Tony Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I was told today that one of the new Mercedes models doesn't have a oil dipstick ..... I said "naaah you having a laugh" how do owners check the level then? Apparently to check the level the ECU needs a plug-in .... Seemingly checking the oil level is something only done on a service hence the no dipstick.. I'm really struggling with this.... Surely Merc wouldn't remove the owners option to check the level...... Would they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I was told today that one of the new Mercedes models doesn't have a oil dipstick ..... I said "naaah you having a laugh" how do owners check the level then? Apparently to check the level the ECU needs a plug-in .... Seemingly checking the oil level is something only done on a service hence the no dipstick.. I'm really struggling with this.... Surely Merc wouldn't remove the owners option to check the level...... Would they It's the way things are going. I was surprised when I got my IS250 to discover that there is no way of checking the fluid level in the auto gearbox. I have been driving autos for thirty years plus and this is a first. I had a car in the 1950s where all the suspension joints were oil lubricated and needed doing every 500 miles. The times, they are a changing . . . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 A sneaky way of getting the customer to take it to the main dealer/other garage for a service? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I'm scared.... We now have cars that "rightly or wrongly" brake for you, steer for you, don't have keys or handbrakes and now the ECU controls the oil levels, also active suspension (magnetic on some), steer by wire and intelligent active learning systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Ya the kids of tomorrow will gasp that we used to manually drive the cars.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I'm scared.... We now have cars that "rightly or wrongly" brake for you, steer for you, don't have keys or handbrakes and now the ECU controls the oil levels, also active suspension (magnetic on some), steer by wire and intelligent active learning systems dont forget they also park for you ! just need to find one that will go to work for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagitar Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 I'm scared.... We now have cars that "rightly or wrongly" brake for you, steer for you, don't have keys or handbrakes and now the ECU controls the oil levels, also active suspension (magnetic on some), steer by wire and intelligent active learning systems I bought my first Nissan Maxima seventeen years ago. Since then I have driven other Maximas (or QXs); Toyota Camrys and now the IS250. Each of them has gone for service once a year and has had the engine oil changed at that point. I check the engine oil level weekly, but I have never added a drop of oil in all that time. I don't know whether the Merc of which you speak has some kind of oil level monitoring system other than the dipstick, but given the very low rate of oil consumption in modern cars, I can see why they might think that they no longer need to burden the owner with oil level checking. I am old enough to remember the fuss when the first car without a starting handle was put on the market around 1950. And do you remember how wary we were of electric windows and no winding handle, or the automatic choke? Progress is inexorable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDIPLC Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Excellent. That'll be one more task delegated away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 The bit i don't like is "check your oil sir"...... That's £50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alnug Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 yep I can envision cars of tomorrow with no glass at all...transmissive metal to let light in!! Or just all metal and everything inside being viewed from LCD screens which allow you to dial in the scenary and cameras etc..all this while the car either drives you to where you want.....I really can see it happening....as for manual cars in the future....what are they lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun@TDi Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Blimey. My bug doesn't even have an ECU (unless you count my brain?!?). I think there are two factions on this: 1. Those who embrace the future and the level of technology it brings with it. 2. Those who appreciate the past and value the fact they we are driving the car, not Big Brother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Debatable topic this one........ In some aspects i embrace technical advances like ABS and active suspension..... Areas like this dipstick i'm suspicious it's more a means to capture the customer by design... maybe i'm getting cynical in me old age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark H. Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 I seem to remember reading about this before and they can be made to show the level on one of the screens. Of course that requires an accurate sensor and you wont know if there is any oil in there or not if the sensor fails or becomes erratic or the wiring gets an intermittant fault etc etc... Not really that great. I can imagine alot of cars having there oil levels incorrect and interiors getting dirty when the main dealer mechanics hop inside to find out what the oil level is from a gauge done in square blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudymanz Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 things like the dipstick, and the other things mentioned like the auto driving/steering cars are still things id be worried about. Electrics will always have a slight hiccup sooner or later..... I wouldnt like to be in a car driving itself when it happens, or when I have low oil and my car is running dry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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