MB 229.5 VS 229.6

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I've read many posts on this site about the old tried and true MB 229.5 requirement, some say it is a difficult standard to meet, others say not so much. I recently purchased a 2018 E300 with the gas turbo 4 cyl. It runs extremely well for a 4 cyl. and you'd swear it was a V6. It reminds me of driving my long gone Merkur with the 2.3L turbo4!

My question is the owners manual gives 2 specs for the engine oil: 229.5 OR 229.6. No mention of oil weight, ambient outdoor operating temperatures, nothing. When the Service Assist screen is brought up it even asks which spec oil was installed.

Does anyone have information on the two standards and what differences there are between the two? Mercedes is not very forthcoming with info such as this.
I live in central Florida so the temps are usually pretty hot, but I will make an occasional trip to Pittsburgh PA, usually in winter.
 
This thread discusses the differences:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4783024/New_Mercedes_Benz_Spec._229.6

And with an approval like the ones from Mercedes-Benz no grade designation is really required. The approval gives a minimum HTHS which for the most part dictates the grade, you can fight over the winter rating a bit but that is determined by your operating environment. There in Daytona Beach the grade of one approved oil over another is irrelevant. In your case I would purchase the least expensive oil at Walmart that carries either approval, and it is probably Mobil 1 0W-40 (especially with rebate) or Castrol 0W-40. Both are excellent oils and inexpensive.

Here is the good old Lubrizol Relative Performance Tool chart that shows the difference is a slightly lower HTHS:


[Linked Image]
 
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Your manual doesn't say anything about viscosity or ambient temps because MB figures any oil that meets 229.5 or 229.6 should be fine in any ambient temp you're likely to see.

AFAIK, all 229.5 oils are 0W-30, 5W-30, 0W-40, and 5W-40, and they're all fully synthetic (or they wouldn't be able to pass the testing), so it's not like there's a massive range. I'd imagine 229.6 would be similar.

Not sure exactly how 229.6 compares to 229.5. Hopefully someone else can chime in on that.
 
Originally Posted by d00df00d
Your manual doesn't say anything about viscosity or ambient temps because MB figures any oil that meets 229.5 or 229.6 should be fine in any ambient temp you're likely to see.

AFAIK, all 229.5 oils are 0W-30, 5W-30, 0W-40, and 5W-40, and they're all fully synthetic (or they wouldn't be able to pass the testing), so it's not like there's a massive range. I'd imagine 229.6 would be similar.

Not sure exactly how 229.6 compares to 229.5. Hopefully someone else can chime in on that.

More focus on mpg, other than that, same requirements when it comes to wear, deposits, oxidation etc.
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
My question is the owners manual gives 2 specs for the engine oil: 229.5 OR 229.6. No mention of oil weight, ambient outdoor operating temperatures, nothing. When the Service Assist screen is brought up it even asks which spec oil was installed.

229.6 is based on A5B5, Hths => 2.9 mPa*s and for FE, comes in only 0W30 or 5W30.
229.5 is based on A3B4, Hths => 3.5 mPa*s , comes in xW30 or xW40 .
 
Just for clarification sake, MB 229.6 approved oil only comes in 0W-30 and 5W-30.

Attached is a link to the approved 229.6 oils. Less to choose from than 229.5, but I imagine the list will get longer over time.


MB 229.6 Approved Oils
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
I've read many posts on this site about the old tried and true MB 229.5 requirement, some say it is a difficult standard to meet, others say not so much. I recently purchased a 2018 E300 with the gas turbo 4 cyl. It runs extremely well for a 4 cyl. and you'd swear it was a V6. It reminds me of driving my long gone Merkur with the 2.3L turbo4!

My question is the owners manual gives 2 specs for the engine oil: 229.5 OR 229.6. No mention of oil weight, ambient outdoor operating temperatures, nothing. When the Service Assist screen is brought up it even asks which spec oil was installed.

Does anyone have information on the two standards and what differences there are between the two? Mercedes is not very forthcoming with info such as this.
I live in central Florida so the temps are usually pretty hot, but I will make an occasional trip to Pittsburgh PA, usually in winter.

Use MB229.5. As for ambient temperature, any MB229.5 can work in Alaska or Saudi Arabia.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
Use MB229.5. As for ambient temperature, any MB229.5 can work in Alaska or Saudi Arabia.

I agree. The small fuel economy improvement with 229.6 is offset by the higher cost of available oils. Good luck finding something as inexpensive as Castrol 0W-40 at Walmart on rollback. Plus you get a higher HTHS.
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
I've read many posts on this site about the old tried and true MB 229.5 requirement, some say it is a difficult standard to meet, others say not so much.
Its a difficult standard to meet.
Notice only full synthetics have ever been able to qualify for it. Indy cars have used it in the past.
Originally Posted by JohnG
When the Service Assist screen is brought up it even asks which spec oil was installed..
Very cool of Mercedes to do that. Wonder why. Is it to make a statement to the oil changer that they need to look for their special spec (229.5 or 229.6) instead of just putting in plain vanilla SN oil? Or, does the engine computer use the information to monitor viscosity levels like Chrysler Hemis do with P1521 "incorrect engine oil type" viscosity warnings, infered from rpm, temperature, pressure readings (?).

Its hard to find 229.6 oil. Bevo official list for it is short. https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.6_en.html
Might as well use the thicker walmart 0w40 oils. Cheap and decent.
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
I've read many posts on this site about the old tried and true MB 229.5 requirement, some say it is a difficult standard to meet, others say not so much. I recently purchased a 2018 E300 with the gas turbo 4 cyl. It runs extremely well for a 4 cyl. and you'd swear it was a V6. It reminds me of driving my long gone Merkur with the 2.3L turbo4!
My question is the owners manual gives 2 specs for the engine oil: 229.5 OR 229.6. No mention of oil weight, ambient outdoor operating temperatures, nothing. When the Service Assist screen is brought up it even asks which spec oil was installed.
Does anyone have information on the two standards and what differences there are between the two? Mercedes is not very forthcoming with info such as this.
I live in central Florida so the temps are usually pretty hot, but I will make an occasional trip to Pittsburgh PA, usually in winter.


If you are going to keep the Benz for a long time use 229.5 and also follow the owner's manual to the letter, MB doesn't forgive slakers
wink.gif
I'm an ex MB owner.
 
Quote
When the Service Assist screen is brought up it even asks which spec oil was installed..Very cool of Mercedes to do that. Wonder why. Is it to make a statement to the oil changer that they need to look for their special spec (229.5 or 229.6) instead of just putting in plain vanilla SN oil? Or, does the engine computer use the information to monitor viscosity levels like Chrysler Hemis do with P1521 "incorrect engine oil type" viscosity warnings, infered from rpm, temperature, pressure readings (?).


On my older car there is a choice of 229.3 vs 229.5 and you have to enter the choice when resetting the service indicator. Presumably it affects the maximum miles to the next service. I don't think it's any more sophisticated than that.
 
Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by JohnG
I've read many posts on this site about the old tried and true MB 229.5 requirement, some say it is a difficult standard to meet, others say not so much. I recently purchased a 2018 E300 with the gas turbo 4 cyl. It runs extremely well for a 4 cyl. and you'd swear it was a V6. It reminds me of driving my long gone Merkur with the 2.3L turbo4!

My question is the owners manual gives 2 specs for the engine oil: 229.5 OR 229.6. No mention of oil weight, ambient outdoor operating temperatures, nothing. When the Service Assist screen is brought up it even asks which spec oil was installed.

Does anyone have information on the two standards and what differences there are between the two? Mercedes is not very forthcoming with info such as this.
I live in central Florida so the temps are usually pretty hot, but I will make an occasional trip to Pittsburgh PA, usually in winter.

Use MB229.5. As for ambient temperature, any MB229.5 can work in Alaska or Saudi Arabia.

+1
 
Originally Posted by barryh
On my older car there is a choice of 229.3 vs 229.5 and you have to enter the choice when resetting the service indicator. Presumably it affects the maximum miles to the next service. I don't think it's any more sophisticated than that.

I don't see how either 229.5 or .6 would last longer than the other. Lubrizol says they are about as strict. Visc is different is about all. Interesting Mercedes does this. If GM did that, they could have people do 5k miles on SN+, and 8k miles on dexos1, for example. Of course then SP-GF6 comes along and it might about equal dexos1 anyway. Specs are a mess around the world.

Mercedes and other German engine makers take this oil stuff seriously. My '19 Tiguan tells me if the oil level is too low, and it specs very high quality VW 508 0w-20 oil, which they require to have a green dye to make sure car owners have it. ("Achtung! You veel use the right oil!" ) During break-in, I put in some Pennzoil full syn from an old stash, taking the chance I'll get away with it til the next "real 508" oil change. If something happens maybe they will take the Schultz view of my indiscretion:

[Linked Image from i1.wp.com]

Funny old show. I still watch it once in a while on cable. Good comedy writing.
 
Thanks Guys!
I think the list has gotten longer since that quoted thread, but not by much.

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

I did get the Ravenol FDS 5w-30 for my next couple of (ANNUAL) oil changes from Blauparts. It's interesting to see that 0W-40 is ok from Alaska to Saudi Arabia, I wonder if the same can be said for a PAO Vollesynthe Oil in 5W30 . I imagine it will work just fine with MAYBE a little boost to fuel economy. We'll see over the next couple of years I suppose. My oil changes in central Florida are mostly determined by the season anyway. Nobody is going to change oil in a 98 degree garage in the middle of summer, so mine are always done in January or February.

I am a little disappointed that nobody commented on the 1986 Merkur. I can only imagine what that little car would have done with today's engine oils and a Mercedes 9 speed transmission!
Some cars you just never forget.
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
I did get the Ravenol FDS 5w-30 for my next couple of (ANNUAL) oil changes from Blauparts. It's interesting to see that 0W-40 is ok from Alaska to Saudi Arabia, I wonder if the same can be said for a PAO Vollesynthe Oil in 5W30 . I imagine it will work just fine with MAYBE a little boost to fuel economy. .
Ravenol is all PAO, and that one has tungsten, very nice. With all that FM and a lower HTHS, this means your engine uses less energy. Estimated about 2% better fuel economy compared to a 40 weight at HTHS 3.6, and your FDS with 3.0 has what may be more moly and tungsten overall to augment basic HTHS physics. You might not ever notice the ~2% difference or care. Toyota insists on thin oil with a lot of FM to raise fuel economy, for example, using 0w16 in some cases. That works.
Originally Posted by JohnG
I am a little disappointed that nobody commented on the 1986 Merkur. I can only imagine what that little car would have done with today's engine oils and a Mercedes 9 speed transmission.
Some cars you just never forget.
In '85, I saw the radical new Taurus, and Ford was seen as a real trendsetter for both that and the Bob Lutz Merkur import. The Merkur's price was high, and Ford never won over the German car crowd who mostly wanted a real BMW or Mercedes rather than an expensive euro-Ford. Good car though. Just image issues.
 
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agree. The small fuel economy improvement with 229.6 is offset by the higher cost of available oils. Good luck finding something as inexpensive as Castrol 0W-40 at Walmart on rollback. Plus you get a higher HTHS.


One final question on this thread. I've read many times about the Castrol 0W-40 at Walmart, but nothing on the shelves here in FL has the 229.5 MB spec. Which product is this exactly? Maybe a picture of the bottle will help me out.
I used to be able to buy the old Green Castrol 0W-30 Syntec for use in a Northstar Caddy, but don't think that is available any longer either. That was MB 229.1 and 229.3 rated.
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
One final question on this thread. I've read many times about the Castrol 0W-40 at Walmart, but nothing on the shelves here in FL has the 229.5 MB spec. Which product is this exactly? Maybe a picture of the bottle will help me out.
I used to be able to buy the old Green Castrol 0W-30 Syntec for use in a Northstar Caddy, but don't think that is available any longer either. That was MB 229.1 and 229.3 rated.

You can't be looking at the right thing then. There is only one Castrol 0W-40 product at Walmart and it most definitely has 229.5 approval. If they don't have it in stock then buy the Mobil 1 0W-40 which also has 229.5 approval.

Castrol Edge 0W-40:

[Linked Image]
 
Originally Posted by JohnG
Quote
agree. The small fuel economy improvement with 229.6 is offset by the higher cost of available oils. Good luck finding something as inexpensive as Castrol 0W-40 at Walmart on rollback. Plus you get a higher HTHS.


One final question on this thread. I've read many times about the Castrol 0W-40 at Walmart, but nothing on the shelves here in FL has the 229.5 MB spec. Which product is this exactly? Maybe a picture of the bottle will help me out.
I used to be able to buy the old Green Castrol 0W-30 Syntec for use in a Northstar Caddy, but don't think that is available any longer either. That was MB 229.1 and 229.3 rated.

Green "German Castrol" is not on sale like 10 years. You can still get 0W30 Edge on Amazon, but without Kettenlube in it (green dye). Kettenlube is gone since like 2008. Current 0W30 carries MB229.5. I have stash for next OCI.
In Wal Mart Castrol 0W40 and Mobil1 0W40 FS have MB 229.5. Not every Wal Mart carries it though. Wal mart 3mls West from my house has both, Wal Mart 4mls East from my house does not have any Euro oils. So, I would check several Wal marts in area.
 
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