Diesel mercs - how much do you top up between services

[Pinenut]

Hi, i tried a search but couldn't find similar. I have a C220 CDI 58,000 miles on a 57 plate. Service due in 3 weeks and today for the first time in 3 years the warning message asking me to check oil at next refuel came up. My driving since having the car has not changed. Same job, same area coverage, some long motorway trips and some around town.
I drove from Manchester to Birmingham and on arrival let the oil settle then checked and level was barely at minimum. I put a litre in and later drove back and when home checked it and level near now ok near halfway. I know diesels are oil burners but i was a little suprised that never had to top up in between services in 43k miles in 2.5 years. I asked my brother who has a 59 plate C220 cdi with 98k on and he has never had to top up.
I know it's not a big issue i have had diesels before that needed regular top up but with this i am curious what causes an engine that never asked for oil between services before to suddenly ask. I would like to ask the members of the forum for their input. Also I wonder what other C220 W204 owners have experienced with oil burn. I do understand a new diesel engine sometimes needs it when bedding in and also a high miler also may require it as the bores wear etc. but I am a little surprised that mid life 58k c220 suddenly required it.

Thanks
Ross
P.s. Yeah I know I am being paranoid and the cars fine etc.

 

[television]

Any car will use more oil on a high speed run, this is due to the oil splash that lubricates the little ends gets picked up in the bores and burnt

 

[Pinenut]

Hi Malcolm , thanks for your reply.

I agree on a long high speed run but this is a run i make every few weeks and never had the oil top up issues before.

I was curious why something I do regularly results in this today.

I also regularly travel Manchester to Newcastle and Manchester to Glasgow. I do these trips regularly between services and never had a top up before and I have owned the car since FEB 2010.

Rgds

Ross

 

[Troon]

I check mine frequently and have never had to top up. The phrase "oil burner" refers to the diesel oil, not the engine lubricating oil.

My old petrol Mondeo would lose a litre every 2,000 miles, yet didn't leak or burn and was in seemingly perfect health. It did this from when I bought it at 70k miles to when I sold it at 149k miles.

 

[Gkinghorn]

I had a 52 plate 220CDI .. Generally it took a litre or 2 between services.... It's not a problem... Anything much more excessive might be ... Had mine from 34k they to 110k miles ... Always the same...


==========================
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[brianbrian]

Our 124/ 250d is 22yrs old high mileage and I do not have to top up between services. Hope this helps

 

[whitenemesis]

My S203 CDI never needed a top up between services. 116k miles and nothing!

 

[television]

The thing is you never know exactly how much oil was put in at the last service, it might have been a little on the low side then, its not good to over fill a diesel. at the next service do check it your self

 

[toby1]

Mine uses approx 1 litre every 15,000 miles.

Yes, you are being paranoid and the car is fine

 

[Corned]

Not reflecting at all on the OP here, but this is a classic case of technology not really helping anyone. We become reliant on stuff like this because it's there.

I would be prepared to bet that if the car had a dipstick, it would be checked fairly regularly. Yet once we know there is a piece of technology there to do this for us, we wait until it decides that we need to do something. By which time, it is usually a little late. Just because the car is not calling for oil, does not mean that it could do with a top up. It just hasn't reached the sensor minimum level yet. Once it does, the engine is in a state whereby it reallyquite desperately needs the oil topped up to keep its protective properties intact.

You would probably have noticed long ago if the engine needed another 1/2 litre top up - if it had a dipstick, and topped up there and then.

Malcolm's point at post #8 is perfectly valid also. A slightly shorter fill last service will mean that, given the same driving circumstances and distances between services, you would run low on oil earlier on this occasion. The engine is likely using oil at the same rate, but from a lower baseline.

In other words, nothing to worry about!

 

[Richie270]

My 270CDI with 116k might have 1/2 litre max topping up between services, and sometimes nothing at all.

 

[wireman]

Same as Brian, my lunar distance+ 250D uses none at all, dipstick level is the same when I drain it (6000 miles) as it is when I fill it, exactly 7 litres.

 

[Rappey69]

w203 220, 254,000 miles and never had to top up in 4 yrs of ownership !

 

[S.Speed]

Mine uses 6.5 litres every 7,000 miles !!

But thats cos I change it then !

 

[television]

I still reckon that it was not filled correctly on the previous service, after all how many check it

 

[chizzel89]

My 176,000 mile C250 TD uses between 0.5 and 0.75 litres of lube oil every 5,000 miles which is when I change it. It doesn't leak really- never any drips on the underneath of the sump or the driveway, but the breather pipes on top of the engine ooze a bit. I do drive it hard though, and often do long high speed trips. I put it down to there being 20 valves and the stem seals maybe being a tiny bit tired.

 

[chizzel89]

And.... I would not worry about the oil usage you are talking about. To go from the max to the min in between services really is fine.

 

[Pinenut]

thanks to all for their replies. I agree it's nothing to worry about and I think Malcolm has the answer that previous service was maybe a little low oilwise. I admit I dont check the oil as much as i should. A bad admission from one who used to service his own cars back in the days of Orions,Escorts,Cavaliers, Capris etc. This has taught me to make sure regular oil checks are done. As a previous poster said we sometime let technology take over and assume car will let us know if oil level drops a little too low.
Car does not have a worn engine or a new engine it has an engine not even middle aged (58k) so oil dips are the solution.

Thanks for your feedback guys

Ross

 

[television]

Just the way my mind works.

If a MB fitter used ½ a liter less on every service, thats 4 liters of oil worth £40 per day or £200 per week

 

[EmilysDad]

Just the way my mind works.

If a MB fitter used ½ a liter less on every service, thats 4 liters of oil worth £40 per day or £200 per week

but MB won't be paying £10 a litre, even I can buy fully skimmed MB spec oil for about £25 a gallon

[/IMG]