The 2012 Mercedes CLS Coupé and Shooting Brake handbook lists 8.0 litres for an oil change including the filter on CLS350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY. Its DPF-diesel table includes MB 229.51. Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 is a named buying option with that actual approval, where its viscosity matches the car’s requirements.
Coverage: earlier CLS350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY C218 coupé and X218 Shooting Brake, using the 195 kW / 265 hp OM642.853/854 manufacturer-catalogue application. Later 252/258 hp BlueTEC versions, petrol CLS350s and the older C219 are outside this guide’s oil and service scope.
Oil capacity and approval at a glance
| Question | Documented answer |
|---|---|
| Oil change with filter | 8.0 litres for the named CLS350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY. The named CDI 4MATIC is also in the 8.0-litre group. |
| Approvals in the inspected DPF-diesel table | MB 228.51, 229.31 and 229.51. |
| Named oil to compare | Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 currently carries MB-Approval 229.51 and 229.52. The 229.51 approval is the match used here. |
| Oil filter reference | MANN HU 821 x for the covered 195 kW OM642.853/854 application. |
The manual covers both the coupé and Shooting Brake. This is a named CLS reference, not a quantity borrowed solely because another car uses an OM642 engine.
Which oil can I buy?
Mobil’s current UK product information confirms MB-Approval 229.51 for Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30. Check the exact formulation and approval on the listing and container, and check the permitted SAE grade in your handbook.
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Search Amazon for Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30Results can contain other Mobil oils and different container sizes. Compare the complete product name and the quantity delivered. “Mobil 1” or “5W-30” alone does not identify the approved ESP product.
How much oil should I order?
| Purchase example | Total | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 5 litres plus 3 litres | 8 litres | Matches the documented change reference if those pack sizes are available. |
| Two 5-litre containers | 10 litres | Covers the reference amount with spare oil. Do not add all ten litres. |
| One 5-litre container | 5 litres | Three litres below the documented full-change amount. |
| A seven-litre kit | 7 litres | Check the missing litre before treating it as a complete oil supply. |
Compare the delivered price for enough approved oil, not just the price of a single container. Agree with the garage whether it supplies the oil before buying your own.
The amount ordered is separate from the final refill. Oil left in the engine and the work performed affect the amount required; verify the final level correctly rather than pouring in everything purchased.
CLS350 petrol and CLS250 CDI are different rows
In the same handbook, the petrol CLS350 BlueEFFICIENCY and four-cylinder CLS250 CDI sit in a 6.5-litre group. The CLS350 CDI sits in the 8.0-litre group. Keeping “CDI” in a search or kit comparison helps avoid mixing those answers.
Later BlueTEC versions and the older C219 need their own documented application. For a C219, use the separate CLS320 CDI oil guide.
Actual approval, viscosity and top-ups
Mercedes distinguishes an actual MB Approval from a general suitability claim. Approval and viscosity are separate checks. This product comparison uses Mobil’s stated 229.51 approval; it does not assume every oil with a higher approval number is automatically the right substitute.
The owner manual’s limited emergency top-up alternatives are separate from the normal oil-change table. Do not use those exceptions as a reason to buy a routine full-change supply of a different specification.
An eight-litre change quantity is not an eight-litre top-up instruction. The inspected handbook calls for level ground and an engine-off wait of about five minutes when warm, or about 30 minutes after only a brief cold start. Follow the complete level-check procedure for your car and avoid overfilling.
Oil filter and the wider service
The CLS350 CDI filter guide covers HU 821 x, the complete air-filter pack, cabin alternatives and the diesel fuel filter. Use the servicing and UK-cost guide to compare a workshop’s basic package with additional work due.
Record the oil name, approval, filter reference, date and mileage. ASSYST PLUS reports service information rather than the current oil level.
Find more models in the Mercedes maintenance hub or explore our Mercedes diagnostic scanner guides for a separate fault or tool question.
Sources and applicability
- Mercedes handbook, printed pages 391–392 / PDF 394–395 — normal approvals, oil-change basis and quantity; printed pages 321–322 — oil-level conditions.
- Mobil UK: Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 — current exact-product approvals.
- MANN HU 821 x — combined C218/X218 application.
Checked 24 October 2026. The Mercedes-hosted 2012 manual is titled “CLS Coupé and Shooting Brake”, document 2185840681Z102. Its introductory notice specifies German-market applicability; match the named-model references to the handbook and service information supplied with your car. Catalogue dates are application ranges, not UK registration cut-offs. Contact Unusual Cars with corrections.
