C220 CDI engine oil - how many litres?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Topkat

Banned
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
55
Location
London
Car
C220 CDI Elegance
I'm not sure if the computer in my car is working properly. I changed the oil and put 5 litres of engine oil in. It says its enough, but the last oil change needed 6.5 litres top up before it said it was enough. Strange!

How much do you normally put in?
 
6.0 litres then check.
 
Did you undo the filter allowing it to drain while the sump was draining?
 
When you say "enough" - do you mean the computer says "OK"?

I have a C270CDi which has 6.5L capacity (I think that's same as C220CDI). Mine went down to 5.4L and still showed "OK". If your car is the one in the picture then you can check the exact oil level as follows:

Not sure if it's the same on all models, but on my late 04 (facelift) W203:
Set the multifuction display (MFD) to show total mileage
Switch ignition to position 1
Press the trip reset button 3 times quite quickly, you hear a beep and the MFD switches to an engineering mode.
Scroll through the pages (think there are 3 or 4) and at the bottom on one it says Öl (oil in German).
Switch ignition to position 2 and after a few seconds it'll give you the oil level in litres.

Switch the ignition off resets the display.

Sounds like a palava but it's easy once you've done it a couple of times.
 
That's what I did the moment the computer requested "add 1 litre" - and the computer reckoned it had 3.2 litres in it which doesn't tie up with the sump capacity that well.
 
AaaaH--- Digital electronics don't ya just love em. :crazy: I know--- lets invent a device thats always in calibration--- a metal rod of fixed length with level markings on it. You put it into the sump and then read off the oil level using your eyes. Shouldn't cost much and wont alter during the lifetime of the vehicle.:rolleyes: Lets call it a DIPSTICK which is the name that should be applied to the buffoon that decided to remove it from the standard specification of Mercedes cars.
 
Mine says it has 3.2 litres of oil in it hot , and then requests 1 litre -
How long did you leave it before checking? You're supposed to leave it 10mins if hot, and at least 30mins if the engine has been run for a short time.
 
The manual says 6.5L with oil filter
rob
 
AaaaH--- Digital electronics don't ya just love em. :crazy: I know--- lets invent a device thats always in calibration--- a metal rod of fixed length with level markings on it. You put it into the sump and then read off the oil level using your eyes. Shouldn't cost much and wont alter during the lifetime of the vehicle.:rolleyes: Lets call it a DIPSTICK which is the name that should be applied to the buffoon that decided to remove it from the standard specification of Mercedes cars.

You know they made the same mistake at the THORP reprocessing plant in Sellafield. Relied upon an air pressure driven device to measure the levels in a spillage collection sump. It got stuck and everybody ignored the "low" readings because "low" was good!

Unfortunately in their case it meant they did not notice that "dissolver product liqour" had deposited itself over 9 months on the floor of a cell containing some tanks. Nothing to worry about: only 83,000 litres of concentrated Nitric Acid with about 22 tonnes of Uranium and 160Kg of Plutonium dissolved in it.
 
AaaaH--- Digital electronics don't ya just love em. :crazy: I know--- lets invent a device that always in calibration--- a metal rod of fixed length with level markings on it. You put it into the sump and then read off the oil level using your eyes. Shouldn't cost much and wont alter during the lifetime of the vehicle.:rolleyes: Lets call it a DIPSTICK which is the name that should be applied to the buffoon that decided to remove it from the standard specification of Mercedes cars.

If anyone has the correct length of dip stick you would need I'm sure one could be made out of curtain wire,would be handy to know. Black C55?
 
If your car is the one in the picture then you can check the exact oil level as follows:

Not sure if it's the same on all models, but on my late 04 (facelift) W203:
Set the multifuction display (MFD) to show total mileage
Switch ignition to position 1
Press the trip reset button 3 times quite quickly, you hear a beep and the MFD switches to an engineering mode.
Scroll through the pages (think there are 3 or 4) and at the bottom on one it says Öl (oil in German).
Switch ignition to position 2 and after a few seconds it'll give you the oil level in litres.

Switch the ignition off resets the display.

Very useful info. Tried it out and tells me I have 6.0L of oil.

Just how do you find info like this?

Are there any more tricks that the computer can play on the W203?
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom