I have an 08 GL 320 CDI and a love-hate relationship with it. I've never had a car with so many issues, but I didn't pay too much for it and love the engine torque and in general, the way it drives.

At any rate, the car has 88k miles on it. I've periodically gotten low oil warnings and a local shop said it was likely a leaking rear main seal. So I've used Blue Devil rear main seal additive a few separate times and haven't gotten the low oil warning recently.

HOWEVER, I am now leaking oil all over the ground and I can see where it is even splashing on the back of the vehicle as I drive down the freeway.

The MB dealership said it was a leaking oil pan and they would charge $3k to fix it.

Another independent shop took a longer look by cleaning everything and driving the car until they saw the leak again. They said that it was an oil leak in the "valley" of the engine and that MB sells a "survival kit" of gaskets and seals and that it would be a minimum of $2.5k - $3k to fix and a few days to complete.

A bit of searching on this website and others makes me believe I have the very common oil cooler seals leak.

So the questions I have are:
1. Besides oil leaking on the ground, are there any other negatives to be aware of? The second independent shop said it was a "major fire hazard".
2. Any tips besides DIY on bringing the cost down? I got a second opinion on cost and was told $3.8k. Not the right direction!
3. Would a product such as Lucas Oil Engine Stop Leak help? Not sure I want to add more Blue Devil.
4. Any other comments or ideas?
5. Should I just bite the bullet and sell the car as two shops have advised? Get an electric, as the wife wants!

Thanks in advance,
Aaron

 

Sounds like your oil seals are done. Its mostly all labor. The seals are under $80. Try an independent shop that has done a few.

No “fix in a bottle” will work.

 

x2 on rechecking oil seals.
From what I heard the seals are $7 alone, when whole oil cooler is in the $100 range, but comes with 4-digits labor price.

 

There is a wheep hole where the oil is channeled in case the oil cooler gaskets are leaking. It is located on the driver side where the engine meets the tranny as per the photo attached. In case you see oil there most likely the oil cooler is leaking.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I guess the overarching question I have is: Is it safe to drive around town and on longer trips without fixing this oil leak? I suppose I can deal with oil on the ground (park on street or in the garage that has a special concrete epoxy covering). I can also just add oil if it gets low... The weird bit is: I checked the oil level in the vehicle yesterday and it wasn't low... Maybe I put too much in when I topped off last time?

 

As long as you keep correct oil level in the pan, the drip is mostly cosmetic issue.
From what I read, the leaks are not getting bigger over the time, so chances are you might live with it for some time.
Old W123 cars were design to leak and common remedy was putting some kind of felt or other absorbing material in belly pan and replace it once in a while.
Good luck.