I am a new owner of a used 1999 E320 4Matic. I'd like to do my own oil changes, and I've done them before on my other cars, but for the life of me I can't find the oil drain plug underneath the car. Can anyone help me out?

 

on my e320 its on the left side once you remove the plastic guards.

 

As mentioned, removed the plastic undercover and the oil pan as well as the drain plug will be obvious. Be prepared for alot of oil - the spec capacity is 8.5 quarts! Oil filters are usually stocked at the specialty auto parts stores, but not the big box stores e.g. Wal-mark, K-mart, etc., and cost ~$12. MB has dictated that you must run synthetic now, though these were originally fitted with and allowed to u

 

Welcome to MB. Don't even bother getting under your car to drain the oil. Standard practice at MB dealers is to siphon the oil out through the dipstick by using an oil syphon. There's a lot of talk about using a device called the topsider but I like this:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...productId=4765

Search West Marine for "Jabsco Drill Pump Kit" if that link doesn't work.

It's literally a 10 minute process and you won't get a speck of dirt on you. Most users (myself included) and dealers say that it's even more effective at removing the oil than going through the bottom pan. Besides, removing the skid plate is a hassle...

 

Will a cordless drill motor work ok? And, at cordless drill motor speed, what might be the time factor? Up to 3 1/2 gal/min. would likely be using a high-speed 120 V. drill motor - right?

Thanks,

Brian - Yakima, WA

 

Hi, Boowah.

I too recently joined the world of MBZ owners and was surprised to find that most dealers do the oil change with the siphon. I've read somewhere on the web that depending on where the siphon hits it might leave around .5 quart in the sump. Regardless, I'm of the mind (and I recognize that there is room for disagreement here) that the plug should be removed and let it drain, drain, drain. If you go that route there are four sheet metal bolts (I think 8mm head) you have to pull to let the bottom aero pan drop, and then you'll see the oil pan. The plug is on the passenger side of the oil pan.

If you decide to drain rather than suction, it's recommended to replace the little copper squish gasket on the drain plug and they are very cheap. The filter's on the top of the motor under a thread-on cover (you'll need the proper wrench, Kragen/Checker has them in the store but COUNT THE POINTS AND MEASURE THE DIAMETER). It's a cartridge-type, and I'd recommend the fleece element rather than the paper one (it's a couple dollars more). And on that issue, make sure to get an oil filter kit, not just a filter. There are several o-rings that come in the kit and you want to change them as well. You can order all this stuff on line at any of the good suppliers, I've used autohausaz.com and autopartswarehouse.com with good results and prices.

The greatest part of the MBZ setup is that when you have the filter out, after you replace the plug (if you pulled it) you can simply refill the crankcase by pouring the oil down that big chasm where the filter assembly was. Much harder to spill that way. I bought a couple of gallon jugs of Mobil1 from Wal-Mart and didn't even spill from them pouring it in.

My first change I was very meticulous and it took me less than an hour; by the time I was done preparing the filter assembly and ready to reinstall it the sump was well-drained and the plug ready to go back. If you do drain it, I'd suggest you be sure to start it and check for leaks before putting the aero pan back in place. And be sure you have a BIG drain pan; 2-1/4 gallons is more than some pans will hold and you wouldn't want it full to the rim anyway.

Good luck no matter which way you go, and as always, enjoy the ride.
Greg

 

Follow up to your question: I use a variable speed cordless drill and it takes around maybe 5 minutes to drain 8 quarts. Make sure the oil is a bit warm by running the car for a few minutes, that will help it siphon better. I usually start the drill slowly to make sure I have a good flow going and a good grip on the pump. Once it's going I let er rip full speed with the drill. I'm always amazed at how quick it pulls the oil out. It's the best investment I've made for my car because it's so easy that I never miss a change interval. Besides, have you ever tried to take that skid plate off the bottom? I live in the Northeast and the thing is filthy... Plus the jacks, and the plug, and, well you get my point...

 

Another point to add is the torque on the drain plug. If you do drain the oil from the sump by removing the sump plug, the torque spec for the that plug is 35nm. The sump in that engine is cast/forged aluminum and you certainly don't want to strip the threads by over torquing the plug. 35nm is about 18 lbs/ft - or not much more than finger-tight. I would second the recommendation to replace the copper crush ring (washer) when replacing the plug.

Jim

 

Jabsco Drill Pump Kit only has 2 stars from the website plus it is a hassle to dispose the oil. I just bring it to the shops and have them to do it.

 

I concur with a lot of you guys about the oil change. I'm usually a "do it yourself" guy and when I learned about the MB oil filter and how they "extract the Oil" i realized it's not common as any other car out there. The Filter is really expensive cuz I called at Napa Auto Part, and it was 23 bucks and the dealership is about 26 bucks for the filter. So I figure what the heck, I just take it in and let them do it. What really surprised me is how much oil it requires on the capacity which is insane.

 

Thanks for the link about the Jacbson Drill pump, I wouldn't know other ways i can do by extraction.

 

I spend $44 per change plus a half hour of my time. $4 times 8 quarts of mobil 1 plus the filter at pep boys for $12. If you want to pro rate the cost of the pump which I've used about 10 times add another $3 per change. By the way, the 2 stars that came from the drill pump reviews came from people using it on marine engines... Have you ever tried to get into the engine compartment of an inboard twin chevy 454 V8? I have, and it's not pretty. Using the drill pump on an easy German engine with access right on top is a snap.