TheKandyman

I thought I'd check my oil level this afternoon - for no good reason other than I had never opened the hood and was looking for an excuse to (it's a 6 week old 2012). When I pulled the dip stick, it was bone dry. No trace of oil on the red tip. I wiped it off on a white cloth and there was no oil on the cloth. I was quite alarmed.... As all sorts of horrible thoughts ran through my mind, I decided to check the oil level again. I dipped the dip stick and this time it came up with oil at the full level.

I don't understand how/why the first pull was totally dry. Has anyone experienced this or have an explanation?

Tjdehya

First time checking the oil in a car? Do u think the dip stick needs to be lubricated during engine operation?
J/k, some engines need a sufficient vent for the oil to settle. Some will look bone dry, some will look overfilled, and some will represent the oil level on the first pull.
Anyone that has ever checked oil before knows that you remove the dipstick and then check the oil.
That time I wasn't kidding.

Arrie

The dip stick simply goes down in a tube that ends before reaching the oil level. The end of the dip stick then extends to the oil. If your stick was totally dry it must not have been pressed in all the way against the upper end of the tube.

TheKandyman

So were you trying to offer an answer or just make smarty-pants comments? I have been checking and occasionally changing my oil for over 20 years. This is the first time that I pulled the dip stick on an engine that had been at rest for a few hours, and it came up dry (on a good engine at least ). I know you are supposed to wipe and re-dip for proper level, but I was just initially shocked at what I saw. The tip of the stick does rest in the oil after all, so some wetness (whether accurate or not) is expected when the oil has been allowed to settle. Maybe as Arrie hinted, the stick was not fully inserted from the factory and I did not catch that when I first pulled.

Tjdehya

Actually both. Sorry, I wasn’t trying to offend, just having a little fun. I must admit though that since moving to Merc, I have never had the slightest desire to check the oil. I have always checked the oil in every car/motorcycle that I have owned but I have never opened my Merc hood with an intention of doing anything more than to look at the V8 and wipe it clean once in a while.

hyperion667

haha: reminds me of the Seinfeld where Kramer puts blood in for the oil LOL....

"man, this thing is bone dry!"




sorry to go off topic

BenzV12

I do check mine in every 1000 km roughly , I did check the oil level and 1st attempt made it look like there was some oil missing lol
I put it down to the resistance point again and waited a few secs pulled it up and voila it was between MAX / MIN level exactly textured area

RNBRAD

I guess I didn't realize it had a dipstick. I don't think the 211 has one as I could never find it and always checked the oil on dash display.

Tomspo04

Or when Jerry's car had that BO smell that he couldn't get rid of. Or, when Kramer adopted a section of highway and painted over the yellow lane dividers to make luxury lanes. Or, when George bought John Voughts Chrysler LeBaron....

El Cid

Think it is interesting that dipstick is almost hidden at back of engine near firewall. There is NO transmission fluid dipstick, so have to rely totally on electronics to warn of low level.

mnje350

I think Arrie nailed this one. I would bet that the dipstick was not fully seated when you first pulled it out and checked.

mnje350

Until I learned you could open the hood to near vertical, I had a bear of a time pulling that dipstick and checking. Probably not as much an issue for someone taller than me.

Gagman

Actually I have experienced exactly the same on both my 2012 E350 and my wife's 2010 GLK350. I know both dipsticks are completely seated but when I pull the first time they are both bone dry. I wipe them, reinsert them and pull and there is wet oil on the stick. I can only attribute this to the fact that both cars use synthetic oil and perhaps the chemistry of the oil prevents sticking unless somehow agitated. Other cars I've owned that used normal, non-synthetic oils have never done this. Does anyone have a non-Mercedes vehicle using synthetic oil and does this ever occur??

hyperion667

haha, my Targa doesn't even have a dipstick, have to rely on the cars computer

crackerjack

Now that I have seen other people experience the same thing it is my guess that the dipstick sits in the tube in an air lock, when pulled no oil can come up the pipe till the cap is opened then the oil can rise up the tube and be at the correct level on the recheck.

thenew3

My 2013 E350 is the same way. The first pull the dip stick is dry. the 2nd pull shows the oil at the correct level. I check weekly and over the nearly 6 months I've owned it, it's always been this way.

icanectc

I have a 2012 E350 in the first year not much driving there was less than 10k miles on it. About 10 months in I started to feel strange vibrations in the steering. When it came due for the 1 year maintenance the tech noticed there was little to no oil in the car.

Once they filled it up the vibrations went away. But the car never notified me of low oil engine nor did the engine light come on. I now check the oil often to make sure it doesn't fall low again but I have owned 4 other Mercedes vehicles and have never had that happen before not sure if its related to the DI engines now in the vehicles.

PHML

My service guy says its normal...somehow, our cars lose oil...up to 1 quart...between changes. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't. Where does it go? Does it evaporate? I carry a quart of oil in my trunk just in case.

svkarl

Okay, I have had a number of various cars, including two older Mercedes, and I'm very competent mechanically but I cannot find the dipstick on my 2012 gas E 350. Owner's manual says's its on the right side near the fire wall but I sure don't see anything. What's the deal?
Thanks,
Karl

thenew3

Took me a while to find it the first time as well. It is a grey colored stick, on the driver's side near the firewall. Look for a grey colored round plastic thing.

svkarl

Thank you, the OM shows it on the passenger side, I'll look on the other side and see what I see. Wouldn't want it colored yellow or anything....

Karl2012-E-Class-Sedan-and-Wagon pg 309.pdf

sigx5

Same situation when I checked my new car week ago (purchased three weeks ago, with 750 miles on it).
I was totally shocked in the beginning.
Second dipped, it came with "OIL"

SteveFromMN

My dip stick does the same thing. Here is my explanation. The top of the dip stick is sealed when the dip stick is in. Like a straw that you hold your finger over and then stick it in a glass of water no water can enter the straw because of the trapped air. The oil has dained out when the motor was running. When it stops the oil can not enter the dip stick tube until you pull the dip stick out.
If you ness around with it enough you can confirm this. All is well with your engine. Why a design like this I don't know.

Arrie

This dry dip stick issue just shows how bad the MB dealers are with doing the final check-out of the car before the delivery. They surely are supposed to check the oil level on every car they sell before it is given to the customer.

Dry dip stick can only happen as explained above, i.e. the oil cannot enter in the dip stick tube while the dip stick is sealed at the top of the tube. Obviously MB serial product line installs the dip stick in the engine first and oil is added later and they trust the oil volume and nobody lifts the dip stick to check.

blackbullit

I like this explanation. Exact same thing happened to me on first oil check of my 2013 ML350. Thought engine would be shot. Runs fine. No mechanical issues. When I check oil I always have to remove and reinsert to get the actual oil level.

Confirmed it was full of oil by removing with Topsider and got about 7.5 qts at A service.