I switched to mobil one good news/bad news - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

daverdla · #1 10-12-2004, 06:27 AM

I don't want to start an oil war but....
I switched to mobil 1 diesel/suv oil, 15 30w I think, 3000 miles ago. Two good things - less noisy and less oil consumption. I've put 12,000 miles on since last march, right now the cars got around 140k miles. I had the oil change with dino for the first 3000 and 6000 miles changes and it dropped about a half a quart or so after 1500 miles. Although mildly inconvenient, not really a concern. Now I've driven about 3000 miles with no noticable oil consumption but I've noticed a little bit of blue smoke when I start up first thing in the morning. I realized that it takes very little oil to make the blue smoke but it is annoying. The car had new valve guides shortly before I bought it. Could it be valve guides? I plan to give it some time and see how it goes.

boneheaddoctor · #2 10-12-2004, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daverdla

I don't want to start an oil war but....
I switched to mobil 1 diesel/suv oil, 15 30w I think, 3000 miles ago. Two good things - less noisy and less oil consumption. I've put 12,000 miles on since last march, right now the cars got around 140k miles. I had the oil change with dino for the first 3000 and 6000 miles changes and it dropped about a half a quart or so after 1500 miles. Although mildly inconvenient, not really a concern. Now I've driven about 3000 miles with no noticable oil consumption but I've noticed a little bit of blue smoke when I start up first thing in the morning. I realized that it takes very little oil to make the blue smoke but it is annoying. The car had new valve guides shortly before I bought it. Could it be valve guides? I plan to give it some time and see how it goes.

Don't sweat it just yet. Wait through he next oil change and see how consumption is. As long as consumption is in reason I would not worry.

dieseldiehard · #3 10-12-2004, 04:08 PM

I see a puff of smoke at start-up in my '87 300D Turbo. I had a valve job (new guides) and still see it. I attribute it to the idle adjust circuit kicking in or for some reason the engine just runs rich briefly at startup. It doesn't bother me, I believe the OM603's just do that normally. GSXR or Hatterasguy might have some input on this too.

FWIW mine uses less than a qt of oil (AMSOIL 15W40) per 1500 miles or so (255K on the engine.)

BTW my smoke appears darker maybe greyish, but I always see it out of the rear view mirror, so not so sure exactly what color it is. I could have someone start it while I sniff it - burning oil smells "oily". Unburnt diesel smells like diesel.
Oh yes, one more thing, do you keep the level at half way point (mid scale) on the dipstick? There is good advise in the 'Forum against filling it to the top line as oil consumption is greater if kept topped up,

daverdla · #4 10-12-2004, 04:15 PM

Actually, I'm not 100% sure it's oil smoke but it does look a little blue. My kids look at me in a strange way when they see me jump out of the car after I start it and stick my head in the smoke to get a lung full. Hard to say. Sadly, I do think it's lubricating oil burning but I could be wrong. In any case, it's smoking more than it used to but only on the first start of the day. I'm going to check my glow plugs make sure they'll all okay.
Dave

ericnguyen · #5 10-12-2004, 04:32 PM

"My kids look at me in a strange way when they see me jump out of the car after I start it and stick my head in the smoke to get a lung full"

They think you've just escaped from a lunatic asylum :p

Eric

dieseldiehard · #6 10-12-2004, 05:10 PM

A Diesel loonie! yes we are crazy to some people!
I had just parked and a car drove up and the driver got out, the lady asked me if I knew my car was smoking and why did it smoke like that? (she had her kid or grandkid in tow) I replied, "Lady, this car is a fine example of a diesel automobile, with over a quarter million miles on it (I used to have a license plate frame that had those words engraved on it) and when your car has that many miles on it it will likely be in a wrecking yard somewhere". She shut up and walked on!

Dieseldiehard
1971 220 (gas) 4-spd manual 106441
1979 300TD w/ ’85 turbo engine 295530
1983 300D 243280
1985 300TD 217300
1987 300D 258230

Hatterasguy · #7 10-12-2004, 05:59 PM

All old diesels smoke a bit when first started up, more so when it is colder. However if the smoke is blue it could be oil, but you said your oil consumption went down so I don't think you are burning any oil. Does it run a little rough at first? How much smoke? When the valve guides wear they can spew a nice cloud of dark blue smoke, my Toyota did this. Mine smokes a little in the morning, it is light gray. But maybe it could be blueish if the light hit it right, diesel is an oil. I will have to look more closely tomarrow morning.

Hatterasguy · #8 10-12-2004, 06:02 PM

I see you live in Philly so you will get a nice cold winter, is this your first one? As the temps go down the amount of smoke goes up!

One of the girls at the store I work in (she is very hot btw

) noticed that my car was making "weird sounds" one day. She didn't know what diesel was or that some cars run on it.

daverdla · #9 10-12-2004, 06:07 PM

Yes, it will be my first winter with the car. I was wondering if the smoke was due to the cold weather. It's been dropping down to around 40 at night around here so I guess that's got something to do with it.

I just made sure I had voltage at all the glow-plugs. Joy! Didn't measure the resistance yet. I guess I'll have to take the crossover pipe off to change the little beggers!

Dave

84300DT · #10 10-12-2004, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

I see you live in Philly so you will get a nice cold winter, is this your first one? As the temps go down the amount of smoke goes up!

One of the girls at the store I work in (she is very hot btw

) noticed that my car was making "weird sounds" one day. She didn't know what diesel was or that some cars run on it.

hope you were able to 'educate' her then

btw, that yellow sdl up here is gone and i understand that a fellow member bought another sdl that the same guy had for sale....
i have encouraged pics.

Hatterasguy · #11 10-12-2004, 06:19 PM

No unfortunitly the blonde runs deep in her. But thats ok candy for the eyes.

It did sell? I wonder who bought it?

daverdla I had to remove my intake manifold to get all of them. Not to bad of a job it also gave me an oppertunity to clean all of the tar the egr left behind out. One more thing you should replace, on the drivers side right behind the headlight their is a black box. Pop off the cover and you will see a metal 80amp strip fuse. It is for the glowplugs and is only $.69 on Fastlane you should replace it and carry a spare with you.

Order a new block heater cord while your at it their only $12.

daverdla · #12 10-12-2004, 06:35 PM

Rats! I just ordered 6 glow plugs, two strip fuses but not the cord for the block heater. I'll save that one for my next order. I also ordered, just for the heck of it, a new air filter and new fuel filters.

#13 10-12-2004, 10:32 PM

Were the valve guides installed MB OEM? I do not remember the specific issue Dave M. (GSXR) brought up with the aftermarket valve guides, it may have just been an installation issue, but I was warned not to use anything but MB OEM guides.

As an aside, I would have bet money that you could not change the glow plugs on a 603 turbo motor without pulling the manifold, but I am stuborn enough that I proved myself wrong on this one. (I am not disputing that it may very well be easier and even possibly quicker to change the 6 gp's out by first removing the manifold.) I had some grit/road grime on my head that I did not wish to risk getting into the intake, and frankly I did not wish to use up a set of gaskets. Along with a few other minor projects, fixing vacum lines, pulling the glow plug relay, etc. it took me three hours start to finish. (I wish I had gone with another set of Beru plugs, very disappointed in the plastic collar on the Bosch plugs.)

I removed the washer resevoir, disconnected the i/b push pull throttle rod near the #3 & 4 GP's, and unbolted the black plastic throttle mount bracket that is bolted to the manifold. I primarily used 1/4inch drive tools, with a universal sockets, wobble drives, etc. both for the wire leads, and the glow plugs. I did not need to use penetrating oil, as my glow plugs came out fairly easily, but I would highly advise that if you use universal sockets, wobble drives, etc. that you soak the GPs with something along the lines of Mouse Milk or Kroil 24hrs before you start the project.

With the mileage you have on your car, the following should not apply, but I will share it for those who might find it of use. I run my oil between the bottom of the dipstick and the mid point of the dipstick, and at 229,000 miles it does not seem to burn a drop of oil from 0-5000 miles. On occasion, I do see some minor smoke at start up, which I attribute to the injectors needing a good cleaning, and/or rebuild, as the engine always seems to run a tad rough on these occasions that the smoke is present. If your head is starting to let go, you might start to see some smoke on start up, probably mixed with steam, it will be whiter and very whispy, rather then trailing off and disapating, the smoke trail will have a sharp cut off when the moisture returns to ambient temps. (Hope that makes sense.)

Did the 1987 USofA market 300D's come from the factory with a block heater installed on the 603 motors? If so, where is it located? (Not that I need one in Texas, but it would be nice for the 10 days of winter we get. LOL.) Thanks, Mack

daverdla · #14 10-12-2004, 10:39 PM

Double drat! I actually ordered the bosch glow plugs. Anyway, I don't think I'll try to pull them with the crossover attached. I'd like to do so cleanup while I'm in there.
Dave

#15 10-12-2004, 10:45 PM

I would not sweat getting the Bosch plugs, I am just not a fan of anything plastic under the hood, but then it is pretty obvious looking at any "newer" car these days that I should just get used to lots of plastic under the hood.

If I was not loathe to steam clean and/or pressure wash high mileage motors, or if I had a air compressor, I would have cleaned things up, and pulled the maifold. Part of my hesitation, was I was pretty sure but not yet positive that the head was failing, but if it was I would end up having to clean the engine a second time, IMHO the less the better, as it is just too hard on aged parts and electronics.