The MERC DEALER OIL PRICE SCANDAL

[hawk20]

A topic that is becoming of great general interest in my neck of the woods -and causing loads of complaints at dealers- is the scandalous price being charged for synthetic oils when cars are serviced.

This appears to me to be becoming close to a rip off. Last September I had an A service and was charged for 8.5 litres of Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 Low Ash at £10.02 per litre ex vat and £11.77p inc vat OR A TOTAL OF £100.07p for oil inc vat. OUCH!

Last week I had my B service done.
This time they used Castrol Magnatec 5W-30 L. I asked why. They said because the Mobil 1 as above is now over £15 per litre ex vat. How much was the Castrol? Breathe in: - £13.99p per litre ex vat and £16.44 per litre inc vat. For the 8.5 litres they say I need that costs £139.73p, say about £140 before the rest of the service and labour is charged for.

Interesting that the oil has gone up 40% since last September. But it is synthetic and nothing to do with natural oil prices. Why?

1. Is anyone else being charged this amount for oil from a dealer? (NB for the exact oils shown above).
2. My local Merc dealer allows customers to bring their own oil -at the moment. So where is a good place to buy other than e-bay which I don't trust. I want it from a firm one can go back to and complain if it is not just right etc.
3. Shouldn't we all, who get serviced at dealers, bring our own oil? How crazy.

 

[television]

Ebay sealed 4liters Mobil1 cost £30 I believe Cosco also sell it sometimes for that price.

Is not magnatec a semi synthetic oil

 

[hawk20]

Ebay sealed 4liters Mobil1 cost £30 I believe Cosco also sell it sometimes for that price.

Is not magnatec a semi synthetic oil

It needs to be the exact spec and low ash for Euro4 with particulate filter. I see Mobil 1 to the right spec is £13.99p per litre inc vat from Halfords but a more reasonable £38.99p in 4 litre containers.

With Magnatec I think the 5W-40 L is synthetic but not completely sure.

 

[robbo]

I was charged £10 per litre ex vat for Magnatec 5W40 (you don't seem to be able to buy this grade in the shops) for the A class service yesterday.

 

[robbo]

Is not magnatec a semi synthetic oil

Magnatec 5W30 is fully synth and Magnatec 10W40 is part synth.

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdetailmin.do?categoryId=9014097&contentId=7027374

 

[BlackC55]

MB of Portsmouth charge £15/litre for the full synthetic + VAT

It has just gone up from £10.50/litre + VAT

The customers are going loopy

 

[MIW615]

A topic that is becoming of great general interest in my neck of the woods -and causing loads of complaints at dealers- is the scandalous price being charged for synthetic oils when cars are serviced.

This appears to me to be becoming close to a rip off. Last September I had an A service and was charged for 8.5 litres of Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 Low Ash at £10.02 per litre ex vat and £11.77p inc vat OR A TOTAL OF £100.07p for oil inc vat. OUCH!

Last week I had my B service done.
This time they used Castrol Magnatec 5W-30 L. I asked why. They said because the Mobil 1 as above is now over £15 per litre ex vat. How much was the Castrol? Breathe in: - £13.99p per litre ex vat and £16.44 per litre inc vat. For the 8.5 litres they say I need that costs £139.73p, say about £140 before the rest of the service and labour is charged for.

Interesting that the oil has gone up 40% since last September. But it is synthetic and nothing to do with natural oil prices. Why?

1. Is anyone else being charged this amount for oil from a dealer? (NB for the exact oils shown above).
2. My local Merc dealer allows customers to bring their own oil -at the moment. So where is a good place to buy other than e-bay which I don't trust. I want it from a firm one can go back to and complain if it is not just right etc.
3. Shouldn't we all, who get serviced at dealers, bring our own oil? How crazy.

I supply my own oil when our cars are serviced by our indy, are you saying that main dealers will not allow this?

 

[robbo]

i think the dealers definately make a lot of profit on the oil though, you can't tell me that a bulk barrel of fully synth really costs £15 per litre ex vat!!

 

[hawk20]

Magnatec 5W30 is fully synth and Magnatec 10W40 is part synth.

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdetailmin.do?categoryId=9014097&contentId=7027374

Yes, but interestingly they used Castrol Magnatec 5W-40 L on my service which again may not be easily available -as you found with yours.

In my handbook, it says for petrol engines: oil containers may be marked "approved in accordance with MB sheet 229.1, 229.3 and 229.5".

BUT IT GOES ON TO SAY MB sheet 229.31 applies to vehicles with a 'EURO4 Standard' engine version with a particulate filter. (N.B. easy to confuse with Sheet 229.3)

I notice Castrol do synthetics to suit VW engines and maybe the Merc spec is not used by other car makers??? Is that why it is dear?

 

[robbo]

could be specially made for Mercedes I guess.

But whatever, you may have been ripped off because I was charged £10 per litre ex VAT for the same oil as you?

 

[BlackC55]

It dear becuase they charge too much for it.

 

[hawk20]

The Castrol website shows the S320cdi if you ask for help on what oil to use BUT it just says the 220 series is from 1998 and does not mention it went to EURO4 in 2005 (and maybe a bit earlier?) and has a particulate filter which needs Low Ash oil to MB sheet 229.31

Search on Castrol for MB sheet 229.31 and it comes up with nothing.

Go to Castrol Magnatec and the 10W -40B3 meets MB229.1 BUT NONE I COULD FIND MEET 229.31. Odd.

 

[hawk20]

I supply my own oil when our cars are serviced by our indy, are you saying that main dealers will not allow this?

No. I said they do allow it, at the moment.

 

[hawk20]

Fascinating. Here is the news. For five minutes I am an expert, while I can remember what the man from Castrol has just told me on the phone.
1. Castrol synthetic oils are made from oil -much modified etc. So he said.
2. The website does have big holes in it and the info for the S class diesels is wrong for EURO4 models (220 series 2005 and 2006 I think). Same MAY BE TRUE on E class, C class etc.
3. He agrees that all EURO4 Merc diesels SHOULD USE OILS THAT MEET MB Sheet 229.31.
4. IT IS IMPORTANT to do so because the particulate filter is a closed system and needs low SAPS oils. That is low in Sulphated Ash, Phosphor, and Sulphur. These oils do not build up in the filter and block it as other oils will.
5. AMAZING: - No Castrol Magnatec that we can buy anywhere, meets Mercedes low SAPS requirements. We need to buy Edge Sport 5W 40 or Edge Turbo Diesel 0W 30 to meet 229.31
6. DON'T BE FOOLED: - Despite 5 above, Mercedes dealers may use Magnatec. But they use a special formulation for Merc dealers called Magnatec 5W-40 L, which is not available to the public. Just for them it is low SAPS and meets 229.31
7. The particulate filter is so good nowadays, and the low SAPS oil, that if you hang a white hanky near the end of the exhaust pipe, it will stay white for ages. Well that is the theory. Tried it on mine. Seems to be true.

Moderators might like to consider whether this thread should become a sticky for a while as it is of general interest and very important. And the info is not on the main oil websites. I will post more when I hear from Mobil, from Mercedes Customer Service and from my main dealer.

 

[essentially benz]

dealer rip off

main dealers have huge over heads and increasingly more stupid staff.
you should use a specialist like carswithstars.co.uk as they are a no bull**** organisation and will talk to you like a human being.
their prices arnt too bad either

 

[MarkF]

interesting thread.
Anybody know what oil should be used in my ML270CDi.
The indi in Stoke used a part synthetic oil, valvoline, is this right or should it be fully synthetic.

 

[hawk20]

interesting thread.
Anybody know what oil should be used in my ML270CDi.
The indi in Stoke used a part synthetic oil, valvoline, is this right or should it be fully synthetic.

Well you need to look in the handbook and it will say. Depends on age and whether EURO2 or 3 or 4.

I assume you are not Euro4 as I think that came out after the new ML came in. So you won't need Low Ash oil.

If you use synthetic oil, and if your ML has the ASSYST programme, it should be set for that oil and then it will assess the service interval based on how you drive, type of journeys etc. Usually you get a lot more miles between services this way. If not synthetic, then the service interval will be a fixed amount.

 

[television]

With my first service comming up in a few weeks, I will have to look and see what mine uses for the 113 engine.

I have never in my life had a car serviced before

 

[ScORTED]

Something for you to read regarding synthetic oils...
http://www.ford-force.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7564

 

[hawk20]

Something for you to read regarding synthetic oils...
http://www.ford-force.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7564

Very interesting. Well worth a read. Now we can see why Mercedes issue their own detailed spec for the oils to be used on our cars.