1988 300E Questions for Larry Bible

[JimSmith]

Larry,

I have changed the oil on my 5-speed 300E, and made a mess changing the filter. Is there some trick to getting the oil in the filter to drain out before you unscrew it? It dumped cup or two of oil all over and it ran down onto the driveway, making more of a mess. I was just wondering if I missed something (I have never changed an oil filter of the screw on type on an MB before and frankly prefer the filter element in the fixed housing design that came about with the W123 Diesels and seems to be on everything else I own except the 1988 300E). The oil filter was the one that came with the car, it was not an MB part, so I wonder if the new MB one I just put on will have the same problem or not.

I am also unable to get the wood console with the window control switches around the gear shift lever off, and was wondering if the ashtray has to come out first. I have been unable to get the ashtray out as the PO installed a built in radar detector that resides in the ashtray. How does it come out?

Finally, and this is really embarassing, the shift boot is beat. I bought a new one and went to install it and did not recognize anything under the shift lever handle as removal hardware. How do you get the handle off, to take the old cracked rubber boot off and put the new boot on? My 190, and the W123's, W114/115's all had some nuts that lock the handle on after you thread it onto the lever extension. The 300E has no such stuff there, and does not feel like it comes off by unscrewing.

If you can give me some pointers I would feel much more comfortable. At the moment being stymied by the idiosyncracies of this vehicle is making me look like a boob to my wife, as I bought the car for her, and now can't seem to recognize anything under the hood or even in the ashtray. Thanks, Jim

[yal]

Sorry to jump in...but the Mercedes specific oil filters have a check valve that stops the oil from coming back down. This might be your problem there.
Also if the stick shifter for the 300e is the same as the automatic then you might have to get under the car to remove the handle on top of the tranny it does not screw of from the top. Thats how it is on the automatic.
Hopefully Larry will get back to you if I didn't get any of this right

[Mike Richards]

Dealer part number is 102-184-01-01.

OEM mfgs are Mahle-Knecht, Mann; Hengst. As Yal said, these all have anti-drainback valves. I'll bet the filter you removed didn't.

[JimSmith]

Yal and Mike,

The one I removed was yellow and seemed to have a little oil trapped in it when it came off. When I looked at the mess I made, I examined the filter and saw there was about 3 inches of length that was kind of available to fill and spill out, and beyond that there seemed to be some barrier. I hope the MB filter in there now (black) comes out without making the mess this one did. Thanks, Jim

[joel]

sorry, there are no yellow OEM MB oil filters.
if what you've got is black with the part no.
mentioned, you will not be experiencing
any future spillage.

Yes, there is a trick. After pulling the drain plug I use a long punch and drive a hole in the top of the sheet metal filter. This vents the filter and lets the oil drain out.

After a few minutes, I remove the filter and let the oil continue draining into the pan, overnight if possible. This way, I don't have a full filter to spill above the starter, and I get it off, so the oil in the filter does not continue to ooze into the pan.

Good luck,

[JimSmith]

Thanks for the help with the oil filter, any hints on the shift lever boot replacement and getting the window switches out of the wood trim to check them out? Thanks, Jim

I've never removed these switches, but I think they're like the ones on the 123 cars, if so, you can carefully move the outer end tabs toward the switch while prying up. They will pop out, remember, this is if they have the spring tabs on the ends of the switch.

The shift boot is about $6 and is replaced by peeling off the base with your fingernails, inverting, then use an open end wrench to loosen the locknut on the shift knob. Screw off the shift knob, slip the old cover off, clean everything and slip the new one on by reversing the steps.

Good luck,

[mplafleur]

I've found that you don't have to punch a hole in the top of the filter. Just unscrew it 1/2 to 3/4 turn and leave it for a few minutes.

That was among the best information I learned on this forum. I had been spilling oil on every filter change for four years on this car!

[JimSmith]

Larry,

I tried looking for a lock nut on the bottom of the shift lever knob, as I have done this on my older cars, and found out my 190E is the same when the shift pattern wore off and the guy at the Thrify airport parking place nearly unscrewed the knob trying to get the car into reverse. This car, the 300E with a manual transmission, does not seem to have a lock nut under the shift knob. It has some kind of aluminum looking clasp with no fasteners. There were no flats to hold the lever while you try to unscrew the knob, and the lever descends into a mechanical joint/bearing assembly, and does not look like a user friendly affair.

I was hoping the clam shell clamp had some release feature that I was not noticing, or that there was some simple way to get the knob off. Thanks for the help, and when I get this item figured out I will post the answer (no matter how embarrassing it is). Jim

I have replaced the shift boot on several 123's and I replaced right after purchase of my 300E several years ago, but I don't remember it being any different to the 123. I will try to remember to take a look at it. All I have to do is peel up the boot and take a glance. I sure thought there was just a locknut underneath the boot on the lever.

Good luck,

[JimSmith]

Larry,

I looked a little closer at the way the handle on my 300E fits on the shift lever, and found a lead thread peeking out from under the handle. So I twisted the handle a little harder in the unscrewing direction and it started turning. No lock nut, but as the thread started showing there was a large defect on the thread on the shaft about half way down the threaded length. Once the handle got over this it screwed off with little effort. I changed the boot, and screwed it back on, and, if you screw it all the way down, it faces in the right direction and gets good and tight. I think there was a lock nut once upon a time, but someone lost it and used the disturbed thread to lock the handle instead. Sorry for being so obtuse. And thanks for the help, Jim

Hi
To sort the last of your problems ref window switch removal-DO NOT try to pry out the switch as you will damage the wood!!
At the back of the panel where it meets the carpet in the oddments tray there is a single screw under the carpet.The rest is odvious!!
Hamish