Greetings Rick,

I'm learning just like you that these Benz's are temp sensitive. With Winter, even the valve cover only get's warm after a fifty mile drive, and the IP stays basically cool. The opposite happens during the Summer. After only fifty miles of driving the valve cover is quite warm if not hot to the touch and the IP now is quite warm as well. I'd like to think that oil stays the same viscosity whether it's hot or cold, but the fact remains that it actually remains cooler in the Winter and presses the outer limit during Summer heat. I have found that using a rubber gasket on the oil fill cap just about rids any leakage year aound. As far as leaks go, I really guess I'm lucky that I don't have any real leaks to speak of, from tranny to oil pan to fuel system except when I back down the steep grade driveway I have, I get rear oil pan seal leakage. I'd like to change it out because I know it must seep as well just going down the road but on level ground it doesn't leak a drop. Just haven't justified the time to spend on the seal replacement until it becomes a real concern of level leakage.

Thanks,

charles