[iceman1]

I recently found out that my car does not have a regular dipstick to check the oil level. How absurd! I have never had or heard of a car before that does not have a dipstick. In certain w203 models, you get an opening tube through which you insert the dipstick when you need to check the oil level.The dipstick does not come with the car and has to be purchased separately.Unfortunately, my car does not have that opening to insert the dipstick.So i did some research and stumbled upon a really cool trick to check the oil level.I feel this would really help other W203 owners here and may even work on other merc models. Here goes...



Note: If the engine has just been running, let the vehicle stand for around 10-15 minutes before starting this procedure.

1. Make sure that your display in your cluster is set to the default Mileage and Trip distance, then turn ignition off..

2. Now turn to position 1

3. Press the 'Reset' push button on the extreme left-hand edge of the instrument cluster quickly 3 times. It will beep and show battery voltage . . .

4. Turn the ignition key clockwise from position 1 to position 2 (second position).

Press the 'Up Arrow' on the left of the steering wheel ONCE. Hopefully it will show 'Oil level _._l' in the central display area)

Wait for 10 seconds or so for the oil reading to take place.. It will display something like 6.1 litres (or whatever)..
Ideally you want to keep the level between 6 and 6.5 litres (On a C270 cdi).




I tried this on my car today and it worked! It showed a reading of 6.4 which is well within the acceptable limit.

Since we are on the subject of oil level, could someone here help me with what engine oil i should be buying. I have heard good things about Mobil 1. Could someone here please advice what Engine oil would be the best.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by iceman1

I recently found out that my car does not have a regular dipstick to check the oil level. How absurd! I have never had or heard of a car before that does not have a dipstick. In certain w203 models, you get an opening tube through which you insert the dipstick when you need to check the oil level.The dipstick does not come with the car and has to be purchased separately.Unfortunately, my car does not have that opening to insert the dipstick.So i did some research and stumbled upon a really cool trick to check the oil level.I feel this would really help other W203 owners here and may even work on other merc models. Here goes...



Note: If the engine has just been running, let the vehicle stand for around 10-15 minutes before starting this procedure.

1. Make sure that your display in your cluster is set to the default Mileage and Trip distance, then turn ignition off..

2. Now turn to position 1

3. Press the 'Reset' push button on the extreme left-hand edge of the instrument cluster quickly 3 times. It will beep and show battery voltage . . .

4. Turn the ignition key clockwise from position 1 to position 2 (second position).

Press the 'Up Arrow' on the left of the steering wheel ONCE. Hopefully it will show 'Oil level _._l' in the central display area)

Wait for 10 seconds or so for the oil reading to take place.. It will display something like 6.1 litres (or whatever)..
Ideally you want to keep the level between 6 and 6.5 litres (On a C270 cdi).




I tried this on my car today and it worked! It showed a reading of 6.4 which is well within the acceptable limit.

Since we are on the subject of oil level, could someone here help me with what engine oil i should be buying. I have heard good things about Mobil 1. Could someone here please advice what Engine oil would be the best.

Interesting info. I am surprised it doesn't have dipstick. The recent BMWs don't come with dipstick but they show the oil level in iDrive. Others might also adopt this tech as pretty much everything is becoming digitial-ish these days. I thought since there is no dipstick, the instrument panel should have the oil level reading like BMW iDrive without having to try all those secret-menu things.

Mobil1 and Shell are good choices and typically used by most european car dealers. You definitely have to find the oil that meets the spec recommended by your car's manual. You might see the oil company logo under the hood near the radiator. Not putting compatible oil can be a disaster. Don't top up more than required, bad for catalytic converter as per manual.

[iceman1]

This is how it looks like when you access the service menu to check the oil level using the above method.The Ol: 6.41 is the quantity of oil in liters present in the engine.

[iceman1]

Originally Posted by androdev

Interesting info. I am surprised it doesn't have dipstick. The recent BMWs don't come with dipstick but they show the oil level in iDrive. Others might also adopt this tech as pretty much everything is becoming digitial-ish these days. I thought since there is no dipstick, the instrument panel should have the oil level reading like BMW iDrive without having to try all those secret-menu things.

Mobil1 and Shell are good choices and typically used by most european car dealers. You definitely have to find the oil that meets the spec recommended by your car's manual. You might see the oil company logo under the hood near the radiator. Not putting compatible oil can be a disaster. Don't top up more than required, bad for catalytic converter as per manual.

Thanks androdev. I mostly will be opting for Mobil 1 . Not sure if it should be the 0w-40 or the 5W-50 according to Bombay weather.And yes you are right, the oil level reading should be a straight forward thing. unfortunately it isnt in this case.I would much rather have a simple dipstick which has been working wonderfully over the years.

[Motoringlover]

iceman1 - Enjoyed reading your thread, In someways i have had a similar experience buying a used car and investing $'s to get to working in accpetable standards, now you mentioned very decent FE on the car, I have been contemplating getting a badge (one of the 3 premium brands) - Could you please consider sharing some typical service costs, and costs on spares say - change of Clutch + Flywheel, replacing shocks , timing belt/chain - in other words costs of ensuring longevity, any feedback you could give me will help me in a big way.

Thanks and all the very best on your acquisition.

ML

[iceman1]

Originally Posted by Motoringlover

iceman1 - Enjoyed reading your thread, In someways i have had a similar experience buying a used car and investing $'s to get to working in accpetable standards, now you mentioned very decent FE on the car, I have been contemplating getting a badge (one of the 3 premium brands) - Could you please consider sharing some typical service costs, and costs on spares say - change of Clutch + Flywheel, replacing shocks , timing belt/chain - in other words costs of ensuring longevity, any feedback you could give me will help me in a big way.

Thanks and all the very best on your acquisition.

ML

Thanks Motoringlover. I haven't really spent anything on it apart from the A/C job so far. But i do have my first service coming up shortly so will be updating on the cost of that.I estimate it to be around 15K.Yes the fuel efficiency figures are good. They are even better on the 320d that we have in the family! Hope you decide on the car soon.All the very best!

[S_U_N]

Great car @iceman1.
Your tale about the air-conditioning was harrowing for me. Rs. 4.5 lacs to get the AC working is simply exorbitant, even for a Mercedes.
I fail to understand why manufacturers design cars which make it laborious for certain parts to be removed.
Even my car (Cedia) requires a dashboard removal for the AC/ evaporator coil to be removed. I consider it to be a design flaw. In a dusty country like India, this does not make any sense.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Great car @iceman1.
Your tale about the air-conditioning was harrowing for me. Rs. 4.5 lacs to get the AC working is simply exorbitant, even for a Mercedes.
I fail to understand why manufacturers design cars which make it laborious for certain parts to be removed.
Even my car (Cedia) requires a dashboard removal for the AC/ evaporator coil to be removed. I consider it to be a design flaw. In a dusty country like India, this does not make any sense.

This is the case with Almost every car.
Evaporator/cooling coil is present behind the dashboard.
At least it is in My Linea,and was in my Ex Accent.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Great car @iceman1.
Your tale about the air-conditioning was harrowing for me. Rs. 4.5 lacs to get the AC working is simply exorbitant, even for a Mercedes.
I fail to understand why manufacturers design cars which make it laborious for certain parts to be removed.
Even my car (Cedia) requires a dashboard removal for the AC/ evaporator coil to be removed. I consider it to be a design flaw. In a dusty country like India, this does not make any sense.

The joke goes something like this: they hang the evaporator core from the roof of the factory, then they assemble the entire car around this evaporator core. Extremely painful to service/replace. Watch this video (MUTE BEFORE OPENING, LOUD MUSIC):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVNNFXPSafs

[iceman1]

Its been a while since i last updated this thread.The odo now reads about 85K and i have had absolute trouble free motoring so far. I recently got my car serviced as the Service A light had come on at about 84K but due to my own work priorities could not get it done till about 84.5K. Also i was trying hard to find the Original Mercedes oil filter and air filter but i just couldnt find any. I was very certain that my car wouldnt go to the authorised dealers for the service. i even searched the net to see if i can order them from abroad but no such luck.So finally had to make do with whats available. Both the filters i bought are Made in Germany and seemed to be of extremely good quality. So here's a breakdown of the costs involved :

Mobil 1 fully synthetic oil : Rs 900 * 7 ltrs = 6300 (only used 6.5 litres)
Mann Oil Filter : Rs 475
Heingst Air Filter : Rs 1400
Power streering oil topup : Free
Labour : Rs 2000

TOTAL : Rs 10,175.

The service was done at Hyper Power which is based at Turbhe MIDC. I have known them for a while now and have had a good experience with them in the past. They are used to working on high end cars so i didnt really have to worry or explain anything to them which was a big relief ( although i had done my own research on you tube and MB Forums). The labour charges also included a scan at the end of the oil change to look for any error codes( of which my car had none) and to reset the Service light. All in all , i was a happy man.All done under two hours flat and didnt even pinch my pocket. Great Result!!

[svsantosh]

1) Great eye opener thread for anyone brave enough to upgrade from the normal marutis and hyundais to a affordable German!

2) So what did MBIL do after they asked you about the 'sham'-mam 18K work?

3) The last post ^ bill (without oil) is Swift category! Wow, Someday if I ever save up will surely think about a nice car like yours.

[iceman1]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

1) Great eye opener thread for anyone brave enough to upgrade from the normal marutis and hyundais to a affordable German!

2) So what did MBIL do after they asked you about the 'sham'-mam 18K work?

3) The last post ^ bill (without oil) is Swift category! Wow, Someday if I ever save up will surely think about a nice car like yours.

I havent heard from MBIL at all except for the initial call.Have been really busy off late to proactively take it up with them but i will be soon.

You are absolutely right about the regular maintenance part. Its just like any other car . However, complicated jobs could get expensive so you need to watch out for that.Hence its of paramount importance that you buy a well kept car in the first place.

[iceman1]

A few days ago, i got a random call from my Uncle who stays in Dubai saying that he would be coming to india soon for a short trip and wanted to know if i would want him to get something for me.At first i couldnt think of anything but then i remembered that top dashboard grill in my car was showing signs of age and had begun to rust. so i sent him a pic of that he was kind enough to get it for me.As always, I asked him to get me the Original Mercedes Part which he was kind enough to get for me.

By the time i got around replacing it, it had further deteriorated and this is how it looked like.



The replacement part.Original Mercedes Part!









Work in progress....





And this is how it looked like After the replacement.



Before ordering it from Dubai, i had looked around for this all over opera House and few other places but none of them had the original part.They all had Chinese/Thai aftermartket parts which i wasnt very keen on. This original part cost less then what it would cost me to buy the Aftermarket part here.The best part was that it was gifted to me and hence i did not incur any cost at all.

[androdev]

@iceman1 I enjoy reading your ownership thread. You are doing awesome, wish you many more years of happy ownership.

But how did an interior part rust like that?

[iceman1]

Originally Posted by androdev

@iceman1 I enjoy reading your ownership thread. You are doing awesome, wish you many more years of happy ownership.

But how did an interior part rust like that?

Thanks Androdev! I am glad you enjoy reading my thread. Thats a very good question you have asked.Actually i have been thinking of the same and the conclusion that i have reached ( could be wrong) is that its possibly due to the condensation on the grill. This grill actually covers an AC vent and a speaker. The speaker is located towards the upper half ( closer to the windsheild) and the AC vent is towards the bottom half.As you can see from the pictures, most of the rusting has taken place towards the bottom which may explain the co-relation between the Ac vent and the rusting.But whats annoying is that no matter what the explanation, such a thing should not be happening in any car, let alone a premium car.i really hope that i do not have to change this part often.