Toblin, I remember reading through all the posts on oil evacuation. It was over a year ago when I bought my first Benz and I was trying to figure out all the hype on using a topsider, never before having heard of the concept being used on cars.

Here are a few points that people have noted:

- The best oil change for the engine is usually done by gravity through the drain plug with the engine warm.

- Oil is extracted much easier with a topsider when the engine is warm.

- Sometimes the topsider needs to be pumped twice with vacuum to complete the oil change.

- Using a topsider is cleaner and useful for people who hate crawling under cars. The lower sound shield doesn't need to be removed for those cars that have one.

- Some MB engines have an oil drain plug that is NOT at the very bottom of the pan. For those engines the topsider can get more oil out than traditional gravity drain.

- Some reported that, after using a topsider, they double checked the evacuation efficiency by opening the drain plug, and no extra oil came out.

There are pros and cons to using a topsider versus traditional gravity drain. It appears that a lot of this depends on the oil pan design of the particular engine and the owner's preference. I suppose if a person hates crawling under the car, they'll be more inclined to change the oil often using a topsider, which will ultimately lead to better car care.

I use the traditional HOO method (Hot, Overnight, Often). My car has the drain plug at a location that appears to be at the lowest point in the pan. Plus I try to keep things simple (and cheap) in my garage and reduce clutter by not having a topsider.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K