Can anyone help?
I want to do an intermediate oil change myself, the car is a 2001 model (not the latest one) are there any complications?
I don't have ramps etc., can it be done simply by reaching underneath? Are the filter and sump nut easily accessible? What size are they?
Sorry for all the questions, but as you may guess I haven't done this sort of thing for a long time.
Regards Don drbe
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Can't be more helpful than to say:
* On my E320 Coupé the canister is well hidden at the back of the engine and not easily accessible. The sump plug is hidden by a protective covering at the front of the engine. Your engine may be completely different. So, to be more directly relevant . . .
* At the risk of sounding like a cracked record, but partly because of the accessibility and ease factors I'd give the job to Kwik-Fit, as they charge about half what I would have to pay just for the oil (Mobil 1) at Halfords. I give them the filter (but they may have yours available anyway), they get dirty and they dispose of the old oil -- that's a good deal as far as I'm concerned.
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I would agree with Roger. I own a W211 E320 CDI and I have looked at changing the oil myself in between services but gave up as it looks an absolute dog of a job.
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i have a ml270 got the oil changed by my friendly local garage what a mess it made hits the front axle and goes all over the place i can see why they suck it out in the mb dealers.
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I got an oil evacuator to do this on an e280. Its a Pela 450 and is great - put a small tube down the dipstick and it pumps the oil out.
To change the filter I needed a wrench adapter to remove the oil filter cartridge cover but this was less than a tenner at the dealer.
I judge the result by the appearance of the new oil after a few drives and suprisingly the evacuator seems much better than the traditional method used by my mechanic - the oil is so clear on the dipstick you can hardly see it.
No oil spillage,drips,jacking, lying under car, sump nut or washer etc. etc., also good for the other car and lawm mower. It may be a bit extravagant but it is extremely easy and clean.
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limes where did you get your pela 450 from i am thinking of doing my oil changes in the future thanks.
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Sorry, that should have been Pela 650 (6.5 litre capacity).
I got mine from a bloke near Aylesbury after looking on the internet 2 years ago, he was selling them to lawn-mower service shops mainly and was much cheaper than marine suppliers. Apparently a lot of of these engines do not have a sump plug at all.
Unfortunately I have lost his on-line details when hotmail pulled the plug on me for not using the account for a while, but I think I got his details by emailing the contact address at www.pelaproducts.com.
Vaguely I remember I paid £40-£45 for mine, a quick search did show this other pela pump quite cheap though www.seamarknunn.co.uk/catalog/items/item439.htm
My garage is full of stuff I could do without, but this one is a real keeper.
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>>I got mine from a bloke near Aylesbury....
I think it is www.hogspares.co.uk I also bought a Pela from this site and am very happy with it.
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Limes,
The suction method seems a great idea, but I have two reservations:
1
MB use a flushing oil with their suction system but I know little about it and how they use it.
2
How do you ensure you have emptied the sump? nylon tube might be rigid but it is never straight in my experience.
Regards
Julian Lindley
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Don,
I change the oil on my 3 year old C 200 K and can provide you with a lot of useful information to undertake the procedure. I won't elaborate futher, bearing in mind the alternative options raised by the other posts, unless you show continued intrest. I like to change the oil myself as it enables me to have a good "nose" underneath once a year with the undershields removed. I should note that the oil is also changed by the agent once each year as well during a B service. The car is just about to run out of warranty so I need to review my MB agent service requirements to ensure the wellbeing of the car , but without barmy costs generated by things I am quite capable of doing myself (The A sevice)
If you go the Quickfit route, remember that Mobil 1 is a synthetic product, and that if you use a semi synthetic, your oil will require to be changed again after approximately 1000 miles, as fully synthetic oil is extremely searching and will remove the laquers and combustion products existing in your engine and in the process diminish its own life. There are many notes about this in HJ's books. I don't rate the synthetic products because they are expensive. They particularly appeal to people who work their car engines hard and wish to extend oil change intervals to the maximum. I have two Vauxhalls 13 and 14 years old, one with 200 K milage and which I have owned since almost new. They are both healthy because their oil is changed every 6 K without fail. The oil is everyday Castrol GTX 15W 40 which is ideal for these 1980 series engines.
Regards,
Julian Lindley
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As a matter of interest ie not in the car but your opinion what have you against semi synthetic and what made you say it will want changing in 1000 mls? some of what you have said I think missleading
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DRBE & Harry M.
Vacuum suction devices to remove oil from car sumps are readily available in UK. They are widely used in the leisure motorboat
(Chandlers) industry & can be obtained in varying forms & prices.
How would you otherwise readily carry out an oil change in a bilge mounted engine?
Lucy T*s friend
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Vacuum suction devices to remove oil from car sumps are readily available in UK.
Previous discussions here disaprove of such devices.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=10...2
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=11219&...f
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thank you for the info will look into this after christmas.merry christmas everyone in the backroom.
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Mech 1,
I think semi synthetics are fine and important products.
In changing from a "semi", the product MB recommend, to a fully synthetic oil, the searching detergent nature of this oil reduces its own life due to removal of hydrocarbon and laquer deposits from within the engine. Fully synthetic oils are very expensive, and in my view, a semi is as good a product providing it is changed more frequently. Semi synthetic oils are vital for most modern car engines now because they operate consistently over a narrower viscosity range working successfully with tighter engine running clearances and greater engine outputs per litre capacity. This puts a great deal of stress on the oil. My older cars built in the early 90's do not have engines built to this standard, so I am happy to use the lower specification oils such as Castrols GTX 15W 40.
Hope this is helpful
regards
Julian Lindley
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Julian: how is detergency a function of the base oil? Is it not an aspect of the additive package? Just curious why you think semi-synthetics cannot have the same detergent properties as a synthetic.
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To JL - Julian,
Could you contact me, please. I would like to get some more detail from you on the question of intermediate oil changes.
Apologies for the long delay in responding.
Regards
Don drbe
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