Changing Engine Oil On A Mercedes Benz V8 M278

Mercedes-Benz M278 V8 Engine Oil Change Guide

ByRushit Hila, PE, ASE Certified Updated onOct 19, 2026

Reviewed/Verified by:

Rushit Hila

PE, ASE Certified

Rushit Hila is the founder of YOUCANIC and a passionate advocate for empowering car owners through knowledge. With a background in automotive diagnostics and years of hands-on repair experience, Rushit leads the YOUCANIC team in creating practical, easy-to-follow guides and tools that help drivers fix their own vehicles. His mission is simple: make car repair less intimidating and more accessible for everyone.

Need to change the engine oil of your Mercedes-Benz M278 V8 Engine? Learn to change your Mercedes-Benz engine oil and oil filter by following the procedures below. The recommended oil change interval for the M278 engine is every year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.

At a Glance

Oil: SAE 0W-40 full synthetic, MB 229.5
Capacity: about 9.0 US qt (8.5 L) with filter
Filter: A2761800009 (Mann HU7025Z, Mahle OX814D)
Torque: drain plug 30 Nm (23 ft-lb), filter cap 25 Nm
Interval: every year or 10,000 miles

What you will need

You will need a list of tools and parts to replace the engine oil on the Mercedes-Benz M278 engine.

Parts

Engine Oil
- Grade: SAE 0W40 Full Synthetic
- Capacity: 9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
- Specification: MB 229.5
  - 1 quart (US) = 0.9463 liter
Engine Oil Filter ( A2761800009 )
Crush Copper Washer: 14mm (N 007603 014106)

Tools

Oil Filter Wrench or Oil Filter Pliers
Oil drain pan
Oil Funnel
Work Gloves
Ramps or Floor Jack
Jack stands (x2)
Ratchet
Metric Sockets
Wheel Chocks
Torque Wrench

Procedure

Jack up the vehicle. Drive the car on ramps or use a floor jack to raise it at the front jacking points. Place the transmission in Park. Turn the ignition off and remove the key from the ignition.

Secure the vehicle with jack stands. Always secure the vehicle with jack stands. Jack stands must support the vehicle frame. Do not place a jack stand under engine or suspension components.

Allow the engine to cool down for at least fifteen minutes or longer. If the engine is already cool, continue to the next step.

Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires to prevent the vehicle from rolling back. If wheel chocks are not available, use a solid block.

Remove the splash shield from under the engine. It is held in place with several bolts. Sometimes, you have a combination of screws and plastic retainers. Remove all of them to drop the cover and access the oil drain bolt.

Locate the oil drain pan and plug it in. Place an oil pan under the drain bolt. Ensure the oil pan can capture all of the engine oil.

Loosen the oil drain plug, then remove it by hand. Loosen the oil drain bolt by turning it counterclockwise. If removing the oil drain bolt is extremely difficult, ensure you are not turning the bolt in the wrong direction.

Drain engine oil. Hot engine oil can cause burns if it comes in contact with your skin. Carefully remove the oil drain plug and allow the engine oil to drain for several minutes.

Replace the drain plug copper washer. It is recommended to replace the copper washer at every oil change. Pull out the old washer and install the new washer.

Install Drain Plug. Install the drain plug. Screw it by hand initially to avoid cross-threading. Use a torque wrench to tighten the drain plug to specification. See torque specs below. Do not use a breaker bar to pull the drain plug.

Locate the engine oil filter and replace it. Use a 74mm oil wrench to remove the oil filter. Keep an oil drain plan near the oil filter, as oil may drip from the oil filter when you remove the oil filter. Install the filter and torque it to 25Nm.

Remove the oil cap a the top of the engine by turning it counter-clockwise.

Use a funnel to add engine oil. Slowly pour the engine oil in to avoid overflow.

We suggest adding the recommended capacity minus one quart (liter), in this case, 8 quarts. Then, add the last quart slowly and frequently check the oil level to get the correct one. Do not start the vehicle until you add the required engine oil.

Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes. Check for oil leaks. Wait for at least ten minutes and recheck the oil level. This will allow the engine oil to return to the oil pan so that you can take an accurate measurement. If the level is low, add one quart at a time, wait a few minutes, and recheck the engine oil level.

Reset the oil service reminder on the instrument cluster.

Suppose you prefer to change the engine oil by using an oil extractor. See our guide on how to change engine oil using an oil extractor. The vehicle must have an oil dipstick.

Torque Specifications

Oil filter: 25 Nm
Oil drain plug: 30 Nm or 23ft-lbs

One newton meter is equal to 0.7376 ft-lbs, rounded to 4 decimal places. To convert newton meters to foot-pounds, multiply your figure by 0.7376.

Oil Warning Messages on the M278

Check engine oil level / Add 1 quart: top up with MB 229.5 oil. The M278 has no dipstick on many models, so the level is read through the instrument cluster after the engine has been off for a few minutes on level ground.
Engine oil level too high: remove the excess. Overfilling can foam the oil and damage the catalytic converters.
Red oil pressure warning: stop the engine right away and check the level before driving further.
Using more than a quart between changes: check for leaks at the oil filter housing and turbo oil lines before suspecting internal wear. See our guide to common M278 engine problems.

Reset the Service Reminder

After the oil change, reset the service A or B reminder through the instrument cluster menu (Service, then Confirm completed service) using the steering wheel buttons. If the reminder will not reset or you want to see the full service history and engine codes, the YOUCANIC UCAN-II Pro can perform the service reset and read Mercedes engine data on supported models.

Applicable Oil Filters

Height: 166 mm (Approx. 6.54″)

Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Mercedes-Benz.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much oil does a Mercedes M278 take?

About 9.0 US quarts (8.5 liters) with a filter change. Fill slightly under, run the engine, then check the level in the cluster and top up.

What oil does the M278 need?

A full synthetic that meets MB 229.5, typically SAE 0W-40 or 5W-40.

Does the M278 have a dipstick?

Many models do not. Check the oil level through the instrument cluster menu with the engine warm, off for a few minutes and the car level.

Related Guides

Related Products

Leave a Reply

Searching...