Time 4 Oil 2 Pressurize
 

I have a 300e w/ m103. Once I start the car it take 2 seconds for the oil pressurize to rise to 3. Rises very quickly though. Do you think my oil pump is dead? It spends 2 seconds sitting at 0with the engine on. I think I might be doing engine damage

It is normal for there to be a delay in how fast the oil pressure rises. Variables that affect this is the oil temperature and viscosity. What temp climate are you starting the car in and what weight and type of oil are you using?

5 bottles of Chevron 20w50
1 bottle of Mobil1 10w30
1 Mobil 1 M1-205 Oil Filter

I live in So. Cal. The car is garaged and usually ambient temperature is 80 F. Problem exists both when car is inside garage and outside in the Sunny Cal Sun

It is perfectly acceptable for it to take a couple of seconds for the oil pressure to rise to 3 on a cold start.

A slight delay after start is normal as long as oil pressure once started and during driving is acceptable.

I agree with the others here. My 103 motor's oil pressure needle stays at 0 for a few secs. when first started in the morning.

I use only Hengst/Mahle-Knecht oil filters, so I wouldn't think this to be a "missing drain-back valve" issue.

Listen for sounds before the oil pressure gague indicator rises. If it is a problem with pressure not building quickly enough, it might accelerate wear on the timing chain and valve lash adjusters. Enough folks have said the lag is normal but just be aware of noises you haven't heard before.

FWIW, I miss my 78 450SEL which would regiter oil pressure while cranking.

Sixto
91 300SE
87 300SDL
81 300SD (on ebay)

I have been following your posts regarding oil
quantities, leaks, pressures, time-to-pressures,
seals, sitting too long, and performance gains.
May I respectfully suggest that you not play chemist
with your oil. Oils can fracture or stratify if you mix disparate
types in the same crankcase. This can screw up your engine.
The quality of modern oil is such that you can use any reputable
brand and it will exceed even the most exacting manufacturer.
I have 411,000 miles on a VW Bus ( whose engine is at full-load and full rpm pretty much all of the time ) It has the original thirty year-old crankshaft with no appreciable wear.
I change the oil only every 5,000 miles.
I have 137,000 miles on my 450SEL, change the oil every
5,000 miles, and drive the hell out of it, too.
I use Castrol GTX 10-40, and take care of the simple items that have more to do with engine longevity than your "brand" of oil.
A clean tight air filter is critical. No vacuum leaks, critical.
Perfect breather hoses with secure clamps, critical.
Oil level, critical ( dead set *middle* of dipstick markings ).
And the most important thing of all:
Never sit around and idle your engine.
Drive off as soon as you have oil pressure for thirty seconds, get the engine warm as quickly as possible by driving gently until your temp gauge is in operating range.
There is a lot of snake-oil salesmanship regarding oils/additives, most of it is just money-making.
Colin

Thanks for everyone's reply, I really appreciate your comments on my oil pressure problem and I am relieved that there is nothing to worry about. Although, I did sense some hostility from Mr. VW bus but the subject of oil is discussed quite vehemently on this board. Oil is argued over so much here but it is the life blood of the engine and I don't like have engine problems.

1999 S420
1997 E320
1996 SL600
1989 300E

No hostility intended. None.
I only cop an attitude towards the con artists
who sell sell sell hogwash, like Slick-50 and Duralube,
and STP Engine Overhaul In-A-Can.
See, I'm the idiot who had to scrape off all of those
Slick-50 decals off my windows after reading a devastating
rebuttal against their claims. Oh, and I got suckered by
ArcoGraphite a few years back. Buyer Beware and all. . . .
Mr. VW Bus : )