Engine oil level low on dash- Twice in 1 month

[Isa0324]

Hi, I have a E class E350D 2018.

As always you lot have always been very helpful when i have had a question in the past.

I last serviced my car in May , it still shows 3 k miles till next service due at the moment.
i went on a road trip throughout Europe this summer.
throughout that trip i had done perhaps between 2500-3000 miles,

the night before i was due to drive back to UK, (which was another 1500 miles) I got a message on my dash they said engine oil level low please refill at next stop or something along them lines. I switched car on and off and message was no longer.
I put half a litre in of engine oil in.
Got back to UK and 1 week later message appeared again. ( this was i am assuming after 2000-2500 miles from the first dash message )
I put in another half a litre
Now my trip abroad, the temperature was hot! minumum 35degress.

Is this normal, do i need to book it into a service asap? i was worried i might have an oil leak but i can't seem to find any wet patches underneath the car.
any suggestions? Can't seem to read the Dipstick or i am doing it wrong!

Lastly, unrelated I am looking into selling my car, as everyone is probably aware the prices on used cars have gone over the roof!
I Got 2 valuations from webuyanycar and mercedes online for roughly 33k give or take considering i am 8k in positive equity on my finance

any suggestions where i can try sell it without the hassle?

Shall i try sell it privately - I have done a bit of work on modz and it still is a headturner.

Thank you

 

[HITECH]

Hi, I have a E class E350D 2018.

As always you lot have always been very helpful when i have had a question in the past.

I last serviced my car in May , it still shows 3 k miles till next service due at the moment.
i went on a road trip throughout Europe this summer.
throughout that trip i had done perhaps between 2500-3000 miles,

the night before i was due to drive back to UK, (which was another 1500 miles) I got a message on my dash they said engine oil level low please refill at next stop or something along them lines. I switched car on and off and message was no longer.
I put half a litre in of engine oil in.
Got back to UK and 1 week later message appeared again. ( this was i am assuming after 2000-2500 miles from the first dash message )
I put in another half a litre
Now my trip abroad, the temperature was hot! minumum 35degress.

Is this normal, do i need to book it into a service asap? i was worried i might have an oil leak but i can't seem to find any wet patches underneath the car.
any suggestions? Can't seem to read the Dipstick or i am doing it wrong!

Lastly, unrelated I am looking into selling my car, as everyone is probably aware the prices on used cars have gone over the roof!
I Got 2 valuations from webuyanycar and mercedes online for roughly 33k give or take considering i am 8k in positive equity on my finance

any suggestions where i can try sell it without the hassle?

Shall i try sell it privately - I have done a bit of work on modz and it still is a headturner.

Thank you

You might find it us actually almost empty of oil. and is burning the 1 litre top up you are puting in .Next time u get oil top up alert ide put in double the oil u put in the last time. 2 or 3 litres. just saying this as the oil sensor which is supposed to be kinda accurate is very innacurate and doesnt usually alert you until you got almost no oil left in your engine.

 

[AMGeed]

Hi, I have a E class E350D 2018.

As always you lot have always been very helpful when i have had a question in the past.

Lastly, unrelated I am looking into selling my car, as everyone is probably aware the prices on used cars have gone over the roof!
I Got 2 valuations from webuyanycar and mercedes online for roughly 33k give or take considering i am 8k in positive equity on my finance

any suggestions where i can try sell it without the hassle?

Shall i try sell it privately - I have done a bit of work on modz and it still is a headturner.

Thank you

Get a quote from Motorway.
My daughter sold her 66 plate Viva earlier this month and got a very good price. No hassle sale and car collected money transferred immediately.

Free Instant Car Valuation | Car Value Tracker | Motorway

Value your car instantly with a free valuation. Track its ongoing value and sell for your best price at the right time. Check how much your car's worth.

motorway.co.uk

Re your oil consumption, it appears you have done near to 12k miles since May if I'm reading your post correctly. To have used up to 1lt of oil during this period seems in line with many others. It's possible the oil level sensor is at fault but more likely to have been used IMO. I wouldn't worry too much if you are selling the car. Just make sure you keep a check on the level until its sold.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Using 1 litre in 12,000 miles is fine, nothing to worry about. When topping up, never be tempted to put “extra” in. It’s easy to add more, but it’s more difficult to remove some. Usually when the warning light comes on the car asks for 1 litre.

 

[Isa0324]

You might find it us actually almost empty of oil. and is burning the 1 litre top up you are puting in .Next time u get oil top up alert ide put in double the oil u put in the last time. 2 or 3 litres. just saying this as the oil sensor which is supposed to be kinda accurate is very innacurate and doesnt usually alert you until you got almost no oil left in your engine.

Seriously ?

Get a quote from Motorway.
My daughter sold her 66 plate Viva earlier this month and got a very good price. No hassle sale and car collected money transferred immediately.

Free Instant Car Valuation | Car Value Tracker | Motorway

Value your car instantly with a free valuation. Track its ongoing value and sell for your best price at the right time. Check how much your car's worth.

motorway.co.uk

Re your oil consumption, it appears you have done near to 12k miles since May if I'm reading your post correctly. To have used up to 1lt of oil during this period seems in line with many others. It's possible the oil level sensor is at fault but more likely to have been used IMO. I wouldn't worry too much if you are selling the car. Just make sure you keep a check on the level until its sold.

How do you read the dipstick, I find it very confusing. It’s not as clear to read ?

 

[AMGeed]

Seriously ?


How do you read the dipstick, I find it very confusing. It’s not as clear to read ?

If you have the same dipstick as the one in my E class, it should read at least 3/4 the way up the red section. The reading should be taken on level ground after a run up to temperature, then letting it rest for 5 minutes.
There is every chance you have a different dipstick, so check how to read the oil level in the handbook.

 

[Smiley]

You might find it us actually almost empty of oil. and is burning the 1 litre top up you are puting in .Next time u get oil top up alert ide put in double the oil u put in the last time. 2 or 3 litres. just saying this as the oil sensor which is supposed to be kinda accurate is very innacurate and doesnt usually alert you until you got almost no oil left in your engine.

This is a very unlikely scenario imo. It is really unwise to overfill the oil on a diesel engine - it can start to run on it's own sump oil and it is very difficult with an auto to stop it self destructing.
It is more likely that the car was originally asking for 1 litre top up - you wisely (imo) added 1/2 litre - and it has now used that 1/2 litre and has triggered the low oil level again.
TBH I would be more worried about getting a message to reduce the oil level because that would indicate that fuel was leaking back into the sump and diluting the lubricating properties of the oil.
I would not worry about it, just monitor and if the consumption increases a lot then start investigating.

 

[HITECH]

This is a very unlikely scenario imo. It is really unwise to overfill the oil on a diesel engine - it can start to run on it's own sump oil and it is very difficult with an auto to stop it self destructing.
It is more likely that the car was originally asking for 1 litre top up - you wisely (imo) added 1/2 litre - and it has now used that 1/2 litre and has triggered the low oil level again.
TBH I would be more worried about getting a message to reduce the oil level because that would indicate that fuel was leaking back into the sump and diluting the lubricating properties of the oil.
I would not worry about it, just monitor and if the consumption increases a lot then start investigating.

i would seriously worry about it knowing how unreliable the oil level sensors are in Mercedes cars. I can guarantee that if you were to check the oil filter on a mercedes car that kicks up top up oil messages that the oil filter will be a hard black useless lump because theres nout going thru it. Speaking from experience here seeing this problem with many Mercedes cars both old and new. The only way t oactually know how much oil is in the car is to open the sump drain plug. I bet if you do you will be shocked how little comes out.

 

[BlackC55]

The oil levels in these cars are a nightmare. Very difficult to get bang on. When you get the warning add half what the instrument cluster says and then re-check the level after a short 10min drive.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I am assuming we are talking mainly about the diesel engines here ? On my M113 V8 when it ask for one litre that's what I add. The last few oil and filter changes show a 'normal' used filter and the best part of 8 litres of old oil being removed.

I have seen a video of a C63 being taken in for a service and almost bugger all oil being found in the sump, but no alarm showing. I will try to find and post it.

 

[E55BOF]

The oil levels in these cars are a nightmare. Very difficult to get bang on. When you get the warning add half what the instrument cluster says and then re-check the level after a short 10min drive.

Which engine is this? On my OM642s I've never found it a problem, but they have both had dipsticks.

i would seriously worry about it knowing how unreliable the oil level sensors are in Mercedes cars. I can guarantee that if you were to check the oil filter on a mercedes car that kicks up top up oil messages that the oil filter will be a hard black useless lump because theres nout going thru it. Speaking from experience here seeing this problem with many Mercedes cars both old and new. The only way t oactually know how much oil is in the car is to open the sump drain plug. I bet if you do you will be shocked how little comes out.

Mostly rubbish, at least for the M113 engine (I've had five, in W211s and the SLK). I've bought a dipstick, 'cos I'm anal like that and don't care for the electronic level sensor, but I've found that the sensor is reasonably accurate, and I've yet to encounter a hard black useless lump in the oil filter housing.

 

[HITECH]

Which engine is this? On my OM642s I've never found it a problem, but they have both had dipsticks.



Mostly rubbish, at least for the M113 engine (I've had five, in W211s and the SLK). I've bought a dipstick, 'cos I'm anal like that and don't care for the electronic level sensor, but I've found that the sensor is reasonably accurate, and I've yet to encounter a hard black useless lump in the oil filter housing.

If the Oil Level sensors were any use or the alerts were Even a little accurate Then there would be no requirement for dipsticks. My point is the sensors and oil alerts or lack of oil slerts are unreliable. All we can do in here is give our own opinions based on our own experiences. Moral of the story really is dont risk it if your unsure how much oil is in your car. It is a major priority to ensure you find out .

 

[E55BOF]

If the Oil Level sensors were any use or the alerts were Even a little accurate Then there would be no requirement for dipsticks. My point is the sensors and oil alerts or lack of oil slerts are unreliable. All we can do in here is give our own opinions based on our own experiences. Moral of the story really is dont risk it if your unsure how much oil is in your car. It is a major priority to ensure you find out .

What you actually said was: " I can guarantee that if you were to check the oil filter on a mercedes car that kicks up top up oil messages that the oil filter will be a hard black useless lump because theres nout going thru it. Speaking from experience here seeing this problem with many Mercedes cars both old and new ".

That's a pretty strong statement, and if there was that serious a problem, I'd have thought there would have been plenty of discussion on this forum about it, but there has not been. I personally prefer a dipstick, both because I'm old-fashioned, and because there's no possibility of it malfunctioning because there's nothing to malfunction.

I agree entirely that it is possible for the electronic system to be inaccurate, but I doubt it is by much, and if it were I have no doubt MB would be aware and would have modified it. As for your earlier advice to put into a diesel twice the amount the system asks for, I simply wouldn't; too risky.

The M113 in the SLK does not have a dipstick tube, and based on my experience I'm not concerned that the level sensor may be under-reading and it might be low on oil. Perhaps you have been unlucky with your previous experience.

 

[HITECH]

What you actually said was: " I can guarantee that if you were to check the oil filter on a mercedes car that kicks up top up oil messages that the oil filter will be a hard black useless lump because theres nout going thru it. Speaking from experience here seeing this problem with many Mercedes cars both old and new ".

That's a pretty strong statement, and if there was that serious a problem, I'd have thought there would have been plenty of discussion on this forum about it, but there has not been. I personally prefer a dipstick, both because I'm old-fashioned, and because there's no possibility of it malfunctioning because there's nothing to malfunction.

I agree entirely that it is possible for the electronic system to be inaccurate, but I doubt it is by much, and if it were I have no doubt MB would be aware and would have modified it. As for your earlier advice to put into a diesel twice the amount the system asks for, I simply wouldn't; too risky.

The M113 in the SLK does not have a dipstick tube, and based on my experience I'm not concerned that the level sensor may be under-reading and it might be low on oil. Perhaps you have been unlucky with your previous experience.

I can give my opinion and i can use whatever words i want within the rules and policies of this forum bud. Other mercedes car owners have bad experiences. I could seriously go down this road with common faults that are known and proven with certain cars make and models but i have better things to do with my time than have banter with you lol. Do the car makers right it? majority of the time NOOOOOOOOOO. You need to stick to agree or disagree with people on here and gve the op your opinion even if its disagreeing ( which i totally repsect). If you disagree tell the op you disagree with me and why maybe starting with ..... From my wn experience..... Dont go hijacking his post quoting my posts and trying to fire stuff at me. I cant speak for what car makers would do or not do because neither none us are the CEO of a car making company. Your saying like if mercedes were aware of commmon faults they would sort it. Ayeeee right. Why do you think we have car forums. Because car makers are not interested in spending money on anything they dont have to and will fight tooth and nail to deny any knowledge or liability for things that go wrong due to their own design or poor quality build. I noticed majority of your posts are disagreeing with others opinions and advice. Can we maybe stick to giving the op advice. You said your cars have had dipsticks. So you peronally have no experience of an oil dash alert on a mercedes car with no dipstick. I am going to agree to disagree with you here and stick to giving an opinion and try help people with things i experience fixing mercedes cars. Actual hands on experience with the mechanics and the electronics of Meredes Cars.
my experienceof of various diffirent Mercedes.
Mercedes Dash light comes on to say top up 1ltr of oil at next fuel stop.
The engine is almost empty of oil
I have topped up a minimum of 2 litres of oil
it has come up again within a few months.
Instead of topping it up ive popped the oil drain plug off to find barely 1 litre of oil in the engine.
THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH CUSTOMERS CARS AND THIS IS WHAT I AM SHARING HERE.
If you drain whatever oil there is left from the sump you will find out exactly how much oil was in there.

 

[renault12ts]

You might find it us actually almost empty of oil. and is burning the 1 litre top up you are puting in .Next time u get oil top up alert ide put in double the oil u put in the last time. 2 or 3 litres. just saying this as the oil sensor which is supposed to be kinda accurate is very innacurate and doesnt usually alert you until you got almost no oil left in your engine.

Putting 2 - 3 litres of oil in may actually wreck the engine if it's not needed.

 

[Rory]

I don't know if this is possible on newer models, but with a few button presses mine can display the actual oil quantity in tenths of litres. As best I can tell from after servicing and after being run a while then topped up, it seems to give the kind of readings I'd expect.

It holds 6.5 litres and I keep it around 6 litres. They're known to be sensitive to showing a high oil level warning if only slightly over.

 

[HITECH]

Putting 2 - 3 litres of oil in may actually wreck the engine if it's not needed.

its my own experience and have no wrecked engines. bottom of that post i said. drop the oil out the sump to be sure. That is the best thing to do to ensure finding out exactly how much oil or how little oil is in the engine eh. ones with no dipstick anyway.

 

[renault12ts]

its my own experience and have no wrecked engines. bottom of that post i said. drop the oil out the sump to be sure. That is the best thing to do to ensure finding out exactly how much oil or how little oil is in the engine eh. ones with no dipstick anyway.

Quite difficult to do in the middle of a journey wouldn't you say?

 

[E55BOF]

I can give my opinion and i can use whatever words i want within the rules and policies of this forum bud. Other mercedes car owners have bad experiences. I could seriously go down this road with common faults that are known and proven with certain cars make and models but i have better things to do with my time than have banter with you lol. Do the car makers right it? majority of the time NOOOOOOOOOO. You need to stick to agree or disagree with people on here and gve the op your opinion even if its disagreeing ( which i totally repsect). If you disagree tell the op you disagree with me and why maybe starting with ..... From my wn experience..... Dont go hijacking his post quoting my posts and trying to fire stuff at me. I cant speak for what car makers would do or not do because neither none us are the CEO of a car making company. Your saying like if mercedes were aware of commmon faults they would sort it. Ayeeee right. Why do you think we have car forums. Because car makers are not interested in spending money on anything they dont have to and will fight tooth and nail to deny any knowledge or liability for things that go wrong due to their own design or poor quality build. I noticed majority of your posts are disagreeing with others opinions and advice. Can we maybe stick to giving the op advice. You said your cars have had dipsticks. So you peronally have no experience of an oil dash alert on a mercedes car with no dipstick. I am going to agree to disagree with you here and stick to giving an opinion and try help people with things i experience fixing mercedes cars. Actual hands on experience with the mechanics and the electronics of Meredes Cars.
my experienceof of various diffirent Mercedes.
Mercedes Dash light comes on to say top up 1ltr of oil at next fuel stop.
The engine is almost empty of oil
I have topped up a minimum of 2 litres of oil
it has come up again within a few months.
Instead of topping it up ive popped the oil drain plug off to find barely 1 litre of oil in the engine.
THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH CUSTOMERS CARS AND THIS IS WHAT I AM SHARING HERE.
If you drain whatever oil there is left from the sump you will find out exactly how much oil was in there.

Use whatever words you like; if they're wrong, they're wrong - 'guarantee' has a specific meaning; look it up.

" I noticed majority of your posts are disagreeing with others opinions and advice." Factually incorrect, but let it pass... Where I disagree with others' opinions or think advice is wrong, I say so. We all do, and is that not what you are doing here?

I would have thought it was obvious that my post was my opinion, based on experience; "Actual hands on experience with the mechanics and the electronics of Mercedes Cars", though specifically and only the M113 engine. That too is obvious.

I'm not engaging in banter with you; I'm pointing out where my experience disagrees with yours. Your #2 post is also the only one I can recall on this forum making such a claim, so maybe it's not as common a problem as you seem to think. Perhaps you've not had much experience of the M113, or perhaps you're exaggerating?

"So you personally have no experience of an oil dash alert on a mercedes car with no dipstick..." Er, no, wrong again.

Six of my seven (forgot a couple - the ML and the W210 - the first time) M113-engined cars have had electronic oil level indicators and dipstick tubes, so using a dipstick to confirm what the electronic indicator told me was easy. There was never enough variation to concern me.

I used to do my oil changes myself, but of late take my cars to Terry Gates; I never found that there was a suprisingly low oil level in the engine, and I have no doubt that if there had been when he did them Terry Gates would have told me.

The exception is the SLK, which I've had for four years now, and is just about to have its third oil change in that time; it has no dipstick tube. The oil warning - not a light, a message on startup - came up once, I put a litre in, and when I checked it a couple of days ago it told me to add a litre again. Not perhaps entirely surprising, because the cambox breathers are leaking - common fault on the M113.

I'll let you know how much oil comes out after the oil change; I note you 'guarantee that the oil filter will be a hard black useless lump', so doubtless Terry Gates will confirm that too.

More anon.

 

[E55BOF]

Oil change done, at Wayne Gates.

A normal amount of oil came out when drained; the oil filter was fine, not a hard black useless lump; general consensus, at a busy Mercedes specialist with decades of experience, is that the oil level system doesn't give trouble.

l took in 10 litres of oil; 1.9 litres remain in the container, and the car thinks there are 8.1 litres in the sump.

That's good enough for me.