seahonu

Ok, call me old school. I'm still learning about my recently acquired 05 E320 CDI and disturbed about how to check the engine oil level via the electronic monitor. Just abit too "virtual".

Being abit mechanically competent, I took a look under the hood and pulled a couple plastic covers off and noticed what appears to be the dipstick tube with a red cap in place of a real dipstick.

Would it be possible to get a REAL dipstick into this W211 engine?

jschade

I don't see why you couldn't on the gasser, so I guess you could on the CDI. My '05 w211 had the red plastic cap in place of the dipstick - my '07 w211 has a real dipstick under the red cap.

konigstiger

I understand there is a dipstick (actually referenced as a tool) that can be used to measure the oil level in all the gasoline engines without a dipstick – part # A 120 589 07 21 00. Your best bet would be to contact KYBENZ https://mbworld.org/forums/members/28130-kybenz.html for info relative to your CDI.

Also, check out Baum http://tools.baumtools.com/search.jsp (Mercedes - E500 - 211.07 – All – All): tool # 120-0721 (gas), 120-0621 (diesel).

LAZARU5

You can get the 07 21 00 dipstick tool on eBay for $30 to $40. As sold, they will stick out of the dipstick tube a foot or so. You should try to get the specs for your particular engine. The oil level for my E500 4Matic is 120mm above the bottom of the engine oil pan at the point where the dipstick tube is located. Different 5 liter engines have different specs.

I was able to shorten one of the tools to work as a regular dip stick. But the tool works just fine unless you want to use it away from home.

lkchris

Which means you can't run the engine with this dipstick installed.

jschade

Is there an advantage to running the engine with the dipstick installed? You're supposed to check the oil with the engine off anyway.

mbnj

Does anyone sell a real dipstick that you can leave in and fits an 05 e500?

lkchris

Ok, what I mean is if you don't have the dipstick tube SEALED the motor won't run. The "shop tool" dispstick is not designed to seal the tube.

This means best you can do is buy a "shop tool" dipstick, remove the engine cover when you're ready to check oil, then remove the cap and insert tool. Then when you've verfied once again that you don't need any oil, reinstall the cap. Haven't looked yet, but you may need a new "lock" for the cap each time you remove ... that's the way the transmission is.

harkgar

Those MB engineers who designed this dipstick free engine ought to be flogged in the bum. What arrogance! What utter contempt they have with customers paying lofty prices for their cars! I like German cars for their built quality, or at least, their perceived quality. The Japanese makers do not have this perception-yet. They do not take their customers for granted but instead try their very best to please them. To make their goods user friendly. My Honda Accord 4 cylinder SE owners manual is thick and gives virtually all the details any shade tree mechanic will ever need. They do not demand buyers using just "Mercedes Benz approved" fluids or customers taking their cars back to the dealers but offer suggestions for substitutes for the fluids and regular maintenance items.

I love MB cars. However, they must change their ways or the Japanese (and their American counterparts) will eat their lunches in a few years.

Barry45RPM

Ahhh, but they do. The ONLY approved anti-freeze/coolant for my Son's '06 Accord Coupe V6/Auto is Honda Antifreeze/Coolant. Available anywhere, as long as it says "Honda Service & Parts" on the sign. No other brand is acceptable to them, due to the materials in the cooling system.

...as for service, there are very few qualified service people to successfully work on these E Class 211's outside of the dealership. There are a few former MB or BMW techs who open their own shops, but their number is low.

lkchris

What ignorance!

mcleantmw

I was told by my MB Service Rep that the access tube with the red cap on it on the right rear of the engine is for the transmission oil measurement, not the engine oil measurement. I have yet to find an access measurement tube for the engine oil unless the access is under the engine cover which must be removed.

lkchris

It is indeed "under the engine cover which must be removed."

As posted above.

LAZARU5

The dipstick on my 2005 E500 4Matic is at the front right corner of the engine. On a friend's 2005 SL500 with the same basic 113 engine the dipstick is at the rear edge of the engine cover. In neither car is the dipstick tube under the engine cover.

The Oil Filter cap is under the engine cover on my SLK350. The transmission dipstick on the 4Matic 5 speed AT does have a "locking" cover. But the oil dipstick as a removable cover that is undamaged when it is removed. I have a feeling there may not be a transmission dipstick on the 7-speed AT.

It's not safe to assume that the oil dipstick tube is located in the same place for every engine variant.

BudC

Well, Mercedes went back to a dipstick and BMW took it away You can always do what I did and buy a new E350. It will get you a dipstick and a Valet key. These items were missing on my 2004 E320. It only cost me tens of thousands of dollars but by golly, I've now got a real dipstick. Oh yeah, that dipstick came with a hell of a car

vettdvr

[QUOTE=fgwinn;2342839]The dipstick on my 2005 E500 4Matic is at the front right corner of the engine. On a friend's 2005 SL500 with the same basic 113 engine the dipstick is at the rear edge of the engine cover. In neither car is the dipstick tube under the engine cover.

QUOTE]


Still haven't found the OIL dipstick at the RF of the engine. I have found the Tranny cap after I broke the cap off when I bumped it with my hand. Cheap plastic. Fortunately I was able to remove the small part with o-rings from the housing.

How about a photo of the E500 dipsitck location for the folks like me that haven't found it yet.

Barry45RPM

On your '04, if you didn't have a Valet Key, what little hole did you attach a ring & other keys to the smart key with?

BudC

What I should have said was that the Valet key function for the trunk was disabled in 2004. The key was there and could be used for the glove box but it had no affect on the trunk. The function was restored in later models.

Barry45RPM

Yeah... I remember that. My 11/03 built '04 had the trunk lock feature but later '04 cars didn't. ...a long time ago & I'm getting old?

Isn't the new car much better than the '04?

BudC

Yes, except that my wife is complaining about the steering being too *loose*. What she means is that it's overly boosted and has no feedback. It does seem worse than the E320, at least at slower speeds.

It handles beautifully on the highway which is what I'm most concerned with.

Barry45RPM

I had often described the '04s steering as being too "Thick"... like trying to stir a bucket of plaster with a paint stick, & find the '07s quicker & more precise, with better feedback & recentering after a turn. But what do I know, I don't feel any difference between the SBC braking system & the new conventional system. Its all a personal relationship with a car anyway.

BudC

Our E350 is so new it's hard to determine how much the feel of the brakes have changed. I think it's not as sensitive as SBC but my wife said she liked the way SBC worked so who knows?

As for the steering, it is very precise but you never want to drive a BMW if you don't want be disappointed with it.

LAZARU5

I will try to get a photo this weekend. I have the 113.969 engine in my 2005 E500 4Matic. Do you know the engine variant in your 2003 E500?

[QUOTE=vettdvr;2343158]

lkchris

It IS safe to assume the position of the dipstick on the inline 6 E320 CDI, which was the original question.

I've done a medium-thorough search of EPC and have not found another dipstick configuration for the OM648.

Again, on this engine the dipstick is on the left side, under the intake manifold portion of the engine cover. You can't get to it without removing the cover. Besides, Mercedes doesn't make a permanent-installed dipstick for this configuration.

vettdvr

[QUOTE=fgwinn;2343929]I will try to get a photo this weekend. I have the 113.969 engine in my 2005 E500 4Matic. Do you know the engine variant in your 2003 E500?



Very much appreciated. 2003 E500 and still looking for the danged tube.