How to change engine oil on a Mercedes Benz SLK - It's so easy, you won't even get your hands dirty!
So are you fed up with paying $125 for an oil change at Mercedes dealerships? Can't stand paying $7 a quart for synthetic oil at the local JiffyLube? Well, if you own a Mercedes SLK or other certain MB models, you are in luck beacuse it is very easy to change the engine oil and the oil filter.
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Things You'll Need
- Manual oil pump. The best ones are manual oil pumps for boats. They can be bought for ~$30.
- Oil filter. They are ~$6 for Fram and ~$8 for OEM MB filter.
- Oil filter wrench (optional)
Instructions
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1
Run car for about 2~3 minutes to warm up the car. Shut off engine when the temp needle starts going up.
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Open hood and locate oil filter as the filter is located on the top of the engine. Simply unscrew the filter cap and replace the filter element. Easy!
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Insert the oil pump hose into the dipstick tube. Pump the oil out. FYI, this is how dealerships change oil on most Mercedes.
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Fill engine with synthetic oil of your choice. FYI, Costco has Mobile1 and Castrol Syntech synthetic oils. Screw back on oil cap.
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Close hood. You just saved $100 by doing the easiest oil change of your life!
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Tips & Warnings
Mercedes Benz recommends changing the engine oil every 10,000 miles. However, I would consider changing the oil more frequently at 3000 to 5000 mile intervals. Sythetic engine oils can last for tens of thousands of miles without breaking down, but they do get dirty and it's usually the contaminates that cause engine wear.
Remember to recycle used engine oil. Most car part stores have free used oil and old filter drop-off.
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Comments
View all 9 Comments-
There is no reason in the world to change at 3K! (unless you're driving off-road in the desert) Mercedes-Benz recommendations are based on valid engineering and real-world experience. They wouldn't recommend anything that might make them more likely to wind up having to pay warranty claims.
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0W-40 is still $10 a quart, whether bought at JiffyLube or not.
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One can simply use the drain plug on the oil pan too. It's easy; just remove the plastic cover from the bottom of the engine. It has 4 screws. I put the car up on ramps for this operation. It's easy.
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This sounds like a good idea...changing the car oil yourself and saving money....since it will go to the vet this week anyhow!
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knarf
Mar 25, 2008
Greetings all! Just wanted to respond to some of the new comments: - Yes, MB cars have drain plugs.:) - Most auto part shops accept used engine oil and coolant which are recycled properly. Most city dumps also accept used oil which are recycled. - Please feel free to drain engine oil if you believe it removes more oil than evac through the dipstick tube. I have experiemented doing it both ways and found no difference for my cars. I even used rapair ramps to tilt the car when removing the oil via drain plug to get as much oil out as possible. Last food for thought: I worked as a journeyman mechanic in my college days (to pay for books and beer of course.) I have seen plenty of oil pans with 1/2" thick sludge inside. Apparently how oil is removed isn't the real problem. It's not maintaining the engine and changing the oil regualarly that causes the sludge issue.
