Loose Oil Filter - Thought I Blew an Engine - Whew!
05-27-2009, 05:48 PM
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1999 E320 - Desert Silver
Loose Oil Filter - Thought I Blew an Engine - Whew!
I was all excited to finally play golf with my dad after a long while last Sunday. On our way to the golf course, I had just gotten on the freeway when I noticed I whole lot of smoke behind me.
We quickly pulled over, got out of the car, and popped the hood. My 99 E320 was spewing oil right below the oil filter canister.
To make a long story short, I got towed home, we got in my SUV and was still able to play 18 on a beautiful California desert day. We even heard the sonic boom from the Space Shuttle landing at nearby Edwards AFB.
I finally got time to work on the car and after cleaning out the engine compartment with Gunk Engine Brite, I discovered that I must not have tightened the oil filter canister when I last changed the oil. Yes, I change my own oil - my nearest dealer is 70 miles away and I have done so successfully many times in the past. I was able to unscrew the canister with very little effort.
Anyway, I tightened the canister, replaced the 3 quarts of oil I lost, and as I'm typing this, I'm letting the oil residue burn off of the exhaust manifold. I will then take it out for a test drive.
Has this ever happened to anyone else before? I searched and searched but did not find any articles discussing this. This is one of those times when I'm happy it was just my bonehead
mistake. I guess I just forgot to tighten the canister. Can it really be this simple? I see no leaks and the smoke is pretty much gone.
Thanks,
TJ
We quickly pulled over, got out of the car, and popped the hood. My 99 E320 was spewing oil right below the oil filter canister.
To make a long story short, I got towed home, we got in my SUV and was still able to play 18 on a beautiful California desert day. We even heard the sonic boom from the Space Shuttle landing at nearby Edwards AFB.
I finally got time to work on the car and after cleaning out the engine compartment with Gunk Engine Brite, I discovered that I must not have tightened the oil filter canister when I last changed the oil. Yes, I change my own oil - my nearest dealer is 70 miles away and I have done so successfully many times in the past. I was able to unscrew the canister with very little effort.
Anyway, I tightened the canister, replaced the 3 quarts of oil I lost, and as I'm typing this, I'm letting the oil residue burn off of the exhaust manifold. I will then take it out for a test drive.
Has this ever happened to anyone else before? I searched and searched but did not find any articles discussing this. This is one of those times when I'm happy it was just my bonehead
mistake. I guess I just forgot to tighten the canister. Can it really be this simple? I see no leaks and the smoke is pretty much gone.Thanks,
TJ
05-28-2009, 07:00 AM
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'99 E430, '05 ML500, '15 GLK350
The closest I have come is using a little pump to pump the oil out of the dipstick tube ala Topsider when the discharge hose slipped off. I then had a power painter which coated a large part of the garrge wall with never-to-clean-off Mercedes oil-base brown paint.
Second to that was the M104 upper timing cover gasket which I didn't seat right because I took a shortcut and didn't remove the dowel pin. I could find my way home from the test drive based on the little stream of oil I left.
Second to that was the M104 upper timing cover gasket which I didn't seat right because I took a shortcut and didn't remove the dowel pin. I could find my way home from the test drive based on the little stream of oil I left.
