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Are service ramps advisable for oil change on 240D?
Hello guys, it's been awhile since my last post here over a year ago...
Being sick and tired of having incompetent mechanics work on my beloved 240D (last time I was there for a full service fluid change/check, these guys - at EZ Lube in Los Angeles - didn't know which drain bolts were which, almost ruined the engine oil filter cover nut and inflated my rear right tire to a dangerously high pressure - I was lucky it didn't blow up on the highway - it's all very alarming...) and not being willing to pay an expert MB mechanic over $100 for a fluid change, I have (finally!) wisely decided to learn how to do the work myself. First thing at hand is the engine oil change. I know how to do the procedure, but there's not enough space for me to get under the car to unbolt the drain and let the old oil out. I am thinking of ordering a pair of service ramps, such as the UR6500 (9" high) sold by discountramps.com or the Rhino Ramp 8000 by Blitz (apparently not as high). Any suggestion as to which is best for my purposes? Though, I need to know first whether by placing the front wheels of the car on ramps, the resulting inclined position of the car will prevent the old oil from being drained properly... Also, can the ramps be used for doing a transmission fluid change, and (in this case raising the back wheels) a differential fluid change? Will the old fluid drain properly and the inclination angle allow for proper refilling? I would very much appreciate your advice in this matter... Rino |
Ramps are almost always a good idea and suitable for any under car wrenching. Depending on your size many do their oil without raising the vehicle at all. I prefer ramps over jack stands if I don't have to remove tires etc. $20 for a pair of ramps is worth the $$$ you'll save on the expert mechanics $100 job. Just don't forget to crack the lower oil cooler line and let that drain as well.
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One thing to check on ramps is the approach angle. Some ramps are so abrupt that the car bumper will hit the ramp before the tire begins to go up the ramp. If you happen to get such a pair, placing a 2' long or so pieces of 2X8 as a ramp to get one the ramp, if you see what I mean. Remember, if you put the rear wheels on the ramps and drive off--go very slowly as you can shoot the ramps right out from under the vehicle.
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with all the problems we have had here with oil cooler lines, I do not recommend cracking those lines!
the 1.5 quarts max it holds is not worth it to me! 1put the car up on the ramps, 2open the oil filter can 3remove oil pan drain bolt, let drain 1/2 hour or more. replace copper crush washer on drain pan bolt replace large o-ring and inspect two small o-rings in filter housing shaft, if not soft, replace them. re assemble everything, DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE FILTER HOUSING BOLTS! fill with 7 quarts of oil and start motor, let idle 5 minutes and look over parts for squirting oil. shut down, wait a minute, check oil level, and top off to just below top mark on dipstick. done. John |
You really don't need ramps for an oil change on a 240D. You just need a drain pan that is shallow enough to slide under the car but big enough to hold a lot of oil and a piece of cardboard or something to ly down on.
You can easily reach the drain plug by lying down on your right side and reaching under with a wrench. Then the oil filter is servicable from the top of course. All that said, the ramps are still a good idea because when you change your oil, you should be doing much more than changing your oil. It is the perfect time to inspect underneath. Look for leaks and shake around on things to make sure nothing is about to fall off. Also give suspension joints a tug and an inspection. Changing the oil is probably the most important maintenance operation you do, but your maintenance should not stop there. Inspect everything you can as often as you can. If a car is properly maintained, the first thing that will wear out is the hood hinges. Good luck, |
I wouldn't go undoing that lower oil cooler line unless you have a new cooler waiting in the wings. They tend to strip the threads most of the time, or the nut is seized to it and just wont come off. If youre worried about getting all your oil, change it, run it and change it again.
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I just drive one side up onto the curb.
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Ditto, as Larry says, plenty of room to reach drain w/o jacking up the car.
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Here is a trick you might try:
To keep the ramps from "popping" out, place inexpensive rubber floor mats under them. Extend the extra portion of the mat toward the approach side. |
If you have 2x8s handy, maybe that's all the ramp you need.
Sixto 93 300SD 3.0 |
Get a tool to extract the oil via the dipstick.
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I always change the oil with the wheels on the ground. Quick and easy.
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For the record, I put the front of mine on jackstands (and just leave the back on the jack, working carefully of course) while I do it because I'm doing what the book said would work, rotating tires at every oil change (5000 miles for me). But I don't know how the 240d feels about tires.
No, I'm NOT trying to hijack this into a "do or don't rotate tires" thread, that was just one of my two cents. |
good idea! I will never understand why MB put the drain plug on the front of the pan... it irks me that the 1/2 quart or so is still sitting in the pan with a front up oil drain.
John |
Thank you all very much for the wonderful insights... which, as it often happens, have generated a few more questions:
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I totally appreciate your suggestions... thanks again for your precious input, Rino |
My 210 sits just too low to get a pan under, but if I jack it up about two inches, there is enough room to reach under with a long extension to loosen the plug, push a pan under and remove the plug entirely. Then I lower the jack to where the car is hitting the drain pan. I have to raise it up after draining so I can put the plug back. There's just enough room to reach under the car without putting my body or arm at risk.
If I put the front on ramps, the engine is tilted enough that over a quart of oil remains in the back of the pan. My 210 is missing the belly pan which makes this possible. |
If you choose to jack it up versus using ramps, MAKE SURE to use jack stands. Do not rely on the jack alone when you are working under the car. Every year you read about someone who gets crushed or loses body parts when the car falls on them. Years ago I was working on a car just using the jack since I was not going to be underneath. I went to loosen a stubborn bolt and sure enough the jack slipped. No damage done to self or car but had I been underneath it would have been another story. I ALWAYS use jack stands since then. Even on ramps, wheel chocks are also a good idea.
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Using jack stands would have the same end-result as using ramps on my car, leaving an unacceptable quantity of oil in the pan. The drain plug for my car is on the side of the pan, approximately in the center. The car must be level while draining.
The important part here is that it is not necessary to get under the car to change the oil. |
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OK guys, thanks again!
I'll try doing the oil change without raising the car from the floor; if not able, I'll try with 2x8s under all wheels (to keep it even). I'm ordering the ramps anyway to be used for general inspections under the car. Rino |
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You do not need to get UNDER the car to remove and replace the drain plug. If you lay down in front of the car and reach under, you can reach the drain plug easily regardless of the location. |
The Rhino ramps I purchased are just OK, not great. Even though they have rubber feet on the bottom, as I drive the car up onto the ramps, they slide away from the car. This happens on both my MB and the wife's Explorer.
I had to borrow my buddies Bosch hammer drill, drop in some concrete threaded inserts to secure some angle iron to the concrete floor. The ramps now rest against the angle iron and don't move. Just another small anoyance of home garage repair. I don't use the ramps for changing the oil on my 300D. There is plenty of room. |
I just chock rear wheels and jack car up(drivers side) an inch or so so my hand can fit over drain pan and under plug. Anyone remember Brit actor Edward Fox from "The Day of the Jackel"? He worked underneath that Alpha Romeo just using a jack. Scary but interesting scene.
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I ended up building my own ramps, each made of two pieces of hard wood 2x8, 2 feet long, stacked and nailed together. They worked wonderfully over the past few days when I did my (first!) engine oil, transmission fluid and differential fluid changes! They are very reliable and undestructible... I returned the Rhino ramps... mine are so much better, and the vehicle inclination I get with 4" ramps is ideal for draining/refilling those fluids.
Rino |
One more word about ramps, and supporting a car.
DO NOT under any circumstances use concrete boocks to support a car. They fail catostrophetically--all at once. Ususally wood, or steel will anounce thier impending demise; not so concrete blocks. Do Not use them, ever. |
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- Peter. |
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Go top-sider. It's much easier and better.
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