I want to purchase an oil extractor to use on my 2004 E320. I've been considering a MityVac mv7400 but I also read reports that if used with Mobil1 Synthetic oil it damaged the lower seals in pump and thereafter the pump would not work. Has anyone out had a similar problem or would recommend another brand of pump? Thanks...

tarheel76

 

I've use Mityvac 7201 Fluid Evacuator Plus over the last two years with Mobil1. Still works fine. Mv7400 is a simpler design, but should be fine as well.

 

I use the 7300 and it has been flawless for almost 4 years I've owned it. Not only do I use it for extracting Mobil1 Synthetic from my Bluetec which takes a lot of oil, I also used it to extract oil from my new snowblower, which is a beast.

 

I'm on my second Mityvac 7201 in 3 years and couldn't be happier. I do alot of oil changes with it and it finally succumbed to my abuse. I used my new one to do the E500 this past weekend.

 

I have the ~ 2 gallon tall cylinder MityVac and it works OK, but it is a slow process with my E320 CDI.

If you can get at the drain plug, you are better off doing the oil change that way. Unfortunately, MB put the drain plug very far back on the W211 CDI IL 6 and you pretty much nead a lift to get at it. The ramps I have were not adequate to the task.

 

I'm new to MB's and being mechanically inclined I just don't see why I need to bring my E500 to the dealer. How do you all use these extractors, manual pumping until the done or does it work via continuous vacuum? I see that the oil filter is now on the top which makes oil changing simpler with the extractor.

Best regards,
Duc1098

 

Most folks who don't have the option to or don't want to do a proper draining of their old oil via the drain-plug use a MityVac (there are a bunch of models, look under oil evacuator in Amazon) or something like it. You run a long plastic tube down what used to be called a dip-stick hole (MB does not give you a dipstick anymore) as far as it will go. You use an attached pump (of the MityVac) to create a vacuum in its air-tight reservoir and you suck the oil out. This only works well if the oil is warm and even then it is a slow process. You can pump more to create more vacuum, but in my experience that does not help a lot.

You can also get (for upwards of $100) a motor-driven diaphram pump + tank arrangement that does the same thing, supposedly faster. I got one of those last year, but have not tried it yet. (Look for Jabsco or Shurflo.) The MityVac was agonizingly slow for me. Did not try it yet.

Using the drain plug is better, but it is hard to get at if you don't have access to a lift.

The top-loader idea is from the marine engine industry where you do not have access to a drain plug...or you would send oil into your bilge.

- nopcbs

 

Thanks and very informative.

 

What do you consider agonizingly slow? I'm able to do my E500 or SL600 for that matter, in less than 45 minutes, including setup, filling the crankcase and clean up.

What people forget to do, is create a vent during the siphoning process. I always crack the fill cap and remove the oil filter assembly during the siphoning. I drive the car for 10 minutes or so before as well, to thin the oil.

No problems here at all.

 

To each his own, but 45 minutes to an hour is what I get with my MityVac 2 gallon model and I think that too long. It's doubly annoying because pumping on the handle to buid more negative pressure seems to do little.

The "agonizingly slow" remark is probably an over-statement. Between what I can do with the drain plug method (my favorite way of hundreds of changes over some 40+ years) and watching how slowly the oil comes out of the tube with the MityVac and how much oil there isin a CDI crank case...well it just seems agonizingly slow.

But, if you conisder that fine, more power to you.

- nopcbs

 

So, you're able to get the car jacked up/on ramps, pull the belly pan, drain the oil, fill the crankcase, replace the belly pan, replace the filter, pull the car off of the jackstands, and clean up, in a significantly shorter amount of time than 45 mins?

You should work in a NASCAR pit crew!

I doubt it's any quicker your way. Not to mention, using the topside extractor, you never need to get on the ground, you don't get dirty, and it makes winter time oil changes very painless.

But hey, like you said. To each their own.

I've got 8.5 QTS in the E500, C240 and SL600. Is there that much more in the CDIs?

 

I don't think that using a top-sider is any cleaner than using a drain plug. I certainly don't get dirtier one way vs. the other.

I can't compare draining an E320 CDI since I could not get at the drain plug using just my ramps, but if we compare my wife's RX330 oil change time which I do from underneath after pulling up on ramps...yeah, it's faster...even with having to take off the small cover I have to take off to get at the filter. Getting under your car while doing an oil change is also an excellent opportunity to see how things are doing down there.

The biggest plus is, however, I get all the old oil out...and it comes out fast. I don't think that happens with a top-sider. I know it does not...at least not in 45 minutes. Maybe over-night. Maybe.

Remember, that top-sider oil change thing that the German brands seem to have converted to is a consequence of a move by the German Greens some time back to make drain pluigs illegal in Germany...to prevent anyone from just dumping waste oil on the ground.

 

I always put 8.5 quarts in, and get a damn near perfect 8.0 liters out. Unfortunately, I can't tell exactly how many quarts since the Mityvac 7201's tanks has markings in liters, but it's darn close. There might be an ounce or two left, but that's not gonna make any difference in a 8.5 quart crankcase.

It's also worth mentioning that, on my SL600 at least, I order a Blackstone Laboratory oil analysis at every oil change (5000 miles). Engine internals are pristine. I can post the analysis if you'd like.

Topside extractor is doing just fine.

 

Ditto...

 

So, I have done oil changes the traditional (drain plug) method for over 30 years and was convinced I would just take our E350 to local Mercedes shop and see if I can get a half way decent deal. That way I don't have to dispose of the oil too.

They (garbage company) only gives us 1 gallon containers to put our used oil into, so I would have to wait a couple weeks to unload all my used oil. However, if the Mityvac holds the oil, its not that big of a deal. I can just split it into two weeks. The topside suction sure sounds like an easy means to get it done. As long as the particles all get sucked up. Do the Mercedes drain plugs have a magnetic tip on them (To capture metal debris)????

I guess at $7 a quart for Mobil 1, $15 for the filter, that alone is about $75, so if the local shop can do it for under a $100, I think I score. We'll see.....

Great post. Really got me thinking....

 

I use this one from Harbor Freight. You can find 20% off coupons for HB in lots and lots of magazines. I found it on sale too at my local HB store...so I think ended up paying about $85 for it. I love it, it works great, and it's quite fast too.

 

Cool, thanks!

I see it listed for $122 and with the 20% off, its like $103.

 

Well, I was wrong. I just changed the oil and filter on our C240 tonight. It didn't take 45 minutes. It took 27 minutes! And that included 9 minutes of engine warm up time to thin the oil. It only took 6 minutes to siphon the oil out. While that was going on, I changed the filter. The rest of the time was adding the 8.5qts and cleanup/put away.

 

Costco has them online for $79 with shipping included. I ordered my last week. It should be here any day. They have it listed under the auto section, but not called out as the Mityvac. Do a search for oil extractor. Not sure how long they will sell them, so hurry.

 

I use the Mittyvac 7300 which connects to my compressor and does not use a hand pump. I run the engine for about 5 minutes to warm up, connect the Mittyvac tube, start compressor, then I go eat my wife's breakfast and its done when I return to the car in around 30 minutes or so. My case is also a little different; I'm a little crazy in that I only use this for an "not required to the normal folk" interim oil change i.e. 5000 miles between 10,000 miles service/oil change etc. done at the dealership. Unfortunately I've only done it twice since I don't have much mileage on the car.

 

Well, I went ahead and did my first Top Side oil change on Saturday. I used the Thorsen Oil Extractor that I purchased from Costco for $79 (Shipping included).

This unit looks like the Mityvac 7200, so I went with it. It worked great, but did seem to require a little more effort than was I originally expected. I had to continue to pump the unit to keep the oil flowing into the reservoir, whereas, I hear the Mityvac only requires 15 or so pumps and it keeps the oil sucking out of the oil pan. Not a big deal, as I was still able to do other things during the process. I would pump the unit 5 or 6 times, then move over to the filter and remove it and swap out the old o-rings with new ones. Install the new filter, and stick it back in. Then, walk back over and pump the unit until all 8.1l came out. This is truly a great way to change oil. Super clean, and makes disposing of parts and oil super easy.

Overall, on my next oil change I will connect my compressor to the input of the oil extractor (Since it has that option too), and just let it keep pressure on the input so I won't have to do the pumping. Since this was my first time doing this, I wanted to get a feel for everything first. Didn't want to screw anything up.

The car has 17,450 miles on it and it called out for Service C, so the next thing to do here in the next few thousand miles is the brake bleeding and Panaramic roof lubrication. I have decided to break these events up, but since the oil is really the most critical, I did that and reset the computer. Running the brakes a few more months with the stock fluid won't kill anything, so this way everything gets done with care and a thorough thought process.

Thanks for all the help on this site. Sure made it an easier experience!!!

 

Cavito, MB does recommend 20k or 2 year brake fluid changes but you can simply monitor your fluid and change when required (everybody's driving conditions will be different.) It's not just moisture (which actually is rarer in a modern closed system) but also about excessive copper. You can use an inexpensive moisture meter http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS%20Perform...0002/-1?CT=999and some copper test strips http://brakefluidtest.com/news/artic...est-puts.shtml

That way you'll feel better and can change the fluid when positively needed instead as a precaution only. Plus if your driving habits are unique (tracking the car, hard braking in the twisties, etc.), you should keep a closer eye on it.

btw, you have a definitive answer about your pano roof service in the 'other' Benz forum. You should check it......

 

220S, that totally makes sense. We bout the car in February, and it had ~16K miles on it, so I am not sure the driving style of the previous owner. Though, I was told it was an older lady; who really knows. lol

My wife drives this car gently, so I guess it will make for longer life on some things. I am in the process of making my own Brake bleeder system, and it should be done by this week (gathering parts). Then, I will probably do the brakes the next weekend. We're in California so the humidity isn't harsh, but nevertheless, like you said lots of factors play into the life of the fluid. Reading through these forums I have learned that the brake fluid in these cars is very susceptible to moisture breakdown. For that reason, I will do my best to stay on track.

By the way, when you guys do the brake bleeding, do you jack the car up one wheel at a time? I can tell this car wasn't really made to be put up on jack stands.

Yes, I got that Panaramic info. You guys are super helpful, I just can't say enough. Glad I joined!!!!

 

I have had & used my Mityvac for 5 years. It's time for a new one though.
One thing to be carefull of is to not pump to fast if the oil is real hot. My son did his car and the heat caused the canister to start to deforming & now pumps way to slow. But like I said I'm getting another one.

 

I use a Mityvac 7300, done the chance 2x on my car and 1x on my friend's Honda. This is probably the single best thing in terms of saving pain and aggravation I have bought for car maintenance. The best part is that the pump pays for itself if you do just 1 change!

I have never heard of Mobil1 screwing up the pump. My pump was sitting with Mobile1 inside the tank for a couple of years, and still works perfectly.