I was just looking through the factory service manual, and under the chassis and body section it list various specs. Under the Technical data section they list "Engine oil consumption" It says "ltr./100km(miles/US qt).....0.25(262)". This is for my 300SD. Now here are my questions pertaining to this data. One, do they mean pt instead of qt. Second, are they serious that the oil consumption of 1 whole pint or quart, per 262 miles is within tolerences? Even if the "qt" is a miss print and is supposed to be "pt". That still works out to 1 whole quart of oil every 524 miles. Tell me this can't be right. Going through that much oil, you would have a constant cloud of blue smoke as you drove. For those who have this manual it's on page 00-020/16 of the service manual, series 116, volume 1. In the same section they list data for the infamous 6.9. It says the oil consumption rate for that car is one pint per every "196-118 miles" I know the numbers are backwards but that's they way they're written in the manual.
Now maybe I am reading this data wrong but it sure does look like that's what they're stating as being normal oil consumption. I tried to look up what the oil consumption rate was for the other engines listed in the manual but "oil consumption" is not listed. Can anyone make sense of this data.

very good question
 

Curious to know the correct book answer?

I read that too, and was just as confused..

Hey, if it uses LESS, you'll be happy that way!

OM 617...OM stands for OIL MOTOR:D

Then does it say 60 miles for my 110 motor?

I bet the misprint is the 100km...... maybe it should be 1000km?

I think you're right Wasuchi, that should probably read .25liter/1000Km. In that case the spec would be more like 1 quart/2600 miles. Still high but not over the top.

No, the spec is exactly correct. Remember the km is kilometers. The spec is truely 262 miles per quart.

And no, using a quart in 262 miles will not cause a huge trail of blue smoke....maybe a tint of blue.



240Joe

I'd have to put in a quart of oil every day at that rate of consumption. Completly unaceptable. Hell I've never seen a motor burn that much oil and not be showing the fact off..

Wow, that would be a LOT of oil. At one time I had a bad oil leak and there was always a puddle (large puddle) where I parked and the underside of the car was well lubed. I probably went through 2 quarts evey 500 miles. I now have a small leak, usually doesn't even drip, and I rarely have to add oil in 3,000 miles. I can't imagine a car running long if it had a problem that caused it to burn that much oil not to mention that you would have to add half a gallon every time you fueled up.

wolfie,

Think about what you are saying. There are people on this board that used to drop a quart of oil in every tank to "lubricate" the IP.

Of course, when they finally figured out that the lower sulfur fuel wouldn't damage our IPs because they are lubed by motor oil they stopped.

But I don't remember one of them saying 1 quart in 3 or 400 miles was even visable.

And would it really be that bad to drop a quart in the engine every time you filled up the tank....not really, especially if the alternative was a $2000 rebuild.

240Joe

that sounds more like it. in 9 years of ownership my car has never burned off more that about 1 qt of engine oil per 3000miles(crossing fingers..), even in shall we say "tough" conditions.

The numbers I recall reading somewhere was a quart in 800miles.

I think the 7 quarts usage in 200 miles recently reported on a thread is somewhat on the high side.

That may be, and your right about people adding oil and such to fuel, but a motor burning that much from the crank case and dumping it in the fuel tank are two different things. I'd sell anything that used that much oil unless it was just not financialy possible. I don't doubt the engine could function just fine for ages like this, but I have some pride. ;)