Best motor oil for MB Sprinter diesel engine

Lynnmor wrote:

Gulfcoast wrote:
I buy the BEST diesel oil for my rig I can find and change it every 5000 miles without fail.

Many will disagree but it's my motor and my $$$.

OK, how do you determine which is the BEST? :h

I use oil analysis from Blackstone Labs. I also learned that all of the oil I use is way better than I imagined, and that even after 14,227 miles, it didn't need to be changed.

theoldwizard1 wrote:

loggenrock wrote:
Mother Benz is VERY particular as to oil used...

Buy the CHEAPEST oil that meets the spec. Yes, this requires that you read the owners manual and the back of the oil bottle.

The cost difference from the cheapest to the most expensive (that meets the spec) is huge and you will not see much, if any. performance/durability difference !

Full synthetic is not needed (unless stated in the owners manual). Stick with conventional or a blend. The exception is if you plan to park your rig overnight at below 0F and no block heater !

And changing your oil much earlier than recommended, is a waste of money.

Bingo...we have a winner.

It's incredibly rare for modern engines to die due to oil issues (obviously not leaks or obvious abuse). Any oil that meets manufacturers spec is perfectly fine and you can expect the engine to last longer than the rig.

Gulfcoast wrote:
I buy the BEST diesel oil for my rig I can find and change it every 5000 miles without fail.

Many will disagree but it's my motor and my $$$.

OK, how do you determine which is the BEST? :h

I buy the BEST diesel oil for my rig I can find and change it every 5000 miles without fail.

Many will disagree but it's my motor and my $$$.

loggenrock wrote:
Mother Benz is VERY particular as to oil used...

Buy the CHEAPEST oil that meets the spec. Yes, this requires that you read the owners manual and the back of the oil bottle.

The cost difference from the cheapest to the most expensive (that meets the spec) is huge and you will not see much, if any. performance/durability difference !

Full synthetic is not needed (unless stated in the owners manual). Stick with conventional or a blend. The exception is if you plan to park your rig overnight at below 0F and no block heater !

And changing your oil much earlier than recommended, is a waste of money.

It's a new unit. The ownwer's manual does say the type of oil that is required, however, I'm trying to find out if existing owners prefer one brand over others.

Mother Benz is VERY particular as to oil used... As stated, it will depend on year and model of your Sprinter engine.

I don't see where you said which model year the Sprinter is. The T1N 5 cylinder engine has one oil spec, the earlier NVC3 Sprinters have another spec, and the later NCV3s yet another. For the earlier NVC3s, the spec is 229.51 and I believe the two most widely used oils are Mobil 1 ESP and Valvoline Syn Power MST. There are multiple other brands that meet the spec. I used Mobil 1 for a few years, then switched over to Valvoline when Mobil 1 dropped the 5w40 viscosity. I've also found the Syn Power MST to have wider availability and a generally lower price. Check your manual for which spec you need.

Look in the glove box.....consult the owner's manual.
I use synthetic in the recommended viscosity.

Everybody has an opinion, you are opeing a can of worms.:B IMHO, and remember this is just an opinion, use whatever brand you want as long as it meets the engine manufacturer's specifications which are in the owner's manual.