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  #1  
Old 12-24-2006, 09:14 PM
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Oil Black After 140 miles-1981 240D

I just changed the oil about a week ago on my 1981 240D. I drove it only 140 miles and checked the oil and it is already black.

Should I do a oil flush? Any ideas?
The oil was changed about 4 months ago, I wasn't using the car at that time, so I don't know what the oil looked like. I have no idea when it was changed before this.

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Old 12-24-2006, 09:16 PM
ForcedInduction
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Normal. Do not worry.
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Old 12-24-2006, 09:19 PM
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It would have been black after 1.4 miles
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Old 12-24-2006, 09:19 PM
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Originally Posted by ForcedInduction View Post
Normal. Do not worry.
So just keep driving it tell 3,000 miles?

This might be a stupid question but, is oil usage differnet in a diesel then a gas car?
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Old 12-24-2006, 09:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coolerelmo View Post
So just keep driving it tell 3,000 miles?

This might be a stupid question but, is oil usage differnet in a diesel then a gas car?
diesel oil is always black. as soon as you change it, and start the motor for the first time it will be black.

now if you didn't have black oil, that would be a problem...

anyway I believe the change frequency is more like 5k (for non-synthetic oil) to 10k (synthetic). 3k is the typical gas engine change interval.
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Old 12-24-2006, 09:21 PM
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Yes it's different. Diesels put more soot into the oil and it will always be black after a few minutes of running.
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Old 12-24-2006, 09:45 PM
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Since you can't get all of the old oil out, it will look black immediately after you start the engine. But it sure makes it easy to see the level on the dipstick.
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Old 12-24-2006, 09:47 PM
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Also, check the oil level whenever you put fuel in it until you have a feel for how much oil it uses.
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Old 12-24-2006, 10:00 PM
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anyway I believe the change frequency is more like 5k (for non-synthetic oil) to 10k (synthetic). 3k is the typical gas engine change interval.
Are you saying that a typical diesel should have a longer oil change interval than a gasser? What is that based on?

Personally, I go about 5K miles with synthetic in my 616 and 617. I wouldn't go to 10K miles.
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Old 12-24-2006, 10:07 PM
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3K isn't the typical gasser oil change interval, and hasn't been for decades. Unless you listen to the quicky-lube, who as only your best interests at heart.

Actually, that's rather cynical, and ignores one fact. The manufacturers want to limit the pollutants from their cars, and one pollutant is used motor oil. Longer change intervals mean less of it, but perhaps more wear.

Diesels are harder on the oil. If you think you need to change your gasser's oil at 3K, you'd best be changing your diesel's oil at 1500.
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Old 12-24-2006, 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Matt L View Post
3K isn't the typical gasser oil change interval, and hasn't been for decades. Unless you listen to the quicky-lube, who as only your best interests at heart.

Actually, that's rather cynical, and ignores one fact. The manufacturers want to limit the pollutants from their cars, and one pollutant is used motor oil. Longer change intervals mean less of it, but perhaps more wear.

Diesels are harder on the oil. If you think you need to change your gasser's oil at 3K, you'd best be changing your diesel's oil at 1500.
For mid 80's and older cars I'm pretty sure 3k is recommended. I can not possibly keep up with what every manufacturer suggests so I estimated. so sue me.

My 60's, 70's, and 80's VWs had a 3k change interval. My 77 Toyota had a 3k change interval. My 86 Audi had a 3k change interval.

My 02 TDI has a 10k change interval, some people running the same oil as I am (Mobil Delvac 1) change it as infrequently as every 20k miles.
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Old 12-24-2006, 10:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig View Post
Are you saying that a typical diesel should have a longer oil change interval than a gasser? What is that based on?

Personally, I go about 5K miles with synthetic in my 616 and 617. I wouldn't go to 10K miles.
This is just my personal opinion based on having a similar year gas engine as my MB, the gasser had a recommended 3k and I believe the 603 is recommended at 5k. Obviously those are pretty generic numbers, not definitive.

Edit: Ok just read my manual and the change interval is the same regardless of engine type.
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Last edited by justinperkins; 12-24-2006 at 10:20 PM. Reason: read my manual
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Old 12-24-2006, 10:17 PM
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Oil has improved since the eighties. That's twenty years ago.
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Old 12-24-2006, 10:37 PM
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Since '86 all gasser Benzes had specified intervals of 7500 miles per lubrication service. This was under the best of conditions. More severe operating circumstances could reduce this by half. This was with non-synthetic approved MB engine oil.
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  #15  
Old 12-24-2006, 10:56 PM
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Quote:
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Oil has improved since the eighties. That's twenty years ago.
True, but how your engine filters oil is just as big a factor (I think) in how frequently you should change your oil.

I would never recommend that anyone with an air-cooled VW engine push the change interval beyond 3k, regardless of oil type (unless they have an aftermarket oil filter setup). Yeah this is an extreme example, but it's just as valid today as it was 50 years ago.

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Last edited by justinperkins; 12-24-2006 at 10:57 PM. Reason: grammar
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