Hi everybody! I got some Questions About the new MB 229.6 Specifications so I wanted to let you know About my Research! This new spec supersedes 229.5,229.3,229.1 and 226.5 altough .3 and .5 will stick around for a Long time! I found 3 different oils Meeting this specification:

Fuchs pro 229.6 5w30

Shell Helix Ultra 5w40

Total QUartz 9000 0w40

This oil seems to be suitable for high Performance and flexible oil change intervall gasoline and diesel engines without particulate filter! As I am not that much intersted in the chemistry and HTHS, Pour and flame Point and so on Maybe someone can bring this Information as I am sure many of you are interested!

The newest Mercedes Specification for diesels is MB 229.52, I don´t know if this is of interest in the USA because most are running on gasoline I think!

What actually changed?

good question sometimes change is for the sake of change like in computers in the yearly update,
well we moved the "print" button location, much better now.

The major aspect is that HTHS viscosity must be between 2.9 and 3.5 cP to improve fuel economy.
Compare using Lubrizol’s tool: https://www.lubrizol.com/Lubricant-and-F...erformance-Tool

Thanks for that. The MB specs are usually an extension of the Euro ACEA specs with better Noack volatility, < 13% for ACEA and < 10 % for MB.

The MB229.5 is based on ACEA A3/B4 (high-SAPS) with MB229.51 based on mid-SAPS ACEA C3, both with high HTHS ( > 3.5 cP).

It sounds like MB229.6 is for low HTHS (< 3.5 cP) fuel conserving version, I assume MB229.6 will be based on ACEA A5/B5 and maybe a corresponding ACEA C2 mid-SAPS version MB229.61 will appear.

For MB 229.6, sulfated ash must be between 1.0 and 1.5%. Phosphorus between 0.07 and 0.11%. Sulfur less than 0.5%. I may have missed it, but I couldn’t find an ACEA spec. that had those same limits. The chemical limits appear more restricted than A5 and less than C2. Below the Lubrizol tool spider chart, it shows the limits.

For ACEA SAPS levels:
A3/B4 > 1.0% & < 1.6%
A5/B5 < 1.6%

For Phos & Sulphur levels:
Report

For Noack:
< 13%

(ACEA Sequences 2016 PDF )

So a MB229.6 oil will pass A5/B5 but not necessarily the other way around.

Similarly Ford 913D passes A5/B5 and they say it's based on A5/B5, but then they add a few extra tests and specs, like it can only be 5W30 from Ford, so my Castrol Edge 10W30 A5/B5 could never carry 913D.

GM Dexos2 is ACEA C3 with a few extra restrictions like better / tighter / lower cold flow starting (CCS) added.

That's what I like about ACEA speccs, they are a great starting point, but with enough wiggle room for each manufacturer to make it their own.

It's on MB's website.

Looks like Fuchs is the only one on the approved listed that you mentioned. Shell and Total aren't on there. Either it's not approved yet or they haven't updated the list.

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.6_en.html

I haven't seen those other two Mobil oils mentioned but then again I haven't been looking.

Edit:SR5, you could be right as no xW40 is on MB 229.6 list.

Well..... a bit confusing as HTHS of SHU 5W40 and Total 9000 0W40 can't be < 3.5 cP right?

Edit: SR5, you could be right as none of xW40 is on MB 229.6 listings.

BTW, I doubt there is still (in Austria/Europe) the oil by the name Quartz 9000 0W-40 (I mean - packaged by that name), it is an old spec., from year 2004. and replaced with newer, named Energy.
http://www.lubadmin.com/upload/produit/fichepdf/lang_1/1175.pdf

Quite confusing is that oil with newer name and specs. from year 2016... https://catalog.lubricants.total.com/gallery/ORIGINALS/visuels/23000/23401

...does not correspond to its specs but to older oil named without word Energy, at least for a russian market - according to this VOA from Russia

http://www.oil-club.ru/forum/topic/32184-total-quartz-9000-energy-0w-40-svezhee/

Hi and thanks to all for your answers really interesting!

Just to update for your own Research where you can take a look at the oils I have mentioned which are carrying the 229.6 spec, if it is not a typing error from the page!

I found the Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 MB229.6 at UKs Website OPIEOILS, and the Total quartz 9000 0w40 carrying 229.6 at Amazon.de, altough I didn´t purchase one of them to have proof if they really do!

Wondering if MB dealers will replace all their 229.5 stock with 229.6? I honestly have no issues running 5W-30 in my '09 C300 (M272 engine) if they backdate the spec only as long as it provides same performance as 229.5 5W-40 that is the MB dealer standard.

It wouldn't surprise me. It seems like MB is following BMW's approach of replacing LL-01 with LL-01 "FE". Both 229.6 and LL-01 FE are pretty much the same spec as 229.5 and LL-01, respectively, with the exception that they are based off the A5/B5 (or C2) sequence (lower HTHS) instead of A3/B4.

A few months back I bought 20 L of 229.5 from an MB dealer for £54.99. At the time I couldn't understand why an MB dealer was selling genuine MB oil that cheap but perhaps they were shifting stocks.

Sounds like another case of "newer isn't always better". Personally, I prefer A3/B4 with an HTHS 3.5+ cP over A5/B5 with <3.5 cP, but that's just me.