Excessive Oil Consumption on 616 and 617 Diesel Engines

[Dionysius]

My experience with 240D and 300D vehicles is that they consume more oil as they age and yet they do not emit any blue smoke. I have read many threads and the experts say it is due to valve guide clearances having increased with wear.

I do not accept this as the full explanation If this amount of oil is being ingested and burned then you will see it in the tailpipe. I have two solutions that need to be tested across a large group and the results need to be reported here. I would love it if the Engineers from Mercedes benz could also comment. I love my cars but I need to get their oil consumption down and with all of your great help out there we will succeed. If the Forum Administrator has a better way to coordinate results it would be well worthwhile.

Fix #1 Posted on the Blowby thread by Member F18 (Thank you F18):

Here is a trick that may reduce some of the oil in the blow-by off the valve cover vent. Sometimes the oil return galleys from under the valve cover on older engines get clogged up like arteries to and from your heart. This prevents the oil from returning back down to the oil sump fast enough and the valve cover gets flooded out. The extra oil gets splashed up into the oil separator in the cover and goes out with the Blow-By.

An old gear head told me to use a guitar string (low E with the Brass wire wrapped around it) like a long pipe cleaner and hone out the crud/tartar from the return oil galleys. You can run the guitar string all the way through to the sump in some holes. Then he said to run the engine to flush all the crud you knock lose to the pan and then change the oil. It works great if that’s your problem....and can reduce smoky exhaust and oil consumption.



Fix #2 Retrieved from old MB documents and supposedly an "Official MB Fix".....But I have not seen any "oil baffle plate" inside my Valve Covers so can someone help me here by explaining what they are talking about. Some pictures would be more than welcome.
Here it is:

This fix is usually done when the valves get adjusted. Pull the valve cover off and look at the front edge of the oil baffle plate where it meets the inside of the valve cover close to the oil cap and breather. If it has been fixed, you'll see a gray epoxy covered area. If it needs fixing, you'll see about an eighth inch gap. Clean the area with brake-clean and apply epoxy. Don't use RTV. Don't use J-B Weld (it takes too long to dry and will ooze through the gap. The official stuff was Lock-Tight /NAPA 5-minute epoxy. It does an excellent job and is oil resistant.

Also make sure that you have the revised flat one piece hose that connects the valve cover vent to the air cleaner and not the
3 piece original one. It is inexpensive.

[Ken300D]

You won't see much blue smoke when the oil is leaking out. Unless it is dripping or drooling on the exhaust.



Ken300D