I am attempting to do an oil change on my wife's E320 for the first time. I have witnessed this being done in the shop, to my recollection, am I correct in saying that the oil filter is accessable from under the hood. I have purchaced a new filter and realize that this is a canister style.

Is there a special tool required to open this canister ??

Can you give me some reassurance that I have located the filter canister correctly ??

Colin,

I have a 1998 E300D TurboDiesel, which is not exactly the same as yours, but likely has the same the oil filter housing. The housing has a non-metallic, black cap that has a large ACME type thread that holds it in the housing body. There is an O-ring seal between the cap and the housing.

The cap has a large (36mm, I believe) hex. You need an appropriately sized socket to fit and you just unscrew it. The filter comes with a set of new seals, and on a Diesel you get the cap O-ring, which is a large diameter, and two smaller ones that fit on the bottom of the prong attached to the bottom of the cap that control the flow of oil into and out of the housing. All of them should be replaced at every filter change. I am not sure what you get with the gas engine.

I hope this helps, and Good Luck! Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Colin, we need to know what year your vehicle is. In the last decade their were 2 E320's, each of completey different chassis's (124 and 210).

Shaun

Thanks for you reply Jim.

I have now come to realize that I have been looking in he wrong place.

Do you access you filter from under the hood, or do you phyically have to get under the car to change the filter ??

Hi Shaun,

It's 1997

Colin:
No the filter is on top, behind the intake manifold just in front of the firewall, over on the drivers side of the engine.
You do need a tool to remove the plasic cap. MB sells one, there is at least one thread covering the availablity of different tools to unscrew that cap.
Gilly

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http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/OilFilter2

Including pictures!

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2004 Ram 2500 Cummins HO
2000 Jetta TDI
1999 E300 (sold)

Thanks guys,
I located the filter cap just were you had said it was, on the drivers side close to the firewall, I had one of those belt tools but the area is too tight to be effective. Tomorrow I will go buy the tool that can be rotated by a ratchet.

the mb tool is like $20.
you can also buy similar kinds at local parts stores like AutoZone, Pep Boys for like $5.
just make sure you buy the metal material ones, not plastic.
good luck!

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1997 E420

Thanks Jshiaun,
I went out yesterday and being that it was Easter Sunday most of the automotive stores were closed.
One of the previous posts had mentioned that they were able to aquire the tool from Wallmart, I found mine in K-mart, it was a whopping $3.99, its 6 wrenches in one and it is plastic but it worked perfect for me.