And at what mileage?

Mine's an 06 CDI. Read jcyuhn's advise below.

I was in a small Walmart store in Missouri the other week shopping automotive supply prices, when a trucker came in and bought the (2) containers of the DEF formula in stock. They were $12 and change per (64 oz.?) container/bottle.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Ok im digging a thread from the grave because why is there so much dislikes with the OM642 V6 engine, they're as reliable as a its predecessor I6 OM648, sure it has some niggles like the oil cooler leak problem, carbon build up issues due to egr, swirl flap problems, increased uses of plastics but they're as reliable with proper maintenance,

Many of these OM642 V6 bluetec I've seen that has problems popping up are is because they're neglected of service, for instance when we bough our E320 bluetec at 103k miles in 2012 the fuel filter was never serviced when it left the damn factory in fact it had a 2007 build date stamp on and all of its original factory align marking was on and it was 2013 at that time i serviced it, air filter was clogged with crickets bugs leaves dirt filter was essentially choked, oil god know what oil they used (i now use Mobil 1 ESP 5W-40) the 722.9 7 speed transmission oil never been touched changed it out in 2014 full drain and fill including torque converter, PS fluid was burnt changed that out with new Pentosin Chf 11S, it was trouble free since ownership and with all the service been caught up to date it ran even better when i first drove it, then recently the oil cooler leaked (common problem) fix that issue with update seals also got to inspect crucial parts condition and they seem good and now with that resolved it will serve me years to come.

When people start saying that the CDI and bluetec are nothing but problem is because they've been neglected and improperly serviced...Like any car if service them correctly and in time and they will serve you well in return.

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Current Garage
2008 Mercedes GL320 CDI 188k mi Repair/Work in progress
1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
2005 E320 CDI 203k mi Healthy & Daily Driver
1994 S350 357k mi Retried as parts car
1984 300TD 214k mi Blown OM617 Poss OM603 Swap??

Sold
1987 300SDL 200K+
1994 S320 181K mi
2008 E320 Bluetec 127k mi
1999 S420 130K mi
1980 240D 360k mi
15+ Others that has come, stay and gone

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
1995 E320 SE 220k mi
1984 300SD 350k mi

I purchased an I6 2005 E320 CDI so that I could run WVO in it which is still going well with 210k miles. The newer model V-6's were much more money and much harder to convert to WVO. It can be done, but much harder.

I do not want anything that is not direct injection anymore. There are a lot of bluetec's and CDI for sale in south florida but they are still a lot of money in my world. Almost nothing is below $10k and if it is close it is 150-200k miles. It is rare just to find a V-6 that is near $15k. Most are $20k!

I am with you, I do not think they need to be bashed. I find the 05 easy to work on compared to my 1983 5-cylinder or the 99 turbo diesel. The 97 was harder also. The 1992 Rod bender I had was a nightmare!

Actros,

I've got both engines, on in an 05 E320, and the other in the 07 ML320.

I like the 648 for enumerable reasons over the 642, but YOUR point is clearly taken.

I find the 648 torquier by a wide margin, also it doesn't seem to need near as much throttle and RPM to get that classic diesel "pull" that raw torque delivers. It's clearly smoother, and far easier to work on, AND it has an iron block.

That said, I agree with you that properly maintained, 642 will be just fine.

I had the same packed air filter issues after I bought mine, nearly a pound of dirt in the filters. (I weighed the old and new filters and subtracted the difference)

The 642 does seem to be far more Xentry dependent than the 648. i.e., reseting for fresh air filters. CE lights are a pain on this install. S17/2 failed and threw left MAF codes that had nothing to do with the temp switch (S17/2 is in a temp switch down in the charge tube ahead of the right cylinder head, behind the vertical section ducting) The troubleshooting tree called for changing B2/7, then the EGR and then the EGR tubing, blah blah blah, the $10 S17/2 failed hard on the bench, but Xentry doesn't pick it up.

Also, I think some of the oil cooler seal changes are really the MAF to turbo intake seal, which was redesigned. I fixed that by default changing the MAF yoke.

I do all my own work until, like I did since my first 124 and 201 diesels, these newer engines are way more encumbered with electronics and controls, but the payoff is cleaner, torquier, quieter, smoother, far more economical fuel mileage, MODERN and dependable reliability. I do a fourth as much repair on both of 64x engines as I did on the 60x variants.

In the end, the biggest detractor of the 642 is the "ball of rubber bands" install. No job ever seems simple because of access issues, usually multiple components need to come off to reach the desired maintenance site, a product of a greater mistake on MB's part in adopting V engines vs inline iterations ala-BMW. I don't think the V design of 642 is near a smooth as the inline design 648, no matter how perfect a countershaft is built.

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Mark
========
THE WHITE FLEET
2016 GLE300d 4-MATIC 38K BROWN!
2012 S350 Bluetec==94k WHITE

2007 ML320 CDI==166K WHITE (FOR SALE)

Under new management:
2005 E320 CDI--140K--WHITE
1995 E300-Diesel-133.5K--THE CAR IS BLUE
1986 300SL--97.5K (European) AND WHITE. Back in Europe!
1991 190E 2.3-73K California Perfect.--WHITE
1995 E320-Wagon-159K--WHITE (recently scrapped)
1987 300D Turbo-213K--WHITE
1987 190D 2.5 Turbo-288K--WHITE

The ML weight really robs the OM642 its performance, when you compare it to the E320 Bluetec its able to keep that peak torque because of its 7 speed, the engine performance is quite close to each just the OM642 has 30 more lbft.

The OM648 is smoother then the Om642 thats default by nature, all I6 are perfectly balanced and rarely need additional balancing i do find that engine noise dose produce more then the OM642.

My oil cooler seal really failed, I made a repair thread about it, it was pouring out oil out approximately 1 table spoon, 30 ml, or 1/8 of a cup per min at idle and higher rate above idle, I could even see it flowing out of the drain hole located that is specially made if anything that is spilled in the V of the engine, The MAF/Turbo seal puts out very little amounts of fluid, and they leak due to the oil vapor rubber separator diaphragm fails.

Yes om642 is a PITA to fix due to compact designs doing that oil cooler seal fix on my own was tedious, OM648 is simpler no doubt about that!

The air filter gets clog issue is probably the turbo charger is really drawing a lot of air under load or full throttle.

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Current Garage
2008 Mercedes GL320 CDI 188k mi Repair/Work in progress
1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
2005 E320 CDI 203k mi Healthy & Daily Driver
1994 S350 357k mi Retried as parts car
1984 300TD 214k mi Blown OM617 Poss OM603 Swap??

Sold
1987 300SDL 200K+
1994 S320 181K mi
2008 E320 Bluetec 127k mi
1999 S420 130K mi
1980 240D 360k mi
15+ Others that has come, stay and gone

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
1995 E320 SE 220k mi
1984 300SD 350k mi

I am not a tech and can't do my own maintenance, but I can say that the ML CDI I bought new in 07 now has close to 220,000 miles and it drives like a dream, plus it's got a spare tire.
Usual bugaboos changed under warranty- CPS and trans module.
That 7 spd trans is a dream.
I know if I will be needing a major repair now it will likely exceed the cost of the car. Present value is an insulting $5K with the miles.
But if the trans goes, I will sell for parts and order European delivery of a GLK 250 Blu Tec. see the factory and tour Europa a bit.
All I need to do is find a rear exterior spare tire carrier.
I have owned and driven 123, 124, 210 diesels and the 164 is by far the best all around.
Although I must say that my 84 300D euro NA 4-spd would always put a smile on my face booting it up a hill and shifting from second to third at 4000 rpms.
Good stuff.
jz

Coming up on 2-years of ownership, and 5K miles that I've driven my '06 CDI since buying it. I'm pleased with my purchase so far.

I've maintained and brought it up to snuff in the short number of miles I've driven it, and I hope to drive this CDI for quite some time into the future.





.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

So i know it was from 2 years ago but I saw on the first page someone said that the post injection washes the cylinders... this is not true. It is not fired that late to cause such a problem. Also unless your tips were shot the fuel is atomized again not washing the walls. Now i could see it being an issue if you left it to idle for more then an hour or 2

Post injection does get the walls washed down, otherwise explain why the oil dilution is so great on the OM642, the oil is always full of diesel fuel and black as can be, the American trucks have clean oil all the time. I might have stated it is a rather extreme way, but the extra fuel to heat up the DPF regen does get into the engine oil. I have never owned a diesel with such dirty oil before! There are cases were owners report the oil level increasing over time on the 642-from fuel.

Clacker, I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you. I've owned 602,603, 606 and now 648 and 642, and yes, I do my own oil changes, always.

There may be the errand 642 that's malfunctioning and ending up with fuel in the oil, but after my 603 and I'm quite sure my current 642, it's all about residual oil in the engine that's not drainable vs fuel in the oil.

603 had that damnable oil to air heat exchanger ahead of the left front wheel, there was no way to ever drain it, the 642 being a V engine is yet another form of hard to drain design, that I'm most certain, captures lots of old oil that mixes with the fresh change. Both the 642 and the 603 are instantaneously black after the very first start following an oil change. Yes, I always change filters.

I just did my 648 and it's clear and gray, no different from my 606 and it will run that way for at least 1000 miles before it really starts to get black again. The 606 had a coolant to oil heat exchange on top of the engine, just like the 648, and both obviously drain well during the change, god only knows what goes on in that ball of rubber bands 642, I hate working that engine.

One of my friends was looking for a larger vehicle to haul his video production equipment around. So I suggested a mid sized suv, and I suggested for him to give a shot at a diesel; he ends up doing a lot of hwy driving, and was looking for decent fuel economy. Ive always been a diesel fanatic. I ended up suggesting a 08 jeep grand Cherokee crd, which has the OM642 engine in it. His dad went out and bought one even before I could inspect it myself.
Being his mechanic, I had to do some catchup on maintenance, and an injector seal replacement. But so far, its actually IMO a fun vehicle to drive, that OM642 has some pep in the jeep. And under certain throttle conditions, sounds like a mini transport truck. it gets me all giggly.

Im just contemplating if I should suggest a dpf delete and tune so we can use a larger variety of oils, and eliminate possible future dpf issues, and have a cooler running turbo as well.

I will have to agree though, the layout and base design for the 642 could of been a bit better, everything is jammed in the valley. Injector work seems to be on the list of simpler things to do on that engine, everything else is buried.

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Just my MB's:
1990 420sel - Winter DD - 410,000km
1990 560sel - absolutely showroom mint - 360,000km!

...

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

The biggest complaint I have with the newer cars is the way they go through tires. The 05 E320 wagon needs a new set about every 30k miles. Don't know if the CDIs wear them out that fast or not. The 98 and 95 go a whole lot longer on a set. Other than that we have been very happy with the wagon and it just turned over about 240k miles.

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Jim

Running which tires on the W211?

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert