Just purchased an oil measuring stick for my 2004 C230 Kompressor. The dipstick tube has a lot of bends in it. The dipstick is a little difficult to get in. However I think I reached bottom. My measurements with a cold engine are 115 mm at the bottom. The top of the dipstick tube lined up with the stick at 675 mm. Can anyone verify this? Incidently I purchased the stick at the dealer Part # W120 589 07 21 00. I was originally quoted at $137, but when I picked it up I was only charged around $80. Still outrageous but not as bad as the original price. :p

That's the problem with guys ordering the dipstick for the engine or transmission. They are virtually useless without knowing the temperature of the oil being measured. There is no single answer. You need the SDS to monitor the oil temperature to know if your reading is correct or not. At least on the trans dipstick there is a range for the certain temeratures, as the stick is only good for the 722.6 transmission (so far). The engine oil stick is good for several motors, so is just measured in mm, and you need the SDS to know if the reading is correct. For the older engines without an oil temp sensor, they have a chart and there is a special tool temp probe to measure the temp. there is a reason they make the dipstick a special tool, it ain't that simple.

Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

Thanks Gilly
I can't believe that M-B has made the task of checking the oil so complicated. None of the other manufacturers seem to have a problem with this. The car is new, I will keep a log of the oil level in my semi-heated garage after the car has been setting overnight and has reached a stable cold temperature. I will then plot oil level vs. garage temperature. When I change the oil, I usually drive into the garage after a trip and let it drain overnight. I will use the cold level as my benchmark also monitoring the dash readout and keeping on the low side during the initial fill. I can't see how I can go wrong doing this.

I totally understand your instinctive desire to have a good old fashioned dipstick. It took a little getting used to on my 203 car. After a month or two I was totally happy to use the information panel to check the oil. It works fine and I don't even have to look for a rag or worry about what I'm wearing in order to check the oil.

Use the in dash system and be happy.

Good luck,

Larry, I didn't know you had a 203 chassis!

I think that the main problem with checking the oil s that it's a very subjective thing. If they "simplify" the procedure, the results can be very misleading. These new engines are very close on tolerance, you don't want to overfill them even a small amount.
The advantage to the electronic system is that the instrument cluster is given info on not only the level but the oil temp, and can calculate what the reading should be.

Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

Maybe I am old fashioned but I have a lot more confidence in a simple device rather than a complex electronic monitoring device especially with m-b reputation with electrical devices.

Yes, I've had my C240 for a little over three years. I drove one in Germany the first few weeks they were introduced there. That was June of 2000. I came home from that trip and popped off saying that if they would sell me one in the US with a stick shift I would buy one. About two days later I got my Star magazine and it indicated that it would be available in the US with a six speed.

I went to Europe several times that summer the last trip was three weeks long and I was checking the web site every day to see if it had been released in the US. My 300E was broken at the time and so was my Vette. I was basically afoot. When I got back to DFW airport my Dad picked me up and took me straight to the dealer. This was September 2000.

Now that I am employed again, I will get to keep it. I was really getting worried about having to sell it.

Back to the oil checking. I am very old fashioned and like a dipstick as well, but since the engine uses no oil, I have found the instrument panel oil level check to be quite nice and totally reliable.

Have a great day,

I have made up a log that records the dash FSS oil level reading and compares it with my measuring stick levels. I will made entries as soon as I enter the garage when the engine is at its normal operating temperature and after an eight + hour period when the engine has reached garage temperature which at this time of the year is approximately 45 degrees. So far there doesn't seem to be that much variation in the level. It seems to indicate 113mm at the cold temperature and 114mm at the warm temperature. If anyone else has any feedback it would be greatly appreciated.

I totally admire your scientific approach here, but I think your unnecessarily splitting hairs here.

Again, I totally understand the hesitation regarding depending on a gadget to check your oil, but it works great. If the engines tended to use oil and didn't have a low level indicator, the dipstick would be much more necessary.

If the dipstick were not so expensive, I would have gotten one a long time ago.

Have a great day,