Vacuum Oil Extraction
01-19-2019, 12:44 PM
#51
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Interesting tidbit - the old blackberries float in salt water for exactly 178 seconds. You can ask an old boss of mine in Chicago on how I know this....
01-23-2022, 09:03 PM
#53
New here but the same problem as wgray105. All I was able to do was suck out about 4 quarts. After being frustrated I came here to look for advice. Well ItalianJoe1 had the answer that worked for me.
I use the Harbor Freight Extractor and didn't use a hose at all and just took the adapter that would connect to a tube and just put that at the top of the dipstick tube. Fantastic...sucked it all out! Thank you all!
I use the Harbor Freight Extractor and didn't use a hose at all and just took the adapter that would connect to a tube and just put that at the top of the dipstick tube. Fantastic...sucked it all out! Thank you all!
01-23-2022, 09:08 PM
#54
OK. Let me try this again. I initially pushed the tube in until it met a lot of resistance. This turned out to be about as far in as the dip stick goes. But, only about 4 quarts were extracted before the extractor began sucking air. So, I figured the tube had not reached the bottom of the pan and needed to be pushed in further. With some effort, I was able to push the tube in another 2-4 inches. But, I still could not extract more than the 4 quarts. So, on a subsequent try, I pushed the tube in as much as 8 inches past the end of the dip stick. Still, only 4 quarts could be extracted before the extractor began sucking air.
This tells me that no matter how far I push in the extractor tube, it somehow is not getting to the bottom of the oil pan and, therefore, not extracting all the oil. Would you agree with that?
Now, in response to ItalianJoe1. I would not have thought that simply making a seal with the top of the dipstick tube would allow you to extract the oil. I'll have to give that a try.
This tells me that no matter how far I push in the extractor tube, it somehow is not getting to the bottom of the oil pan and, therefore, not extracting all the oil. Would you agree with that?
Now, in response to ItalianJoe1. I would not have thought that simply making a seal with the top of the dipstick tube would allow you to extract the oil. I'll have to give that a try.
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pierrejoliat (01-23-2022)
01-23-2022, 10:29 PM
#55
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12 E350 4Matic 13 E350 4Matic AMG Sport
New here but the same problem as wgray105. All I was able to do was suck out about 4 quarts. After being frustrated I came here to look for advice. Well ItalianJoe1 had the answer that worked for me.
I use the Harbor Freight Extractor and didn't use a hose at all and just took the adapter that would connect to a tube and just put that at the top of the dipstick tube. Fantastic...sucked it all out! Thank you all!
I use the Harbor Freight Extractor and didn't use a hose at all and just took the adapter that would connect to a tube and just put that at the top of the dipstick tube. Fantastic...sucked it all out! Thank you all!
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CaliBenzDriver (01-24-2022)
01-24-2022, 09:32 AM
#56
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2012 & 2014 E350 Sports, 2017 E43
New here but the same problem as wgray105. All I was able to do was suck out about 4 quarts. After being frustrated I came here to look for advice. Well ItalianJoe1 had the answer that worked for me.
I use the Harbor Freight Extractor and didn't use a hose at all and just took the adapter that would connect to a tube and just put that at the top of the dipstick tube. Fantastic...sucked it all out! Thank you all!
I use the Harbor Freight Extractor and didn't use a hose at all and just took the adapter that would connect to a tube and just put that at the top of the dipstick tube. Fantastic...sucked it all out! Thank you all!
Did you loosen the oil filter canister for the oil to flow down back in the sump?
01-24-2022, 09:46 AM
#57
01-24-2022, 11:45 AM
#58
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2016 E350 Sport
When I change the oil on either MB (C320 or E350) my first step (after warming the oil a few minutes) is to loosen the oil filter cap. I let it drain completely (2-3 minutes), then remove the cap and filter second. Once done, I am sure its oil has drained into the sump. Only then do I install the extractor/topsider pump.
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11-10-2022, 04:54 PM
#59
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2018 GLC300 4Matic; 2005 C55; 2003 360 Modena
4Matic vs. RWD
Incredibly helpful thread. Always changed my oil from the plug and finally did a test on my W211 RWD with the suction method and sure enough - worked like a charm and removing the drain plug after sucking the oil out resulted in a few drips. My reply to this thread isn't draining vs. sucking - It's about the M276 engine (in my case 276.952) and 4Matic application vs. RWD. MB sucking via tube vs. vacuum seal - and how do you know when to use what. 2010 S550 V8 4Matic - tried the vacuum seal at the top of the dipstick tube and it's a no go. Have to put the tube down the tube.
On to my 2016 E350 4Matic M276.952. I needed to visually understand why the tube down the tube won't work. And it's for the reasons noted by the well-informed contributors above. The PDF depicts the design. I took the bottom metal pan down to understand it. The dipstick tube takes a 90º turn just before mounting to the upper oil pan. The plastic tip of the dipstick does not make that bend, but a plastic suction tube will. The oil level is above that bend and up the tube to be read by the dipstick. The next is a tight 90º bend to the bottom of the small metal lower oil pan - what I removed. Very difficult, if possible at all, for a plastic tube to make that bend. The indentation of the lower oil pan is maybe 3/8" - and it is equal to or below the drain plug. The drain plug is not in the metal lower oil pan. It's in the upper cast oil pan. The square chute(?) that is circled is the dedicated channel for the oil to be sucked up the dipstick tube via vacuum. In the case of a RWD 2016 E350 - the engine is still a M276.952. However, the oil pans are completely different (no axle) and the dipstick tube makes a slight bend, mounted to the upper oil pan and further leads right to the bottom of the metal lower oil pan.
I looked at various WIS instructions and I don't see where MB indicates when to insert the tube and when to vacuum seal - but maybe the best way is to use EPC and figure it out from the parts pictures and VIN the path of the dipstick tube. Like ItalianJoe1 says - all but a very few special ones.
On to my 2016 E350 4Matic M276.952. I needed to visually understand why the tube down the tube won't work. And it's for the reasons noted by the well-informed contributors above. The PDF depicts the design. I took the bottom metal pan down to understand it. The dipstick tube takes a 90º turn just before mounting to the upper oil pan. The plastic tip of the dipstick does not make that bend, but a plastic suction tube will. The oil level is above that bend and up the tube to be read by the dipstick. The next is a tight 90º bend to the bottom of the small metal lower oil pan - what I removed. Very difficult, if possible at all, for a plastic tube to make that bend. The indentation of the lower oil pan is maybe 3/8" - and it is equal to or below the drain plug. The drain plug is not in the metal lower oil pan. It's in the upper cast oil pan. The square chute(?) that is circled is the dedicated channel for the oil to be sucked up the dipstick tube via vacuum. In the case of a RWD 2016 E350 - the engine is still a M276.952. However, the oil pans are completely different (no axle) and the dipstick tube makes a slight bend, mounted to the upper oil pan and further leads right to the bottom of the metal lower oil pan.
I looked at various WIS instructions and I don't see where MB indicates when to insert the tube and when to vacuum seal - but maybe the best way is to use EPC and figure it out from the parts pictures and VIN the path of the dipstick tube. Like ItalianJoe1 says - all but a very few special ones.
Last edited by kjb55; 11-10-2022 at 06:22 PM. Reason: Attachment
10-07-2023, 12:25 PM
#60
Member
Excellent thread. I have a 2014 E350 4matic and initially tried sucking it out by putting the tube down as far as it would go. I only got 4 qrts or so. Today I tried using the described method of simply sealing the top of the dipstick tube and sucking it out that way. It worked like a charm and I was able to get about 7.2 qrts.
Does 7.2 qrts sound right for my car?
Thanks,
Mark
Does 7.2 qrts sound right for my car?
Thanks,
Mark
