MB left a woodruff key in the oil pan??? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

sixto · #1 11-09-2007, 11:17 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290179588433

"A woodruf key left in the oil pan at the MB factory finally worked its way into the oil pump, jamming it. MB does not have a warning light or buzzer when there is an oil pressure failure."

My guess is vacuum pump shrapnel not cleaned out of sump.

Sixto
87 300D

Brian Carlton · #2 11-09-2007, 11:34 PM

Sixto, she's all yours..........you know what to do..........

sixto · #3 11-10-2007, 12:14 AM

Hit Man, another short block, please. You know where to send it.

Sixto
87 300D

pawoSD · #4 11-10-2007, 01:35 AM

Did they forget to install an oil pump strainer at the factory too?

bustedbenz · #5 11-10-2007, 01:44 AM

Isn't the large gauge that suddenly goes from one extreme to the other sufficient? Are we really so inattentive that if the car doesn't flash or beep at us, we don't notice things?

pawoSD · #6 11-10-2007, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bustedbenz

Isn't the large gauge that suddenly goes from one extreme to the other sufficient? Are we really so inattentive that if the car doesn't flash or beep at us, we don't notice things?

Because of my paranoia on oil pressure/temp and such I developed the ability to make one eye look ahead where I am going, while one lowers 30-40 degrees to watch the gauges, at the same time.

Kinda like homer simpson.

Kidding.

But it'd be nice!

bustedbenz · #7 11-10-2007, 03:43 AM

My dad used to fly Cessnas as a very casual hobby. Lesson number one when I started driving (which in this case was tractors before kindergarten) was to do a gauge scan every 15 to 30 seconds. Never forgot it.

Brian Carlton · #8 11-10-2007, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bustedbenz

My dad used to fly Cessnas as a very casual hobby. Lesson number one when I started driving (which in this case was tractors before kindergarten) was to do a gauge scan every 15 to 30 seconds. Never forgot it.

I'd be willing to bet that most folks won't scan the gauges at that interval. I try to do it myself, but, I'm sure it's not set in stone.

But, to save the engine at high rpm's.....15 seconds is about all you have........

I'll bet it's a rare person who saved an engine by looking at a gauge and reacting to it in time.

The benefit of an idiot light or an alarm is quite apparent under such conditions.

bustedbenz · #9 11-10-2007, 01:10 PM

Point taken.

Guess the only reason I look that often is that the cruise doesn't work and I know I have a tendency to heavy-foot it.

Even with the benefit of the alarms, I still like cars that provide the gauges as well. We had an Oldsmobile that did everything with idiot lights. Well... that system depended on full computer voltage. So when we lost alternators (two went out over the life of the car) - no warning was given until the voltage got so low that the computer didn't know how to report it... at that point, every light on the dash came on weakly, the bell started chiming randomly, and the engine was already shutting off from not having enough energy for the spark plugs at that point.

JimSmith · #10 11-10-2007, 01:25 PM

While driving in Albany once, long ago, my 1975 240D with the family and dog inside, showed a less than pegged oil pressure gage so I pulled over and shut it down. Lifted the hood and saw evidence of the oil cooler hose leaking. Cleaned it off and sure enough the rubber hose had been damaged by a leaking battery some time before, and there were actual small holes in the rubber part. Made a mess in the surrounding area. Bummer. Towed the car to the dealership, and had them replace the hoses as we were on our way to Lake Champlain for a summer vacation. It pays to watch gages.

Jim

larry perkins · #11 11-10-2007, 01:31 PM

brian,you should repost those pictures of the 350 that i sent you (details of loose bolts of a 3.5)
baffle bolts and washers get um.
larryperkins lou ky

lietuviai · #12 11-10-2007, 01:43 PM

OTH, the 87 300D that I once had, had a fluctuating oil pressure gauge. The first time when I noticed the oil pressure gauge was at 0, I nearly had a heart attack. I was on the freeway after just picking it up from the guy I bought it from. It wasn't making any noise. I almost thought about turning around and returning the car. The next exit was over a mile. So I also watched the temp gauge at the same time and it showed normally. I was thinking the temp would go up too if there was something so catastrophic as lost oil pressure. No odd odors either. So I was hoping it was only a bad gauge which it was.
You can't always trust gauges.

Hit Man X · #13 11-10-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixto

Hit Man, another short block, please. You know where to send it.

Sixto
87 300D

Hey now, I just found it this morning... plus it's local.

AND! Best part, I believe I have a 3.0L + No 22 head around.

Appears to have ASR too.

kerry · #14 11-10-2007, 03:19 PM

Audible alarms are the quickest way to become aware of a problem in my opinion. A low oil pressure shut off would also be useful. Why do auto mfg's use idiot lights instead of alarms?

JimSmith · #15 11-10-2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lietuviai

OTH, the 87 300D that I once had, had a fluctuating oil pressure gauge. The first time when I noticed the oil pressure gauge was at 0, I nearly had a heart attack. I was on the freeway after just picking it up from the guy I bought it from. It wasn't making any noise. I almost thought about turning around and returning the car. The next exit was over a mile. So I also watched the temp gauge at the same time and it showed normally. I was thinking the temp would go up too if there was something so catastrophic as lost oil pressure. No odd odors either. So I was hoping it was only a bad gauge which it was.
You can't always trust gauges.

I would say you lucked out. Disregarding gage readings is a bad practice. Read the lessons learned from Three Mile Island. One was to always act based on believing the gage readings, and, if you question them, once you have made the conditions safe, check the sensors, lines and gages to verify they are working correctly. To disregard them without specific, equally valid data that proves the readings are not correct is a formula for disaster. And engine water temperature rise will not tell you about main and connecting rod bearing temperatures in time to allow you to save the engine if in fact you have low oil pressure.

I prefer gages to idiot lights. While the idiot light draws your attention to the problem if you happen to be an inattentive type, they give you no more and likely less time to react. A really meaningful feature would be one that compares load to oil pressure and oil temperature and shuts down after giving a warning that undesirable conditions in the engine exist and counts down to shutdown.

Jim