and found that I could easily add 5000 miles to the service intervals which is a significant saving. This next service is oil , filters , plugs etc .

 

[Alex M Grieve]

The recommended service interval on my 1990 SL 300 (not 24 valve) is every 6000 miles .Is there any particular reason for this ? If I use Mobil 1 oil will I be able to stretch the service interval . Every 6000 miles is quite low by todays standards . Other MB cars that I've owned (C&E Class) I've used Mobil 1 and the recommended service intervals on these cars were 10000 & 15000 miles and found that I could easily add 5000 miles to the service intervals which is a significant saving. This next service is oil , filters , plugs etc .

Good question. There is a general trend for people to adhere to the original servicing schedule "because its there", and they feel that there may be some mysterious problem beyond their ken which will bite them if they don't.

There are also people who will change lubricant (including synthetic oils such as Mobil 1) annually, whether they need it or not - indeed, the schedule for cars with ASSYST since 2007 has mandated a service every year or 15,500, whichever comes first.

There seems to be a paranoia about lubricants that, like Cinderella's coach and horses, they will somehow transform into something completely different for reasons we can not understand and again "bite you".

So your question does challenge the "accepted wisdom" and rightly so.

From the point of view of the lubricants, there is no reason whatsoever to change in less than 15,000 miles. For the rest of the service, others will no doubt comment. My suspicion is that, in the absence of nipples to be greased (which I suspect your car does not have) or any other frequently arising item, then a less severe servicing schedule would be entirely reasonable.

 

[Quick Silver]

I do tend to stick with the servicing schedules + preventative maintainence for my Vito taxi's though as they have a very hard life and all mainly stop start /short journeys with the occasional motorway journey and reliability is the major factor with these . My car is only used for pleasure & never short journeys even though according to MB servicing schedule of 6000 miles the oil is still as clean as new oil , and the air filter is clean and the pollen filter has some contamination but is still relatively clean with a good airflow into the car.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I do tend to stick with the servicing schedules + preventative maintainence for my Vito taxi's though as they have a very hard life and all mainly stop start /short journeys with the occasional motorway journey and reliability is the major factor with these . My car is only used for pleasure & never short journeys even though according to MB servicing schedule of 6000 miles the oil is still as clean as new oil , and the air filter is clean and the pollen filter has some contamination but is still relatively clean with a good airflow into the car.

Given that the oil looks clean and the theoretical lifespan still has a long way to go, I am surprised that in these straightened times there is not a market on fleabay for "6,000 miles, preused synthetic oil"? Perhaps there is?

 

[television]

You could look at the later instructions for the same car and engine, my 129 was 1999 late and the service intervals were around 12k miles, as Alex said with modern oils, these apply to you