rx6180
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2009
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- Location
- Long Eaton, Derbyshire
- Your Mercedes
- Ageing W202 C200 with rust
I changed my engine oil today and got a unwelcome surprise that I'd not seen before in 8 years of ownership of my W202 series C200. I'd drained the sump, then when I unscrewed the oil filter cap, oil came out over the top and ran down the engine. That chamber is normally near enough empty when I get to taking the filter out after draining the sump. Without the filter, it was half full of dirty oil this time, and it drained VERY slowly, coming out of the sump, until it reached the raised stub at the bottom of the chamber, that locates the filter seal, then I had to get rid of the rest by sucking it out with my battery test thing without the float in it. Then there was loads of black sludgy carbon particles in the bottom of the chamber. There is some kind of spring valve device (I admit I don't know what it is for) and to the left of that is a machined ring about the size of a penny, with three 'fins' inside it. This usually has a little bit of carbon around it but I don't usually worry about it. This time I had to excavate it with a small screwdriver, and I had to keep scraping the carbon out and wiping the screwdriver on a rag, and then keep poking a clean rag into the chamber and push it around with a screwdriver tip. I've only tried to clean this chamber out once before and it didn't seem worth it so since then have left it, but it was so filthy with carbon this time.
One thing that was different when I took the filter cap off is that the filter stayed behind in the oil, wheras it normally comes off with the cap, but I could have sworn it was located properly the last time I fitted a filter. The other thing is that for a few months now I've been filling up with Super Unleaded instead of Premium fuel, mainly because I'd read that Total do not put ethanol in their Super Unleaded and I was showing my support because I'm anti-ethanol. Do you think the Super Unleaded has been cleaning my engine and depositing carbon in the oil filter and clogging things up? All I could do is put a new filter in and fill up with fresh oil, and I have to say the engine does not seem any worse for it all. Does it all sound a bit ominous or is there a simple explaination for the filled oil filter cavity? I change my oil every 4000 miles which is more frequently than MB requires, so I can hardly be accused of neglecting maintenance.
Mick
One thing that was different when I took the filter cap off is that the filter stayed behind in the oil, wheras it normally comes off with the cap, but I could have sworn it was located properly the last time I fitted a filter. The other thing is that for a few months now I've been filling up with Super Unleaded instead of Premium fuel, mainly because I'd read that Total do not put ethanol in their Super Unleaded and I was showing my support because I'm anti-ethanol. Do you think the Super Unleaded has been cleaning my engine and depositing carbon in the oil filter and clogging things up? All I could do is put a new filter in and fill up with fresh oil, and I have to say the engine does not seem any worse for it all. Does it all sound a bit ominous or is there a simple explaination for the filled oil filter cavity? I change my oil every 4000 miles which is more frequently than MB requires, so I can hardly be accused of neglecting maintenance.
Mick