I'm just wondering if anybody knows if its really possible for oil separators to go bad? I'm suspecting this is causing the excessive oil consumption in my dad's '83 240, my reason being when I looked down through the air filter housing into the intake manifold there is a thick layer of oily sludge in there

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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint

Sure I imagine too much sludge might block or partially restrict the return to the engine. Although it can only cope with so much oily blowby.

Your climate is decent enough that running straight 40 grade diesel rated oil will reduce consumption signifigantly if engine is getting a little worn. Even as far north as we are in eastern Canada we have used this approach in spring,summer and fall. Usually cuts oil consumption to about half if your oil loss is not external leakage.

Another thing to add about the car is that you can check it multiple times a day and the oil level will change each time and the level will change, going up and down. This is with the car sitting all day, not running at all

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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint

Gotta stay away from the booze or it's current equivelant.

Some form of dipstick reading error I supect. During typical californian quakes I might see this as a possibility. Now it does take sometime for an engines oil to all drain down. But once that has occured the readings should all be the same if the car is not started or moved. If the oil level seemed to only continue rising it might be worth some thought.

UMMM, does your Dads 83 240D have a EGR? that would be the source of the sludge. The EGR dumps exhaust into the intake along with the blow by fumes, and creates this thick black sludge tar like substance.

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

for such a behavior you need serious temperature oscillations
by serious I mean seeeerious

it must be something wrong with your measuring procedure
its well known...one side of the oil stick is always smudged
you measure only "flat line" side of the stick.


.

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w126 500SEC gen II euro, powered by OM617 turbo stolen from 84 300SD 2.88 diff,EGR blinded
next wish/project: w114 coupe OM603 powered

Yeah I checked it three times throughout the day, the car never ran, it went from overfilled, to middle of the good range, to top of good range. Makes no sense to me, I think the car probably needs new rings and valve seals since it does have quite a bit of blowby. It does start right up and run like s champ though

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1982 300D Turbodiesel, daily driver. Mods so far: Fram 8038 paper filter, 4 brake light mod, Gen II w126 (front) rotors/calipers, boost turned up to 12lbs, non-egr manifolds, water/methanol injection, 4-speed manual
1980 300SD Turbodiesel, project car, nearly ready to hit the street

1974 240D, New paint

You've lost us all, go the local garage and ask someone to do it for you. Watch them do it, then modify your technique. I see grown men, veteran mechanics stab the dipstick, then pull it, then point the bottom side up and let the oil flow up the dipstick increasing the reading as time passes... You connect the dots!