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Well, first, do NOT use any "engine cleaners" that go into your oil! That's a great way to break things like piston rings or possibly cause other problems. The best "cleaner" you can use is Mobil, Amsoil, or Red Line synthetic oils. They can do amazing things, all 100% safely. I recommend Mobil-1 15W-50 (red cap), as it is available almost everywhere and is about the cheapest you can get. Delvac-1 is better but hard to find, and the Amsoil/RedLine products are expensive as well. Try that BEFORE tearing the engine apart to test lifters.
If you indeed must check the lifters (assuming the synthetic treatment doesn't work), the procedure is in the factory service manual - in the OM603 engine manual, group 5, I think. Basically you get the engine hot, remove the valve cover, and press down on each lifter that is not under pressure from the cam lobe. They should be firm and not move. If one will squish down easily, it is bad and needs replacement. You'll need to turn the engine incrementally by hand a couple times, until you get all the cam lobes on their base circle so you can test the lifters. I had about 5 of my 12 bad, and just replaced all of them - nice & quiet now! I saved the good ones as spares for my other car (which is quiet for now).
HTH,
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