Well, other than driving home when I bought it, today was the first day I have drove my newly acquired Benz.

Anyway, when I came back, I got the papers out of the glove compartment and starting reading up on the car. In the owners manual, as expected, the owner had put every oil change in it. Every 3K miles like clockwork (and sometimes every 1000-1500 miles) the oil was changed. Then there were the recent papers of the new battery and Michelin tires.

Here is the interesting part. According to the shops receipt (less than 100 miles ago) In October of 2007 (just like the woman stated), the car was towed into a local Mercedes shop. It stated that the car was not running right and had a fuel leak. It shows they replaced a "o-ring" in a "fuel warmer"? $1.00 seal and 1.5 hours of labor? It also stated that the engine was 8-10 quarts OVERFULL on oil! All I can assume is that it was diesel fuel? It said they changed the oil with "Delo" 15W40", changed rear brake pads, and test drove it to "burn oil out of exhaust system". Strange. I am guessing it was overfull on oil, because of the fuel leak and it was getting in the engine? It also said they changed the coolant (yet its still GREEN) and they added "REDLINE", that was $9.00????

As stated in my other thread, the car had not been driven regularly in two years and the car was smoking pretty good, especially when cold, but would lessen very much after it warmed up. I did drive it today and refueled with fresh fuel. When I got home, it was not smoking. Now it only appears to be smoking on heavy acceleration like when going uphill from a low speed. I assume that normal for a diesel though.

Lastly, I have noticed that the engine seems to "lope" after I stop and let it idle in gear (with a warm engine), but when I put it in gear, it stops loping.

I guess I will run out all of this old fuel and refuel and see what happens. Overall, it runs fine. Aside from being a low powered 4-cylinder diesel it runs great on the road... it just has that occasional loping idle when in park/warm engine and that question about the oil. I am wondering if that fuel leak was actually repaired and if the engine is getting fuel in it again. It did say though that they put 7 quarts in it and it supposed to have 6.3 quarts.

Thanks. BTW - its a 190D (2.2L).

change the oil immediately, doesnt gray mean lead in oil?

__________________
2005 SL65
1999 E300
1995 E300
1994 SL320
1988 560SL
1987 300TD
1982 300D
1955 300SL

I had a problem with over full oil, but mine
was coming from the Trans.
Gray?????? never saw that, just black after
2 mins of idleing

__________________
81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

It sounds to me like you are on the right track thinking its fuel in the oil. The oil should be black black black. I agree to change the oil again and keep an eye on it.

You don't wanna run it with fuel diluting the oil.

Oh, and the loping idle is not right either.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I doubt that you could get 8-10 quarts too much oil in a Mercedes diesel, the writer may have meant something else. "Delo 15W-40" is a Chevron product, a good oil for diesels; many of us here, including myself, use it.

The engine has a thermostatically-controlled warmer for the diesel fuel; it sticks inside the water jacket of the head and has a paper gasket. If the gasket leaks, you loose coolant. It is unlikely (but not impossible) for a failure in the heater to allow coolant in the fuel or vice-versa. The fuel lines that connect the warmer to other parts of the engine use o-rings that would cause a fuel leak if they fail. If the intake manifold has to come off for access to the warmer, that would explain the 1.5 hours of labor.

Many shops use green coolant regardless of what Mercedes recommends (most customers wouldn't know where to put coolant if you gave some to them; what do they know of different types?). Your engine has an aluminum head, I think, so you should have Mercedes coolant in it.

"Redline" is a brand name, it could be a "water wetter" (breaks up bubbles in the coolant, supposed to improve efficiency) or a diesel fuel treatment -- the company makes both, and more, I suppose, maybe even oil supplements.

Used oil should be black, not gray. You might want to have a sample of oil tested to see what might be in it that you don't want in it. For a good place to have oil tested, search this forum for "George Murphy." Sorry I don't have the link handy.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

I thought gray oil might indicate water in the oil.
If you do the oil change yourself save the oil and let it settle a few weeks and see if water forms at the bottom.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Thanks for the replies... I did not mean to sound to alarming about the oil. Maybe its OK. I looked at it again and it looks more black that gray... its mainly depends on how the light hits it.... Sometimes it looks "light black". I did re-read the receipt and it indeed says that the car was 8-10 quarts overfull. Maybe the PO poured in tons of oil before he died? I did not want to bring it up, but he actually committed suicide, so who knows what state of mind he was in when he parked the car?

Here are some photos I took of the oil on the dipstick and when wiped on a paper towel... you be the judge....

Sorry for all of the photos, but it appeared different in certain photos and now all of this talk of problems has me concerned. This was a well-maintained car and I would hate for something to be wrong.

As far as the coolant goes, it either said added coolant, or changed coolant. I guess that leaking ring in the fuel heater caused that. Coolant is full now and the car runs at normal operating temperatures. Btw- the shop was a local indepent Mercedes shop and they used the green coolant.

Remember, this oil was put in the car in October 2007 and has less than 100 miles on it....

That oil looks normal.

It would be wise to change all the fluids/filters and start fresh.

Thanks. Well, any clue as to what would cause that? It does not do it all of the time.
Like when I first start if after coming out of a store or something, it idles normal, but after about 15 seconds, it starts that odd idling sound.. place in drive its fine.

I'm betting the idle issue will clear up by the second or third tankfull of fresh fuel.

Thanks Dan.... I am going to give it a whirl - I am not sure how long it will take to run all of this fuel out of it though. It did not seem to do it when idling when in park when I initially checked it out, nor did it do it on the first trip out today, but like when I would pull into a parking lot and let off of the accelerator, it would lope a little, but nothing that make the car shake... it just had a sound like the engine was missing, but since it does not have plugs???

Until the engine warms up, it smokes a great deal (diesel smoke), but it clears up alot after it warms up and then when driving, I only notice it when accelerating heavily... like up a grade after I have been stopped.

Thanks... well after looking at it again in the light, it is black.. not gray. It must have been the way that the lighting was hitting it.

RE: Used oil should be black, not gray. You might want to have a sample of oil tested to see what might be in it that you don't want in it. For a good place to have oil tested, search this forum for "George Murphy." Sorry I don't have the link hand

Jack mentioned an overfill of oil caused by trans leakage. That happenned to my buddys newly acquired 93 300D. He was driving it home from the lot he purchased it from and decided to give it the shoe and it was a runaway diesel at that point. He braked gently to the shoulder, leaving it in gear, and shut the key off. Luckily it shut down quickly. I think if he put it in nuetral it would have blown. But anyway after the tow home he pulled the oil drainplug and it shot across the garage. I think he said it was 2 gallons over normal. The car was not shifting into 4th gear when he test drove it so he offered the guy a real lowball price and the guy took it. I think the previous owner kept adding trans fluid because it was always low. My buddys mechanic said the fluid was entering the oil lines at some point. He ended op with a trans rebuild but no engine damage . So watch out, you may have a runaway waiting to happen. Jim

__________________
1997 E300D Wife's daily driver
1985 300SD my daily driver
1999 Expedition family road trip and material hauler

Thanks. Well I have been told and im'ed that the oil looks fine and the transmission fluid is full and fluid is clean. There is really not currently a problem with the car... I was just interested in the receipt of work put out by the Mercedes mechanic as to why it was overfull, if maybe it was that leaking o-ring problem, but seems its not. I think if something else was wrong he would have found it. Only problem stated to be found as a leaking o-ring in the fuel warmer. It just said the engine was overfull of oil... it did not state that it was anything else. I am sure they would have been glad to find more things wrong... more money to get off of a wealthy 75 year old woman that knows nothing about cars. Thankfully I have heard this is a reputable shop and does not take advantage of people. They did charge her about $300 for the services however.

My only gripe is an occasional "loping" idle when in park after the engine is fully warmed up. When it does this, from the sound of the tailpipe, it sounds like a gas engine sounds when its "missing".

The car does still have over 2-year old diesel fuel and has not been driven in awhile, so hopefully that will take care of itself. If not, I will sell it to my uncle for $700 more than I gave for it. He has already offered me that much more for it.