Change the Oil on a Mercedes C230

To properly maintain automobiles, owner’s must complete routine maintenance procedures on a timely basis. Among the most important of these procedures is changing the oil every 5,000-10,000 miles the car is driven in order to maintain the integrity of arguably the most important component of the vehicle, the engine. Over time under operation, the oil in a car loses its smooth liquid composition and becomes more thick, similar to aged milk which becomes chunky, and this makes it harder for the moving parts in an engine to move through it. Changing the oil in a car is often one of the first things many people learn about maintaining cars. The process is almost identical in most cars, however in Mercedes-Benz cars, as well as many European cars, the process is different in some aspects due to the European style construction of the vehicle. The major steps involved in changing the oil in a Mercedes-Benz C230 include, raising the car, draining the oil, changing the oil filter, and checking the oil level.


Steps

  1. Loosen the oil filter. Begin by using the 27mm wrench to slightly loosen the oil filter assembly located in the engine bay near the firewall and closer to the driver side. The reason the filter is being loosened and not removed yet is to allow the oil in the filter to flow back in to the oil pan.
  2. Raise the car. Place a lift jack underneath a lift slot on the driver’s side and jack up the car high enough to allow relatively comfortable working space under the car and then place a jack stand beneath a jack slot or in an appropriate location under the frame of the car.
  3. Remove the plastic underbody covers. Remove the plastic underbody shields that cover the oil pain by removing the 6 bolts with the 8mm socket wrench.
  4. Place oil drain pan. Locate the oil drain plug and place the oil collection pan about halfway in front of the plug as this is the direction the oil will flow out when the plug is removed.
  5. Remove oil drain plug. Slowly remove the drain plug by turning it counter-clockwise with the ½ inch wrench until it is removed and oil starts flowing out. The oil will take about 10-20 minutes to adequately drain out of the car.
  6. Remove oil filter. While the oil is draining into the collection pan, carefully remove the oil filter using the 27mm wrench.
  7. Remove the oil filter cartridge and o-rings. Remove the oil filter cartridge from the oil filter assembly by tugging down on the cartridge until it comes off
  8. Remove the rubber O-rings by rolling them down or by using a sharp tool, such as a flat-head screwdriver, to pry them off.
  9. Install the new oil filter cartridge and o-rings.
    • Install the new oil filter cartridge putting the oil filter assembly through it and pushing the two components together firmly until a click is felt or heard.
    • Install the o-rings by rolling them up the filter stick until they lock into place on the O-ring slots.
  10. Reinstall the oil filter into the car. Once the oil filter cartridge and o-rings are replaced, re-install the oil filter into the car by turning it clockwise until it is hand-tight and then turning it another ¼ turn with the 27mm wrench.
  11. Reinstall the oil drain plug. Reinstall the oil drain plug back into the oil pan by turning it clockwise until it is hand tight and then turning it another ½ turn with the ½ inch wrench.
  12. Reinstall underbody shield. Reinstall the plastic underbody shields by lining it up with the bolt holes and fastening the bolts with the 8mm socket wrench.
  13. Remove jack stands. Use the lift jack to lift the car and remove the jack stands and then carefully and slowly lower the car.
  14. Add oil. Remove the oil input cap located in the middle of the engine bay, on the engine, and place the funnel into the oil input hole.
  15. Begin pouring 5.25 quarts (not the full 5.8-6 quarts to account for residual oil left in the engine) of oil into the engine.
  16. Get an electronic oil level reading. Once the 5.25 quarts of oil is poured into the engine, remove the funnel, place the cap back onto the oil input hole and turn it tight.
  17. Start the engine and let it run for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off.
  18. Wait 10-20 minutes or more before checking the oil level as the oil is not settled down yet from the engine running which will yield an inaccurate oil level reading.
  19. Place the key into the ignition and turn it to position 2 (accessory power).
  20. Navigate through the instrument cluster menu until the vehicle’s mileage is displayed and then hold the reset button on the instrument cluster.
  21. The digital cluster screen will now indicate “ENGINE OIL - MEASUREMENT IN PROGRESS! CORRECT MEASUREMENT ONLY IF VEH. LEVEL” and after 3 seconds “ENGINE OIL LEVEL – MEASUREMENT NOW” will be displayed.
  22. A message will now indicate if oil needs to be added, removed, or if the oil level is okay.
  23. Add or remove oil. If the oil level is low, add ¼ quart of oil into the oil input hole and repeat steps 17 and 18. If the oil level is still low, repeat this step.
    • If the oil level is too high, repeat steps 2-5, only removing the drain plug for a few seconds. Repeat steps 12-14. Let the engine run for 2-3 minutes. Repeat step 18. If the oil level is still too high, repeat this step.

Tips

  • For easier access underneath the car, jack up both sides of the car and place a jack stand on both sides.
  • Be careful not to get oil on yourself when removing the drain plug, especially if the oil is still hot. Be ready to quickly move the oil drain pan into a more appropriate position once you see where the oil is flowing out.
  • Be careful not to drip a lot of oil in the engine bay or on the car’s exterior. Oil is not particularly corrosive or dangerous to the car, but letting it sit for a while can cause staining.
  • It is common practice to lubricate the O-rings with oil before installing them to ensure a proper seal to the oil filter and to make them easier to remove the next time the filter is changed.
  • It is very important that the oil filter is not overtightened as it will be very difficult to remove it once the oil heats up and the seal is made.
  • A slow drip, as in one drip every three or more seconds, out of the oil pan is nothing to worry about; it can be resealed in this situation.
  • The oil input cap is almost always labeled with an “oil” symbol. It is crucial that the oil does not exceed the maximum level. This is the most important tip in this instruction set, as is very easy to add oil, but very difficult to reduce the oil level.
  • Use paper towel/ towel rag to wipe up any spills.
  • Use nitrile gloves to keep your hands from getting very dirty.

Warnings

  • Do not start the car or run the engine while the oil is being drained, or while the filter is not fastened.
  • Do not fill the car with oil past the maximum capacity.
  • Be careful not to get hot oil on yourself when removing the drain plug.
  • If the car has been running, wait at least one hour before draining the oil as it will be very hot.
  • Clean up oil spills right away to prevent the oil from staining the ground.
  • Be sure lift jack and jack stands are fully stable when in use. If they are not, carefully remove the jack stands and place them again so that all four feet of the jack stand are on the ground and so that the top of the jack stand is secured in the jack slot.
  • Do not over tighten the oil filter or the drain plug.

References

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