I am relatively new at this, but I would not say that oil in the air filter is normal. It may be common, but I don't think it is normal. I found oil in and dripping out of my air filter assembly and also found that the air filter (K&N) was quite dirty. I cleaned it up and the oil problem stopped. I also had a lot more zip. I concluded that I was starving the engine for air and it was sucking it up the oil return tube, along with oil.

I also read an excellent article on this forum about changing the oil check valve at the bottom of the tube (accessed by taking off the oil pan). I will be doing this as well.

Richard

__________________
85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale**
84 300D 333K Black (The Velveteen Rabbit) 0-60 in 14 seconds
00 Toyota Sienna 208K (Sold)
15 Subaru Outback 43K
11 Subaru Outback 67K
98 Ford Taurus 100K (Gertie - Was Grandma's - drove it to church and shopping - really) Daughter's car now.
30 Model A Ford 2 Door Sedan (Sold) 0-60 in . . . Never reached 60

k&ns' are pretty stupid designs arent they? On newer engines the oil used on the filter will contaminate and fry your MAF.

__________________
Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

The K&N I have came with the car. I have read good and bad things about them. I have not used any of the recommended oil on it. I inquired at my local auto parts store where they sell K&N's about the oil they refer to on the K&N web site. They don't carry it and the guy said to just clean it with some detergent like 409. Not knowing any better, when I discovered the problem, I dunked mine in a bucket of Kero. It cleaned it up really well. I hope this was not detrimental in some way.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is my MAF?

__________________
85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale**
84 300D 333K Black (The Velveteen Rabbit) 0-60 in 14 seconds
00 Toyota Sienna 208K (Sold)
15 Subaru Outback 43K
11 Subaru Outback 67K
98 Ford Taurus 100K (Gertie - Was Grandma's - drove it to church and shopping - really) Daughter's car now.
30 Model A Ford 2 Door Sedan (Sold) 0-60 in . . . Never reached 60

I'm guessing its a mass air flow sensor.

__________________
I'm sick of .sig files

Oiling the K&N (or similar high flow filters) is critical for trapping the smaller particulate matter. The high flow filters have larger pores so the oil is used to trap the particles. Most horror stories about K&N's are a result of neglect and lack of filter maintenance (cleaning and oiling). If they never get cleaned they get clogged and if they never get routinely oiled they don't filter well, especially if they dry out completely.

I don't know enough about the filter oil to say one way or the other if Kero would be a suitable for the filtering aspect (I don't see why not, just check it ocassionally to see if the filter is still oily) but as a cleaner it should be fine.

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

turbo sucks air. any oil inside any part of the air intake tract is residual from the crank case gasses. which is NORMAL and common on 10,000km engines and 500,000km engines.

dripping BLACK oil from the drain holes on the air cleaner could be an indication of something. Since you mentioned that there was a K&N filter in there, I'll bet some one over oiled it and it bled out.

Also if you have a leaking intake manifold gasket, that could put oil in unusual places.

__________________
RIP: 80 300SD
RIP: 79 450SEL
2002 E430 4matic (212,000km)
2002 ML500 'sport'

____________________________
FACEBOOK: PANZER450

When its 20 degrees out, and it just cranks, and cranks and cranks. Until you either it or plug it in. Thats on deaths doorstep.

Back when I had the SD either was my best friend!

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Just curious--how would an intake gasket put oil where it's not supposed to be? And where exactly would those places be? I have some oil in unusual places.

__________________

1998 E300D, 287k, barely broken in.