Lynn

Let the siphon do the work. Many of these devices hold less oil than out cars, so you may have to drain the pump them finish sucking the oil out of the car.

MarcGetty

At first glance I would not trust an oil sucker myself. But the fact is that almost all oil changes in Germany are done from with a suction device.

You can pull up to a gas pump on an Autobahn rest stop and get it done while you get gas, and this has been the case FOR YEARS! MBs, BMWs, VWs, etc. have all been capable this since at least the 70s, or even earlier.

I'm not sure I would completely trust this on an American car. I once heard of a sucker that sucked in the oil pan gasket on an F-series pickup. However, this may be an antidotal tale.

tj99e320

It apparently also depends on the design of the dipstick.

On some vehicles, the dipstic doesn't actually access the
oil pan; only a sample of the oil to indicate the level.
I suppose if you can seal the dipstick shaft, it'll work.
My pump model doesn't have a seal.

BTW, I'm not quite sold on this process yet. When I
used the pump on my Nissan 240SX, I had to continually
hand pump to keep the pressure in the can low to suck the oil out. No such luck with the siphon action. It was pretty
unpleasant in a hot garage.

An electric pump model would be great.

TJ

Steve Clark

have been designed for sucking the oil out since the early '70s.It takes me about 15 minutes total time to R&R the oil/filters in either of my cars,both of which hold 8.5 quarts in their sumps.The
only downside is how pissed off you'll be for not doing it this way
to begin with.I can change my C32's oil without using any tools other than my fingers and the oil-extractor.My 300TD requires the use of a 13mm socket for the oil filter's cover...and I can change the diesel's oil without any black oil on my fingers.

MarcGetty

Steve,

What make & model of extractor do you have? Where did you get it and how much?

-Marc

Steve Clark

Griot's Garage.Mine is the 5.5 liter hand-pump version.About $70.00 with shipping.There are others out there,and all of them seem to work.Don't worry about the capacity being less than the amount of oil in your engine...it simply quits pulling when full.Just empty it and continue sucking out the remainder.The Griot's version has a spout at the entry point and a ring on the bottom so it can be hung up to drain when you're done.I even use it for changing the oil on my lawnmower...

tonewheel

And what about my brand new C230K that doesn't have a dipstick? Drain plug time!

BudC

I drained oil the old fashioned way for 40 years. I've been taking the encapsulation panels off my Mercedes for 20 years. My last oil change was done with the Topsider. It eliminates having to lay on the floor to remove and replace the panel....I'm not going back.

I've discovered that people were right when they said the extraction devices remove as much oil or more than out the drain plug.

On my 300E, I start the oil extraction and then pull the air filter, replace the oil filter, lube the throttle linkage, clean out the inside of the air cleaner and put it back on. By that time, I've got the oil out and in a container that makes it easy to pour.

The only problem is that I use 15W-50 Mobil 1 which is like molasses so you need to warm it up a bit.

Carbon9

There is an "access tube" to suck the oil out of my car and the oil level is read electronically, too.

tonewheel

Being used to changing the oil on my daughter's Jetta...which includes removing 4 screws and an undercarriage cover...this was a piece of cake on my C230K Sedan. Not to mention the top-mounted filter that's a breeze to access. Up on the Rhino Ramps and less than 15 minutes later, done.

And being under the car affords me a look around for a visual inspection.

Audi Junkie

Do NOT use Mobil 1 30 weight oil! It is a thin 30 weight and totally insufficient viscosity for a German engine. Any 15w-40 dino meets MB 228.3 spec and is suitable for warm weather. Any 5w-40 will work well. Mobil 1 0w-40 is what you are supposed to use, but the SUV 5w-40 might be better. I use German Castrol Syntec 0w-30 from AutoZone. It says "Made in Germany" on the back. It is a thick 30 weight, on the 30/40 borderline. Syntec 5w-50 is suitable. Newer dino oils that say "SM" or "GF-4" are the equivalent of most synth oil of not long ago. For winter, 5w-30 Motorcraft, Mobil Drive Clean, Havoline or Pennzoil if you don't want to spend for synth.