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I have a 2003 C240 that I bought new. It just turned over 70K miles. For the past few years, it’s been my daily driver, but for the first 15 years or so, it mostly sat in the garage. I had a leak from the electrical connector to the transmission, but got that repaired a few months back. I keep a piece of cardboard on the garage floor to check for leaks and it’s not showing either trans fluid or oil. Admission: I had a guy put it up on a lift to check the trans leak and he told me the rear main was leaking. I put some of that stop leak stuff for rear seals, and the leak apparently stopped. Don’t like to use that sort of stuff, but at the time it was about all I could do.
Enough background. The electronic dipstick said I was a quart low. About 3000 miles out from last oil change. Haven’t gotten out to get a quart of oil yet. I checked it again this afternoon and it said oil level ok. ????
I have an eBay dipstick that works ok, but I think the same one works for several Mercedes engines. Bottom line is that there is no full/ add mark. I can feel the dipstick hit the bottom of the oil pan, but don’t know how deep it should be.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
3000 miles is not too soon to do another oil change. Find out how much oil your engine holds. Drain it completely and fill with the amount specified. Then use the dipstick to measure and mark what the full line is. Then you can measure it to see if you are losing oil or not.
I guess that would be one solution. I meant to do that when I got the oil changed, but for some reason failed to get it done. I will for sure do that the next time it’s changed, whether now or later. I’m hopeful that someone has a properly calibrated dipstick can provide measurements. Maybe could call the dealership where we bought it.
Are you talking engine oil? And the car did not come with a dipstick?
What engine do you have?
On my engine oil dipstick theres a length of plastic at the end, and right in the middle of that is where it should be filled to. Theres a dot in the plastic at that mark also.
Yes, engine oil. No, the car did not come with a dipstick. Mt oil level sensor May it may not be malfunctioning.
I have a dipstick, that I actually bought for the transmission, that I would like to use to confirm the oil level. I just ordered another one that is specifically for that model car engine oil. We shall see.
I spoke to the local Mercedes dealer where I bought the car 21 years ago. They told me that there was no dipstick for the 240, but they had a special tool available for $2-300 for manually checking the oil. He said that they did not have one of these at that dealership and that they did not use them. But, according to him, I need a new level sensor.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by TimC300
Are you talking engine oil? And the car did not come with a dipstick?
What engine do you have?
On my engine oil dipstick theres a length of plastic at the end, and right in the middle of that is where it should be filled to. Theres a dot in the plastic at that mark also.
There was a period of time where manufacturers thought it would be cool to not let customers get under the hood, so they removed the dipsticks to rely on a fluid level indicator. That was almost as stupid as ECO Start/Stop.
They did leave an oil tube so they could suction out the oil for oil changes, but just put a cap on top.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by EdJennings
Yes, engine oil. No, the car did not come with a dipstick. Mt oil level sensor May it may not be malfunctioning.
I have a dipstick, that I actually bought for the transmission, that I would like to use to confirm the oil level. I just ordered another one that is specifically for that model car engine oil. We shall see.
I spoke to the local Mercedes dealer where I bought the car 21 years ago. They told me that there was no dipstick for the 240, but they had a special tool available for $2-300 for manually checking the oil. He said that they did not have one of these at that dealership and that they did not use them. But, according to him, I need a new level sensor.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by TimC300
I learn something new every day. I was not aware some Mercedes did not come with oil dipsticks. This sounds crazy to me.
I guess its similar to my W204 not having a transmission fluid dipstick which i think is crazy.
Nope! This is worse. My 2004 SL500 was dipstickless and my son's 2011 Audi A4 had no dipstick. Finally, I think manufacturers wised up. The problem was that if you were low on oil, but the time you could read the level, you may have seized the engine.
certainly not an easy job for me. I used to do auto mechanics for fun. At my age and condition of health, crawling under a car and doing anything is not an option. I used to have a two post lift, but don’t currently. If it only costs a few hundred bucks to fix something, that’s a few hundred dollars too much.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by EdJennings
certainly not an easy job for me. I used to do auto mechanics for fun. At my age and condition of health, crawling under a car and doing anything is not an option. I used to have a two post lift, but don’t currently. If it only costs a few hundred bucks to fix something, that’s a few hundred dollars too much.
The transmission does not have a dip stick on your car.
With regard to cost, I don't know what to tell you. You can pay now or pay much more later. Chances are your oil is fine. But a Mercedes is not an old Honda Civic. It is going to cost something at some point.
Neither the transmission nor the engine have factory dipsticks. As someone said, an incredibly stupid idea. Actually, they just wanted to force you to come to the dealership for their high priced service. I spent many years as an industrial maintenance manager and understand the pay now or pay later concept.
The engine should have a dipstick tube that is used to evacuate the oil during oil changes.
There is a tube, just don’t have a properly calibrated dipstick. I can’t just buy a factory one, because Mercedes never made one. The electronic level is suspect. I’m not going to pay several hundred dollars to get it replaced. I was well off enough to pay cash for the car when I bought it, but that was a long time ago. Trying to keep it going on the cheap these days.
There is a tube, just don’t have a properly calibrated dipstick. I can’t just buy a factory one, because Mercedes never made one. The electronic level is suspect. I’m not going to pay several hundred dollars to get it replaced. I was well off enough to pay cash for the car when I bought it, but that was a long time ago. Trying to keep it going on the cheap these days.
Dipstick 602-010-14-72 fits your C240 and many other M112 V6 engines. It’s a $20 part and should clear up any oil level issues.
In terms of reliability, the C240 is probably one of the closest things to a Honda Civic they have ever built.
I’m not seeing anything on that website that says that part fits a C240. If you search C240 oil dipstick on the site, I came up empty. The local MB dealer says MB never made such a part. They did make some “special tool” that they don’t use in that dealership.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by EdJennings
There is a tube, just don’t have a properly calibrated dipstick. I can’t just buy a factory one, because Mercedes never made one. The electronic level is suspect. I’m not going to pay several hundred dollars to get it replaced. I was well off enough to pay cash for the car when I bought it, but that was a long time ago. Trying to keep it going on the cheap these days.
Trying to keep your car going on the cheap is not going to be cheap. You can save money with quality OE and OEM parts, but trying to be cheap by NOT doing what needs to be done is not going to save money. I'm serious when I say a 10 year old Honda Civic or Accord might be what you want.
My '19 G550 with the M176.980 engine (4L V8 TT) has no dipstick -- only the electronic sensor. Even worse the owners manual states its oil capacity is 10 qts (9.5 L), which is incorrect (fill capacity with filter change is 9.5 qts). I've never found a capped off tube for oil extraction. The oil filter is on the engine bottom, so servicing from underneath is necessary -- removing the drain plug is not inconvenient. I think earlier deployments of the M176 included a dipstick but nobody has ever confirmed this.
My BMW is also dipstick-less. At least that's what BMW wants me to think. It has a concealed dipstick (not a conventional yellow pull ring top) that I discovered accidentally. Unfortunately its end has some goofy red plastic knob on it that's difficult to read until the oil has darkened.
Deleting dipsticks might be a cost savings objective, but substituting a failure prone sensor and burying the oil level indicator down several menu layers in the instrument panel seems just plain dumb.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by streborx
...Deleting dipsticks might be a cost savings objective, but substituting a failure prone sensor and burying the oil level indicator down several menu layers in the instrument panel seems just plain dumb.
Don't think for a moment that substituting an oil dipstick (which probably cost the manufacturer pennies) with a part that costs probably 100x the cost of a dipstick is a cost savings action. It is simply another bell and whistle to make customers think they have something special.
Don't think for a moment that substituting an oil dipstick (which probably cost the manufacturer pennies) with a part that costs probably 100x the cost of a dipstick is a cost savings action. It is simply another bell and whistle to make customers think they have something special.
No question it's more expensive, but I've never had to replace a dipstick. MB will make it up the first time it fails and with all the oil level confused owners that need to seek dealer assistance.
I am going to order one of these tools. I can get one for just over $50. Question: I see the min and max numbers, but where are they measured from? Does the dipstick go all the way to the pan and then measure up?
04-26-2024, 02:58 PM
