In front of the air cleaner on my '83 240D there is a black device that I presume recovers the oil from the gases ventilated from the crankcase. It's connected to the top of the valve cover, the intake underneath the air cleaner housing, and the oil sump pan. I had the part number (which is molded into the top of the part) but don't have it in front of me.

Is this something that can be maintained or should be replaced? Mine is slowly leaking oil from various places, most notably the tube that goes down to the oil sump pan, also the tube connecting to the top of the valve cover. It's dripping onto the alternator, which concerns me. I didn't see any mention of it in my service manuals, but I didn't know the name of the part so wasn't sure what to look for.

Thanks.
- Nathan
'83 240D, 250k miles

ncarter,

This is as you see an oil vent. It connects to a pipe shaped baffle inside the valve cover where a vacuam is drawn on the crankcase. See that it is in good shape and does not leak. The leaking could be aggravated in a high mileage worn engine.

The good news about a high mileage diesel is; the oil useage doesn't foul spark plugs or cause any other ill effects as long as you keep oil in it. You can still drive the car as long as you can carry enough oil with you to get where you're going.

You should be able to get the necessary parts to fix it at the dealer. But I would first check with the Parts Shop on this website. If they can supply the pipe and rubber fittings, you will be money ahead.

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Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 516K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles

moraine,

This is a great point, especially for those who have their oil changed at Jiffy Lube or somewhere similar. One of the many reasons I change my own oil, is so that I can look around and "see if there's anything falling off".

If "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", then observing a problem in time to prevent it should be worth a pound of prevention.

ncarter is obviously watching for areas where he can provide the prevention. I'll bet his 240D lasts forever. It's all in the attitude and curing small problems before they become big problems.

My $0.02


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Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 516K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles