Advice needed... dipstick or oil level warning light, which is more important?
 

The reason I ask is: My 602 block didn't come with a hole for the dipstick, it's dipstick originally was installed on the oil pan, which I replaced. I can fill up the engine with the correct amount of oil per the owner's manual (8L initial fill) and just rely on the oil level warning... OR I can install a dipstick in place of the oil level sending unit... in which case, I'll be without an oil level warning light.

IF you had to choose just one option... which would it be? Keep the oil level warning light? Or install a dipstick in its place?

for something as vital - use a dipstick because consider this scenario - if your oil level warning sensor wiring went bad - you would never know if its low on oil.

Yep, that's sound advice. Thanks!

You'll watch the light more frequently than you check the oil level at the dipstick. Typically, all warning lights will display when you start the car, and then go out. If you see the light display and then go out, you know it is working.

^^ The lamp he is mentioning is the low oil level lamp that is wired from the sensor in the sump. I dont think that these old MB had the red low oil pressure warning light because them germans thought that the sweeping oil pressure gauge is there for that job.

You can't go wrong with the stick. Unless it's the wrong stick.:P

did you replace the oil pan with an OEM pan? if so, why doesn't it have a place for a dipstick? Shouldn't be too hard to drill a hole in the oil pan and add a dipstick,,, MB did it.

yes it's an OEM pan... but the dipstick tube goes into the block, not the pan. There isn't a horizontal surface where I can drill the pan... I can try to if that's safe to do, though I think there won't be enough material to safely mount a tube... with it's potential leverage and all that, I'm afraid of cracking the pan.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...1122012005.jpg
hacked oil level sending unit... the sending unit acts as a clamp for the tube and flange...
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...1122012001.jpg
Now I have a proper dipstick. Check out the fabricated engine arm. :)