Merc C270CDi No Dipstick!

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Wed 12 Mar 2003 16:30
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - mark999
What a crazy idea from Mercedes, I had a V Class with a faulty
oil level sensor luckily it had a dipstick.
Does anyone know if a dipstick can be retro-fitted?
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Wed 12 Mar 2003 16:41
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - Armitage Shanks{P}
If it has a dipstick why would you want to retrofit one, or am I missing something here?
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Wed 12 Mar 2003 16:48
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - SjB {P}
Well the way I read this (carefully, second time through) is that Mark had a V Class on which the oil sensor packed up, but luckily could still check the level manually.

On (his?) C270CDi, this option is not available as it has no dipstick.

If this is true, sure a case of technology for technology's sake?

Just like washing a car by hand with your eyes 'open', I can think of several times when I have stopped simple problems becoming expensive ones as a result of spotting them during routine fluid level checking.
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Wed 12 Mar 2003 16:52
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - Marcos{P}
I have just rung my friend who has a C270 cdi and his has definitely got a dipstick. His is only 3 months old.
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Wed 12 Mar 2003 22:51
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - orack
I have a V220cdi It has both (sensor& dip stick) for the ENGINE
But as far as I can tell No dipstick for the autobox How I top it up I cant imagin?????????????
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 11:52
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - mark999
The C270Cdi is my father's we have hunted high and low for the dipstick.
I hope your V220cdi has been more reliable than ours.
By the way my father has just been charged £125 for an oil and filter change by the dealer.

On another note the oil filter for the C220cdi and V220cdi are the same part number as for the vito Cdi van.
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 12:25
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - daryld
'By the way my father has just been charged £125 for an oil and filter change by the dealer.
'

This is why:

£ 12 for the filter
£ 25 for the oil
£ 35 for the labour
£ 3 for the environmental waste disposal charge
The rest is VAT, cost of prestigious premises and Mercedes branding.
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 14:09
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - eMBe {P}
£ 25 for the oil >> ???


Does that not look cheap?
How much oil, which grade, and at what price per litre?
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 14:44
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - Marcos{P}
If the work was carried out at a Merc dealer then I think you got a good deal as they always charge me about £9 per litre.
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 15:52
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - orack
No problem so far What went wrong with your one (220cdi)
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 17:34
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - carayzee
I don't suppose you've considered looking in the manual have you.....
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 17:48
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - Marcos{P}
I said my freinds C270 Cdi had a dipstick, well i've just had a look and it's not got one. Because he saw something yellow he presumed it was the dipstick as he has owned Ford's for years and apparently their dipsticks are yellow.

I've found what appears to be a plug where the dipstick should be.

Don't know if this is a good idea or not.
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 18:27
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - Andrew-T
Marcos - if there is a plug, presumably a dipstick might be retro-fitted?

SWMBO's Clio 1.6 has an electronic oil-level indication on start-up. It also has a dipstick which is so inaccessible that the electronic gizmo is fairly essential.
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Thu 13 Mar 2003 21:04
Merc C270CDi No Dipstick! - mark999
Thanks for the replies.
The dealer charged £7 a litre for oil(bp visco 3000), £40 labour,£7.75 filter and £10 environmental charge. All + VAT.

The problems with my V class started from day 1 and it has been back to the dealer at least 20 times:-

clutch replacement (8k miles)
Poor brakes
steering vibration(from new- front wheels needed replacing)
air suspension pump (replaced twice)
faulty central locking
faulty oil level sensor
misaligned doors
faulty trim/trim rattles
faulty electric windows
leaks from rear windows and side loading doors
poor engine performance.

For most of the problems I have had to go back to the dealer several times before they would sort it.

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