With DIY type extractors that's the case. I thought I heard that the dealer attaches an industrial grade extractor to the dispstick tube, no separate smaller tube. I don't know if the crankcase vent to the air intake line works in reverse.

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

Anyone ever heard of.... Jiffylube? You drive in, they change the oil, they even dispose of the old oil for you. Imagine that

I do take my other cars to a jiffy Lube type place. I have zero interest in working on them, Chrysler mini-van and Toyota truck.

Working on my now 2 MB's, for me, is simply a way to get away from work, and calm the mind. Sort of a regression back to age 16 to about 24. I'm about to become bored. There's just not much to do on the S320, and the 300E is now retired.

Thinking about changing the motor mounts on the S320. Compared to the 300E it looks wide open in there.

Steve

Nothing wrong with sucking the oil out. Its a PITA to remove the belly pans all the time. Works fine on boats and new cars.

This isn't that lazy approach why expend much more effort for no gain? The lazy way is to pay someone else to do it!

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

They over torque the drain plug.
They forget to put in the right amount of oil.
They use crappy oil filters.
They strip the treads on the drain plug.
Etc.Etc.

But if your happy with the one you visit then keep going. Until they do one of the items above and it cost $$ to fix.

For that matter alot of dealers are becoming competitive with the "jiffylube" pricing and have good deals on oil changes. If they screw it up they are supposed to know how to fix it.

I have a topsider and use it 50-60% of the time. Sometimes I just want to use the drain plug to see what comes out and to have a look under the car.
If you don't have all the tools to do it yourself just make sure you change it regularly and include the filter each time. Your engine will thank you.

Dave

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

I can reach the drain plug on my 240D without using a jack. I like draining it out the bottom and thinking it may pull some stuff out that the vacuum will never pull up and out the tube. I guess that is about our $.06 worth now.

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1982 240D Euro Stick 4

Owning a TDI is what conviced me (very quickly!) to buy an extractor.

I have not looked back!

Works great for emptying PS reservoirs, as well.

Tim

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2009 VW TDI Jetta Sportwagon 172k miles (rear-ended harder than Elton John on 8/4/13. Total loss)

1991 Volvo 240 142k miles (T-boned by a stop sign runner. Total loss)

The quick changers also provide these perks...

Forget to put in the oil....
Lie about the type oil if they put it in....
Top off the brake fluid reservoir with water...
Use an air wrench to strip out the oil pan threads...
Steal tools left in the passenger seat...
Try to scare people into unneeded service...
Use the lowest quality parts they can find....
I will not use them ....any time anywhere....

To provide balance to the above... I am sure there are some honest ones somewhere....
The last one I trusted was about in 1984....and they were on the downhill slide....

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1978 Yellow 300D (The Mustard Toad)
1980 Blue 240D (The Iron Toad)
1989 Grey Mitsu.4WD Mighty Max Pickup (Needs a Diesel transplant bad)

(Open the pod bay doors HAL)

If you are watching

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2009 VW TDI Jetta Sportwagon 172k miles (rear-ended harder than Elton John on 8/4/13. Total loss)

1991 Volvo 240 142k miles (T-boned by a stop sign runner. Total loss)

My mom and dad have a ML320, and they were told that draining the oil via the drain plug was bad news, because the M112 motor drain plug spits oil on the control arm bushings. MB has told it's dealers to suck the oil out because of this. The average shop/oil change place is NOT going to be aware of this. The MB indy my dad used sure didn't know, and pops likes to change his oil every 3k. It's a good thing they only did it two or three times.

Isn't it wonderful how MB still designs it's vehicles to high standards?

Right, they have had more problems with the 2000 ML they bought new(it has less than 30k miles on it now), than with the '92 Jeep Cherokee that they traded in on it with 150k miles that they bought used in '93.

Though the Jeep once had a real scary case of the "death wobble", fixed by new bushings in the front end, at 100k miles.

Anyone who has worked around boats of any kind, from fishing, to racing, to megabuck yachts.....will have an oil suction setup.....and they usually run off of 12V as mine does.....just clip it to the battery terminals.....they can be found at any good marine supply store.....Boat US, and West Marine for example.....

I personally use the drain plug on my vehicles......and I do the changes myself...

SB

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Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

I don't want Jiffy Lube anywhere near the vac. lines by the oil filter. Even if they could even find and replace the oil filter element, I don't think the power locks would work after they did an oil chamge.

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Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY

Never jacked up my MB's to change the oil.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13