OB_330CiC

my wifes E500 displayed the following malfunction message after 7000 miles... Reduce Oil level....we've never added oil since she bought the car..I plan to take it to the dealer but was wondering if anyone has experience this and how it was addressed..maybe sensor went bad..

etenn

I did get that message. I was traveling across country and had the "B" service in New Mexico. It was hot the next day and I was driving at pretty high speed across the desert. Got the message and then the next day I did not see it. I would guess that a combination of the full oil and the high heat/speed pushed it to the limit.

Have never seen it again. Check your oil level in the morning. If it is normal then you probably do not have a problem.

OB_330CiC

Thanks etenn...the message comes and goes on her car too ..there is no other way to physically check the oil(no dipstick)..only electronically...so it is hard to tell whether oil level is ok or software/electronics is misreading...oh well..I'll let the dealer figure it out.

Stiggs

My mom just had a service done about a month ago and ever since then when she goes on long drives the message center beeps at her and says...oil level too high. Remove some oil....or something like that.
She called the dealership right away and the service guy said don't worry about it. I on the other hand, don't believe him. Can this cause damage to the engine or other parts?
She has a 2003 E320.
I will call the service guy myself today and see what he says. I think its wrong if it keeps beeping to remove oil.
Is it just me?

Barry45RPM

I have seen it. In my case it was just the computer doing its "MB thing". Too much oil is not a great thing as it can cause lack of engine lubrication.

marcos

I had this after a service a while back. It flashed up one day and about 1hr later flashed up again but in red. Took it to the dealers and they drained a tiny bit of oil out and it was fine. It seems the level senson is a bit too accurate and when it just goes a touch too high it goes off.

Stiggs

So it can cause damage to the engine?
Can she wait until the next service before fixing it?

lig

Random warning light flashing is normal for my car.

I've had the SRS warning ~ 4 times

The "Brake Somethingorother - Visit Workshop" ~3 times

"Add Oil" 1 time

"Too much oil" 1 time

Several others that I can't remember offhand.

jim256

Too much oil can generate foaming via aeration caused by crankshaft and piston action, with a resulting lack of lubrication as Barry 45rpm pointed out.

I had the warning once on a new '98 E Class with the V6 and the dealer treated it seriously, told me not to drive and he immediately sent a mechanic 100 miles to me to drain the excess. Since you are getting the warning, and since you don't know whether it's 10 cc's or 2 quarts high, I'd get them to correct it by extracting some oil.

intrinsico

I have an 03 E500 that I just picked up. The warning light came on immediately after I took delivery and I know they just changed the oil in the car so it seems to be soemething associated with that. Anyway, dealer said it's fine but I did take it in to drain some oil. They did that and the warning did come back the next day. Now they think it's the oil sensor so they are going to replace it (they just ordered the part).

BudC

On some W211's you can check the actual oil level. There was a seperate thread about this.

Try doing this:
Turn the ignition key to position 1.
Select the display that shows the temperature.
Press the reset button three times quickly.
You should hear a beep if it works.
Turn the key to position 2 and use the up arrow to page through the various items that are displayed and find the actual oil level.

glojo

If it were me I would not hesitate in taking it back. The whole idea of a warning is quite simply that.

Etenn was perfectly correct to say if it only came on once in 'unusual' circumstances (don't get many deserts in sunny Torquay, unless of course you mean nice yummy strawberry ice cream desserts )

If it was just the once on a hill, or exceedingly warm day just after service then fine. Otherwise please get it checked.

Good luck,
John
A cool evening in Torquay

Double Eagle

This happened to me several months ago and service advisor said it was due to a faulty oil level sensor and not to worry about it until I could bring it in to them for a repair. I drove it for about a week and it would come on and go off at various times. Then I took it to the dealer for the new sensor and other routine maintenance items and problem has not recurred. They evidently had a bad batch of sensors in the E-500's.

I did not know about the procedure to read the actual oil level at the time but now use it about once a week to check the level. Yesterday, it read 7.6 quarts which is where it's been for past two months. That is a neat trick and gives you visibility on other details of your car as well. I'm not sure if the sensor for that detailed read out is the same as the one for the warning but it probably is; so if you see an increase in the detailed read out and get the warning, you could be reasonably sure you have a bad sensor. No way, a car can "make oil" over time!!

BWL

Just about 2 weeks ago I got the same message about there being too much oil (for the first time after having put 16K miles on the car). The strange thing is that it has been a few thousand miles since I had the last oil change done and no oil has been added since. I got the message after doing some extended freeway driving and only on that one day - the weather was pretty moderate so I don't think it was a temperature triggered phenomenon. In any event it has not happened again so I have not taken it to the dealer.

Brav

I had it too- but then it went away. Said Reduce oil level.

glojo

Defective warning lights are another thing I would replace. I am just an old fuddy duddy that doesn't believe in 'playing chicken' with warning lights.

I totally agree that engines cannot make oil, but other liquid can most certainly get into the engine. No doubt there are other reasons for that light coming on but none should be ignored. European vehicles can very easily go for over twelve months between service, so leaving things to the next service is not perhaps the best option.

Bye for now,
John

BudC

My car has 5K miles on it and it says it has 7.6 quarts of oil in the engine also. Has anyone checked the hidden menu and got something other than 7.6 quarts?

glojo

Hi Bud,
When you get the oppurtunity could you check your manual and see what the recommended "Replacement Amount" is please for engine oil on the E500?

The European manual is slightly different from the US one, but the measurement might be the same if you have it in litres? UK maximum replacement level is 7.5litres (page 492) which seems to contradict the 'secret' menu.

Overfilling can also damage the catalytic converter (page 308 refers)

Thanks for any information you might be able to offer,
John

BudC

John,
Engine oil with filter for the E500 is 8.0 US qt (7.5l)
Engine oil with filter for the E320 is 8.5 US qt (8.0l)

DaveFr

I got this message last weekend for the first time. I'd been driving on a freeway for about 45 minutes when the error message popped up. I pulled off the freeway and turned off the engine. When I restarted the engine and continued driving, the message never reappeared. I'm taking the car in for service next week and the oil was last changed about 12K miles ago. I'll have them check it out but I think it most likely was a bad sensor.

HELL ONA HARLEY

The V6 has a larger oil capacity than the V8???

Hmmmmm.

glojo

Hi Bud,
Thanks very much and yes it is identical, the straight six 320CDI takes the same amount of oil as the V8.

It certainly calls into question the 'accuracy' of the secret menu? Especially after covering 3 - 4,000 miles between service.

Thanks again,
John

I have the tyre pressure monitoring system. Whever I get the message, "Check tyres", I check the tyres, so far all four have been present, but one day??? There might only be three????

Okay it says check tyre pressure, but that's not as funny. Plus I still certainly do not ignore the warning.

A very windy, stormy morning in Torquay

BudC

Well, that's what the US manual says. I know it seems odd.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that MB dealers have been told to only put 8 quarts in the V6 to avoid overfilling. I can see where a dealer might put too much in a V8 if they aren't careful and confuse it with a V6. I once had a dealer tell me that my 300E took over 7 quarts of oil. He had the M104 and M103 engines confused.

There's no way I'm going to wait for the FSS System to tell me I can take the car to a dealer to change oil. I'm going to measure what I get out and compare it to what the hidden menu is telling me.

I have 5K on my E320 and the menu is telling me it has 7.6 quarts left. I'm going to keep checking it to see if it changes. I have my doubts.

Stiggs

Just an update....
I called the sevice guy at my dealership and he said: "I highly doubt that there is too much oil in the car, it must be a faulty sensor. It can wait until the next service....don't worry."

I really don't believe him, but what the hell am I gonna do. Luckily my mom just got a letter in the mail today about a recall on her brakes. So its perfect timing....kill 2 birds with one stone!

intrinsico

I took the car in and the dealer let some oil out. That didn't seem to help as the warning came back in the exact same spot when driving home (it also comes in roughly in the same spot when driving to the dealership in the morning). They took it back and changed the sensor - same result. Brought it back today and they said they had to reset some values in the computer - well, that didn't help either! Going back tomorrow... Any ideas what can cause this - as I said, the warning comes on for the first time after driving roughly the same distance...

Thanks,
Sergiu