1989 Mercedes 300E
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Valvoline MaxLife in whatever the recommended wt is by MB
I owned two of those - a 1986 (the first one in town, actually) and a 1994. Both were very happy on dealer-installed 15w40. The dealer was a company store, owned by Mercedes-Benz directly, so they were sticklers for doing things the Mercedes way. These days, a good quality 0w40 or 5w40 would be just fine. Those engines were substantially bullet-proof. The auto trans takes Dexron II, so a Dex-Merc product will work fine. They're one of the few vehicles with a drain on the torque converter, so you get a complete change every time you drop the pan and service it. They have an open diff and it's spec'd 75w-90. One of mine had a slight leak, and changing to Redline sealed it up just fine.
M103s weren't very particular about oil... I've run 10W-30, 10W-40, 5W-40. Read the owners manual, it contains a viscosity chart and recommended weights per climate.
The engines are pretty robust... but HG leaks were common, oil either leaking down right side of block (below exhaust manifolds) or oil entering cooling system (oil droplets, sheen appearing in expansion tank).
I've got two '95 E320 wagons at the moment... I run whatever oil I have on hand or is on-sale at WM. You'll need ~6-7 quarts of oil... I've had many W123, W124s over the years. Plenty with 200k+ miles, but each has it unique quirks and maintenance.
The engines are pretty robust... but HG leaks were common, oil either leaking down right side of block (below exhaust manifolds) or oil entering cooling system (oil droplets, sheen appearing in expansion tank).
I've got two '95 E320 wagons at the moment... I run whatever oil I have on hand or is on-sale at WM. You'll need ~6-7 quarts of oil... I've had many W123, W124s over the years. Plenty with 200k+ miles, but each has it unique quirks and maintenance.
My Son had one of those. Im pretty sure he ran 15w40 HDEO in it. It was still running good when he got rid of it.
This post and subsequent replies was a gift from Heaven! I have owned a 1989 300 SL coupe for about a year and am just now getting used to working on it. It too has the 3.0L inline six with auto trans.
It is a Euro version, so parts have been a challenge as have fluid requirements.
I'm wondering about at least draining the pan and torque converter and replacing the fluid with fresh Dexron. It just turned over 100,000 and has spent the last 6-8 years in storage.
It is a Euro version, so parts have been a challenge as have fluid requirements.
I'm wondering about at least draining the pan and torque converter and replacing the fluid with fresh Dexron. It just turned over 100,000 and has spent the last 6-8 years in storage.
I had a 500E for a while in the 90's and the trans fluid the dealership (yes, the MB owned dealership, not a franchise) was Dexron III-H, the last of the DexIII revisions. There are expensive "Euro" fluids available for these cars, but the gearbox works just fine with normal fluids. I don't think that Dex VI is a good replacement for these transmissions, though, so you might have to settle for a good quality "dex-merc" fluid from a reputable manufacturer.
Dex III for older MB ATs... typically it was Napa fluid. On newer variants, which electronic valve bodies, we used MB-spec synthetic fluid (MB, Febi, Pentosin).
Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
My Son had one of those. Im pretty sure he ran 15w40 HDEO in it. It was still running good when he got rid of it.
+1
My Son had one of those. Im pretty sure he ran 15w40 HDEO in it. It was still running good when he got rid of it.
+1
I'm a MB dealer tech, and would strongly suggest running the 15w40 HDEO. The M103 is a very durable engine, but a valve job is not unexpected after 150K miles due to the bronze guides, as well as the mentioned head gasket oil leaks. Service it every 7500mi with an OE, Mann, Mahle, or Hengst filter, and it will serve you well for a very, very long time.
Originally Posted By: jaj
I had a 500E for a while in the 90's and the trans fluid the dealership (yes, the MB owned dealership, not a franchise) was Dexron III-H, the last of the DexIII revisions. There are expensive "Euro" fluids available for these cars, but the gearbox works just fine with normal fluids. I don't think that Dex VI is a good replacement for these transmissions, though, so you might have to settle for a good quality "dex-merc" fluid from a reputable manufacturer.
You could use Valvoline Maxlife. It is a high quality fluid and does make a good replacement for Dexron III.
I had a 500E for a while in the 90's and the trans fluid the dealership (yes, the MB owned dealership, not a franchise) was Dexron III-H, the last of the DexIII revisions. There are expensive "Euro" fluids available for these cars, but the gearbox works just fine with normal fluids. I don't think that Dex VI is a good replacement for these transmissions, though, so you might have to settle for a good quality "dex-merc" fluid from a reputable manufacturer.
You could use Valvoline Maxlife. It is a high quality fluid and does make a good replacement for Dexron III.
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