Hope everyone is well and having a good week! Garage owners and mechanics out there feel free to send this to your customer next time you come across this issue! I know I will be! All the best everyone support with the channel has been mega 🎉
What we've found Sam over many years in the trade is that diesel oil stays relatively clean with our customers who insist on 5k intervals. 15k and 20k intervals are just ridiculous ⚠️😆
Im going to look u up and hopefully when i get another ML again in the same shape because i like this shape im going to book it in with you if thats ok sir
@@julesviolin So you double their maintenance costs! Onto a winner there! I guess some get sucked into it. Most owners thankfully trust the manufacturer recommendations.
Had this with a customer a few years back. Didn’t think that we had changed his oil on an old t4 transporter. We said come down and we will change your oil and filter whilst you watch us. If it turns black after you start the engine then you owe us for two oil changes. He paid for two oil changes and was very apologetic afterwards 😂👍🏻
@TurnerJ88 if you change the oil in a diesel 3 times in a row the oil will stay clean for 1000 miles. Problem is that when shops change the oil they rush and dont let the old oil drain all the way
Good educational video to prove a point which people don't understand. Like the fact that you used your own vehicle to prove the point and at your cost.
Can't believe the cheek of some saying you haven't done an oil change 2 years running. 😂 and both times offered to view the proof and declines. That's a whole special breed of person imo
It's nice to see that there are still workshops that think along a bit with the customer, honesty pays for itself in the long run! Keep up the good work! “Fun and educational videos”.
Really good experiment and well explained. Never accused a garage of not changing the oil but have always checked the oil when serviced and wondered if it’s actually been changed or it’s immediately contaminated once engine is struck up. The mind is now at ease, thanks 😉
First time I changed my Audi Q5 TDI oil and checked the level on the stick and it looked just as dirty as the old oil. I was like WTF? Read up and found it was normal. Glad you posted this video.
I have a Kia Sportage GDi Petrol 2016 purchased in mid May 2023. It had about 72,000 on it and the first thing I did was put it in for a major service (+ engine flush) with Halfords within the first 2 weeks as I was planning to drive to Europe in September. 2 weeks after the service I was driving down the M4 and the oil light came on! At the nearest service station I found the oil to be pretty dirty and barely registering on the dip stick! It took about ⅔ of a litre of oil to sort it out. I was worried that I had bought a lemon 🍋 and that the car was burning oil as I trusted the service. However, I drove all over Europe and up and down mountains in Austria, Italy and Switzerland without further incident. So I decided to do my first DIY & latest oil change at 8,000 miles. I used Liqui Moly sludge remover for about 150 miles, and then did the oil and filter change. The filter I removed was a bitch to get off (I was panicking), it was really rusty. So I wondered if they did the oil change without changing the oil filter and short changed on the oil fill by ½ a litre (should be 3½ litres). The oil is so clear now after a couple of hundred miles, it's like honey. So I will be doing my own oil change from now on!!
sadly, none of the large national chains of service centres can be fully trusted, because of the staff they employ. Most, at best are just fitters, not mechanics, and are driven by weekly financial targets for their branch. Most are happy to replace things that don't require replacing, and simple servicing is very hit and miss between branches. I saw a car that had been to one of the largest fast-fit chains for a full service, and the oil filter, cabin filter and fuel filter showed no signs of having been disturbed, and were covered in months of dust and grime. It stood to reason the oil had not been changed either, but there was a full itemised invoice for just under £500. The government really need to look into this, but that is never going to happen. Best to just not use these places
I am new to Diesel cars, but Dad was a Diesel truck and tractor mechanic. I was quite shocked looking at my car oil, but had read up on diesel cars before I bought my B200 CDI, so I was aware of this.. Thanks for putting this out there, and making the lives of mechanics a bit nicer.
@@user-xu5vl5th9nDiesels certainly have that agricultural tune which can make one concerned about the engine's health especially when it runs with the hood up without the sound deadening.
A used diesel has carbon build up on all components inside. You drain the oil and change the filter, install the drain plug, and refill. As soon as you start the engine, the new oil with a fresh load of detergent in the oil goes to work removing contaminants and crud on everything. My second wife had a car that had previously had poor maintenance with a Chev 350. I did 6 oil changes in one month and still black the next day. I worked at a Detroit Diesel dealer. The procedure after liner O rings failed and let coolant into the oil was fill with straight 10 oil and 1 cup of butyl cellosolve. Run at about 1200RPM for 10 minutes. Drain, change the filter, and run again for about 10 minutes and change the oil and filter again. This flushed all the coolant out as coolant and bearings do not play well together. Butyl cellosolve is a component in commercial cleaners with a very distinctive odour. I took a few ounces home and put it in the dirty engine. I took the car for a 30 minute drive at low load and speeds up to 80kph. I changed the oil and filter. After this the oil stayed cleaner longer.
I thought exactly the same when I had the first oil change done on my e350 cdi coupe. Unlike your customer I rang my garage and asked should the oil go black so quickly?he explained exactly as you said. I was used to the oil staying golden for longer as in my previous petrol bmw. Great content as always 👏
i've owned my S204 220CDI since new , now 150k miles up and I've been doing the oil and filter changes every 5k -8k miles myself with correct Merc specified oil and filter from 90k miles up. I've always wondered why the oil was black immediately after changing it so I appreciate your tutorial and educating me. 👍
I think with most things the honest dependable garages outnumber the rogues because fundamentally most of us want to whatever we’re doing feel that we’ve done a good days work and the customer is satisfied& will be happy to come back again. Most garages in my area ( I tend to use 3-4 as they are all generally busy) are all customer focused and always explain any issues clearly . Great video and educational as always.
Fair play to you mate. Only this a couple of times, but not anymore! Because what I do now, is give them back the old oil and filter and tell them to dispose of it accordingly. Saves me doing it too!
I'm a retired mechanic, and don't recall ever being accused of this, but I have been on the other side of the fence with my own car, since I retired. Because I don't have anywhere to service it myself any more, I took my Kia C'eed diesel to my local main dealer for a major service. When I went to collect it, I checked under the bonnet and could see straight away that they hadn't changed the fuel filter, which was part of the service (for which they had charged me). The service manager insisted that they had changed it, but when I explained that I had been servicing a fleet of the same model for several years, and pointed out that nothing had been touched around the filter, he agreed to replace it "for my peace of mind". It is a fiddly job, and I suspect the tech couldn't be arsed, and thought he would get away with it, but got caught out. Needless to say, I haven't been back there, even for parts.
Hahaha. "Would you like the to view the service on CCTV Sir"? "Stop faking film footage and do your job correctly". Seriously, this is the most comprehensive comparison I have witnessed. Good job Sir.
Another interesting and informative video. If I was daft enough to buy another Merc, and I lived in the North West again, I would definitely call on your services. Well done. You’re a proper geezer.
Great video, most people don't realise this, I stopped taking it to a garage who used engine flush on a diesel with over 100K before changing the oil, so long as oil is changed at specified time then flushing does more harm than good !
Great idea for a video mate :) And consider me educated. I've checked the oil on diesels enough to know that it is always black, but I had no idea why!
Very well explained. I was very confused when took my Q7 for oil change 3 years ago to find out engine oil was still black. But my mechanic explained and was good learning curve for me.
Great video - thank you for doing this from an educational perspective and also thinking about the variety of content your viewers would enjoy. Always look forward to an SPR video release.
Thanks for showing this, I checked the oil when I arrived home after an oil change on my Citroen 2 Lt Diesel and was shocked to see it was black as the ace of spades and so I never went back there again thinking the worse, sorry chaps.
Many years i put a litre of Duckams (green) oil in my car, a week later engine was knocking. On removing sump it was full of sludge and engine needed complete rebuild. Would never use engine flushes 😮. Another great video.
You are so right. Oil in diesels goes black really quick, basically because of blowby by the piston rings, soot! Therefore diesel oil has lots of detergents in there to keep the engine clean but the oil goes black in ten or so kilometers. The longer its in there the blacker it gets, by the time you replace it according to the proper service intervals its like black paint. But putting in new oil doesnt make it much better at all. Older diesels were notorious for it, newer ones are not as bad but bad enough not to be able to tell the difference by eye. Therefore it is imparitive to change oil and filter very regular.
I do all my own service and on my mk6 TDI, the oil is black at all times. Even when I change the oil in rapid succession to do a chemical-free flush, the oil is black immediately. You can tell that the oil is new when you wipe the dipstick and see a brown streak instead of a black one. The brown streak lasts for a few days only, however. Yet on my TDCi (Ranger PX2 3.2), the oil stays relatively clean for months. And the oil filter on the Ranger is tiny. About 2/3 the size of the filter on the TDI. Ranger takes just over twice the amount of oil as the TDI as well. Blows my mind.
Thank you for this v educational vid. It is something that I've wondered for years doing oil changes on diesels at home on our farm in the jeep, van and tractor, and you've answered it perfectly 👌
Thanks for your video. just to let you know you are spot on with this oil issue. Anyway to my circumstance. forty years ago I owned a Ford Sierra 2.3 diesel ( it was a Peugeot engine) it never let me down at all in over the 100,000 miles we had it. I never went over 6000 miles without doing a oil change complete with new filter. We lived on the west cost of Scotland for most of that time and hardly ever did this town driving of stop start etc, all journeys could be min 28 miles round trip or a trip to Glasgow 200 miles round trip. I was confident that the oil in my car war doing the job it was intended. It was the best engine I have had, no oil leaks whatso ever in fact I had to spray oil on the sump to stop rust from appearing.
Yep I have been there Especially the the diesel engine I have done this test on my c220 cdi Every one who sees your videos should know that you do everything properly Keep up the good work 👍👍👍
Excellent demonstration, I only wish you guys were located down south, beyond me how the customer wouldn't except your word....or video evidence! I will take your advice and treat my diesel to a tank of the good stuff. Thanks
My E250CDI that I got in 2013 didn’t even have a dipstick all managed electronically! When I challenged the dealer at first service about what happens when the electronics fail and the oil is low? The dealer replied they don’t fail !!! I never saw the colour of the oil in the 130k miles I did in that car, but I one from previous cars I had run it would be black! Great video as usual Sam, very educational for the uninitiated driver 👍😎
This was a very good video. So what this told me is get my pickup oil done at 6000 miles not 18000. This will stop me having to get a EV😊😊😊😊😊😊😊thank you,
Excellent experiment. I really enjoyed the video very informative. it just shows that changing your oil regularly on older diesel cars is important. My oil was changed back in early June by your good selves and will be done again soon. I cannot believe that customer accusing you of not changing the oil after an oil service is bang out of order, this video proves it all. Looking forward to the next video Sam.
I've had this on my Subaru Impreza. Put in for a service as I was out of the country. Bill showed engine oil and filter changed, fuel filter changed and front brake pads changed. Charged Stg.500. In reality nothing was changed. Brake pads were wafer thin. Engine oil was black. My date sticker from two years earlier was still on the fuel filter. This was in Norwich. I did this work on my way down to dover. The reason I learned to do my own auto servicing and repairs is because you can't trust the UK garages. Completely different here in Japan. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
But unless people see your procedure they won't believe you... I have this exact experience until I got the customer to stand and watch. And I mean watch right next to his car... Education goes a long way... That was 11 years ago.. I have done his cars ever since.. Great content. And as you said... An expensive way to educate and prove a point. Keep up the good work..
Thanks for this, I've got a Mercedes diesel and always trusted the garage enough to not check the oil, glad I didn't because I wouldn't have known about it going black like that.
Well done. This is a long overdue educational video. For those of us that have change oil in petrol engines ... you can check that dipstick and you always get that clean oil look. I remember my first few oil changes on my W164 CDi which I did myself (every 5000 Kms) ... I called my normal mechanic thinking something was wrong he explained exactly what you said ... anyway I'm back to petrols but this is a really good lesson. Thanks for the upload well worth it for those getting into diesel Mercs for the first time. 👍
Great video, very surprising the colour after just the first change. I had an oil change on my diesel recently, you can feel the difference with your fingers with old and new oil. Terrible to have to say but maybe it’s worth getting a phone for the sole purpose of filming a little 15 second video of the customers plate followed by you zooming out showing the oil being drained with the old filter on the floor, then another quick video of the new filter and oil being put back on. Anyone coming to you with an issue you can WhatsApp the proof in a few seconds
Had an old diesel Saab 93 with around 90k miles and local garage serviced it. Checked oil on return after two miles & it was clean. Checked again two days later after maybe 70 miles and it was dark. Pal who owns the garage explained why, just as in this vid. Fresh oil in diesels retains its properties despite how black. Good vid. Thanks.
I think everyone will appreciate your commitment to educate people and prove a point spending an extra 2-3 hours on a Friday afternoon. Btw the same will happen with TFSI petrol engines after an oil change, I did an oil change on my sister's Audi A3 1.4 E-Tron and after driving a few miles I checked the oil level and oil was black too. Keep up the good work.
I admire your commitment to the cause. That must have cost you a fair bit! Hopefully it helps educate people that it’s just the way it is with diesels and not the mechanic pulling a fast one. Great video - please keep them coming!
You are absolutely right, I've tried the same thing with my trusty old 2002 VW T4 2.5 tdi and got the same results. Older diesels produce and leave more carbon deposits in the oil than more refined modern diesels. My motorhome has a modern ford engine and the oil on the dipstick always looks quite clean after a few miles post oil change.
Any diesel I have owned & serviced myself, I drop the oil & filter, just after a run as it is then hot, leave for at least an hour as I have lunch for it to drip away and longer if I need to do other service items.. This of course cannot be done in a workshop “and” never on a merc as in the vid, but after all that time the oil would remain clear for at least a day & then of course return to it’s normal black state. So if you want it clear on the day change the oil yourself, but “do not” start it until you have double checked that you have put the drain plug back in & torqued it up.
O'Rileys Autos on TH-cam did a video like this. Took 5 oil changes until it was clean. On emergency diesel generators which only run for a few hours a year we use sump heaters to keep the oil warm and stop condensation diluting the oil then send a sample away for testing every 6 months
I use castrol every 3000 miles... use 1 engine clean/flush first... then one fill with cheaper oil (to get rid of any exess flush).... then drop and refill with castrol...AND every 9k take the sump off for a good clean out. I do all the above and have never had issues. Great vid😊
Mine look clean after oil change. Insignia diesel! I checked the level after 2 weeks and it's still relatively clean only slightly darker. I top up my tank with BP premium diesel only.
Like that one of the garages commented about giving the old oil and filters back to the customer similar to giving them old parts back to show work that was carried out nice one😊
Slow to catch this video but have to say no doubt this has put so many Diesel drivers minds at rest Sam!. Really well explained...look forward to checking my dipstick on our Merc after the B service in December 😂😂
Very interesting and absolutely typical of diesel engine oil. To be honest I'd have put supermarket oil and filters in for the first two fill ups, ( plus filters because that still will trap some soot during the warm up running) then put Mercedes oil and filter in at the end. The results would be just the same and saved you a fortune in Merc oil!
I am lucky to have a local Mercedes Mechanic where I live that is as honest as you are. It makes me feel better knowing I will not be scammed. Great video and please tell that one customer know he is a Shite.
Change my oil on vw t4 2.5tdi.....black straight away,after flush and fresh oil. My wife's honda jazz 1.4 petrol after 1 year oil looks brand new......its just not fair!!! 😂 good video pal.
When I had my Helicopter business I used an ML270 and often used that to tow the 1500litre JETA1 tanker to remote job sites. One day I got the diesel low fuel light come on and was miles from any fuel ....apart from the 1500l I was towing. I filled up to half tank and almost immediately upon start the engine ran super smooth and there was zero smoke, not even a hint from the exhaust. Dragging the tanker up the steep incline over a mountain range the engine had noticeably more power and still zero smoke. Ever since then, Every month or so I would let the fuel get low and put 20lL of JETA1 through it and that engine seemed to thrive on it and its monthly 'clear out' I sold that car with 320k on the clock and it still ran sweet as a nut! (JETA1 is Kerosine with slightly higher octane than diesel but much more highly cleaned when refined)
Have been running Diesel cars since 1987 and somewhere near 1,000,000 miles between them. Always accepted that oil changes turned black as soon as you start them up. Lovely to see this proved on an obviously well maintained car...
Great video, thanks, 20000 oil service intervals are ridiculous, especially as mileage increases, 6000 mile oil change intervals would be a great way to increase the lifespan of the engine
Interesting vid ta. Less of a problem on newer cars - lots have done away with a dipstick and rely on an electronic sensor/measure. 😂 So the owner can't see the oil..... 😂
It’s great to see you working on an ML. I’ve got a 2010 ML500. Absolutely love it, best car I’ve owned. Currently still being serviced by a Merc dealer every year. Any chance you could do more vids on this car?
Thank you for educating me with Diesel oil change. What a T**t that customer was. Hope you sent them on their way for good. What a lucky fiancé having such a handsome, down to earth hard working young man 👌🤣. It should have been ME!! 😉🤣
Your customer was clearly an expert at analysing oil contamination. Its a pity they didn't extend their studies a bit and learn how to change it themselves.
Confession time: 😇 I once had a Corsa 1.7 Dti and after the car was serviced, you guessed it, I drove back to the garage, to ask if the oil had been changed, needless to say the mechanic, told exactly what you've stated in your video 👍😁
Great video Sam, Iv had it lots "Did you change my oil its black still! ". I have wanted to try the multi oil change . Might give the fleet a double change lol
Firstly Sam, congrats on the engagement, whenever that was. Really interesting video. I'd be interested to know how many different types of oil you use. Do you use a different oil for diesel and petrol, and do you use different oil for older petrol engines compared to newer DI petrol engines. Perhaps in the next vlog you could go through it. As the ad said... "oils ain't oils".
Have had a really bad experience with my old garage he will never ever again get his hands on my car and am not the only one long story .but now have a new car and am looking for new garage and it has made me think who can a trust but after watching this video if your garage was near me a would definitely trust this one really good video . 😊
This is why folk should go to a specialist, if you have a question or concern, they can answer it, my life sometimes would be perfect without the customers too.
I service my c200 kompressor, also my wife's v6 commodore twice a year. We only do maybe 2,500km a year so yeah, overkill, however I've never had an issue. Oil is a hell of alot cheaper than a new engine. Regular oil changes mean reliability and peace of mind.
The c200 has issue with cam gear. It wear out 250000km in my case and made the timing change jumbled. New engine after that. I changed the oil and filter myself every 6 months and less than 7000km for the last 3 years. It still happened. If you hear a noisy start and smooth out in few seconds in the morning, it is a sign to check and overhaul the timing gear and timing chain system.
Having driven and serviced diesels myself over the last 40 years I know this is normal for a diesel, I've only ever seen one stay clean for about 2 weeks after an oil change and that was a 3 Yr old 11 thousand mile Dacia Duster 1.5 diesel. After 2 weeks the oil went black. Lots of people saying that they change the oil more frequently than normal service intervals ie every 10k it's not really necessary these days unless your hitting 20k a year or more in mileage, synthetic oils last a lot longer than the old mineral oils did of 15 to 20 yrs ago. Engine flush can wreck your hydraulic lifters they are expensive don't do it. Better to change the oil twice within 3 thousand miles to flush the engine out that thin the oil with basically kerosene in a can and damage the engine especially an older one.
Just mark the oil filter housing with paint.in a line .then you will know if it's been changed. You can never get the line to match up after removal.do if the line is not in line it's been changed. Porsche do this on there cars very faint red line.on filter housing.
I understand your frustration and you are perfectly correct but the problem comes from the few bad shops and I include main dealers here that will try it on. Unfortunately I have been on the receiving end myself not with an oil change I must say. This gives everyone a bad name and you end up not trusting anybody, which is very sad. Of course you will always get customers that will try any trick to avoid paying.
This is the case for what you are explaining. But when it happened to me I forced the service manager to have a look at the oil cap on my transit and the dirt was still on it and no finger marks at all. So it does go on. Some mechanics still take the piss and don't do a diesel oil change because they know it turns black straight away.
True, honest content, just the way I like it, tell it how it is, if the customer thinks they know better, as you did tell them to find another garage... great job, just proves that with TLC these cars will run on, and on, and on... cheers P.S is there an easy way to find a part number for my car... ta or an after market part - I have magic vision wipers replaced 2 years ago through MB, now need again, if I can help it not having to spend £129... thanks sorry just reaching out
Yup we want to keep it realistic and how it is. I’m not sure if there is an aftermarket option for those wipers we only fit genuine, we want the Mb badge on there 😂
What a great video. I'd like to think that would put future oil complaints to bed however, having worked with members of public myself, I very much doubt it. Some can be an absolute nightmare!!
I was only having this exact conversation yesterday with a neighbour. Diesel oil is a suspension oil. It's designed to hold the carbon hence the colour. The key to keeping the oil good is more frequent changes but this won't effect the colour but will protect the engine.
I have a W211 for a 7 years now, also V6 CDI, I service it myself, every 7-8k km (once a year). Every year the "clean deepstick state" is longer- 200km, 500km, now I'm noticing black after ~ 2-3km km. This year I serviced my pops newly purchased W164 -New oil was black before I've even started the car. W164 has 100 000km less than mine on the clock. It's all about maintenance... This video should "relax" your customer once it for all :))
Hope everyone is well and having a good week! Garage owners and mechanics out there feel free to send this to your customer next time you come across this issue! I know I will be! All the best everyone support with the channel has been mega 🎉
What we've found Sam over many years in the trade is that diesel oil stays relatively clean with our customers who insist on 5k intervals.
15k and 20k intervals are just ridiculous ⚠️😆
Im going to look u up and hopefully when i get another ML again in the same shape because i like this shape im going to book it in with you if thats ok sir
@@julesviolin No it's the standard these days. Has been for 20 years.
@motleydude73 not with us it's not !
All our customers are encouraged to have 5k intervals.
We can programme the service interval accordingly 😉
@@julesviolin So you double their maintenance costs! Onto a winner there! I guess some get sucked into it. Most owners thankfully trust the manufacturer recommendations.
Had this with a customer a few years back. Didn’t think that we had changed his oil on an old t4 transporter. We said come down and we will change your oil and filter whilst you watch us. If it turns black after you start the engine then you owe us for two oil changes. He paid for two oil changes and was very apologetic afterwards 😂👍🏻
Nice one.
lol 😂…..People love to judge you by their own standards
Well done. 👍 worth paying for two it’s a benfit to his car 🚗
@TurnerJ88 if you change the oil in a diesel 3 times in a row the oil will stay clean for 1000 miles. Problem is that when shops change the oil they rush and dont let the old oil drain all the way
Use the cheapest new oil to flush, and run the engine and do the last change with the best oil and new filter !
diesel owners need to know the differences, you;ve explained it perfectly
Thank you 🙏
Good educational video to prove a point which people don't understand. Like the fact that you used your own vehicle to prove the point and at your cost.
Can't believe the cheek of some saying you haven't done an oil change 2 years running. 😂 and both times offered to view the proof and declines. That's a whole special breed of person imo
Not much more I would do 😂 📺
probably one of Trumps relatives ...
Jack ass@@graantmnz
If he came back again I would give him 3 oil changes and bill him for it including labour, then see his reaction to the invoice.
@sprautos I hope you banned that customer permanently!
I'm not a mechanic but have done my own diesel changes and wouldn't have believed it either if I'd not seen it for myself. Thanks for the video.
It's nice to see that there are still workshops that think along a bit with the customer, honesty pays for itself in the long run! Keep up the good work! “Fun and educational videos”.
Really good experiment and well explained. Never accused a garage of not changing the oil but have always checked the oil when serviced and wondered if it’s actually been changed or it’s immediately contaminated once engine is struck up. The mind is now at ease, thanks 😉
This is how you handle customers, great job pal!
Drain their oil out, put that oil in a container and leave it in the boot. I do that with components, which are left in the boot as proof.
First time I changed my Audi Q5 TDI oil and checked the level on the stick and it looked just as dirty as the old oil. I was like WTF? Read up and found it was normal. Glad you posted this video.
I have a Kia Sportage GDi Petrol 2016 purchased in mid May 2023. It had about 72,000 on it and the first thing I did was put it in for a major service (+ engine flush) with Halfords within the first 2 weeks as I was planning to drive to Europe in September. 2 weeks after the service I was driving down the M4 and the oil light came on! At the nearest service station I found the oil to be pretty dirty and barely registering on the dip stick! It took about ⅔ of a litre of oil to sort it out. I was worried that I had bought a lemon 🍋 and that the car was burning oil as I trusted the service. However, I drove all over Europe and up and down mountains in Austria, Italy and Switzerland without further incident. So I decided to do my first DIY & latest oil change at 8,000 miles. I used Liqui Moly sludge remover for about 150 miles, and then did the oil and filter change. The filter I removed was a bitch to get off (I was panicking), it was really rusty. So I wondered if they did the oil change without changing the oil filter and short changed on the oil fill by ½ a litre (should be 3½ litres). The oil is so clear now after a couple of hundred miles, it's like honey. So I will be doing my own oil change from now on!!
I would never trust this kind of garages.
You do not need to do an oil change flush...ever. Got two diesel engines on over 250k... zero sludge or engine issues.
sadly, none of the large national chains of service centres can be fully trusted, because of the staff they employ. Most, at best are just fitters, not mechanics, and are driven by weekly financial targets for their branch. Most are happy to replace things that don't require replacing, and simple servicing is very hit and miss between branches. I saw a car that had been to one of the largest fast-fit chains for a full service, and the oil filter, cabin filter and fuel filter showed no signs of having been disturbed, and were covered in months of dust and grime. It stood to reason the oil had not been changed either, but there was a full itemised invoice for just under £500. The government really need to look into this, but that is never going to happen. Best to just not use these places
What were you thinking about taking your car to Halfords? Most of the fitters there can't fit a light bulb.
That oil change 'customer' sounds like a professional cvnt.
Sounds like a customer of the local loony bin to me
A complete vvanker 😮
@patrickbateman8918 totally agree
😂🤐
😂😂😂😂
some years ago, I was guilty of thinking that the garage did not change the oil.
So glad to see your video.
I am new to Diesel cars, but Dad was a Diesel truck and tractor mechanic. I was quite shocked looking at my car oil, but had read up on diesel cars before I bought my B200 CDI, so I was aware of this.. Thanks for putting this out there, and making the lives of mechanics a bit nicer.
Not just the oil, the engine sounds like it is broken to the untrained ear.
@@user-xu5vl5th9nDiesels certainly have that agricultural tune which can make one concerned about the engine's health especially when it runs with the hood up without the sound deadening.
A used diesel has carbon build up on all components inside. You drain the oil and change the filter, install the drain plug, and refill. As soon as you start the engine, the new oil with a fresh load of detergent in the oil goes to work removing contaminants and crud on everything.
My second wife had a car that had previously had poor maintenance with a Chev 350. I did 6 oil changes in one month and still black the next day. I worked at a Detroit Diesel dealer. The procedure after liner O rings failed and let coolant into the oil was fill with straight 10 oil and 1 cup of butyl cellosolve. Run at about 1200RPM for 10 minutes. Drain, change the filter, and run again for about 10 minutes and change the oil and filter again. This flushed all the coolant out as coolant and bearings do not play well together. Butyl cellosolve is a component in commercial cleaners with a very distinctive odour.
I took a few ounces home and put it in the dirty engine. I took the car for a 30 minute drive at low load and speeds up to 80kph. I changed the oil and filter. After this the oil stayed cleaner longer.
I thought exactly the same when I had the first oil change done on my e350 cdi coupe. Unlike your customer I rang my garage and asked should the oil go black so quickly?he explained exactly as you said. I was used to the oil staying golden for longer as in my previous petrol bmw. Great content as always 👏
I had exactly the same after the first oil change on my first diesel car. Asked the garage, they explained, all good!
Fantastic video, enjoying all of them especially your honesty and how you try to save customers money when you can 👍
Excellent video. Dirty Diesel. And don't question an experienced mechanic.
Mate you proved your point. Thanks for educating us.
i've owned my S204 220CDI since new , now 150k miles up and I've been doing the oil and filter changes every 5k -8k miles myself with correct Merc specified oil and filter from 90k miles up. I've always wondered why the oil was black immediately after changing it so I appreciate your tutorial and educating me. 👍
I think with most things the honest dependable garages outnumber the rogues because fundamentally most of us want to whatever we’re doing feel that we’ve done a good days work and the customer is satisfied& will be happy to come back again. Most garages in my area ( I tend to use 3-4 as they are all generally busy) are all customer focused and always explain any issues clearly . Great video and educational as always.
Fair play to you mate. Only this a couple of times, but not anymore! Because what I do now, is give them back the old oil and filter and tell them to dispose of it accordingly. Saves me doing it too!
😂 don’t spill any on your way home 😂
I'm a retired mechanic, and don't recall ever being accused of this, but I have been on the other side of the fence with my own car, since I retired. Because I don't have anywhere to service it myself any more, I took my Kia C'eed diesel to my local main dealer for a major service. When I went to collect it, I checked under the bonnet and could see straight away that they hadn't changed the fuel filter, which was part of the service (for which they had charged me). The service manager insisted that they had changed it, but when I explained that I had been servicing a fleet of the same model for several years, and pointed out that nothing had been touched around the filter, he agreed to replace it "for my peace of mind". It is a fiddly job, and I suspect the tech couldn't be arsed, and thought he would get away with it, but got caught out.
Needless to say, I haven't been back there, even for parts.
The guy was probably smirking, as likely never changed the engine oil or filter.
Hahaha.
"Would you like the to view the service on CCTV Sir"?
"Stop faking film footage and do your job correctly".
Seriously, this is the most comprehensive comparison I have witnessed. Good job Sir.
Defo agree mate 100% supermarket fuel my dpf light will come on in about 300 miles but useing shell never comes on
Good experiment 👏
Another interesting and informative video. If I was daft enough to buy another Merc, and I lived in the North West again, I would definitely call on your services. Well done. You’re a proper geezer.
Great video as usual - as a diesel driver this has 'clarified' why my oil is always 'dirty'- Thanks
Great video, most people don't realise this, I stopped taking it to a garage who used engine flush on a diesel with over 100K before changing the oil, so long as oil is changed at specified time then flushing does more harm than good !
Great idea for a video mate :) And consider me educated. I've checked the oil on diesels enough to know that it is always black, but I had no idea why!
Very well explained. I was very confused when took my Q7 for oil change 3 years ago to find out engine oil was still black.
But my mechanic explained and was good learning curve for me.
Omg that's hapnd to me several times and I've thought"has he changed it "😮.. Brilliant vid guys as always 👏👏
Glad you enjoyed it
Fantastic Sam , hope you sent this experiment forward to all the customers who didn’t believe you mate 😜👌👏👏👏👏👏❤️🙏
Great video - thank you for doing this from an educational perspective and also thinking about the variety of content your viewers would enjoy. Always look forward to an SPR video release.
Thanks for showing this, I checked the oil when I arrived home after an oil change on my Citroen 2 Lt Diesel and was shocked to see it was black as the ace of spades and so I never went back there again thinking the worse, sorry chaps.
Once again you nailed it...precise, short and interesting..🤘
Many years i put a litre of Duckams (green) oil in my car, a week later engine was knocking. On removing sump it was full of sludge and engine needed complete rebuild. Would never use engine flushes 😮. Another great video.
I’ve had a similar experience and never used again.
You are so right. Oil in diesels goes black really quick, basically because of blowby by the piston rings, soot! Therefore diesel oil has lots of detergents in there to keep the engine clean but the oil goes black in ten or so kilometers. The longer its in there the blacker it gets, by the time you replace it according to the proper service intervals its like black paint. But putting in new oil doesnt make it much better at all.
Older diesels were notorious for it, newer ones are not as bad but bad enough not to be able to tell the difference by eye. Therefore it is imparitive to change oil and filter very regular.
I do all my own service and on my mk6 TDI, the oil is black at all times. Even when I change the oil in rapid succession to do a chemical-free flush, the oil is black immediately. You can tell that the oil is new when you wipe the dipstick and see a brown streak instead of a black one. The brown streak lasts for a few days only, however.
Yet on my TDCi (Ranger PX2 3.2), the oil stays relatively clean for months. And the oil filter on the Ranger is tiny. About 2/3 the size of the filter on the TDI. Ranger takes just over twice the amount of oil as the TDI as well. Blows my mind.
Newer engine I’d say . Is your ranger raptor or wildtrak
@ Wildtrak, 2016 but only 50k miles. TDI only has 75k on it.
Thank you for this v educational vid. It is something that I've wondered for years doing oil changes on diesels at home on our farm in the jeep, van and tractor, and you've answered it perfectly 👌
Thanks for your video. just to let you know you are spot on with this oil issue. Anyway to my circumstance. forty years ago I owned a Ford Sierra 2.3 diesel ( it was a Peugeot engine) it never let me down at all in over the 100,000 miles we had it. I never went over 6000 miles without doing a oil change complete with new filter. We lived on the west cost of Scotland for most of that time and hardly ever did this town driving of stop start etc, all journeys could be min 28 miles round trip or a trip to Glasgow 200 miles round trip. I was confident that the oil in my car war doing the job it was intended. It was the best engine I have had, no oil leaks whatso ever in fact I had to spray oil on the sump to stop rust from appearing.
Yep I have been there
Especially the the diesel engine
I have done this test on my c220 cdi
Every one who sees your videos should know that you do everything properly
Keep up the good work 👍👍👍
Excellent demonstration, I only wish you guys were located down south, beyond me how the customer wouldn't except your word....or video evidence! I will take your advice and treat my diesel to a tank of the good stuff. Thanks
My E250CDI that I got in 2013 didn’t even have a dipstick all managed electronically! When I challenged the dealer at first service about what happens when the electronics fail and the oil is low? The dealer replied they don’t fail !!! I never saw the colour of the oil in the 130k miles I did in that car, but I one from previous cars I had run it would be black! Great video as usual Sam, very educational for the uninitiated driver 👍😎
Great video as always 😁
That customer sounds like the King of Plonkers to me.
He complains again after apologizing 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
People are crazy
Takes all kinds mate😂😂😂. Had it been me, I would have told him to bugger off after the first time.
This was a very good video. So what this told me is get my pickup oil done at 6000 miles not 18000. This will stop me having to get a EV😊😊😊😊😊😊😊thank you,
Excellent experiment. I really enjoyed the video very informative. it just shows that changing your oil regularly on older diesel cars is important. My oil was changed back in early June by your good selves and will be done again soon. I cannot believe that customer accusing you of not changing the oil after an oil service is bang out of order, this video proves it all. Looking forward to the next video Sam.
I've had this on my Subaru Impreza. Put in for a service as I was out of the country. Bill showed engine oil and filter changed, fuel filter changed and front brake pads changed. Charged Stg.500. In reality nothing was changed. Brake pads were wafer thin. Engine oil was black. My date sticker from two years earlier was still on the fuel filter. This was in Norwich. I did this work on my way down to dover. The reason I learned to do my own auto servicing and repairs is because you can't trust the UK garages. Completely different here in Japan.
Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
But unless people see your procedure they won't believe you... I have this exact experience until I got the customer to stand and watch. And I mean watch right next to his car... Education goes a long way... That was 11 years ago.. I have done his cars ever since.. Great content. And as you said... An expensive way to educate and prove a point. Keep up the good work..
I'm with you on the engine flush Sam. On your advice I put a 50L fill of Premium Diesel in my C220 CDI. Thanks for posting the informative video.
Thanks for this, I've got a Mercedes diesel and always trusted the garage enough to not check the oil, glad I didn't because I wouldn't have known about it going black like that.
Well done. This is a long overdue educational video. For those of us that have change oil in petrol engines ... you can check that dipstick and you always get that clean oil look.
I remember my first few oil changes on my W164 CDi which I did myself (every 5000 Kms) ... I called my normal mechanic thinking something was wrong he explained exactly what you said ... anyway I'm back to petrols but this is a really good lesson. Thanks for the upload well worth it for those getting into diesel Mercs for the first time. 👍
Great vid once again. Bought my first merc 18 months ago and it’s brilliant. Really interesting stuff about the oil.
Congrats on the Merc purchase. You will learn allot watching the channel.
Great video, very surprising the colour after just the first change. I had an oil change on my diesel recently, you can feel the difference with your fingers with old and new oil.
Terrible to have to say but maybe it’s worth getting a phone for the sole purpose of filming a little 15 second video of the customers plate followed by you zooming out showing the oil being drained with the old filter on the floor, then another quick video of the new filter and oil being put back on. Anyone coming to you with an issue you can WhatsApp the proof in a few seconds
Good illustration of the problem diesels face. Having watched many of your videos I'd not hesitate to trust you with my vehicles. A1
Had an old diesel Saab 93 with around 90k miles and local garage serviced it. Checked oil on return after two miles & it was clean. Checked again two days later after maybe 70 miles and it was dark. Pal who owns the garage explained why, just as in this vid. Fresh oil in diesels retains its properties despite how black. Good vid. Thanks.
Another great video Sam, very educational. You should send it to the doubting Thomas that didn't believe you changed his oil.
I think everyone will appreciate your commitment to educate people and prove a point spending an extra 2-3 hours on a Friday afternoon.
Btw the same will happen with TFSI petrol engines after an oil change, I did an oil change on my sister's Audi A3 1.4 E-Tron and after driving a few miles I checked the oil level and oil was black too.
Keep up the good work.
I admire your commitment to the cause. That must have cost you a fair bit! Hopefully it helps educate people that it’s just the way it is with diesels and not the mechanic pulling a fast one. Great video - please keep them coming!
Absolutely! 💯
You are absolutely right, I've tried the same thing with my trusty old 2002 VW T4 2.5 tdi and got the same results.
Older diesels produce and leave more carbon deposits in the oil than more refined modern diesels.
My motorhome has a modern ford engine and the oil on the dipstick always looks quite clean after a few miles post oil change.
I thought every gearhead knew this about diesels. I guess not. And congrats on your engagement!!
Any diesel I have owned & serviced myself, I drop the oil & filter, just after a run as it is then hot, leave for at least an hour as I have lunch for it to drip away and longer if I need to do other service items..
This of course cannot be done in a workshop “and” never on a merc as in the vid, but after all that time the oil would remain clear for at least a day & then of course return to it’s normal black state.
So if you want it clear on the day change the oil yourself, but “do not” start it until you have double checked that you have put the drain plug back in & torqued it up.
O'Rileys Autos on TH-cam did a video like this. Took 5 oil changes until it was clean. On emergency diesel generators which only run for a few hours a year we use sump heaters to keep the oil warm and stop condensation diluting the oil then send a sample away for testing every 6 months
I’ve seen his video it was a good one! He knows his stuff.
That’s interesting on the generators good info 🙏
I use castrol every 3000 miles... use 1 engine clean/flush first... then one fill with cheaper oil (to get rid of any exess flush).... then drop and refill with castrol...AND every 9k take the sump off for a good clean out.
I do all the above and have never had issues.
Great vid😊
Mine look clean after oil change. Insignia diesel! I checked the level after 2 weeks and it's still relatively clean only slightly darker. I top up my tank with BP premium diesel only.
Very well thought out vlog, well done in explaining it so easily.
Like that one of the garages commented about giving the old oil and filters back to the customer similar to giving them old parts back to show work that was carried out nice one😊
Here you are sir here is a bucket of oil and your old filter 😂
Slow to catch this video but have to say no doubt this has put so many Diesel drivers minds at rest Sam!. Really well explained...look forward to checking my dipstick on our Merc after the B service in December 😂😂
Very interesting and absolutely typical of diesel engine oil. To be honest I'd have put supermarket oil and filters in for the first two fill ups, ( plus filters because that still will trap some soot during the warm up running) then put Mercedes oil and filter in at the end. The results would be just the same and saved you a fortune in Merc oil!
I am lucky to have a local Mercedes Mechanic where I live that is as honest as you are. It makes me feel better knowing I will not be scammed. Great video and please tell that one customer know he is a Shite.
Change my oil on vw t4 2.5tdi.....black straight away,after flush and fresh oil. My wife's honda jazz 1.4 petrol after 1 year oil looks brand new......its just not fair!!! 😂 good video pal.
When I had my Helicopter business I used an ML270 and often used that to tow the 1500litre JETA1 tanker to remote job sites. One day I got the diesel low fuel light come on and was miles from any fuel ....apart from the 1500l I was towing. I filled up to half tank and almost immediately upon start the engine ran super smooth and there was zero smoke, not even a hint from the exhaust. Dragging the tanker up the steep incline over a mountain range the engine had noticeably more power and still zero smoke. Ever since then, Every month or so I would let the fuel get low and put 20lL of JETA1 through it and that engine seemed to thrive on it and its monthly 'clear out'
I sold that car with 320k on the clock and it still ran sweet as a nut!
(JETA1 is Kerosine with slightly higher octane than diesel but much more highly cleaned when refined)
Have been running Diesel cars since 1987 and somewhere near 1,000,000 miles between them. Always accepted that oil changes turned black as soon as you start them up. Lovely to see this proved on an obviously well maintained car...
Great video, thanks, 20000 oil service intervals are ridiculous, especially as mileage increases, 6000 mile oil change intervals would be a great way to increase the lifespan of the engine
I always change the oil in my car and had a few diesels. It goes black very quick but I know it's been changed, so no worries.
Interesting vid ta. Less of a problem on newer cars - lots have done away with a dipstick and rely on an electronic sensor/measure. 😂 So the owner can't see the oil..... 😂
Haha you have made me realise why they have done away with the dip stick! 😂 your spot on
Great show, had the same experience with my mL 350 , whent back to my mechanic didn't realise that diesel engines on these cars go black 😢 steve
It’s great to see you working on an ML. I’ve got a 2010 ML500. Absolutely love it, best car I’ve owned. Currently still being serviced by a Merc dealer every year. Any chance you could do more vids on this car?
Awesome channel chaps, keep up the good work.
Thank you for educating me with Diesel oil change.
What a T**t that customer was. Hope you sent them on their way for good.
What a lucky fiancé having such a handsome, down to earth hard working young man 👌🤣. It should have been ME!! 😉🤣
Your customer was clearly an expert at analysing oil contamination. Its a pity they didn't extend their studies a bit and learn how to change it themselves.
Hey SPR, Great tutorial video at your own expense.. Do you work on the classic type mercs... GN
Thanks 🙏
We do a few older ones, check out our weekly EPs
What a great video and a great channel. I always wondered why the oil in our 1980's HiAce out in Australia is always so black. Mike
Confession time: 😇 I once had a Corsa 1.7 Dti and after the car was serviced, you guessed it, I drove back to the garage, to ask if the oil had been changed, needless to say the mechanic, told exactly what you've stated in your video 👍😁
Great video Sam, Iv had it lots "Did you change my oil its black still! ". I have wanted to try the multi oil change . Might give the fleet a double change lol
Firstly Sam, congrats on the engagement, whenever that was. Really interesting video. I'd be interested to know how many different types of oil you use. Do you use a different oil for diesel and petrol, and do you use different oil for older petrol engines compared to newer DI petrol engines. Perhaps in the next vlog you could go through it. As the ad said... "oils ain't oils".
Thank you 🙏
Few different ones yea not as many as everyday garages doing all brands, but yea we will explain some difference in future vids
Have had a really bad experience with my old garage he will never ever again get his hands on my car and am not the only one long story .but now have a new car and am looking for new garage and it has made me think who can a trust but after watching this video if your garage was near me a would definitely trust this one really good video . 😊
Another great content video….never even thought about anything like that with a diesel engine
This is why folk should go to a specialist, if you have a question or concern, they can answer it, my life sometimes would be perfect without the customers too.
Thats mad! I did not know that, thanks for explaining 👍
I service my c200 kompressor, also my wife's v6 commodore twice a year. We only do maybe 2,500km a year so yeah, overkill, however I've never had an issue. Oil is a hell of alot cheaper than a new engine. Regular oil changes mean reliability and peace of mind.
Oil AND filter I hope!
@@christurner6430 of course
The c200 has issue with cam gear. It wear out 250000km in my case and made the timing change jumbled. New engine after that. I changed the oil and filter myself every 6 months and less than 7000km for the last 3 years. It still happened. If you hear a noisy start and smooth out in few seconds in the morning, it is a sign to check and overhaul the timing gear and timing chain system.
Brilliant video, as usual.
Having driven and serviced diesels myself over the last 40 years I know this is normal for a diesel, I've only ever seen one stay clean for about 2 weeks after an oil change and that was a 3 Yr old 11 thousand mile Dacia Duster 1.5 diesel. After 2 weeks the oil went black. Lots of people saying that they change the oil more frequently than normal service intervals ie every 10k it's not really necessary these days unless your hitting 20k a year or more in mileage, synthetic oils last a lot longer than the old mineral oils did of 15 to 20 yrs ago. Engine flush can wreck your hydraulic lifters they are expensive don't do it. Better to change the oil twice within 3 thousand miles to flush the engine out that thin the oil with basically kerosene in a can and damage the engine especially an older one.
Just mark the oil filter housing with paint.in a line .then you will know if it's been changed. You can never get the line to match up after removal.do if the line is not in line it's been changed. Porsche do this on there cars very faint red line.on filter housing.
I understand your frustration and you are perfectly correct but the problem comes from the few bad shops and I include main dealers here that will try it on. Unfortunately I have been on the receiving end myself not with an oil change I must say. This gives everyone a bad name and you end up not trusting anybody, which is very sad. Of course you will always get customers that will try any trick to avoid paying.
This is the case for what you are explaining. But when it happened to me I forced the service manager to have a look at the oil cap on my transit and the dirt was still on it and no finger marks at all. So it does go on. Some mechanics still take the piss and don't do a diesel oil change because they know it turns black straight away.
True, honest content, just the way I like it, tell it how it is, if the customer thinks they know better, as you did tell them to find another garage... great job, just proves that with TLC these cars will run on, and on, and on... cheers
P.S is there an easy way to find a part number for my car... ta or an after market part - I have magic vision wipers replaced 2 years ago through MB, now need again, if I can help it not having to spend £129... thanks sorry just reaching out
Yup we want to keep it realistic and how it is.
I’m not sure if there is an aftermarket option for those wipers we only fit genuine, we want the Mb badge on there 😂
What a great video. I'd like to think that would put future oil complaints to bed however, having worked with members of public myself, I very much doubt it. Some can be an absolute nightmare!!
Your right there
I was only having this exact conversation yesterday with a neighbour. Diesel oil is a suspension oil. It's designed to hold the carbon hence the colour. The key to keeping the oil good is more frequent changes but this won't effect the colour but will protect the engine.
I have a W211 for a 7 years now, also V6 CDI, I service it myself, every 7-8k km (once a year). Every year the "clean deepstick state" is longer- 200km, 500km, now I'm noticing black after ~ 2-3km km. This year I serviced my pops newly purchased W164 -New oil was black before I've even started the car. W164 has 100 000km less than mine on the clock. It's all about maintenance... This video should "relax" your customer once it for all :))