Today I did my FIRST oil change on my M-B (1990 190E) and after I removed the oil filter (without much incident--loosened the filter just enough to let air in and the oil drain out so as not to create a mess!) I looked at the filter housing and saw this black distorted gasket wedged in the area where the oil drains back into the engine (dunno the technical term). I wondered to myself if that was the gasket from the filter. I looked at the Mann filter I removed and the gasket was still on it. I then looked at the filter housing again to see if a rubber gasket is supposed to belong there. It didn't look like a gasket could fit anywhere on there. So I fished the gasket out and it was hard! It cracked as I pressed on it to se if it was still elastic. I surmised that this gasket piece came off of an old filter and was left there! I cannot belive the M-B indie shop I have been taking my car for oil changes never noticed it or never bothered to remove it! That kinda ticks me a bit. Don't they look at the filter housing after they remove the filter? Good thing the rubber gasket was not so brittle that it disintegrated and contaminated my engine with rubber/plastic debris!

Thanks to this board, the oil change went without much hassle. I'm really glad I got a filter cap because the filter was pretty tight and I could not unscrew it with my hand. I did hand-screw the new Mahle filter in though. I'm still letting evey drop of oil drip and will soon put in 6.0 to 6.3 qts of Valvoline 10W40 MaxLife oil. Pep Boys has a rebate on it. )

I cannot believe how easy it is to change oil on my 190E. I've been paying $40 for my indie to do it? I know $40 isn't much compared to what other M-B places are charging, but a friend of mine gives me grief about it. An oil change is an oil change, he says. I tell him it's a M-B/other Euro car indie shop and they are specialized, besides they know what to look for and do as far as little things are concerned about a particular make and model. But now with discovering this gasket left in my filter housing I'm a bit miffed that they didn't do everything I thought they would.