I'm a Dipstick

[alindsay81]

I spent a good 20 minutes looking high and low for my engine oil dipstick, felt pretty stupid when i couldnt find it!

Turns out there is no dipstick and the computer checks the oil, its telling me ive got to add 2ltrs to bring it to the high level

This leads me to a question: Do i need to add this 2 ltrs or oil now or can it wait till the weekend ?

W203 220CDI Auto 2005, 38k

Cheers

Andy.

 

[television]

Wait and try it again in the morning, thats rather a lot for 1 warning

 

[Cole@MBS]

Add 1.5 and as Malc said, leave it over night and try again!!

 

[alindsay81]

Thanks, will check again in the morning before doing anything.

I'll get some oil tomorrow evening

I'll drive 60 miles tomorrow, should be ok right ?

 

[television]

Yes thats OK

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Only a car manufacturer could have replaced a 100% perfect system of measuring the engine oil with a computerised sensor that can go faulty.

 

[television]

Only a car manufacturer could have replaced a 100% perfect system of measuring the engine oil with a computerised sensor that can go faulty.

I agree,, the early ones were terrible, and fatal when it told you that you needed 2 liters and you do not

 

[television]

I have had the same warning several times, "Add 2 litres" I added only 1 litre, re dipped on the computer, and it then said "perfect" on level ground.

I consider the measurement method as very inacurate and I am only satisfied when I do an oil change and fill with 7 ltres.

It is a ****** daft idea

 

[brianbrian]

I totally agree Malcolm- one of the first things Brian showed me was the engine oil dipstick- what he forgot to tell me was that when you put your engine oil in you don't put it in the dipstick hole-you put it in the cover on top of the engine. I could not get the oil in the dipstick hole so I put it in a teapot. When Brian saw me - i thought he was going to have a heart attack he laughed so much.

Mrs.B

 

[alindsay81]

This morning it still says i need to add 2ltrs, i may do this tonight if i can find the correct oil.

Thanks all.

 

[television]

As long as the oil is marked "meets MB 229.3 or 5" then you have no worries

 

[alindsay81]

thanks so much... I think halfords are open late tonight!

 

[Micman]

Don't worry you're not alone - I felt a total dipstick too when I first got my C-class and couldn't find the dipstick to check the oil.

2 litres is a lot to ask for in one waning. Mine has always only ever said 'add 1 litre of oil next time you refuel'. Are you sure you didn't ignore the first warning??

I think it's crazy having a sensor to check the oil level - It falls straight into one of my pet hates - the use of technology for technologies sake!

Just because a sensor can measure the oil I can't think of any reason that it is better than having a dipstick. It can't be cheaper for Merc to use electronic sensors than buying a manufactured dipstick surely!!!

I think that has to be the one thing I really hate about my car, they are just adding more things to potentially go wrong.

Arghhhh! If it aint broke - don't try and fix it. Idiots :lol::lol::lol:

 

[Number_Cruncher]

It is a ****** daft idea

I'm not so sure.

With cars having longer service intervals, and owners generally being less inclined to lift the bonnet to do weekly checks, a system which continuously monitors oil must be a good thing, and must have saved countless engines.

Once the level sensing is good enough to know not only that the level is low, but by how much, why not delete the dipstick? It's one source of contamination removed after all, and dipsticks are a somewhat messy and inaccurate way to check the oil level despite their long history.

After all, it isn't as though garages doing oil changes always get the level correct using a dipstick - it's one of the more frequent post-service complaints - the customer gets the car home, and checks the oil in his routine way, and finds it off the mark, perhaps because the garage checked it cold, or only after waiting 1 minute instead of five, or, .....

The elctronic measurement has the possibility to correct for temperature, and to wait a standardised time after engine shutdown. Whether these corrections are currently implemented or not, and if or how the vehicle checks to see if it is level, I don't know.

 

[television]

I'm not so sure.




.

Good point,,as I found when I opened up my V70R bonnet the first time in almost 2 years

 

[Blakey]

This morning it still says i need to add 2ltrs, i may do this tonight if i can find the correct oil.

Thanks all.

Add it half a litre at a time and re check the level to be completely sure you won't overfill.

Chris.

 

[alindsay81]

Halfords website says this this oil isn't for a diesel engine thou it is MB229.5

* Engine Diesel: No
* Engine Petrol: Yes
* Grade: 0W/40
* Oil Type: Fully synthetic
* Size (litres): 1.0

 

[alindsay81]

this one will do the trick... http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_183645_langId_-1_categoryId_165581#dtab

 

[television]

this one will do the trick... http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_183645_langId_-1_categoryId_165581#dtab

That will do fine

 

[alindsay81]

Got the oil added - I first checked the level, car asked for 2ltrs, i added 0.5ltrs and rechecked, car asked for 1.5ltrs, added 0.5ltrs and checked again - Oil Level OK

Weird but the car is now happy with 1ltr added.

Thanks all.