[Disco Dan]

Well I finally got around to doing an oil change !

It was surprisingly easy despite my apprehensions!

The oil filter (NZ$45) was a little tricky to get at but did not have to remove half the contents of the engine bay to get at it so I was happy. The car was well overdue for a oil change, the oil black and the filter looked like a beach after a sunk oil tanker. I flushed the engine with cheap but fresh oil and then replaced the filter, using new rubber seal and new copper washer on the sump plug.

I can see an oil leak, not 100% sure where it is coming from and in fact could be from several sources. I cleaned everything up, and filled up with fresh 10w-40 Valvoline synthetic oil (NZ$50 5ltr).

Let the oil settle to the sump for a minute or so then started the car and watched the oil pressure needle hesitate then go to max almost straight away.

Was actually quite an easy job and saved myself over NZ$300 by not taking it to the dealer who quoted NZ$400+ for the job!

Couple of things I learnt:

• Don't believe the pimply faced gimp at the auto parts store when he says the car only requires 5 liters of oil. Manual states 7.5L and it boosts your ego to walk out of the shop carrying 10L of expensive oil for a mercedes when the big scary looking bloke on the next counter buys 4L of budget oil for his Jap import hatchback.
  
• The floor jack I used for my old classic mini's was not designed to hold a giant mercedes. There was bending and an epic failure.
  
• There is a flipping huge and heavy steel plate bolted underneath the sump which really hurts when it lands on your face.
  
• Forgetting to change out of oily clothes and sitting on beige leather seats of a mercedes is a really bad idea.

Moral of the story? Get out there, get your hands dirty and don't be afraid to pull your car apart.

 

[TasmanianDevil]

Well I finally got around to doing an oil change !

It was surprisingly easy despite my apprehensions!

The oil filter (NZ$45) was a little tricky to get at but did not have to remove half the contents of the engine bay to get at it so I was happy. The car was well overdue for a oil change, the oil black and the filter looked like a beach after a sunk oil tanker. I flushed the engine with cheap but fresh oil and then replaced the filter, using new rubber seal and new copper washer on the sump plug.

I can see an oil leak, not 100% sure where it is coming from and in fact could be from several sources. I cleaned everything up, and filled up with fresh 10w-40 Valvoline synthetic oil (NZ$50 5ltr).

Let the oil settle to the sump for a minute or so then started the car and watched the oil pressure needle hesitate then go to max almost straight away.

Was actually quite an easy job and saved myself over NZ$300 by not taking it to the dealer who quoted NZ$400+ for the job!

Couple of things I learnt:

• Don't believe the pimply faced gimp at the auto parts store when he says the car only requires 5 liters of oil. Manual states 7.5L and it boosts your ego to walk out of the shop carrying 10L of expensive oil for a mercedes when the big scary looking bloke on the next counter buys 4L of budget oil for his Jap import hatchback.
  
• The floor jack I used for my old classic mini's was not designed to hold a giant mercedes. There was bending and an epic failure.
  
• There is a flipping huge and heavy steel plate bolted underneath the sump which really hurts when it lands on your face.
  
• Forgetting to change out of oily clothes and sitting on beige leather seats of a mercedes is a really bad idea.

Moral of the story? Get out there, get your hands dirty and don't be afraid to pull your car apart.

Congratulations:thumbsup:

 

[bobs]

Congratulations! Getting dirty every once in a while is half the fun. :thumbsup:

 

[NZ Benz]

Don't listen to anyone with too mcuh hair gel who works at Repco or other such places I've had the same thing happen to me.

BTW feel free to give a laden W140 hanging around Newmarket an oil change - it will most likely be mine whilst I'm moving house

 

[Brett San Diego]

LOL. Nice post. Oh, and jacks are rated by weight capacity for a reason. Happy to hear you weren't underneath at the time.

Brett

 

[Disco Dan]

LOL. Nice post. Oh, and jacks are rated by weight capacity for a reason. Happy to hear you weren't underneath at the time.

Brett

It was small and old - I needed to break it to buy a new one :thumbsup:

Female logic "why do you need two jacks for" - was easier this way!!

 

[tirona]

The oil filter (NZ$45) was a little tricky to get at but did not have to remove

yes, removing oil filter from m104 it's a little tricky the first time, but now you are a pro:thumbsup:

Don't believe the pimply faced gimp at the auto parts store when he says the car only requires 5 liters of oil. Manual states 7.5L and it boosts your ego to walk out of the shop carrying 10L of expensive oil for a mercedes when the big scary looking bloke on the next counter buys 4L of budget oil for his Jap import hatchback.

actually don't put 7.5L of oil in engine. start by putting only 6L first, and then fill up between min-middle of dipstick (NOT min-max). i usually put around 6.5L. being at max level on dipstick is overfill on m104.

 

[Merc-S600]

Good Job but still ,they rip't you off on the Oilfilter ,they cost 11 Dollars here .To do the Oil change on These Cars without the Plastic Engine Protection ,you dont even need a Jack ,you could either ( if the Person is off Slim Build ) reach underneat to loosen the Oilsump plug on a Level Surface or drive half way onto the Foothpath one Wheel on the Kerb one on the Road in front off the House of course ,like this you can go underneat alll the Way pretty much safely and all of the underneat is acssesible .
You may say "the Car is inclined to one Side this way " Yes ,thats way add a little piece off Wood or 2 ,under the other Wheel ,since the Oilplug is flowing the Oil towards the Rear ,its pretty good .
I Personally change my Oil in the Garage with a 3 Tonne Hydraulic Jack slightly Lifting the Car a Bit , then i leave the Oil drain out ,in the meantime i take the Filter out , Then the Airfilters and so on .
Always make sure you work safe under this 2.2 Tonne Monster of a Car .LOL.
Ciao
The Brakes are also verry easy to change so are the Disc's or call them Rotors .

 

[TasmanianDevil]

By the way, I do have a plastic that covers under the radiator but I dont remember having another that completely covers underneath the engine, this I am sure of cause when I look at the engine with the engine compartment open I can see the ground from the exhaust manifold area.

Could my cover have been lost at some service intervall or did these cars ever come without an under cover

 

[tirona]

By the way, I do have a plastic that covers under the radiator but I dont remember having another that completely covers underneath the engine, this I am sure of cause when I look at the engine with the engine compartment open I can see the ground from the exhaust manifold area.

Could my cover have been lost at some service intervall or did these cars ever come without an under cover

i wouldn't worry, it's ok if you don't have the plastic belly pan, previous owner probably just left it off. actually on an older car is probably better not to have it this way it's easier to tell if there is any type of leak because you would see the fluid on the ground months quicker than you would with the belly pan on.

 

[deanyel]

In the U.S. the belly pan was discontinued at chassis A191708 which is around the end of the 94 model year. This may have varied by market.

 

[Disco Dan]

Has a plastic cover along the front of the underside covering rad area. Also steel and quite heavy belly pan. Has a small hole in it for drainage.

Cannot see the ground when looking down through the engine. Has a couple of nasty looking scrapes on the belly pan though... glad that it was there when it happened!

 

[TasmanianDevil]

In the U.S. the belly pan was discontinued at chassis A191708 which is around the end of the 94 model year. This may have varied by market.

Hmm mine is A195793 so this could be the case since as some had mentioned "previous owners couldnt have taken off" because we are the first owners.

Do you think I should get one?

Not that it bothers me too much but when parked outside when you first rev the engine all the dust from the pavement rise up and settle on the engine.

Last but not least do any of you know the part number?

 

[chedeng]

Mine was missing also all these years and did not realize that its suppose to have a plastic cover for the oil pan. It's nice to have because it keeps dirt off of the steering damper. I recently ordered one from Eddie. Also don't forget to get the 4 mounting screws.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w140-s-class/1389400-1994-s-500-pahts-cah-boston-34.html

 

[tirona]

Not that it bothers me too much but when parked outside when you first rev the engine all the dust from the pavement rise up and settle on the engine.

dust accumulating on engine can be a big problem. i wouldn;t worry about the belly pan, i don't think it would contribute at all to more dust on engine. some say the pan is for aerodynamics and helps cool the engine when you drive, but i can tell you from personal experience it doesn't make any difference at all with or without it.

 

[deanyel]

I always thought the purpose, or one of them, was to warm the engine up, to run hotter and cleaner. If they were trying to cool it down they screwed up because they run quite a bit cooler without it, around 10C cooler for me.

 

[TasmanianDevil]

I ll just keep it the way it is then, anyways in April I am planning to lift the car, check underneath completely, change the middle exhaust, finishing off cleaning everything I could see, perhaps even a heat resistant black paint job ( you cant believe how wonderfull it looks, done it before to my previous Range Rover ), I ll take pictures of the W140 when I am done and present them too later for your review

I know I know, you dont have to mention, I am sick, a loose bolt on the head, everything has to be clean, neat and tidy