Either I've become a dummy or something is odd here. Far as I know the updated oil capacity is 7qts on this car? Why do you think on an oil change with filter I've added two gallons and it's just barely on the minimum amount?
2nd oil change, nothing special or modified, just an old car. Photo was after a short drive and letting it sit 3min in my driveway, oil was changed cold(I know I know). It was the exact same level as it was after running it for ten seconds or so then turning it off and letting it sit five minutes before checking like I usually do to check oil after an oil change. Should I just add a bit more and forget about it? The goal is to run it even between the min and max mark as is advised for the M104.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

Did you give the oil time to drain down from the head? Sometimes fresh oil can be hard to see on the dipstick, I had such a hard time with it on my SDL that I filed the dipstick rough so I could see where it clung! Synthetic oil is much worse about it than conventional.

If you know you added 2 gallons (like newly opened jugs instead of ones that were opened previously), go drive it around until the oil gets dirty enough to make it easier to read.

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Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

Yeah I let it sit five then ten minutes, I gave it a good half hour and now it's about 1/4 into the metal area between the red plastic. This was after driving it around so the oil was warm. Really weird, I guess I'll check it again tomorrow and see how it looks. Long as it's in the metal I'm OK with it, car hasn't used any oil that I've seen so far.

I learned a clean oil checking trick a while ago, lay the dipstick on a blue paper towel and pull it straight down sideways so the oil stains the paper and read it's position off that, helps with the clean oil thing.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

TSB
Mercedes Service B. - 00-134, Ref 18/45

Oil level changed from 7.5 ltr to 7 ltr. with /oil filter

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A Dalton

You know, most people online when you search for "e320 oil capacity" or such quote that in quarts not liters, and they leave out the "w/o filter" part.

Do we know what the updated oil fill capacity, with filter, is in quarts?
Based on mine I'm guessing 8.2 or so quarts.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

>>Mercedes Service B. - 00-134, Ref 18/45>>

Ltr is the correct measure for a German car.

Metric

Which is why they use it for the Technical Service Upgrade reverence for 104 engines w/HFM/SFI.


https://www.calculateme.com/Volume/Liters/ToQuarts.htm

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A Dalton

Are you sure it's the correct dipstick for the car? Was it "full" before you drained the old oil out? If so, is it possible to measure what came out?

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Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

Good question, I suspect it's correct given the history and condition of the car, but don't know for sure. Will try to rummage up some corroborating photos or match the number on it if it's a PN.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

So, we don't know the deference between an oil capacity w/o filter (which is not very useful) and that of a normal persons oil change with filter? In either measurement?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

TSB includes filter


Here are the TSB's:

TSB 18-.945

Cap change from 7.5 ltr to 7 ltr..oil/filter capacity . Notation should be changed in owners manual.

TSB 00.57A Ref. 00/134 Level Check Procedure:

Oil level should be check only after the engine is at least 80C and has sat for min of 2 min. The dipstick should then be fully inserted for at least 3 secs. The new level should not excede the 1/2 way mark between Max/Min with car on level ground.
Owners should be notified to refrain from Topping Off oil level beyound 1/2 mark.

Just do the math to convert to quarts.
7.5 ltr is just shy of 8 qts [ 7.92 qts]
7 ltr is just shy of 7.5 qts [ 7.4 ]

So, with the new TSB capacities, you are looking at approx 7-1/2 qts with filter ..MAX

And be aware...".Normal " people do use the Metric system...

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A Dalton

That makes much more sense, the "w/o filter" part was odd, ty
Devils in the details as they say.

I'm still over the 7.39 quarts and barely over the min mark after a normal drive and check. I'll check it again tomorrow and see if it's worked itself out.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

Wolf, the Owner's Manual for our 1995 E320 under the heading "Recommended engine oils" says "Engine with oil filter: 7.9 US qt (7.5 l). Hope that helps clarify for you.

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Fred Hoelzle

it is also a good idea to have the car on a completely flat level, I get an error of about a pint when its on my slightly inclined driveway.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Our driveway is on a slight incline, but it's very slight. I'll throw a level on it tomorrow and see. FWIW after sending the Very Significant Other to work in it today and checking it fifteen minutes after her 20 mile trip home the oil was showing dead between the two plastic bits on the dipstick. That would be disappointing if such a slight out of level would skew the oil reading that much.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

So eight months later, I had this same oil change experience this evening.
There's been an oil change or two in between but I can't remember what I did, I think it was put two gallons in and forget about it since it never uses any.

It again took over two gallons to get it to just below halfway between min and max mark. Two gallons was barely even at the MIN mark on the plastic. My significant other who drives it daily reminded me that the PO had the oil pan replaced, wonder if it was a larger capacity pan from some other chassis?

Car has been and still seems perfectly happy with the oil level indicated halfway between min and max, even though it takes a lot more than everyone says it should to make that read as such. Anyone have the part number handy for the correct dipstick for a 94 E320? I'm still curious about this but less concerned since the thing seems happy over the long term.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K