What a Dip Stck !!!

[S.Speed]

Hello everyone...
Last week I did an intermediate "secret unofficial" engine oil and filter change in my C270 CDI..
Before the oil was drained I checked the oil level via the electronic gizmo in the dash.. "Engine oil OK" is what it proclaimed.
I drained the oil and 5 litres came out !!
Keep in mind that my cars capacity is 6.5 litres. I am wondering how the hell it can be "OK" when its 1.5 litres short??
I replaced the oil with the full 6.5 litres and my engine management proclaimed "Engine oil OK" (well it would, wouldn't it).
So to clarify.. Oil levels are "OK" when at 5 litres and at 6.5 litres.. Thats a 1.5 litre discrepancy.. I dont find that very acceptable at all !!
I wonder who would get the blame in the event of engine damage?
Why oh why did they do away with the tried and tested (and uncomplicated) dipstick method..
There will be many of you out there that have just checked your oil levels via the engines electronic method and you may be sitting inside with a warm glow in the pit of your stomach that all is tickety boo with the world and your engines oil level..
Well DONT! All may not be as you think.
The point to this post is that I enquired about the price of a dipstick to check my oil the old fashoined way, and can you believe it costs over £90 !!!!
Is someone having a laugh? £90 for a damned dipstick..
I welcome your thoughts/ comments / feedback.

 

[rf065]

First of all, a dipstick can be bought on EBay US for £25 including postage.

Not sure about a 2003 model, but my 2005 will tell you it has 6.5 litres exactly if you use the steering wheel controls and menu system.

Russ

 

[S.Speed]

Hi Russ..
My car is very vague with oil level check..
It says "OK" (even though it isnt)..
Maybe I am being paranoid and 1.5 litres too little is ok..
If thats the case then I can save a packet on future service bills by just putting 5 litres of oil in. (I am being ironic by the way... Or is it moronic).

 

[television]

Well we have the cars that say "oil level too high" when its not,,and we have the cars that say "add 2 liters oil" when the level is OK. Yes it is nor good, and this has driven some owners mad, as they do not know what to do.

If you have a gear box dip stick,then after an exact oil change ,like the one done here, then use that and calibrate that stick for the engine, that is what I have done. OK so it goes a long way up the wire,,but that does not matter.

I think that it is safe to assume that at least ½ a liter is left in the engine in the various oil ways.

One could measure the oil depth with a piece of curtain wire,,go to a breakers and buy a dip sick that is too long and cut it down to your known marks.

 

[S.Speed]

Thanks Malcom,
As always your logic and expertise are limitless.. Are you by any chance a Vulcan??

 

[turbopete]

Thanks Malcom,
As always your logic and expertise are limitless.. Are you by any chance a Vulcan??

i dont think so. i dont think he'd suit the pointy ears! :lol::lol:

 

[television]

Thanks Malcom,
As always your logic and expertise are limitless.. Are you by any chance a Vulcan??

No!! just born poor and always improvising

 

[lulu]

Hi Russ..
My car is very vague with oil level check..
It says "OK" (even though it isnt)..
Maybe I am being paranoid and 1.5 litres too little is ok..
If thats the case then I can save a packet on future service bills by just putting 5 litres of oil in. (I am being ironic by the way... Or is it moronic).

Have a search for 'hidden menu' on the forum and there will be details how you can obtain the volume of oil in litres, measured in 0.1 litre increments, you have in your engine sump. I think your car is approximately the right age for this to work.

I went through this process myself after getting 'OK' at approx 5 litres. I then slowly added oil up until 6.5 litres (using the hidden menu), worried that the basic measuring system would then tell me to take some out.

 

[S.Speed]

Thanks for that Lulu..
I shall indeed look for the hidden menu thread..

 

[Number_Cruncher]

Hi Russ..
My car is very vague with oil level check..
It says "OK" (even though it isnt)..
Maybe I am being paranoid and 1.5 litres too little is ok..
If thats the case then I can save a packet on future service bills by just putting 5 litres of oil in. (I am being ironic by the way... Or is it moronic).

I think you might be being just a little paranoid.

There will be a volume of oil which will never drain - that oil in the gallery, and the oil cooler if your car has one.

It's entirely possible, nay likely, that your oil level was indeed fine, and still after a fill using the full quoted volume is still within tolerance.

I can understand most people's problems in coming to terms with the lack of a dipstick, but, I'm not sure that prodding a length of curtain wire down the dipstick tube is the answer.

 

[television]

but, I'm not sure that prodding a length of curtain wire down the dipstick tube is the answer.

Yes it may not be stiff enough,,on my 113 V8 the oil level goes about 20cm up the wire section of the gear box stick. If a length of say welding rod was pushed up the center, a more accurate measurement could be made

 

[LYNALL]

Just a thought as you say unoffical i assume its under some kind of warranty, if its with merc may be worth using the exact same oil they use in case of any future problems.

As of just recently all major unit failures at work, the warranty claim has to include a sample of the engine/gearbox oil.

Should imagine mb prob the same.



Lynall

 

[S.Speed]

Hi LYNALL,
Firstly I used the term "Unofficial" in a sarcastic way I'm afraid.. It means that I change my cars engine oil and filter at exactly half the manufacturers recommended service interval.. In my case it came up at 7,000 miles.. I call it unofficial because I do it off my own bat without mentioning it to MB.. I do keep all receipts etc to prove what a gem of a guy I am (ha-ha).
I have always done this with every car I own..
Incidentally, I used to own a BMW 330D and this car also held 6.5 litres of oil but it was blessed with a dipstick.. This car also had an oil cooler and yet when I drained the oil, 6.5 litres came out... 6.5 litres were put back in.. Changing oil isnt rocket science and it really shouldn't bee treated as though it were !!!
I use the Castrol Edge Turbo diesel 5w-40 which is absolutely the correct spec for my car.
Try this very handy Castrol website by clicking the link below.. Its very clever. Just enter your Cars Reg and it will come up with all correct lubricants..

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/iframe.do?categoryId=9024084&contentId=7044829