Anyone know if running low on (leaking badly) oil in a 2004 E320 can cause a head gasket failure?
Mercedes Benz head gaskets
- Thread starter mbrummal
- Start date
Benz are known for running extra HOT when low on oil .
So if your Bbenz has high miles ( 100k +/- ) you could have the failure.
my question is how LOW as the 04 E class will give you the malfunction reading on the dash as soon as it is below the desired level and it is farrrrrrrr from almost no oil.
So if your Bbenz has high miles ( 100k +/- ) you could have the failure.
my question is how LOW as the 04 E class will give you the malfunction reading on the dash as soon as it is below the desired level and it is farrrrrrrr from almost no oil.
We had the oil changed recently (I can't because it doesn't have a dipstick) I saw a puddle of oil under it, looked under the hood and oil was everywhere, saw the o ring for the oil filter was bulging, looked under the oil cap and saw it was really milky, coolant reservoir was empty...
I called the shop that did it and they are having it towed back in the morning. I was just wondering if the main cause of coolant in the oil is a head gasket and if that (or whatever) could be caused by the oil leak.
EDIT: It didn't flash the warning for low oil or anything.
It has about 102k or 103k miles
Hmmm. I just thought of this. Could the water pump pulley have been slipping and not move enough coolant to keep it from getting too hot? I know it wasn't a problem with the fan because it is electric.
I called the shop that did it and they are having it towed back in the morning. I was just wondering if the main cause of coolant in the oil is a head gasket and if that (or whatever) could be caused by the oil leak.
EDIT: It didn't flash the warning for low oil or anything.
It has about 102k or 103k miles
Hmmm. I just thought of this. Could the water pump pulley have been slipping and not move enough coolant to keep it from getting too hot? I know it wasn't a problem with the fan because it is electric.
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The 3.2 did have head gasket issues but they were resolved for the 2000 model year. So it's not as common of a failure point anymore. They do get a bit of milky gunk on the inside of the fill cap though, that is fairly normal in the winter months especially if your doing a lot of short trips where the motor doesn't heat up enough to burn off the moisture. My wife's ml320 has been doing the milky gunk on the cap for years with no issues on using coolant etc.
If the coolant is disappearing though be sure to check all the little piss-ant hoses underneath that pretty plastic cover, more than likely one of them is leaking a bit.
I agree with Gustavo that they do get warmer when low on oil though.
a good resource for the MB's is www.benzwold.org
If the coolant is disappearing though be sure to check all the little piss-ant hoses underneath that pretty plastic cover, more than likely one of them is leaking a bit.
I agree with Gustavo that they do get warmer when low on oil though.
a good resource for the MB's is www.benzwold.org
ptschram
Well-known member
When I was working for Vordermans, I was amazed at how finicky some of the M-Bs were.
Some of them, you have to wait 20 minutes after adding oil to ensure you won't bend the rods! One of the techs had a connecting rod hanging on the wall behind his bench from starting one too soon before all the oil had made it to the sump.
Never had to get head gaskets for one while I was working there, but my dad had to replace the head gaskets on his 190 at one point.
Finicky vehicles with parts that made Rover parts look cheap and so overbuilt that everything takes three times as long as on a Rover.
Some of them, you have to wait 20 minutes after adding oil to ensure you won't bend the rods! One of the techs had a connecting rod hanging on the wall behind his bench from starting one too soon before all the oil had made it to the sump.
Never had to get head gaskets for one while I was working there, but my dad had to replace the head gaskets on his 190 at one point.
Finicky vehicles with parts that made Rover parts look cheap and so overbuilt that everything takes three times as long as on a Rover.
The 112 and 116 motors in the 210 chasis are pretty solid.
If oil was squirting out of the oil filter cap, you would have oil all over the front of the motor causing the belt to be thrown off. We see that at the shop ever so often, especialy if the cap wasn;t tightened properly tightened.
Milkshaky oil under the filler cap is common this time of year.
Why are you suspecting blown head gaskets?
Coolant reservoir being empty could be aleak in the cooling system, which hopefully is the case.
If oil was squirting out of the oil filter cap, you would have oil all over the front of the motor causing the belt to be thrown off. We see that at the shop ever so often, especialy if the cap wasn;t tightened properly tightened.
Milkshaky oil under the filler cap is common this time of year.
Why are you suspecting blown head gaskets?
Coolant reservoir being empty could be aleak in the cooling system, which hopefully is the case.
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well, I overreacted. I had a long day and wasn't happy to see a puddle under the car. It was just the oil leak from the oil filter o-ring, no coolant loss (I forgot it was blue, didn't see it). The shop took care of it, cleaned everything up, changed the oil again. All is good. They replaced the oil cap because it was cracked and could have been letting moisture in. I still can't believe the milky substance under the oil cap is common. Mechanic said it is common on german cars but I have never seen it on my brother's BMW.