I have a oil leak on driver side (left) of the engine it seems to leak from oil pan, is there a common leak above the starter on the M104 engine? The usually head gasket leak is it on the passenger side on front of the engine?

Spit64,

I have an 87 300e with the m103. M103 and m104 are VERY similar, and have almost identical oil leak issues. Typically, oil will leak from the front timing chain cover, the FRONT and REAR of the head gasket on the PASSENGER side, the passenger side of the valve cover, and sometimes from the oil filter housing, which is what you might be seeing on the drivers side of your m104. The oil pans almost never leak, but anything can be possible as our engines rack up age and mileage.

Hope this helps

M104 oil leaks are on the passenger side IF the head gasket is the problem.

Drivers side (LHD) leaks are very uncommon.

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Thanks for the reply. The car has 321000 miles on the odometer. I guess I let the oil leak be for now.

spit64, I recently replaced the leaking rubber oil return line on our 1995 E320 because it was brittle and cracked. The line is on the driver's side near the front of the engine. Not sure if your 104 engine has that particular line or not.

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Fred Hoelzle

OK I will check it out in the weekend. I have tried to se if the oil filter housing is leaking but is not easy because the narrow space.