2011 Mercedes E350 Bluetec-oil black 100 miles!

[hal2626]

Bought it used Certified from Benz dealer with 17K on it. Checked oil and it was black. Dealer produced paperwork showing oil was changed 100 miles before we bought it. I thought-It's a Diesel and my first one so maybe that is par for the course. Also,I learned that oil is extracted from the top of the motor and not underneath the car which may leave some oil in the motor resulting in the black lube after only 100 miles. They charged for Adblue fill-up at the same time. A few hundred miles later it ran out of Adblue (supposed to last 10K miles)-they charged $200 for this and did not put a drop in the tank! I'm thinking that the oil change may not have been done even though it was a $400 service charge.It will cost me $120 even if I do the oil change myself. Need to rig up some sort of extractor pump-sheesh! Don't want the expense or hassle if not necessary.
Does diesel oil go black after only 100 miles?

 

[hal2626]

Bought it used Certified from Benz dealer with 17K on it. Checked oil and it was black. Dealer produced paperwork showing oil was changed 100 miles before we bought it. I thought-It's a Diesel and my first one so maybe that is par for the course. Also,I learned that oil is extracted from the top of the motor and not underneath the car which may leave some oil in the motor resulting in the black lube after only 100 miles. They charged for Adblue fill-up at the same time. A few hundred miles later it ran out of Adblue (supposed to last 10K miles)-they charged $200 for this and did not put a drop in the tank! I'm thinking that the oil change may not have been done even though it was a $400 service charge.It will cost me $120 even if I do the oil change myself. Need to rig up some sort of extractor pump-sheesh! Don't want the expense or hassle if not necessary.
Does diesel oil go black after only 100 miles?

 

[Rand]

not 100 miles.. but certainly could be in 1000miles.

I'd be leaning more towards dealer screwing you.

Wouldnt take anything there..


a good oil extractor is about 80-100$

Oil change should be about 50-60$

5qt jugs at walmart for <25$

 

[Boomer]

A huge container of Ad Blue (5 gts or so) can be had from VW dealers for about $12. Pep Boys has a version that is even less. I bought one of the small bottles with the nozzle on it from VW for another $12 and refill it and use it to keep my Ad Blue topped off.

 

[danthaman1980]

Find a different dealer!

I bought a LiquiVac brand extractor at Lowes or Home Depot several years back... it is a vacuum pump-style extractor, fairly inexpensive, and it works great.

 

[shDK]

It is completely normal the engineoil on a diesel turns black after 100 miles or maybe even less. No probs there. It does however sounds like your dealing with a verry little honest dealer. Try checking the oilfilter cardrigde plastic cower. You should be able to se if it has bin screwed off recently.

When it comes to oilchange procedure. There is still a oilplug. And there is no reason why you should not change it the old way. The reason it is vacumed out at the dealer is only to make the work order as effektive as possible to save time. I know. I used to work at a MB dealer here in Denmark

 

[TrevorS]

Some cars leave less oil with dipstick extraction. It all depends on where the oil pools and what angle the vehicle is.

Many Mercedes get less oil out through the drain plug. However it may be worth using that method once in a while and then removing any pooled oil with an extractor.

I have a vehicle that does better with an oil extractor. When my mechanic did an oil change from the drain plug he filled up with the specified quantity and the dipstick was showing it was overfilled. When I did it with an extractor, I filled with the same quantity and the dipstick was perfect.

My other vehicle has the drain plug at the back of the pan facing horizontally. I don't have the exact diagram of the pan but there is a chance that the bottom of the drain plug hole is higher than the bottom of the pan. So an oil change on a lift or from a pit may leave oil behind. Putting the front wheels on ramps would seem to improve the draining angle.

Even pans with drain plugs on the bottom can leave oil in the pan depending on the design. Mercedes drain plugs are often on the side and from what I've seen they are higher than the bottom. Some owners put the opposite side on a curb to improve the draining angle.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: hal2626
They charged for Adblue fill-up at the same time.

If it's a CPO vehicle, then all the fluids should have been topped off prior to you buying the vehicle. The dealer is trying to screw you. I'd report them to MBUSA corporate.

As for dark oil, yes, it's actually quite normal for engine oil to turn black within a few miles after it's been put in service in a diesel engine.

 

[L_Sludger]

I thought diesel oil goes black as soon as it leaves the bottle, even before it reaches the valve cover!!!

 

[hattaresguy]

Its a diesel, the oil will get black quickly, also the dealer is screwing you.

Get a topsider to suck the oil out, its fast and simple.


DIY oil change should run you around $80 if you buy when Mobil 1 is on sale. Filters can be bought cheap online.

Oh and get a filter wrench for the plastic oil filter cap.

Adblue is cheap to buy and easy to add, $200 is criminal.

 

[JHZR2]

Soot (carbon black) dyes oil black at very low loading.

Totally normal.

 

[TrevorS]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

If it's a CPO vehicle, then all the fluids should have been topped off prior to you buying the vehicle. The dealer is trying to screw you. I'd report them to MBUSA Corporate


+1 and not just topped off, fully serviced if due. Tires replaced if less than half tread, brakes similar.

Did you get a copy of the completed CPO checklist?

If not, go to the MBUSA website and take a look in the CPO section. There is a checklist of everything that should have been done. It's quite extensive.

 

[hal2626]

First off,I tried to make several paragraphs,I really did. Sorry! Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. First of all,if I had paid the $400 for the oil change and 6 qts. of Adblue I would be furious. That,believe it or not,is only a small part of what the service dept. charged the used car dept. to certify the vehicle. Yes it is a a CPO car. I complained about the Adblue being empty,and to be fair,they sent a guy out to fill it up at no charge. I always do my own changes to save money and do it right. The preferred filter is a fleece filter (how appropriate!)and one of the very few lubes that are MB229.51 approved is the M1 ESP 5w40 that I have seen as high as $13.95 a qt.-it holds 9 qts. I believe so that could push the price of the oil alone as high as $126 plus shipping,plus tax and $20 for the filter-might as well say $150 if you DIY. Of course we BITOGERS NEVER PAY RETAIL FOR OIL,do we? Peak DEF runs $14 for 2.5 gal at Wally World. I think I need to send a sample off to see if it was changed or not. If it was not then the oil is pushing 15 K! If it was changed it has just under 5K on the new lube. The oil was changed at 8k and again,supposedly, at exactly 17K. 22 on it now. Just under 5K if the service was done. On second thought I have the oil/filter in hand so I could just go ahead and do it. The 2010 model OCI was 13k-for 2011 and newer it is now 10K.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: hal2626
The 2010 model OCI was 13k-for 2011 and newer it is now 10K.

Only the 2008 model year was on 13K OCI. 10K started with 2009 model year.

 

[hal2626]

Yep

 

[TrevorS]

Since the oil is expensive, send off for a UOA.

If it comes back ok then you have info for future oil changes.

If not then you have evidence for the dealer.

Or you could just inspect the filter. However I wouldn't know how to distinguish a cartridge filter after 5k vs 15k.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I suspect the tech didn't do the work. There's no way you should need a DEF refill. Also you can source 229.51 oil from PepBoys and even BMW dealerships.

M1 ESP 5w30/40
Castrol SLX 5w30.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Also Valvoline Synpower 5w-40, available at Walmart, NAPA, and Amazon.

 

[Dick in Falls Church]

AMSOIL recommends their 5W-40 AFL. Retails for about $10.50 per qt, plus tax and shipping.
Check with Pablo for better deal.

Friend has VW Jetta. Has run the AMSOIL Diesel Concentrate. With it, about 8% better fuel economy than without it. Obviously, not scientific test, but he is very happy.

 

[Clevy]

A transfer pump costs less than 10 dollars. It comes with the tubing and plastic nipples to fit into the dipstick tube to extract the oil.
My days of wrenching underneath my cars are over. I bought a transfer pump a few months back and it works perfectly. No mess.
The only thing I've gotta reach under the car for now is the filter,and I've got tricks for that now too.