Hi I'm Mark, new to MB diesels with a 91 300d, 210K and want to know if anyone has installed a bypass oil filter. I changed the oil when I got the car and within 100 miles it was black. Also, what is the best oil filter to use? I am reading that the Purolator I put in is 36 micron and that scares me. I also read the Baldwin filter is 18 micron but their site does not list micron specs. Does this car have the ALDA valve? Is there an easy way to check the timing chain? Thanks for any info you may be able to share.

 

I know the oil will eventually soot up but this is darker in 100 miles than my 2001 f250 7.3 gets in 5000. Is this a characteristic of the engine or should I be concerned about something? Also, I see you have a bypass filter installed on one of your cars, do you use the sender port to draw oil or is there another way to draw it off?

 

Thanks for the info. Do you have any preference in filter brands?