Yes, of course you are correct. I keep forgetting how excruciatingly painful it must be for some people to reach underneath an engine to turn just one bolt.

I don't know if you're being for real or sarcastic (hopefully the latter). Talk to someone with back problems (usually elderly or injured in some sort of accident) and ask them what method they'd prefer.

If I had back problems which kept me from reaching under the car, I probably also wouldn't appreciate pumping the Top-Sider. Of course, electric models are available.

Amen! Unless you have some sort of medical reason the Topsider will take more time than simply draining on a 123 chassis. You can reach the drain plug from the front of the car without using ramps, etc. This has got to be one of the easiest oil changes to do. RT

I get more oil out of my 617 with the extractor than by gravity. I have proven this by draining until the drips stopped and then inserting the suction tube and pulling several ounces (big deal :D ) out.

I have also evacuated and then pulled the drain plug to only have nothing come out.

So, I will not be pulling my drain plug again any time soon.


Tim

it would be cool to use an extractor, but Ill stick with the old school way of doing it, plus, while im down there i can visually inspect things like the belts, tranny pan, etc for current or future problems.

Also, how do u make sure that when u use an extractor, that the suction hose doesnt go to far into the pan and curve up and get above the surface of the oil?

Well heck, no need for me to post. Joe covered it all in his post. :bowrofl:

Not a problem. The tube is stiff...you can feel it hit bottom.

I am 82 years old---can't get down when I am up and can't get up when
I am down. I you live that long you will understand.

Its worth looking around
 

I vote for underneath. I usually look around to see how everything is doing. I've spotted several hose clamps leaking or radiators starting to seep, belts going bad, along with numerous other maladies of geriatric vehicles.

Chuck

I stick with getting under the car thats on ramps and use gravity.. It makes me feel like a man.... Plus I need to change my oil pan and install the new one.

I have both a topsider as well as a extractor from motive products. The topsider isn't large enough to get everything out in one shot, and that is a pain. The motive products extractor is quite nice and has enough capacity. Their brake bleeder really works well. On a W124 there isn't much to see underneath unless you pull the noise encapsulation panel - so there is no real benefit to getting underneath to change the oil. I used the topsider to drain (most of) my transmission. That worked well and reduced the mess underneath when pulling plugs and the pan.

Can you drain the engine oil in a W124 without removing either or both of the belly pans? I always assumed they had to come off -- but the only time I've changed the oil in our new-to-us '87 300DT, the covers were already off due to previous work so I plead ignorance.

I have a "Cheapie Joe" oil drain pump that I bought years ago (local surplus store, $20, connects to 12 Volt battery with clips, has suck hose and drain hose) for things that are hard to drain -- lawn mowers, shredders, my big gen-set, etc. It could be really handy for the W124. I'll probably try it for the next oil change.

That said, the people who advocate "Get out and get under" do have a point -- oil changes are good opportunities to look at the underside. For those of us who cannot or choose not to do so, the little pumps are a nice option.

Neither method is effective in removing the oil from the oil cooler, unless somebody has found a way?

Don't remove the oil from the oil cooler. If MB thought it was important to do so, they would have included a drain plug on the oil cooler like on the older models. I don't think many of the high mileage contenders on this board have made it this far because the oil cooler was drained.