w123 300d turbo.

the oil is coming up from the PCV tube (seems like an engine vent that recycles the crank case air) and working itself out of the air intake.

it is so bad that it dripping out and staining the headlight assembly and the grill.

I will post a pic in a bit.

could it be just overfilled with oil or something else?

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

Unlikely.

The usual cause is lots of blowby from the rings, pressurizing the crankcase.

Maybe....

The system has a baffle on the inside of the cam cover, and if that has fallen off, it allows oil into the vent.

Some later W123s had an oil separator inline between the cam cover and the air intake. Maybe the return line is plugged.

jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
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94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

cam cover = valve cover?

what does the oil separator look like?

Thanks Mr. Jim!

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

Need pictures. That line is supposed to carry oil in it and the oil gets separated out in the oil separator inside the air cleaner and then drains back down into the pan. Can't imagine how oil is coming out and moving forward in the engine compartment.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

pictures! notice how bad it is coming out and staining the hood, the lights and the grill.

is the separator what I am pointing to?

Attached Thumbnails

       

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

No, it looks as if you're pointing at the aux heater pump. The separator is farther to the right in the picture and is not in sight.

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is the official name of it the 'oil separator'? i will just get it

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

From the pics it looks like the Oil Separator is a Canister inside of the Air Filter bay way of the tubing going to the Air Filter.

It could simply be that his Oil Separator needs a good Cleaning and he needs to be sure the Drain tube and Check Valve are working.

If Blow-by is coming out of somewhere else the I suppose the Turbo Charger Drain Tube or where the skinny Breather Drain Tube attaches to the Crankcase could have issues.
But, it should be possible to see those.

I the case is simply too much Blow-by coming out one way to deal with it is to fabricate a larger Breather. The Breather is simply a large space that acts as an expansion Chamber and slows down the Velocity of the Oil Vapor. Inside that is often something like Steel Wool for the Oil particles to collide and condense on.
In the below thread I used a Cookie Can. I am not entirely happy with that but everything I did is working better then the Stock setup.
Washable Air Filter and Intake Mod , With Larger Breather
Washable Air Filter and Intake Mod , With Larger Breather - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

The other way or in addition is to try to deal with where the Blow-by could be coming from. Past the Piston Rings or past the Exhaust Valve Guides.
Obviously an Engine Overhaul would solve the above 2 but there is less costly things that can be tried.

Either Soak the Cylinder/Piston Rings in something like Marvel Mystery Oil (for a week or more) or switch to Synthetic Motor Oil (takes 200-300 miles of driving) and hope that the cause of your Problem is sticking Piston Rings.
Less effective is changing the Valve Stem Seals.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel