I'll start out by little introduction. I am the new owner of a 1992 300E 4-Matic and this is my first post on the forum. Along with that came the problems I bought it with. The oil in the engine seemd a lil diluted and creamy as if there there was coolant mixed in there. I am thinking it should be the head gasket that needs to be replaced. The guy I bought it from said it needs a new water pump. For some reason I doubt that. Is there anyway to check and be certain? The car has 181k on it but is in really good condition. Any tips on how to change the head gasket? Also could this be something else? I appreciate any feedback. Thank You.

it could be a blown head gasket causing mixing of oil/coolant resulting in the creamy mayonaise that you describe especially if there is a lot of it on the oil filler cap inside aspect.

however ,if it is only slight then it could be insignificant-it all depends what other symptoms you have such as loss of coolant,if similar mayonaise is noted on the oil dipstick-these would point to a blown./leaking headgasket.

get the cooling system pressure tested first to get the diagnosis.

The paint, upholstery, chrome, trim, etc. on a Benz hold up EXTREMELY well as compared to other cars. If you're not experienced with the breed, most any old MB will LOOK to be in great shape.

The coolant oil mix could be caused by problems other than a headgasket. If the previous owner did not keep coolant changed as they should, corrosion in the aluminum head can lead to the same symptoms. Also a crack can lead to it.

Most likely the problem is head related. It might be worthwhile to pressurize the cooling system with a tester and check for bubbles in the coolant. Likewise pressurizing each cylinder in turn with a leakdown tester could point out the problem.

Changing the head is a project, but if you are accustomed to twisting bolts it should be no problem.

Good luck,

Welcome to the Forum - you have discovered a great source for information. As for your question, if you had oil in the coolant, I would say you have a blown head gasket. But coolant in the oil usually indicates, as Larry said, a cracked block. The pressure in the system is such that with a blown head gasket coolant cannot flow into the oil, but rather, the oil flows into the coolant. I strongly suggest you do a search here on this subject -you will find a lot of useful information.

Do you have the complete service records for the car? If the head gasket was never replaced, (unlikley since this was the achilles heel of this engine), or you are unsure, but there is residue of oil in the coolant, then it means one of two things: either the gasket is blown and needs to be replaced, or the oil is residue that was not properly cleaned from the engine after the gasket was last replaced. The only good news, (not that it's much), is that MB recognized the poor original design of the gasket and improved it so when it's replaced, (be sure to get the improved gasket), it should be done with.

I also have a '92 300 4Matic, (third owner), but mine is a TE wagon. I recently had to replace the head gasket in my car which has only 138,000 miles and you will see my posts on this subject when you do a search. Personally I love this car, though there are many who avoid this era 4Matic like the plague because of some of the problems that they are known to suffer from. But given the space, comfort, ride, traction, and good looks of the car, I think it's a worthwhile tade-off, (knock-on-wood). Good Luck.

1962 MB 220SEb "Fintail" Sedan
1963 Vespa VNB4T Motor Scooter
1992 MB 300TE 4Matic Wagon
1995 Subaru AWD Wagon

Ok, i have some updated info. The oil is not in anyway creamy like mayo. It is more like cofee with a little cream. The water pump is leaking very badly and it defnitely needs to be changed. I took a garden hose to the coolant and started filling it, the waterpump was leaking a lot. This was while the car was off. I found three diff. waterpumps at this site for about $110: http://www.importedcarparts.com/ There are 3 diff. water pump brands Graf, Geba, and Laso. Anyone know the difference? Now that I have to change the water pump and special tools that i need or any tips and tricks that will help me?

Next about the head gasket problem I am planning to change the oil and filter to see what will happen to the oil and how long it will take to happen. But I am thinking that if I am going to change the water pump might as well change the head gasket at the same time? Let me know what you guys think.

For all of you that responded thank you very much. Larry and Fintail I sure hope it is not a cracked block

If the water pump is leaking that badly, it likely ran hot and warped the head. Probably needs a head gasket and the head trued as well as a water pump.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Mike I am sorry, but what do you mean by "trued"?

I think he means ground flat at a machine shop.

Exactly Fintail.

A machine shop will probably need to mill the head flat again. If it is warped from overheating you will never get a new head gasket to seal without truing it.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Jamathai,
Again, welcome to the site---LOTS of great people and good info.
Have you priced the water pump at Fastlane? Phil is a sponsor of this site and generally has very good prices. His service is absolutely great--I have ordered parts and rec'd them in under 24 hrs.