Drivers side panel removal
 

Can anyone give me directions on how to remove the bottom panel on the drivers side? I only see one screw, but there must be more than one cause I cant budge it. Do I have to lay on my back under thee to get it out? I'm prob to old for that. I'm looking for an oil leak. Some oil has accumulated in the bottom of the panel which I can partially see by removing the instrument cluster. Any tips greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Harry

What year & model car?

DRIVERS SIDE PANEL REMOVAL
 

Dang it!!! Cant believe I left it out agin. My apology. Its a 1985 300D

Thanks,
Harry

Sounds like your oil pressure gauge or the line that feeds it is leaking. A common and annoying problem on these models. What's worse is that it can all of a sudden start leaking very quickly, drenching your legs in scalding oil, while ruining your interior and permanently renewing the car's already oily smell.

If I owned that model car, I'd delete the hard oil line and install an electrical pressure sensor that uses a wire and not an oil line.

How MB engineers ever married this design with their philosophy of extreme safety is completely beyond me. A pressurized line delivering hot, flammable fluids to the passenger compartment of all places strikes me as an obvious no-no.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot - you can also leak oil from the cut-off line that runs to the ignition switch!

Check the fuel cut-off vacuum solenoid on the fuel system. If the diaphragm is torn there, oil can suck up into and then out of the ignition switch, which connects to the solenoid via a vacuum line.

It's gonna be one of those two things fo-sho!

If you are interested, my friend John converted both of those systems on his 300D into more reliable electric versions. I will be glad to ask him for the details of how he did it, should you find yourself wanting to eliminate the hazard altogether.