I've had my share of oil change disasters. One of the more memorable ones was when I finished changing the oil and filter and then proceded to back the 300sd out of the garage and about 25 feet onto the concrete driveway. I discovered that it doesn't take too long to pump 8 quarts of oil out of a oil filter housing that has only been loosely tightened down. A thirty foot diesel oil slick on a clean driveway is quite obvious.

This unfortunate incident added 4 hours to my routine oil change which included a trip to the auto parts store for 4 cans of degreaser and a box of rags. I hurried to finish this before my wife came home. She never suspected a thing. Thankfully, the neighbors never tipped her off.

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Rob
'84 300SD 258K
'85 300D (sold)

The other day I changed three of them at the same time. Can get a bit confusing however. We have a buddy around here that got doing a couple at once and forgot to add oil to the one. Had his wife start it and.....long story....I saw that engine sitting out of the car a week later....trashed.

I swapped an engine a couple of months ago. What I most hate is the stinkin oil pressure line where it attaches to the engine, so I just clipped it in half figuring that I'd replace it with another as soon as the buzzard was out of the car. Forgot.

That makes a mess for sure when you start it. Good thing I saw the line of oil and shut her down in time.

Don

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DAILY DRIVERS:
'84 300DT 298k (Aubrey's)
'99.5 Jetta TDI IV 251k (Julie's)
'97 Jetta TDI 127k (Amber's)
'97 Jetta TDI 186k (Matt's)
'96 Passat TDI 237k (Don's
'84 300D 211k Mint (Arne- Undergoing Greasecar Conversion)

SOLD:
'82 240D 229k (Matt's - Converted-300DT w/ 4 speed

I change my oil hot, in fact it takes 35 minutes for me to get to the shop (where I work; 25 miles away, all highway). I just pull the car in and put it on the lift, etc. It's funny because I have it down where I don't really get any of the oil on me, well, just a few drops but I just wipe those off right away. While the car's draining I check tires, etc.

I've only changed oil on the SDL once, and the belly pan is a bit of a pain, but oh well. I have some oil leak that is puddling oil in it so when I get it off the car it's pretty messy.

One question for you guys, particularly Larry, do you install the o-ring dry or wet on the oil filter canister? I did my SDL dry, have the bolts torqued down really tight, and it is leaking. I wanted to tighten the nuts down more, but they were already too tight. Any advice? I always wetten the gaskets on spin-on filters that I install at work.

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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I know you intended this question for Larry, but this thread is almost a year old!

Did you also replace the copper crush washer? If not, it will likely leak! Yes, you should oil the O-rings, and no, would not be the reason for leaks if you did not wet the O-rings. BB

That's a good one.

I especially like the whew part...

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'99 S420 - Mommies
'72 280SE 4.5 - looking to breathe life into it
'84 300SD Grey - Sold
'85 300SD Silver - Sold
'78 Ski Nautique

Where has this treasure been hiding?

Put fill cap on clean rag in drivers seat as reminder {to add oil dummy.}

good idea. i tend to leave mine somewhere and then fill the oil. check level. collect tools. put crummy rag into bag and then into trunk. drive off. a few minutes later stomach falls, heart leaps and palapatates as smoke rises from the front of the car. panic sets in. shut car off. it won't. open hood. where is oil cap??!!! car won't stop with hole in engine. more panic. dive into trunk for crummy t-shirt from radio station that let me go(their loss) to cover hole. take out shirt. bag is heavy. engine still running. oil spewing. bottom of bag has oil cap. re attach. pissed. motor looks like cr*p with fresh oil all over. engine shuts off.

my memory went at childbirth. i like that one. i raised the kids also right?

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currently
[1981 300 td tdidi 165500 dark brown/palamino-Brownie-mine-3k miles of ownership
1983 240d 162+++ Anthricite grey w/ henna red interior and hella lights-wifes car-Red

the above two cars are for sale
and can be seen on the cars for sale thread here. pix also available.


240d-144+ Manilla Yellow w/ palmino interior-greasecar kit-Blondie-the college kids car

23" gt 21 speed still on original tires-still got the nubs
21" khs tandem

When you mention the crush washer, I assume you're speaking of the one on the drain plug? Well, then yes I did replace that. So you think my oil filter housing is leaking because I didn't wet the o-ring? Well, I guess I'll have to wait another 3k to change it. It's not leaking on the ground that I know of yet, it's just run down the side and looks bad. I have delvac 1 in and am running on 5k intervals since I don't want to necessarily mess with oil analysis'.

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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You Michigan peoples crack me up...

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"HEIDI" White 1998 E-300TD 176K
European Delivery is a HOOT!

2002 Harley "FatBoy"

Me I just would run the 240D in the garage all warmed up, attach hose from oil drain pan out beside the car to FUMOTO oil drain valve, turn valve to open posidtion, go lay on couch and turn on the TV and check eyelids for light leaks. The sometime the next day or day after I finsh the job, return to couch for further checking of eyelids for light leaks. I will follow this procedure on the new Magnum in the future as I have installed a FUMOTO drain valve in it also.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

I refuse to change my oil unless I have enough quarts of beer at hand!

Truthfully, I usually let my indie do them since my weekends aren't as open as I'd like them to be. And there is usually something that needs to be tweaked anyway, so i get my car back with fresh oil and some anomaly corrected in the process.

I still do the oil on my VW...the oil drain plate and associated weird filter parts befuddles most places except old VW garages...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

ROFL, cracking up.