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  #1  
Old 04-24-2011, 12:45 PM
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Interesting Clean Oil Observation

Getting ready for a road trip. Ottawa, through Chicago to Edmonton and the Canadian Rockies. Then on to Seattle and Pacific Coast Highway #1 through Washington, Oregon to Nappa/Sonoma. On to Yosemite National Park for peak waterfall snow melt run off. Then through Las Vegas and Denver back home. 7,000 to 8,000 miles.

So I wanted clean oil. Normally after an oil change the oil is black as tar after driving to the end of the driveway but this time it is different! 120 miles and upon doing a final oil level check before the trip and the oil is still clean, not jet black!


What I did different this time was to drain a lot of the oil that normally would get trapped on top of the head. I have a 3 tonne floor jack and I jacked the driver's side (North American car) up as high as I could. The front wheel had to be a foot or so off the ground as was the back wheel. I believe, but am not completely certain that this allowed the oil normally trapped on top of the head to drain down to the pan and out the drain plug.

Similarly for the final drain I jacked the passenger's side up to drain the final drops out. Fresh filter in with fresh Rotella T6 5w-40 and 120 miles later the oil is still reasonably clean!!! Certainly cleaner that it ever has been after an oil change.

Wanted to share my observations could I have discovered something here?

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Last edited by vstech; 04-24-2011 at 09:28 PM. Reason: ease of reading due to color clash!!!
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  #2  
Old 04-24-2011, 01:43 PM
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I just assumed that the previous owner neglected oil changes on my car and it would clean up soon. I changed it twice in 500 miles and it was still black. Thanks for the tip. If it is trapped in the head can I just pour two sacrificial quarts in when the drain plug is out instead of all the jacking?
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  #3  
Old 04-24-2011, 02:27 PM
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FWIW, that yellow print is extremely hard to read. Would you mind editing that into a different color?

Thanks!
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Old 04-24-2011, 02:27 PM
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I've always assumed most of the black came from the oil trapped in the oil cooler. Are you sure you didn't drain the cooler with this method?
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  #5  
Old 04-24-2011, 03:10 PM
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Woodboat3 I would think that the oil would simply drain down the chain to the pan.

Kerri I don't know about the oil cooler, perhaps I did drain it? I do know that on the 190 Cosworth I did have the valve cover off and I did see that there was lots of oil trapped on the top of the head. Perhaps the E300 is the same but I don't know.

For me it is worth the extra effort but then again I am anal when it comes to maintenance. It also may be that my last 2 oil changes have been done at 4,050 and 4,263 miles on Mobile 1 0W-40 European blend. I think that Rotell may be marginally better and also marginally less expensive. It took 2 of the 1 gallon/ 3.785 liter to bring the oil level half way up the dispstick between the low and full mark. I believe that there was a service bulletin indicating that this was consitered the full mark and filling to the top mark was an overfill. My handbook asks for "Engine oil with filter 7.5 US Qt
7.1 liters." So it would appear that I have drained some extra oil from someplace and the side benefit is visibly cleaner oil at 120 miles, so I am happy. It could be from the head or oil cooler, I just don't know.

It would appear that I have drained an extra .83 liters or .5 US quart from someplace.
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2006 Mercedes CDI new daily driver! 56,000 miles May 2016 now 85,625 Apr 2018 and Apr 2019 101,000 miles Apr 2020 109,875. March 2024 135,250
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  #6  
Old 04-24-2011, 03:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kerry View Post
I've always assumed most of the black came from the oil trapped in the oil cooler. Are you sure you didn't drain the cooler with this method?
My two 240Ds w/o oil coolers still have black oil after a few miles. Even after a complete rebuild it didn't take long before the oil was black in the one 616
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Old 04-24-2011, 09:14 PM
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How're you supposed to see it on the dipstick if it isn't black?
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Old 04-24-2011, 09:21 PM
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My 300D has black oil 30 seconds after an oil change. The 240D was the same way. Never been a problem.
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Old 04-24-2011, 09:30 PM
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perhaps your oil cooler is not working? something is preventing your old dirty oil from mixing with the new stuff... odd.
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"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
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Old 04-24-2011, 11:15 PM
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Oil Cooler

You MAY Have Drained your Oil Cooler of all the "Schwartz",by jacking up the
driver's side.

The Mercedes Air/Oil Cooler System TRAPS a certain amount of the FOULED
OLD OIL inside the Cooler,WHICH is why the Diesel's sump turns BLACK within
10 miles of a "Service".
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Old 04-25-2011, 10:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by compress ignite View Post
You MAY Have Drained your Oil Cooler of all the "Schwartz",by jacking up the
driver's side.

The Mercedes Air/Oil Cooler System TRAPS a certain amount of the FOULED
OLD OIL inside the Cooler,WHICH is why the Diesel's sump turns BLACK within
10 miles of a "Service".
The oil cooler has got too be a contributing factor but I don't notice any difference between how long it takes for the oil to become black with or without an oil cooler.
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1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
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Old 04-25-2011, 06:01 PM
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Amsoil series 3000 5/30 in a 2003 Dodge with the 305 Cummins engine. 14K miles on that oil.
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  #13  
Old 04-25-2011, 07:23 PM
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Thumbs down

Quote:
Originally Posted by rscurtis View Post
Amsoil series 3000 5/30 in a 2003 Dodge with the 305 Cummins engine. 14K miles on that oil.
Now, how is this relevant to the MB oil cleanliness topic?
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
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  #14  
Old 04-25-2011, 07:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by compress ignite View Post

The Mercedes Air/Oil Cooler System TRAPS a certain amount of the FOULED
OLD OIL inside the Cooler,WHICH is why the Diesel's sump turns BLACK within
10 miles of a "Service".
I wish there was an easy way to drain it... alas there isn't.
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  #15  
Old 04-25-2011, 08:01 PM
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everybody understand which motor is in the OP's car right?
that 606 bears very little resemblance to the tractor engines of the 80's MB likely tightened up the oil and compression rings in the newer motor for tighter emissions and such.
so, tilting the enormous head and draining the oil cooler (which should be in the driver's headlight area) really ought to get as much dirty oil out of the motor as possible during an oil change.

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
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