Well, there is a bit of sludge on the dipstick and the dipstick has some corrosion on it.

However, looking at the service records, I would not say that the car was abused, although the engine may have had a tough operating environment. The car has been serviced at a Mercedes dealer all its life, the previous owner appears to have followed the FSS schedule, and synthetic oil was always used. This leads me to believe that the car was probably not warmed up enough and frequently enough to burn out any condensation inside the crankcase.

Wouldn't the FSS detect this style of driving and indicate something?

Pulling the valve cover makes sense and I'll do this in warmer weather. If I do find more sludge - what would be the most sensible and economical response?

Thanks,
Paul

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1989 300E

Also owned:
1972 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
1976/80 VW Scirocco
1967 Austin Healey 3000
plus vans, trucks, and one boat