After each oil change, the oil is immediately black again. I dropped the pan, cleaned and reinstalled. Same result.

What can be done to have cleaner appearing oil? Or should I just give up now?

I have thought about using the "10 minute Engine flush" off the shelf and then running a short period with ATF.

Thoughts?


Thanks for any input.

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85 300D 3 pedal. Current project.
83 300TD (need rear wiper assembly dead or alive)
84 300SD Daily driver
85 300TD almost 400k miles and driven daily.
98 E300D *sold
86 300SDL *sold and made flawless 10 hour journey to new home.

Use the correct oil and filter and get your head out of the oil pan..
LOL
This has been reported and talked about in the archives also..

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Don't worry, completely normal.
You won't get ALL the old oil out and it doesn't take long for the new stuff to turn black.

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83 SD

84 CD

You have an oil cooler filled with oil.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

And an injection pump full of oil as well. Renntag its perfectly normal for the oil to turn black almost instantly. It's the nature of these old diesels.

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some install what's known as a bypass oil filter, and use HUGE bypass filters in the submicron range of filtration. others use a centrifuge to separate the solids from the liquids, both methods can get the oil MUCH cleaner than the onboard filter is capable of...
bottom line is, the motors last 400Kmiles with standard filters (which have a tiny bypass filter built in) as long as you don't go too long on the oil between changes, and you replace your filter with a quality filter, your motor will be just fine. (7.5 quarts of clean oil mixed with .8qts of dirty oil is NO issue for this motor.
drive on!

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Yep, the oil is always black on the old diesels....just change it every 3-4,000 miles and you'll be fine.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Consider it just an optional feature of the older indirect injection mercedes diesels. You know how hard it is to read the oil level in a modern car with the almost clear transparent oil? Mercedes made quite sure that certainly was not going to be an issue on their diesel cars.

Blacker than a witches ___ comes to mind. Figure out the three letter word if you have never heard the expression before. I guess I should give a hint. The first and last letters are both Ts.

History claims Rudolph diesel, the individual credited with the invention of the diesel engine ran them on coal dust at one point. His engines never forgot that particular abuse. Until the last while. Now some people are trying to burn anything they can in them once again it seems.

I have no oil cooler on either of my 240s and the oil is still black shortly after the oil change

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

really?
the 240's don't have even a small cooler?
Hmmm. there is still a lot of black as coal oil in all the passages, but you would think without the cooler you could get at least a day of almond oil... how much oil do you think is in the IP?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

If you dont like black oil, dont drive a diesel car. If you think you have a major problem, you could get an oil test done. Even a new diesel motor soon turns oil black.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

It's the soot that turns the oil black so quick. Just use quality Diesel rated oil.

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92 300D 2.5L OM602 OBK #59

An old MB diesel mechanic was telling me a joke recently about oil changes. He was joking around saying "make sure you watch those guys changing your oil. They might lie to you and just say they changed it. You gotta watch them to make sure they're doing it". Brand new oil will be black almost immediately on these old diesels.

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1982 240 D, 308,000 - 321,127 miles (sold)
1982 300 TD,166,500 - 226,000 miles
1998 E 320, 120,000 - 144,000 miles
2005 C 230 K, 26,000 - 77,000 miles (sold)

The system is functioning as designed.

Yes.

Bad idea. No-very bad idea. Just change your oil and filter every 3-4k miles with a diesel-rated oil of the correct weight for your climate and meeting your personal sythetic/dino preference and you will be fine.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

This just shows how important using diesel rated oil is. Diesel rated oils are designed to keep their properties even when fouled with a ton of soot

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1981 300SD 512k OM603