enferrari

Hi,
I have an issue with my 2007 GL450! Every 2-6 weeks, I get a message saying its low on engine oil even AFTER I have mercedes benz of Fresno do the oil change. I have to take it in and they say its completely normal and put more oil in it! I feel like their just BSing because the extended warranty is going to be up soon. Any idea on what could be causing this problem? They say there is no leak and having to put more engine oil is normal. What do you guys think?

enferrari

Also I should mention that in the past, I had an issue with the suspension which they said WASN'T broken even after I told them about the warning message I got. I dont know what they did but they got rid of the message and told me nothing was wrong with the car and that they were unable to replicate the issue Then after like two weeks the car tilted to one side and then they agreed to fix it and said it was a suspension problem.

alx

You have an oil dip stick, right? Check oil manually and see what is going on. Either you are low on oil and just need to be added one time, or you are burning oil which is a problem if you go through a quart or more in a short period of time or your oil level sensor is going bad.

On the suspension error - they could not reproduce the problem or codes were inconclusive so they reset the message. Later the problem became severe enough for the truck to lean over and they fixed it.

guliano

I have the same issue, usually the message that reads something like this appears on the dashboard "Low Engine Oil Level, please checkk and refill in your next gas fill up". I noticed that it appears usually when driving over 80MPH. When I drove to Vegas for new years day it appeared like 15 times during the trip there. I already check the oil level manually using the oil dip stick and the oil level is fine, actually is over the max line which is not right but the dealer did it that way which I think is wrong but that shouldn't trigger the alert, so I think the problem is a bad sensor. I am taking the car in for this problem on Friday, so I post my findings.

kensiko

No check engine oil light (yet) but the dipstick is wacked.

I checked the oil level with the engine cold and the oil line was clearly above the max fill line. This after the jagoffs at Volkswagen just did an oil change.

So I siphoned out about 3/4 of a quart.

Now when I check the dipstick, the oil line on half of the dipstick is past the max fill line and on the other half its about 3/4 of the way up. I'm going to go with the 3/4 reading.

I'm hoping that the 3/4 reading is accurate since I just removed close to a full quart.

I mean, how badly could they have screwed it up?

DennisG01

The oil level on the dipstick should be pretty much even across the dipstick, unless you're on a big incline. However, as long as the oil is within the range on the dipstick, you're good. FYI, after siphoning oil out, you need to let things settle for a while since the inside of the tube is coated with oil and when you insert/remove the dipstick it will wipe some of that oil off, giving a false "high" reading, or at least an inaccurate reading.

kensiko

Thats a good point.

I siphoned the oil at night then waited until the morning to check it.

So yesterday I checked with the engine warm, immediately after driving, and it showed exactly at half.

I waited until the evening to check it again after the oil had settled into the pan and again it was at maximum...

So I pulled the stick, wiped it and set it to the side thinking that this may help to eliminate a false reading from oil in the dipstick tube.

I checked it this morning and I get the same reading as above after siphoning out the excess: oil line on half of the dipstick is past the max fill line and on the other half its about 3/4 of the way up.

I guess this is fine. Not sure what else to do at this point other than possibly extract more oil.

DennisG01

That's strange. I just went out and checked my level. It's not PERFECTLY the same from one side to the dipstick to the other, but I wouldn't expect it to be since the dipstick might go in at a slight angle. But at the most, it was off 1mm from one side to the other. Definitely strange, but remember that it's not really a "fill" and "add" line - it's a "max" and "min" line, meaning as long as there is oil somewhere on the hash marks, you're good.

alx

Leave truck overnight. Pull out dipstick and wipe thoroughly. Insert dipstick 4/5 in and then -slowly- insert the last 1/5. Then -slowly- pull it out and observe level. You are splashing the dipstick in the oil and getting inconsistent readings. Common customer error

Warm oil oil will take up to 15 minutes to settle in the pan.

ItalianJoe1

From MIN to MAX on the dipstick is almost 2 quarts. Anywhere in that range is perfectly fine. Don't want it overfilled or underfilled, but there's a large margin for error.

kensiko

This makes sense.

Well, I tired it but unfortunately it didnt make a difference.

Truck is on level ground and cold.

On the one side, the oil is at the top of the letter "a" on the word "max".

On the opposite side, its 3/4 of the way up the dipstick...

I think I'm going to drain another 1/2 quart and if it still doesnt read properly, I'll just change the oil myself, doing a full drain from the bottom.

This way I'll know exactly how much is in there despite the reading.

Looks like the drain plug points towards the front of the car. I'll raise the back end a few inches off the ground to ensure that all of the oil drains out. I'll also throw in a magnetic drain plug.

I think it takes 9.5 quarts? I'll add 8 quarts to start and then add incrementally every few hours as the oil settles.

DennisG01

Kensiko, I think you're missing one of the points here, that we've expressed a few times. The exact level does NOT matter - just as long as it's somewhere in the hash marks. Changing the oil again would be a complete waste of time and money. Obviously, it's your car and do as you wish, but it really would be a waste of time/money and good oil.

EDIT: Just thought of something -- it's kinda far fetched, but... if your dipstick was a tad longer than normal or the dipstick tube was shorter than normal, that would mean the tip of the stick would hit the bottom of the pan and possibly make the end of the stick bend/tilt/etc to a different angle. I don't know/think the dipstick could completely exit the tube since usually the tube goes pretty close to the bottom of the pan, though. But maybe there's just enough space for the end of the stick to tilt a bit to a funny angle.

If you want, measure your stick and compare to someone else with a GL550. Or, is there a part number stamped on it? Check that, too, to see that it's the right one. Also, just for giggles, look at the top of the tube to see if it's been cut for some reason. Or maybe there's something amiss with the the handle portion and it sticks into the tube too far?

I know this is grasping at straws here, but who knows.

kensiko

Hey Dennis, I got you.

And youre right, the oil level is within the min/max lines (on half of the stick) but its also well above it (on the other half).

Dont get me wrong, I dont think (hope) the oil level is high enough for the oil to aerate and get frothy but who knows.

Not only is it a waste of oil but its also a pain in the A$$ since I plan on doing it from the bottom. But for $50, it'll give me some peace of mind.

The oil is 9.5 quarts of Mobil 1 0W-40, correct? Cant find it anywhere in the manual.

I measured the entire length of the dipstick from the top of the "handle" to the end of the red.

Its exactly 24 and 1/8 inches. If anyone else can verify theirs, that might be helpful.

DennisG01

In my manual, there's a section in technical data - fluids and capacities - that lists, well, fluids and capacities It says 9.0 quarts for my engine and the 550. 9.5 for the 450. There's also information in the same section about what viscosities to use (based on ambient temps) and the proper MB spec approval number that should be on the can of oil.

BUT... save some money. Drain it into a clean container, then measure it (or transfer it a quart at a time into a quart container) before putting it right back in. No reason to waste it.

Side note... check out "Fumoto Drain Valve". I've had one of these on various cars for over 15 years. I have the style where you can slip on a piece of tubing, in case it's windy or you want to direct the oil directly into a container.

kensiko

Anywho, I climbed under the car, removed the shroud and removed the drain plug.

On a side note, there was a little bit of rust built up on some of the metal. I'm guessing it was due to standing water which settled in the shroud.

I let it drain overnight.

Replaced the bolt with a magnetic one and also replaced the filter.

I added exactly 8 quarts. I would imagine that there is at-least a 1/2 a quart remaining so at the moment, there is at minimum 8.5 quarts in the engine. Allowed the engine to reach operating temp then shut it down.

Will wait a couple of hours to check the level, I'm curious to see the results.

Interestingly, my manual calls for 9.5 quarts using "approved engine oils". The manuals are essentially useless.

kensiko

After two hours, I checked the dipstick and there was oil on the very bottom and slightly above the very bottom.

So I added another quart.

At this point, I know for a fact that there are at-least 9 quarts of oil in the car and I doubt I'll add anymore regardless of what the dipstick says.

I started the car and again allowed it to reach operating temperature.

Just for the heck of it, I checked the oil level immediately after turning off the engine and it now shows at the very top of the minimum arrow.

I'll check it again after a few hours once the oil has settled but it this point, I would say that the engine probably had an additional 3 to 4 quarts of oil, at-least based on the dipstick readings...

I drained the oil into a 16 quart container. I wasnt going to measure it out but now I feel compelled to.

DennisG01

I just realized that I may have a 2009 owner's manual - my car didn't originally come with one, but my dealer (indy) got one for me. On the back cover it says "Edition A 2009". Plus, I don't even have 562 pages - only a total of 440. BUT, on the page in my manual that is like yours, it pretty much says the same thing, except that the 550 takes 9.0, not 9.5. However, a few pages later it talks about the approved oils and the MB spec/approval number, along with viscosities. Do you not have that page? There must at least be a section where it gives you the MB approval numbers?

FYI, when you add oil, you don't need to run the engine again if it's already warm (or close to it). And, typically, 5-10 minutes is more than enough time to let the oil settle and check the level.

chsu74

I would only fill to the middle of the dipstick and allow oil to freely expand when hot. Also new oil filter will suck up oil which is why one needs to recheck oil level one week after an oil change.

kensiko

Finally, after an overnight drain and refilling with exactly 9 quarts, the oil level is in the correct range: 1/3 of the way between the minimum and maximum lines, perfectly even all the way around.

I waited to check the level until the next morning after the new oil had a chance to settle back into the pan.

I wasnt going to add any more oil regardless of the dipstick's readings because I knew exactly how much oil was already in the engine (9 quarts plus any residual oil after draining).

Slightly low on oil is fine. Too much oil can cause a catastrophic failure.

Fortunately these engines are resilient. I'm hoping that the engine was spared any damage but I did drive about 200 - 300 miles with the extra oil so who knows.

For anyone whos following this drama, I plan on measuring out the oil tomorrow to determine exacly how much extra oil was in the engine.

ItalianJoe1

You are way too into this lol

You didn't damage anything. You never had too much oil unless it was way over the MAX on the dipstick.

DennisG01

Agree!

Unless you were somehow wrong in the way you measured the level in the beginning of this thread, your oil level was just fine. Even if it's at the top of the range, it's still totally fine. Heck, even a bit over is still not a concern. It's gotta be over by enough to the point that the crankshaft starts aerating the oil.

Same goes for the oil filter holding oil. Yes - I absolutely agree that it does hold some oil. But it's really not that much - especially compared to the amount that is in the system. I'm not saying it's a bad idea to re-check the level - but the amount "absorbed" in the filter isn't going to make much of a difference to the level.

Callisto1

Hoping that by resurrecting this thread, someone will know how to fix a "Check engine oil level at next refueling" message that keeps popping up on a 2010 GL350 with 75k miles. Dipstick says there is plenty of oil, I change every 5,000 miles and the only time I had to top up between changes was when the oil cooler seal went. Assuming it is a bad sensor, but searching the forum didn't return any suggestions on how/where to replace that.
I will be changing the oil and fuel filter anyway in the next few weeks, so probably a good time to fix it.

ItalianJoe1

There should be a sensor in the bottom/side of the oil pan, they do fail, and the time to change them is during the oil change, because you have to drain the oil anyway to remove the sensor (well, you don't have to, but it would be very messy). Get one and throw it in. If you post a VIN I can look up the oem part # for you.

Callisto1

VIN 4JGBF2FE8AA602173

Thanks for the quick reply. Do I need to order a new gasket before I drop the oil pan? Or new bolts or crush washers?

ItalianJoe1

Work instructions attached.

You do have to remove the lower pan section, it's sealed with the MB sealant, any RTV silicone that's safe for oil (Permatex Ultra Black or Ultra Grey I would suggest if not the OEM stuff), no gasket there.

Sensor - A0011531332
O-ring - A0129977345

The o-ring seals the plug to the outside, so i'd change it while i'm there, but the new sensor probably comes with one so I doubt you need it separately.