300SD Disaster! Bad day overall! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

braverichard · #1 03-15-2006, 12:01 AM

It has been a very bad day. Hopefully now, at 11pm after enjoying my dinner and a nice hot shower, nothing more could possibly go wrong. I can then wake up tomorrow and start tackling more problems.

Firstly, new girl was supposed to join me for lunch. She couldn't make it (at least she called). So I enjoyed lunch alone, tipped the server well, walked out to my car and saw a small pool of black oil under it. At this point I was thinking, "nah, not my car." But it was. I opened the hood and oil was all over it! The oil indeed was from my car.

Secondly, as if all this wasn't enough, the tow company sent a new employee who is fresh from New Orleans and didn't know the city well enough. He went to the complete opposite part of town from where I was. I had to give him directions to get to me. All said and done it took 4 hours from when I called for a tow to the moment we arrived at the autoshop.

Since it took so long, we arrived after closing time so we just left the car and dropped off the key. This whole ordeal blew my day! I had to cancel several appointments and that cost me money. Makes sense huh? I lose money to get time to spend even more money! I shall find out exactly what happened to my car tomorrow I guess.

Lastly, the good news in all this is that after we dropped off the car at the autoshop, with the car on level ground I checked the oil level and it seemed Ok even after the massive spill. I must have lost what looked like 1.5 - 2 quarts of oil. Please tell me my engine is still fine.

Oh, also, my brother was very supportive, joining me right after I called him and going through all this with me. Always great.

Hope you had a better day!

Hit Man X · #2 03-15-2006, 12:05 AM

Happens to us all, my SDL wouldn't start last night for a few hours. Had me very angry, turns out a vac line was only pinched.

Rahulio1989300E · #3 03-15-2006, 12:11 AM

Well,

I have 1 question for you first...

Is she cute?

J/K!

Well, (again)

When you say that the oil level was okay, you mean that the oil was between the markings on the dip stick right? If that is the case, at least you did not do any damage when you drove to the place. (Oil was not so low as to starve it.)

Bad:
A lot of oil means either a horrible seal or maybe a crack or hole on the block. Can you remember when you found the oil? was it ALL OVER THE PLACE, or was it located in a certain area or over certain parts?

Don't worry too much, a car is a car, things break, things cost money, thats why you work, to get the money to put in your account and to spend on things you need and want...

Now about that girl, call her back! Reschedule! If is seems not to be interested anymore, then find a new one to talk to! I plan on being single for the rest of my life since I know that there are happy singles out there. (I hate kids too, no woman hates kids unless so loves money right? No way in hell I am marrying a woman since she likes my money!)

JimmyL · #4 03-15-2006, 12:13 AM

It is truly one thing after another. That is why I can't see having one of these as my daily driver. I guess I could have 2 as my daily drivers. Heck, these cars at least give me something to do.
I can't wait for a manual 240, or I guess even a manual 190D, but would prefer the simplicity of the 240.
My wagon is waiting for an oil cooler line. Maybe that is your issue also....

dieseldiehard · #5 03-15-2006, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braverichard

It has been a very bad day. Hopefully now, at 11pm after enjoying my dinner and a nice hot shower, nothing more could possibly go wrong. I can then wake up tomorrow and start tackling more problems.

Firstly, new girl was supposed to join me for lunch. She couldn't make it (at least she called). So I enjoyed lunch alone, tipped the server well, walked out to my car and saw a small pool of black oil under it. At this point I was thinking, "nah, not my car." But it was. I opened the hood and oil was all over it! The oil indeed was from my car.

Secondly, as if all this wasn't enough, the tow company sent a new employee who is fresh from New Orleans and didn't know the city well enough. He went to the complete opposite part of town from where I was. I had to give him directions to get to me. All said and done it took 4 hours from when I called for a tow to the moment we arrived at the autoshop.

Since it took so long, we arrived after closing time so we just left the car and dropped off the key. This whole ordeal blew my day! I had to cancel several appointments and that cost me money. Makes sense huh? I lose money to get time to spend even more money! I shall find out exactly what happened to my car tomorrow I guess.

Lastly, the good news in all this is that after we dropped off the car at the autoshop, with the car on level ground I checked the oil level and it seemed Ok even after the massive spill. I must have lost what looked like 1.5 - 2 quarts of oil. Please tell me my engine is still fine.

Oh, also, my brother was very supportive, joining me right after I called him and going through all this with me. Always great.

Hope you had a better day!

Maybe you didn't tip the waiter well enough? (Just kidding! I have the dubious distinction of being a delivery person for a restaurant so I can't say anything except I like tips!)

Actually you are to be thankful you didn't have a few drinks and climb into the car without noticing anything, or maybe if it was dark and dreary and you wouldn't have noticed the puddle and driven off you might have toasted your engine.
With anything approaching the "add oil" line or even barely showing on the dipstick its probably not a damaging event. Lose more than that and things may not be so good.
Hopefully its a minor leak, but did you recently change oil or anything?
Cooler lines maybe?

mbzkid · #6 03-15-2006, 12:18 AM

For such a bad day (having the car towed+ oil leak) it sounds like it went pretty well.

If you had brought the girl with you, she would have had to wait with you for the tow truck, and you would never hear the end of it.

She actually called to say she wasen't coming, so thats a plus.

Actually, considering you lost money on the deal and had to wait around, it sounds like a pretty bad day, but atleast it wasen't ALL bad.

If the oil level is fine, I don't see how any damage was done. Even if you lost 3 quarts of oil, you shouldn't worry too much if the car wasen't driven for hours.

86560SEL · #7 03-15-2006, 12:26 AM

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Hopefully it is only a minor problem.

Since the oil level was not that low and so much was there, your engine probably was full of oil when you shut it off, so engine damage is unlikely.

Let us know what happened.

mbzkid · #8 03-15-2006, 12:32 AM

Let me just say the OM616 can be run with nothing reading on the dipstick. I think that puts it about 3 quarts from the top notch. Do not try this, but in the event it does happen, the engine may survive.

86560SEL · #9 03-15-2006, 12:48 AM

The 1970s-80s Toyota 22R engines will as well. My grandfather had a 1983 Toyota 4WD truck that he had when it was nearly new - the truck now belongs to my cousin. My uncle had borrowed the truck on occasion and ran the daylights out of it. It had a front oil seal leak that needed tending to, but he never had the chance. It was only like that for a month, but he was adding a quart of oil in it per week. My uncle got ahold of it and was NOT checking the oil level.

When it was returned, he wanted me to check the oil level and NONE was showing on the stick.

We do not know how long he drove it like this, but it was still going well.

Oilbrnr · #10 03-15-2006, 12:54 AM

Sounds like some sort of Cosmic Payback there Richard...

braverichard · #11 03-15-2006, 05:45 PM

Got a call from the shop early this morning and was informed that somehow my power steering belt loosened, caught onto the upper oil cooler line and snapped it. This must have happened right after I made the last turn and pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant yesterday. Since I've done many favors for the shop owner, he said he'd only charge me for the part and replace it as well as degrease the engine for free. Total cost to me: $120. But I have to be patient until tomorrow because he has so much work to do as of now. I agreed to wait since I have my backup car to use.

So no horrible news there. I got to call that girl and she felt really sorry for me so I guess that wasn't bad.

We went out for lunch today so that part worked out eventually. I was able to get my "lost" appointments rescheduled so in the end I would have just lost the $120 for the oil cooler line which I probably should replace now so the new one will last for another 23 years (if the car survives that long

). All in all, God was on my side. Never a bad thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oilbrnr

Sounds like some sort of Cosmic Payback there Richard...

Yep. Payback for all the good I've done. Can't beat that. The mechanic said to me, "you were very lucky, every time I see something like that the engine is toast by the time it is shut off... you must be living a good life." What else can I say? I love shaking off 'em haters! Nothing is more fun than that.

I originally made that post to hear what people had to say regarding the state of the engine as I was just too anxious to wait till I heard from the mechanic. I ended up getting much more than that.

Many Thanks to All Who Gave me Encouraging Words. Many Thanks Also to 'em Haters.

1985 300SD Sady · #12 03-15-2006, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braverichard

Got a call from the shop early this morning and was informed that somehow my power steering belt loosened, caught onto the upper oil cooler line and snapped it. This must have happened right after I made the last turn and pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant yesterday. Since I've done many favors for the shop owner, he said he'd only charge me for the part and replace it as well as degrease the engine for free. Total cost to me: $120. But I have to be patient until tomorrow because he has so much work to do as of now. I agreed to wait since I have my backup car to use.

So no horrible news there. I got to call that girl and she felt really sorry for me so I guess that wasn't bad.

We went out for lunch today so that part worked out eventually. I was able to get my "lost" appointments rescheduled so in the end I would have just lost the $120 for the oil cooler line which I probably should replace now so the new one will last for another 23 years (if the car survives that long

). All in all, God was on my side. Never a bad thing.

Yep. Payback for all the good I've done. Can't beat that. The mechanic said to me, "you were very lucky, every time I see something like that the engine is toast by the time it is shut off... you must be living a good life." What else can I say? I love shaking off 'em haters! Nothing is more fun than that.

I originally made that post to hear what people had to say regarding the state of the engine as I was just too anxious to wait till I heard from the mechanic. I ended up getting much more than that.

Many Thanks to All Who Gave me Encouraging Words. Many Thanks Also to 'em Haters.

That is just about the best thing that could have happend in your situation.

bodyart27 · #13 03-15-2006, 07:01 PM

from my understanding, if the mounts are old and bad shape (start to sink and collapse), the engine drops and the belts get too close to the oil cooler lines.....

blueranger · #14 03-15-2006, 07:30 PM

i have had this happen to me as well.... and even to the transmission line..
it happens every time you blow a belt.... the new trans lines are encased in a metal spring....

the real question is what does the girl look like...

Hatterasguy · #15 03-15-2006, 10:44 PM

It happens. Actually I was going to guess oil cooler lines after reading your first post. I had the same thing happen to me when I first started driving the SDL, big freaken puddle under the bumper.