Yesterday in a weak moment of DIYism I decided to check the oil on our long-term Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport. Up went the hood with little trouble. So far so good. But then I had a little trouble finding the dipstick. Hmmmmm, not on the left. Nope, not on the right.
Just as I'm about to give up, figuring the C300 is without a dipstick, a oddity that is becoming more common on new high-end cars, I spotted the little yellow handle back by the firewall.
Not good. Its placement forces you lean over the engine compartment to complete the task, which means you're probably getting some dirtiness on your shirt.
A few months ago I noticed an equally stupid placement of the dipstick under the hood of our long-term Cadillac CTS. On that car the dipstick is buried low between the right side of the engine and the shock tower, directly beneath the strut tower brace that spans the engine compartment like a suspension bridge.
Now, the C300's dipstick is just as inconvenient to use, but the Caddy's remains the worst of the two because it's not only hard to reach, but it's surrounded by hot stuff. So you get dirty and burnt.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 12,632 miles
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I imagine the majority of Benz owners won't be too concerned about dipstick placement. In fact, I bet MB could paint their engine covers fuchsia and they'd get only a trickle of complaints.
Still, I agree 100%.
I agree with ewilfong all the way. On our S55, I have opened the hood only a few times only to stare at the massive engine. I have never even looked for the dipstick! Take it over to Greenway Benz and they take care of that.
Call me agreeable as well. Most MB owners wouldn't make it past the hood release in the cabin, much less the dipstick handle under the hood.
It's like the furnace in their basement. It's something they'll never see. They just make the call and sign the bill.
Ah, the joys of blue-ish blood.
Reminds me of the not-that-far-fetched rumors that Toyota was going to release a Corolla with a hood that did not open. It's just plausible enough to believe given how bulletproof they are.
The C300? Well, maybe not so much.
While it may be true that most owners would never use the dipstick (or even know where the hood release is), the Benz should have a release on the hinge so the hood can be opened a full 90 degrees. Would that help access?
I agree most M-B owners don't care where the dipstick is. But then again, you are supposed to get dirty when playing with oil dipsticks. :) If you don't get dirty playing with grease and oil, where's the fun in that!
I give up, even Mercedes is now designing cars for morons who can't (won't) even check their oil.
Maybe I'll just stick with used cars.
MB and people like lime679 = a match made in heaven! Cha-ching!
Still, it's nice the C300 even has a dipstick. In a few years, they'll go the way of the dodo bird in even the cheapest cars.
That's what I love about M3s, and most BMWs in general. The dipstick is always so easy to find, right there behind the steering wheel. :D
Just kidding!! (Or am I?)
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/01/2007-mercedes-benz-c300-sport-flips-its-lid.html#more
Could be worse.
"That's what I love about M3s, and most BMWs in general. The dipstick is always so easy to find, right there behind the steering wheel. :D
Just kidding!! (Or am I?)"
LOL. I will say that the behind-the-steering-wheel location of the dipstick is rather convenient, and keeps me from soiling my driving gloves.
Maybe I'm having deja vu, but isn't this the second blog post on the dipstick location on this car?
Anyway....give me a good dipstick and an oil level readout in the dash like the 97+ Porsche Boxster. I love turning the Boxster to ACC On and seeing it read the oil level in nice LCD hash marks....shows me how much it's low when it is, in fact, low. And to back it up, a nice dipstick to use as well.
Combine that with an oil temp guage (far more useful than coolant temp).
Joe
Doesn't this car come with not only an oil life monitor but an oil level monitor? With both of these, I see no reason to check the oil and, hence, no reason to care where the dipstick is.