Silly question about sump plug on W210

[BobHUK]

Hello all,

I've just bought a 2002 E220 cdi Estate Diesel. I want to change the oil, but haven't succeeded in getting the front of the car up on the ramps yet as the front lower body panel fouls on the ramps before the front wheels reach them. No doubt I'll figure out a way of getting the front end up somehow, but meanwhile, when I look under the car from the side, I can't see where the sump plug is. There's a dirty great plastic cover that completely shields the underside of the engine from the elements, and I can't see where the sump plug is, or any gap where the sump plug could be.

So here's the question; Am I expected to remove the engine shield in order to get to the sump plug before changing the oil?

Many thanks,

 

[mersum1es]

Use oil retract device... highly recommended Cannot comment sump plug location and reachability, never opened it with either of my cars.

When I needed to drive car on ramps, I used 2"x 6" timber front of both ramps, they lift car just enough...

 

[BobHUK]

Thanks mersum1es. The timber idea sounds like a good 'un. As for an oil retract device, what's that, where do you get them, and how much are they?

 

[BobHUK]

Found 'em. I've now ordered up a 9L vacuum oil extractor from Ebay. That should make life easier for all of our cars, and a lot less messy too.

Many thanks for the tip mersum1es!

 

[optimusprime]

Brilliant way to get the old oil out .Car will be on the level, and oil will extract very nice .If on a ramp the oil will go to the rear of the sump .Thats ok if the drain plug is in the rear of the sump ,but most are midway or at the front ..I went to change mine last week thinking i needed to remove the cover .But luck as it, mine has this square hole in there to drain the oil though .So i never removed the under tray . But i to have picked up one of these oil extractors . So the next time it will be easy for me to go about it standing up .

 

[Jonesy161]

Eggs sucking grandmother......Bob, Get the engine hot before extraction.

 

[mersum1es]

Yeah 9L is super if you have bigger lump (my 320CDI took 7,5L and my resrvoir is only 6L so I have to pour some oil out middle of job ). 2L lumps are good even with 6L. Just be sure to use right size suction pipe and warm oil before extract.

I put timber piece under the front of the ramp so also ramp angle will be decreased... I use about half meter piece of timber, works good.