Water in Engine - 04 MB E500?

[Dallas_E500]

Just got an oil change done on the car at the dealership last week. While cleaning around the engine found out that the cap for the tube\dipstick was missing or not replaced. I washed the car over the weekend. I am concerned if any water got in.

If any water got in, would this be harmful? What would the content level have to be - would few drops hurt or would a lot of water need to get in to do any harm. Doubt a lot of water got in.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

Unless you washed the car with the hood open, you likely have nothing to worry about....if you washed the engine, you better crawl under it and drain the oil ASAP.

Who performs your oil changes?

 

[pzev]

Well, if a lot of water got in...the best thing to do would be change the oil. However, if it was only a little, just get the oil up to operating temp for 20 or so minutes to let the water evaporate off.

 

[Dallas_E500]

CBDFrontier06 - The dealer did the oil change.

pzev - When you say get it up to operating temps - do I need to keep the car dipstick cap off to get the water out or will it evaporate thru somewhere else.

Thanks for the quick response guys - appreciate it

 

[302Xplorer]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dallas_E500:
pzev - When you say get it up to operating temps - do I need to keep the car dipstick cap off to get the water out or will it evaporate thru somewhere else.

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No, it will evaporate out the PCV valve. Leave the cap on and the dipstick in.

 

[ekpolk]

I'd love to be a fly on the wall and get to listen to the conversation in which you discuss this with the dealership. I'd demand that they do a new oil change regardless, and of course, replace the stick. Although I doubt that much crud could have been drawn into your crankcase and oil system in the short time involved, you vehicle is not designed to run with the crankcase open to the world for ANY length of time.

For all the hoop-lah MB makes about its super trained technicians, and given what they charge for service work, this sort of over-the-top blunder is orders of magnitude beyond excusable. When you're done with the dealership people, get on the phone with MBUSA HQ and let them know about it too.

 

[Dallas_E500]

I already got the cap for free, MB does not have a dip stick. Did not want to drive the car till I got it.

Taking the car in for an oil change tommorow.

They had the nerve to tell me that if water got in due to me washing the engine, then its my fault.

It was a free oil change per the warranty - but I belive still a simple mistake could have been costly if I was not cleaning around the engine area. It must have been about a week of driving without the cap.

 

[Laminar Lou]

quote:

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Originally posted by ekpolk:
Although I doubt that much crud could have been drawn into your crankcase and oil system in the short time involved, you vehicle is not designed to run with the crankcase open to the world for ANY length of time.

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I second that. I would think your engine would idle strange or generally behave badly. Sometimes the air leak caused by a missing dipstick will even stall the engine. They owe you an explanation and an oil change.

Just remember, mistakes happen and if you approach it with understanding you will get farther. If it were me, I would say; "Hey, we all make mistakes. However, I think it is reasonable to expect that your department makes good to remedy the situation. I feel uneasy with my crankcase exposed to the world and I would feel a lot better if you guys would change the oil."

 

[CBDFrontier06]

No dipstick? I'm no MB expert, but the oil level would be a ***** to check without that. I do remember that my friend's C230 didn't have a transmission dipstick, but engine oil has to be checked once in a while.

 

[Dallas_E500]

No dipstick. It is given thru a reading on the multifunction display.

No transmission dipstick either - its sealed tighter than where the sun don't shine. Supposed to be LTF oil, but dealer recommends a chnage every 60k.

 

[Dallas_E500]

Thanks Laminar for the sound advise - I tried the conservative approach. They tried to walk over me by saying they won't do it flat out and giving me the cap for free was a lot and said was not their fault if water got in if I did wash my engine. They said a gallon of water would have to get in before anything went wrong - which I told them was a crock of S**.

Then they said they would need to review video tape to see if it was really not replaced, supposedly they have video tape of each bay during a service - which I took as if they were trying to imply I made this up. That what ticked me off.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

Eh..that car would drive me nuts. I want to know exactly how much oil my engine has in it, and what it looks like. If you do have a substantial amount of water in your oil, it'll turn white and get kinda 'creamy'. I'm betting the readout won't be able to tell you that. You'll get told with a spun bearing, which is of course too late.

 

[Schmoe]

I'd call the MB HQ and raise nine kinds of living #ell.

 

[Dallas_E500]

It does tell you the oil is low and how much to add. I guess if I wanted to I can stick a tube down and suck some oil out, like what I did for the analysis.

I have a sample extra bottle that I may take a sample and send to Blackstone just to be safe if they don't do the oil change tommorow.

 

[Laminar Lou]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dallas_E500:


Then they said they would need to review video tape to see if it was really not replaced, supposedly they have video tape of each bay during a service - which I took as if they were trying to imply I made this up. That what ticked me off.

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Wow! I wouldn't be going back there anymore. I would have asked to see the video of them putting the cap on. I am surprised that they would treat you like that. I've had an Audi dealer give me new lugcaps for free even though I told them I was the one who broke them (he even gave me a few extra just in case one falls off in the future - those things were $5 a piece in the book).

It further surprises me with what kind of car you have. I mean I could see a little less latitude given on a c230, but an E500 is quite an expensive car (love that car by the way - excellent choice).

A good service writer/manager knows that any contact with a customer is a chance to make them a customer for life. Sounds like they just made an enemy for life. I'd call MBUSA and gripe about them. I'd also tell the dealer that they will be getting zero stars when MBUSA calls for a survey. If they are like BMW or Audi, their bonus depends on 5 star surveys.

 

[Ray H]

That kind of "service" and attitude is inexcusable for a C230, too. Whatever drives in for routine service made since 2005, the owner drops at least a C-note. About the lack of a dipstick: I admire M-B's considerate use of electronics to bring attention to owners of low fluid levels without the bother of getting out in inclement weather to check. What about gas station attendants? Yeah, right - like as not surly ex-cons or brain-dead acne-pocked kids who pick up a spiff for every fan belt or hose they slice with a box cutter and then repeat the practiced littany, "Hey, Mack/Sweetie, ya' got a problem here!" However, I would also prefer to have the backup of a dipstick as a cross-check to the multifunction display since buck-and-a-half ICs have been known to "funny-up" without warning. As NASA learned, a system is only as reliable as its weakest link.

 

[Gary Allan]

I'm with Lou. These people have no class. They don't deserve to service Yugos, let alone MB products.

I'd most certainly communicate with the head office. There's no excuse for a preemptive dump on a customer when they just got their car serviced and an issue arrose out of it.


Again, they're low lifes. I don't care where they live or buy their clothes.

 

[Laminar Lou]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ray H:
That kind of "service" and attitude is inexcusable for a C230, too.

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You're absolutely right that they should treat you well no matter what you drive. However, in reality that observation tends to be true. I know if I go in to take my Z4 in for service, that I won't get a BMW loaner (I'll get a $25 compact from enterprise). But if I have anything that starts with a letter M, the number 6 or 7 I will probably get a cool demo to drive.

Not that I am offended, if I dropped $100K for an M6 I would expect to get a little better service.

But it's just bad business to do what this dealer did.

 

[Alan]

I got an electronic "dipstick" on my 325i and at first I was uneasy but now I am learing to love it.It is very convienent and easy to check the oil level everyday and it will give a +1qt warning when it's low.

 

[Cookie]

I'm lucky I guess that my 99 M still has a dipstick as well as strange warnings. It wants to tell me when to change the oil, that I'm down a half pint, down a quart, and *** know what it would do if I was low on oil pressure.