I am driving a Mercedes-Benz C180 K model that I bought new in 2006. At present the odo reads 38 000 km. My only problem is that it’s using too much oil, but there are no oil leaks.
When I took it for its first service at Bedfordview, the dealer told me that this specific model is heavy on oil.
Then I spoke to a few of my friends who have the same model and found they don’t have the same problem. Can you tell me why it is using so much oil?
J GOOSEN – By e-mail
We don’t know how much oil your car’s engine is using, but we do know the dealer was wrong in telling you that they are all heavy on oil. The fact is, modern engines tend to use more oil than engines of 20 years ago, for a number of reasons.
The mass production of engines makes it likely that occasionally some engines will use more oil than other identical engines.
To cover themselves, most manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, insert a statement in the owner’s manual to the effect that consumption of up to one litre per 1 000 km is acceptable. If your oil use is below this limit, no dealer will be interested in your plight.
