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#1
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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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1999 Mercedes E300TD daily driver sold at 238K miles 106K miles were mine, rust worm got it :-( 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 Last edited by vstech; 04-24-2011 at 09:28 PM. Reason: ease of reading due to color clash!!! |
#2
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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
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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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1987 300DT 2002 Ford F-250 7.3 Crew Cab Short Bed |
#4
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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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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 |
#5
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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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1999 Mercedes E300TD daily driver sold at 238K miles 106K miles were mine, rust worm got it :-( 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 |
#6
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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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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K 1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild 1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K 1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor 2014 Kubota L3800 tractor 1964 VW bug "Lifes too short to drive a boring car" |
#7
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How're you supposed to see it on the dipstick if it isn't black?
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1981 Mercedes 300TD, 1994 Honda Civic Del Sol http://mefi.us/images/fuelly/smallsig-us/67195.pnghttp://mefi.us/images/fuelly/smallsig-us/103885.png |
#8
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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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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar. 83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles 08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles 88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress. |
#9
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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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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! |
#10
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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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'84 300SD sold 124.128 |
#11
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Quote:
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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K 1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild 1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K 1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor 2014 Kubota L3800 tractor 1964 VW bug "Lifes too short to drive a boring car" |
#12
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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
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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! |
#14
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I wish there was an easy way to drain it... alas there isn't.
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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states! Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels. 2014 Cadillac ELR 2013 Fiat 500E. |
#15
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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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