Mercedes SLK Cracked Sump

SL63 Mark

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He hasn't posted for a couple of years, he did not like Mercs much, as I recall.
 

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I'm not a mechanic but I would presume that the natural wear of the engine over the years would cause sediment but I suppose only a professional mechanic could confirm that
Why do cars have sump plugs if the norm is sucking the oil out?
The plastic sump turns brittle with heat cycles and cracks when trying to remove the sump plus. Not something mb put into the equation when designing plastic parts.
There isn’t a merc with a magnetic sump plug but they put magnets in later gearboxes??
 
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daibevan

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My MKIII Cortina didn't have a magnetic sump plug ;)
That's because if it did there would be so much swarf stuck to the inside of it you wouldn't be able to get it out.:):)
Only joking??? I had every mark of Cortina, including the MKV (Sierra) The poor man's luxury car.
 

umblecumbuz

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Years ago we used to remove spark plugs frequently to clean them, lift cylinder heads to decoke and grind in the valves, and deal with a host of other items to keep our engines running well. Engines are far better built now, with more accurate tolerances and superior materials, and oils are superior also.

When a suction pump is used to drain engine oil, the engine has just been stopped. and the oil is drained hot.
Anything that might sink to the base of the sump pan over time will be in suspension and will be removed with the oil.

Not much point having a magnetic sump plug now - or even a sump plug.
 

Rory

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Unfortunately I have had very bad experiences of the main MB dealers. I seriously decided never to use them but that's my own personal experience as I'm sure some people have a good experience with MB- just not me.
I use Arnold C. They are absolutely superb- always looked after me and always up front and honest.

I'm confused now - you went to an Arnold Clark dealership in Warrington, so not the Mercedes dealership, which is Inchcape?

What franchise does the dealership you went to hold?
 

gassed up

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The advances in material technology and manufacturing standards did indeed create what could have been described as a golden age of car ownership. Star ship mileages with bulletproof reliability as long as preventative maintenance was adhered to. Sadly in recent years there appears to be an increasing tendency towards disposability amongst car manufacturers. Because they can design and make an engine or gearbox that will last just beyond any possible warranty period, then the market determines that that's the way to go. You may accuse me of being an old cynic, amongst other things, but you only have to look at the M271 timing chain. Ford, VW, Vauxhall etc. are all producing three cylinder turbo "eco" engines that have the longevity of a chocolate teapot and are irreparable. You probably all have your own example of this corporate malaise, starting with plastic sumps.
 

flowrider

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That's because if it did there would be so much swarf stuck to the inside of it you wouldn't be able to get it out.:):)
Only joking??? I had every mark of Cortina, including the MKV (Sierra) The poor man's luxury car.
The MKV was a Cortina not a Sierra. I've had a MKIII GXL, a MKIV Ghia, a MKV Ghia and a Sierra GLS.
 

Blobcat

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The MKV was a Cortina not a Sierra. I've had a MKIII GXL, a MKIV Ghia, a MKV Ghia and a Sierra GLS.
Sierra GLS with the “tool eater” and MT75 gearbox was a great car, best gearbox they ever made
 

flowrider

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Actually ..... :rolleyes: there was no such thing as a MKV Cortina ... it was the MKIV 1980 series :rolleyes::rolleyes::D:D
Everyone called it a MKV and it was a Cortina not a Sierra.
 

EmilysDad

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Everyone called it a MKV and it was a Cortina not a Sierra.

I know :rolleyes:;);)

I loved my MK III, but thinking back it was rotten when I bought it. It was L reg (Sept 73 so the later interior/dash) & I paid £375 in 1981 but it'd obviously had a hard bump at the front at some time. I rebuilt most of the inner wing which actually had the effect of levelling the front of the car.
It failed an MOT on void bushes so I stripped out various wishbone/suspension bits but had to cut the top wishbone bolt out as it was seized solid. The whole front suspension was removed so I could drill out the remnants of the cut up top wish bone bolt, but the new bolt could only be bought from Ford ... I cried all the way back from the dealer after I'd paid about a week's wage for the new replacement bolt .... IIRC it was not far short of £20 in about 1981/82. A lot of cash for an apprentice Tiff.
 

Ductman

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I remember draining the oil on my old ford Cortina many years ago and finding tiny shards of metal attached to the sump nut so they definitely used to be magnetic.
Trouble with that was the sumps themselves were ferrous so although a magnetic plug certainly would collect any ferrous debris, so would the inside of the sump itself as it would be magnetised by the plug. I’ve always believed the key to long engine life is regular oil/filter changes around 5k miles, regardless of what the service schedule or onboard indicator may say.
I abhor the move by some manufacturers in recent years to so called long life engine oil and extended oil/filter changes to 20k miles or more.
On my own daily hack, a C350 Cdi, I now only do around 8kpa in that, so simply go with the annual service. But even then, probably because diesels turn their oil black very quickly and which I hate to see, every 3 years about a week before the service, I use my Pela to suck out the oil and refill with fresh. I then run that for a few days and after the service, the oil on the dipstick is lovely and clean again. Paranoid maybe, but it makes me feel good and I’ve never had an engine wear out in over 50 years of driving.
My wife’s SLK and my Lotus toys probably only do around 2-3kpa each, so an annual oil/filter change on those does the job.
 
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Peterioann

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***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
Today (Christmas day) while driving along the M62 with my wife in the car heard an almighty bang from the underside of our slk.
Believing it to be a flat tyre I pulled into the hard shoulder.
Luckily there was not much traffic.
We called the AA and told an hour's wait.
I quickly googled "banging sound Mercedes slk at 50mph".
The Merc forum came up with a guy saying after a Merc service the sump panel that stops water splashing into the engine compartment was left loose.
I threw on a high Viz and coned off the car, then quickly looked under the engine.
Low and behold Arnold Clark had left two bolts out when refitting the panel.
The wind had caught it, dragging it down onto the motorway.
Luckily it was not ripped off completely but it's badly scratched.
I had to continue our journey at 30mph.
Luckily we were 500yds from junction 2 on M62.
So now I will be going back to AC with a complaint, wanting to know why the mechanic left off two obvious bolts? IMG_20191225_201731710~2.jpg
 
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Peterioann

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  • Thread Starter
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  • #59
***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
Today (Christmas day) while driving along the M62 with my wife in the car heard an almighty bang from the underside of our slk.
Believing it to be a flat tyre I pulled into the hard shoulder.
Luckily there was not much traffic.
We called the AA and told an hour's wait.
I quickly googled "banging sound Mercedes slk at 50mph".
The Merc forum came up with a guy saying after a Merc service the sump panel that stops water splashing into the engine compartment was left loose.
I threw on a high Viz and coned off the car, then quickly looked under the engine.
Low and behold Arnold Clark had left two bolts out when refitting the panel.
The wind had caught it, dragging it down onto the motorway.
Luckily it was not ripped off completely but it's badly scratched.
I had to continue our journey at 30mph.
Luckily we were 500yds from junction 2 on M62.
So now I will be going back to AC with a complaint, wanting to know why the mechanic left off two obvious bolts? View attachment 54742

I will update you on here of their response and action.
I will be demanding a replacement cover.
To think I was singing their praises a few weeks ago....
 
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Peterioann

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The plastic sump turns brittle with heat cycles and cracks when trying to remove the sump plus. Not something mb put into the equation when designing plastic parts.
There isn’t a merc with a magnetic sump plug but they put magnets in later gearboxes??
Thank you for explaining.
I've just posted an update too...
 


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