Check oil at next service station
03-28-2009, 02:34 AM
#26
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'06 C350 4MATIC
There is some sort of 'quirk' on the 350 engines. I have had the recurrent "check oil at service station" for the past two years. I have checked the oil a dozen times, terribly worried that it might be low, one time I did find the engine to be 1/2 quart low.
I can almost predict when the check oil light will come on, if the car is pulling a slight up or down grade at highway speeds, after the engine is warmed up. I do a round-trip 400 mile drive once a week and get the same message 3-5 times in a single trip.
I have 90,000 miles on my car right now (2006 C350 4Matic) and only two things have detracted the driving pleasure of my vehicle; 1. The incessant "check oil" messages and 2. The three times I have broken the door open switch on the drivers side door when the seatbelt did not retract completely when closing the door.
I am a fully capable woman (engineer) and do not run to the dealership every time a bird dropping appears on the hood. I check and change my own oil, oil filter and air filters, no service manager is going to pull a B.S. excuse over on me. There is some fundamental design (or calibration) error on how the oil level is sensed on the '350 power plant. Just throwing this out there, maybe when the engine is running at speed, there is more oil in the upper galleries and the level in the crankcase drops below to the point where the sensor triggers.
I can almost predict when the check oil light will come on, if the car is pulling a slight up or down grade at highway speeds, after the engine is warmed up. I do a round-trip 400 mile drive once a week and get the same message 3-5 times in a single trip.
I have 90,000 miles on my car right now (2006 C350 4Matic) and only two things have detracted the driving pleasure of my vehicle; 1. The incessant "check oil" messages and 2. The three times I have broken the door open switch on the drivers side door when the seatbelt did not retract completely when closing the door.
I am a fully capable woman (engineer) and do not run to the dealership every time a bird dropping appears on the hood. I check and change my own oil, oil filter and air filters, no service manager is going to pull a B.S. excuse over on me. There is some fundamental design (or calibration) error on how the oil level is sensed on the '350 power plant. Just throwing this out there, maybe when the engine is running at speed, there is more oil in the upper galleries and the level in the crankcase drops below to the point where the sensor triggers.
03-28-2009, 04:12 AM
#27
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C350 and a Lightning.
Well Tishers, I'd say that is very good news that in those 90k miles, those are the only issues you've had. I like to hear that.
And I'd say your theory about there being less oil in the sump when warmmed up and at highway speeds sounds pretty right on. The fact that you say it happens on a slight up AND down hill grade is strange. If you had said uphill only, I'd say that the sensor is near the front and the angle plus inertia is causing the false signal. But maybe the same happens when decelerating down hill?
And I'd say your theory about there being less oil in the sump when warmmed up and at highway speeds sounds pretty right on. The fact that you say it happens on a slight up AND down hill grade is strange. If you had said uphill only, I'd say that the sensor is near the front and the angle plus inertia is causing the false signal. But maybe the same happens when decelerating down hill?
03-28-2009, 05:06 AM
#28
MBWorld Fanatic!
There is some fundamental design (or calibration) error on how the oil level is sensed on the '350 power plant. Just throwing this out there, maybe when the engine is running at speed, there is more oil in the upper galleries and the level in the crankcase drops below to the point where the sensor triggers.
I read your post with interest. I wondered whether :-
1.Your dip stick is the correct length giving you a false reading. Crazier things have happened.
2. 1/4 to 1/2 a quart over the prescribed fill keep the alarm within limits?. The small amount should not endanger the engine in any way & may stop the alarms.
3. MB should have more baffelling in the sump where the sensor is located.
The vehicles I have driven in the past only have oil level sensors operate when the engine is stopped. We can imagine how turbulent the oil surface is when the engine is running at operating speed. It must be difficult for the sensors to give an accurate reading. Maybe MB should drop this feature.
03-28-2009, 09:25 AM
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E350 Saks Edition
03-28-2009, 10:50 AM
#30
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C350 and a Lightning.
