Why does my 300e start harder when oil level not at max?
 

My 300e uses a little oil, it probably needs the front cam cover resealed at some point, but its only like a quart every 1000 or so. Usually I keep an eye on the level and don't let it drop below 3/4ths, but I let it drop from max to halfway between min and max and the car got quite a bit harder to start...i filled it back up and its MUCH better. its running 10w30 valvoline. It kinda freaked me out that I could maybe have been hurtin my baby by letting it drop, but i thought that was an acceptable level. Can someone tell me why this happens, and more importantly if it was bad for the car? Thanks for your input

It's called "coincidence". There's no correlation between oil level and starting torque, as long as the oil level is in the normal range.

You need a lot more data points before you draw any conclusions.

Duke

No, its there, the difference is distinct and instantly noticible...the only factor that changed is the oil level and the car starts with less cranking time and starts on the first try more often...

Duke I agree with you 100 percent!I think to become a decent mechcanic you must learn to reconize coincidence. An example you put a shot of Trans X in your ageing tranny and a week later it goes South, blame the Trans X? no in all probability just coincidence.

In the late eighties I worked the front desk of a busy import repair shop.A lady brought a late seventies 810 Datsun wagon that she used on her paper route for a complete brake job, (new rotors calipers ect) She was very pleased with both the cost and her renewed brakes.

About a month later she came to the shop breathing fire.She cursed and yelled and at one point I thought she was going to attack me .The owner of the shop came out front and she started yelling at him that her differential had gone out and we were to blame as we were the last people that had worked on her car,nothing we said could calm her down .I finaly called her husband at work and he came and settled her. I'll bet a new rotor for a 560 SEL that this is familar to you shop owners and techs.A long way to say that your oil level and starting problems are not related............
William Rogers.......