Dipstick!

[Micman]

I have a 54 facelift, C180K auto saloon.

While driving along this weekend the car 'bleeped' at me and the dash display said 'top up with 1 litre of engine oil when next refueling'

Fine, when I got home I opened up the bonnet and went to check the oil level on the dipstick. I couldn't find it!! I got the owner manual out, and no mention of the dipstick in there. The manual told me how to check the oil level by putting the key to position 2, and waiting for the digital display to confirm oil level.

So i did this, it obtained oil level reading and it said - add 1 lire of oil. I went and got some oil and topped it up - now it says Oil level OK. Job done!

I was just wondering, as I've never known this before - have some new Mercs not got a dipstick or am I just being a dipstick???

 

[Blobcat]

If you look carefully you will notice that the automatic gearbox dipstick is missing as well. Not the greatest planning of all time, however that is what MB are now doing. Trust in the electronics....

 

[C220GJS]

No dipstick on your car, it's all electronic these days, there is a plug in the dipstick hole and if you really want one i'm sure the dealer would supply you with one for an inappropriate amount of cash . The plug I mentioned is no.100 on this diagram. http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...605716.628&CT=M&cat=63A&SID=01&SGR=045&SGN=05.
Geo.

 

[Micman]

Thanks

Thanks, That's a relief, I was starting to think it was a sign of old age starting to creep in when I couldn't even find the dipstick in the engine bay! (i'm only 31!)

As i expected in this day and age everything is now electronic - we do what the computer tells us!!!

I guess the plus point is it saves getting your hands dirty!

 

[mioba]

had excactly the same on my w220,
go to the dealers and purchase a proper one, they are about 20 pounds, useful for the garage.

god damn electrics.

 

[angus falconer]

Trust in the electronics....

Well that's another nail in the coffin of Merc reliability. Almost eveything that's ever gone wrong with my C43's has been to do with electrics.......to have electrics making decisions about the oily bits is nuts. Or rather deleting the dipstick and enforcing this way of doing things is nuts? Why not retain the dipstick as a sure-fire back-up?

 

[television]

Well that's another nail in the coffin of Merc reliability. Almost eveything that's ever gone wrong with my C43's has been to do with electrics.......to have electrics making decisions about the oily bits is nuts. Or rather deleting the dipstick and enforcing this way of doing things is nuts? Why not retain the dipstick as a sure-fire back-up?

If you saw the amount mods and fixes and no fixes for oil too high, oil too low, oil too hot, oil too cold, oil too thin, oil too thick on the MB service programs you would despair of what is waiting around the crner, but in my case I cant not buy a newer one on the pretext that it may go wrong.

malcolm

 

[Rory]

You can check the actual level:
Turn ignition key to Pos 1
Switch the display to show total miles
Press the trip rest button 3 times quickly
There will be a bleep and the display will change and show battery voltage.
Use the up/down arrow keys to get to the menu that has "Öel" at the bottom.
Turn key to Pos 2 and it will display the oil contents in litres.

(This is a lot easier to do in practice than it sounds!)

Allegedly though, if you wait until it asks for oil then this will extend the ASSYST service interval as it knows you've added 1L.

 

[tom7035]

Thanks, That's a relief, I was starting to think it was a sign of old age starting to creep in when I couldn't even find the dipstick in the engine bay! (i'm only 31!)

Hey Micman, careful when referring to 'old-age' - how are you defining this?!! They're not ALL doddery like myself!
Many of us can teach you youngsters a trick or two if you'd all just care to listen!
When I first got my MB it took me about half a day to find the spark plugs!