Originally Posted by olivelawn

Just bought an '82 300SD Turbo and its got a good bit of oil below the gasket. I've only had it a few days, so I don't know how much of the oil is on the outside of the engine is from years past or if the leak is a bad problem now. Here is what I do know. The oil level is low. The oil registers only on the tip of the dipstick. There are only a few droplets of oil on the floor where the vehicle has been parked for the last 5 days. The oil pressure gauge seems to fluctuate between the 2 and 3 mark while running. I've been reluctant to clean the engine because I figured if I do bring it to a mechanic for a checkout that it might be better to leave it as is for diagnosis. So does this look bad? Is this somewhat typical for this age and make?