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Engine Oil with MB-Approval 229.71
MB-Approval 229.71 is the Mercedes sheet for 0W-20 low-friction oils: low ash on the basis of ACEA C5, designed for minimum friction - and exclusively for engines whose manual names this number. For the classic sheets 229.51/229.52 it is no substitute.
A sheet for the 0W-20 generation
With the newer petrol engines and the electrified model lines, Mercedes made the move to 0W-20 - and created an approval sheet of its own for it instead of stretching the 229.5x series any further. 229.71 requires the low-ash formulation of the C classes and, on top of that, the low-friction properties from which the fuel-consumption benefit comes.
This is where the mistakes happen: the number looks like a continuation of 229.5 and 229.51, but it is **not a higher step in the same series, it is a different type of oil**. An engine specified for 229.51 still gets 229.51 or 229.52; an engine specified for 229.71 gets exactly that sheet.
229.71 and 229.72
229.72 is the newer addition with tightened requirements on oxidation stability. Many current oils carry both numbers together on the label - our range shows it in the product data. If your manual expressly names 229.72, that number has to be on the pack.
Check the approval instead of guessing the viscosity
0W-20 is now the factory fill at many brands, but the sheets behind it differ: BMW Longlife-17 FE+, VW 508 00/509 00 and MB 229.71 are not interchangeable, even where the SAE grade is identical. The Mercedes BeVo list carries every approved product; on the pack the number appears with no qualifiers. "Corresponds to 229.71" is a claim by the oil manufacturer and not an approval.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use 229.71 instead of 229.51 or 229.52?
Which Mercedes models call for 229.71?
Newer petrol engines and mild hybrids from around 2019, right across the model lines. The approval hangs on the engine variant, not on the model - the same car can call for 229.52 or 229.71 depending on the engine. The service book or the oil finder is the reliable source.
Is every 0W-20 with ACEA C5 automatically suitable for 229.71?
No. ACEA C5 is the technical basis, the Mercedes approval a homologation of the specific product. If the manual calls for 229.71, the number has to be on the label.
