jgl1

Would like to acquire an engine oil dipstick for a 2003 SL 500, which did not come factory-equipped with such.

The vehicle does have an oil dipstick guide tube (# 112 010 17 66) but no dipstick, as M-B had phased out engine oil dipsticks at this point. Not looking for the dipstick oil tool but an actual dipstick that can be left in the engine. Can anyone direct me to a guide for oil dipstick part numbers? EPC for this vehicle shows only a cap for the guide tube and no dipstick.

The vehicle is a 230.475, with a 113.963 motor and I suspect the proper dipstick would also fit a TYP 209 and 211 with the same engine.

TheSaint

I agree that it is better to have a dispstick so you can check the oil level using the dipstick and not sitting inside the car while the car measure the oil level itself
The dipstick guide tube is on all SL, R230 from what i know. But no dispstick
So i did check with Mercedes (here in northern Europe) if it was possible to get an oil dipstick that can stay in the car and not a "dipstick measuring tool"
The answer i got from Mercedes was that they did not have any oil dipstick that can stay in the car. They just have the dipstick tool that also have markings on it for other models of Mercedes
Updated! Note that this dipstick that covers more Mercedes models than the SL, R230 is only meant to check the oil, take it out again and put it on the shelf in the garage. It simply is just a tool

Perhaps there is some aftermarked dipstick around?

elMacko

It actually had me worried that an electronic sensor was my oil indicator...so, I actually found a CL-500 dipstick in a junkyard, and it was 3.5" too short....so I modified for the proper length of 22.5" from the top of the tube. I cut the cable 1" near the top, Used a 1/8" copper pipe and clinched over the cable for the right length! Now my worries are left behind!

jgl1

Saint - thanks for checking with a Norwegian (?) M-B dealer. I vaguely remember reading an English article about a decade ago that covered Mercedes's deletion of engine oil dipsticks and detailed the part numbers for dipsticks in these orphan engines.

Any reader out there in a large German city have access to a M-B Niederlassung Deutschland dealer they could ask? I suspect a Niederlassung dealer might be able to provide information on this matter.

Thanks.

Gene Fiorot

It is my understanding Mercedes does not want a dip stick in at all times to be able to measure level correctly.

elMacko

Gene, this is horse dunk...I do not know the reason other than convenience and sophistication. There is no harm keeping a oil dipstick in place as long as it is properly calibrated and sealed into the dipstick hole. There is a tolerance on oil level, max and min and should not be different to any other vehicle. The German think that the car is operated by Oxymoron's who never check the oil level by a manual procedure!