Just read a Star article from 1994 or 5 about a guy that would take his car in @ 3750 miles for oil and filter change, then he would drive car for 15 minutes, return and have oil changed again with another new filter.

I'm sure that the dirty oil in the cooler lines and elsewhere is diluted such that there is practically no dirty oil left in new oil which should appeal to those of this ilk in the forum.

Perhaps a bit extreme, but thought some of you may find it interesting. Have any of you ever heard of such? Pass along your thoughts.

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2008 GL320CDI 6K
1970 280SL 112K
1982 240D 210K (Sold)
1973 220D 220K (Sold)
1967 200D 160K (Sold)
1992 400E 139K (Sold)
1988 300E 148K (Sold)
1987 300D 257K (Sold)
1991 300E 108K (Sold)
1987 300E 131K (Sold)
1978 300D TMU (Sold)
1980 300D TMU (Sold)
MBCA Member

Considering that the oil in a diesel is dirty 5 miles after it is put in, I don't think it would matter how many times you changed it! Also it is the lubricating properties and not the "dirtiness" that determines when oil needs to be changed. But I guess whatever makes you feel good about your car....

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Sean Roland

2004 Saab 9-5 AERO 138k (for sale)
2000 VW Jetta GLS TDI 215k (sold)
1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 - 132k (sold)
1999 Saab 9-3se -- 84k (sold)
1986 MB 190e 2.3 16v -- 221K (sold)
1985 MB 190e 2.3 16v euro -- 145k (junked)
1992 Saab 9000t 5sp. -- 142k (sold)
1994 Subaru Legacy -- 264K (sold)
1998 Audi A4 1.8TQ -- 102k (sold)
1983 MB 240D stick -- 160k (sold)
1988 Saab 900SPG -- 156K (sold)
1983 MB 300D -- 270K project or parts (sold)
1986 MB 280SE Euro stick -- 150K (sold)

UH-OH, What does it say about me that I completely understand this guys feelings ? Another o/c method is to pour a couple of new quarts all over the valves... and wait until all the oil is running clean again at the open plug... you would be surprised how much extra gunk , without starting the engine , will be flushed off the bottom of the pan, but,but I ... just read about this.... yeah , that's the ticket .... I would not be this compulsive myself... Greg

Greg, I used your oil change method successfully a few times while working in my dads service garage as a kid. Unfortunately it was because I had forgotten to put the drain plug back!! Works great but my dad didn't like it at all, the process used up way too much oil-dri!

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Orland Park, IL
1985 300SD 215,000 miles

Greg:

I've done the same thing - intentionally and whoops!! Also, on used vehicles just gotten (my own and at work for resale) I've changed the oil/filter, then go 30-50 miles, and change the oil/filter - seemed to help except a few really bad engines.

The engine I just rebuilt for my W123 (300D) I cleaned the inside of the engine pretty good, then ran the engine 80 miles and did an oil/filter change (it ran sooo good I drove further than I planned), and then ran another 1,000 miles and did an oil/fliter change (after the first oil change the engine has not used enough oil to justify putting any more in - this on used pistons with new rings and worn but useable cylinder wall wear).

By the way, I used cast iron alloy piston rings that do a lot better job of sealing the combustion chamber gasses and the oil is very clean. After the first 80 mile run, I checked the oil level and could not see anything on the dipstick, after almost having a heart attack I re-checked the oil level and it was so clean I had to look hard to see the oil on the dipstick! After the first 1,000 mile oil change and now at 700 miles on the next oil change the oil is a bit dirty, but nothing like the way it was with the M-B piston rings (chrome plated, low tension, needing combustion pressure to seal against the cylinder walls, meaning the rings are designed to allow a certain amount of combustion gasses to pass by the rings and ends up in the crankcase and oil).

I'm using Chevron Delo 15W-40 and plan to change to synthetic after 3,000 miles on the Delo.

I would say the guy CarolinaMBZ is talking about was going a bit to the extreme, but it depends on how long his engine lasted to see if what he was doing was right or not. If I was going to be extreme I'd say change the oil/filter every 1,500-2,000 miles.

Tom

__________________
America: Land of the Free!

1977 300D: 300,000+ miles

American Honda: Factory Trained Technician & Honor Grad.
Formerly:
Shop Foreman;
Technical Advisor to Am. Honda;
Supervisor of Maintenance largest tree care co. in US for offices in Tex.

Bill and Tom, Thank you for trying to make me look less abnormal...

Bill, My method did call for still having the drain pan under the open plug ..... ....

Tom, Well, after you changed to Break In...I am still looking pretty compulsive... but my defense is that it often happened on air cooled VW engines which only had that silly screen for filtering...and they only had a couple of quarts of oil in them anyway.... LOL...

But thanks to both of you for mitigating my position somewhat... Greg

Greg:

I owned a 1960 VW camper van and had 1500cc engine in it (stock 1180cc as I recall). With the reduction gear boxes that van would go anywhere and still at cruise at 70mph!

I also worked on VW as a tech for a while.

You're right, that oil screen was hardly a filter, unless you count catching big chunks as "filtering!"

Modified some VW engines (oversize pistons w/ big bore cylinders, roller bearing stroker crank, performance cam, dual throat weber injectors on short manifolds on the dual port head off the 1600cc engine, mallory ignition, and other performance stuff - as I recall the engine ended up at around 1900cc and would pull the front wheels off the ground when starting hard and hard shifts to second and third gear - surprised more than a few of the '70's muscle cars!). Anyway, one of the mods was to tap into the oil cooler and add a spin-on oil filter assembly.

Tom

__________________
America: Land of the Free!

1977 300D: 300,000+ miles

American Honda: Factory Trained Technician & Honor Grad.
Formerly:
Shop Foreman;
Technical Advisor to Am. Honda;
Supervisor of Maintenance largest tree care co. in US for offices in Tex.

The guy in the article would drive around 250K in a few years with this method before selling the car to friends (usually the same ones that bought his prior cars).

__________________
2008 GL320CDI 6K
1970 280SL 112K
1982 240D 210K (Sold)
1973 220D 220K (Sold)
1967 200D 160K (Sold)
1992 400E 139K (Sold)
1988 300E 148K (Sold)
1987 300D 257K (Sold)
1991 300E 108K (Sold)
1987 300E 131K (Sold)
1978 300D TMU (Sold)
1980 300D TMU (Sold)
MBCA Member

And I thought I was the only one that did that. At least the second time around I just unscrew the oil filter, drain it, and put it back on. I'm not THAT obsesive to put on a new oil filter after just driving 15 minutes. (I only go through this on cars I've just bought, not at EVERY oil change, when it looks like the previous owner didn't change the oil in a long time. On some really dirty engines I even had to do it 3 times!) Next time, pull out the dipstick and check the condition of the oil, then put the dipstick in a new bottle of oil, If you cant tell the differance, you did a good job, if you can, change that oil again one more time!

As for the statment: "Considering that the oil in a diesel is dirty 5 miles after it is put in," not if you get ALL the dirty oil out! Even after 500 miles the oil is still translucent.

A friend of mine use to add Berrymans B12 just before he changed the oil in his car. I think he might have drove it for about 10 miles then changed the oil. He claimed that when he had some work done on his engine it was clean as a whistle. Do you think it would hurt or help. His car was gas. Just curious

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Gary
85 300D Ivory, 202,000
Beatus exsisto Jesu, verus et Deus verus Vir

I am not sure what the B12 is specifically, but I have used Berryman products for years... and I used to use Rislone in that way... add it 50 to 100 miles before a change.... if Berryman has something which they recommend for that application I would trust it.... Greg

It has been awhile since I used Berrymans. If I remember correctly they say that the B-12 can be used as an oil flush.
I never used that way, only as a gas additive to clean fuel lines and carburetor on an Suburban I used to own.

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Gary
85 300D Ivory, 202,000
Beatus exsisto Jesu, verus et Deus verus Vir

I had a shock the other day.... I changed the oil in my 65 hp diesel Ford tractor (1978 model) (8 quarts and filter about the size of a normal car )... and checked it about 3 hours later ( 1900 rpm ),,, and it was still a golden translucent.... why does my MB oil look very black thirty minutes later ? In fact , I did not change out the filter that day.... Greg

The diesel I was talking about is a Peugeot 504. I changed the oil in April 1999 and have driven it over 700 miles since. The oil is still very translucent, certainly not pitch black. May be Mercedes puts out more soot than other cars?