Some say you hear the timing chain rattle most clearly upon cold startup.
I didn't hear anything on start up.
I will have to get it checked though...Thanks

Wow,
Cool, How you been!
How's Brisbane now guess its nice weather. Gets a chill in Tenterfield in the winter as its a high mountain elevation. I'm sure she probably does know the area as you know Tenterfield is very small. The town is only a few blocks long & the town has about 4000 people!

My Mum lives on Douglas street off the main truck road I forget what its called. could be its the Bruxner? I found the house on the google sattelite.
Cool I miss my parents.

Hey, thanks for the info & the chat.

I'll have to take the car to the mechanic last time I asked he said listen & was not interested in taking off the cover to look as I guess he thought it didn;t warrant it. He said just listen for it but I;m not sure what to listen for & I donlt hear anything weird on startup

Great to hear from you again!!

WRT to the timing chain, I think you should DEFINATELY change the chain, tensioner, and especially the plastic guide rails, as your budget allows, and I think you are about 96,000 miles and about 10 years past when it should have been done, (if the car only has 196k or 197k, because despite the curbstoner's assurance it HAD been, no records have been shown you it HAS been done. Nobody has looked a it with a boroscope nor taken off the valve covers to check.


I think, you need to schedule a visit with MR MB this week.


Co-incidentally I myself will be there for a day or two this week, to have him replace the valve guide seals on mine, it burns a quart every 400 miles and huge blue clouds of smoke, at start up, every time I push the gas at a stop light.

But the car has 158,000 miles and at this rate (with 29,000 more miles driven since Thanksgiving,) in a couple of years, I will catch up to you!!!

(A lot has changed on the car since you last saw it: Now it has a Remus exhaust, AMG headers and downpipes, resonators removed, full window tint, a faster 2.65 rear end, Euro headlight wipers and motors, Euro tail lights, a Japanese MB parking assist pole on the bumper, new stereo, burl shift knob, new Accessory outlets on the dash, the front "license plate" seen below, and some other upgrades.


It is very fast, looks great, sounds terrifying, and is rather sloppy in high speed turns.

Welcome back Shadow.

Have you ordered the free Mercedes Benz metal "high mileage badge" award package, and had the closest dealer, (Keyes) sign off on it yet?

155,000 miles, (Or 250,000 kms ) is the first one so you are definately eligible for this nice free memento. You can download the application form off the net.

I would take the car to Enrique and pay him to check the chain and tension for stretch. He removes a valve cover(passenger side and looks at the chain and upper guide. then does a stretch test if warrented.
On Abigail we knew the Chain had never been replaced and it might be a single row chain. So he did the check and test. It was a double row chain and the stretch wasn't that bad yet, but I opted to change out the chain anyway.

If you'd like I can come down and check under the valve cover and all it'll cost is the price of valve cover gaskets. It doesn't take that long.

Also on the locks on the wheels, I believe they are Centra wheels Right? if so I think they are either a 3 leaf clover pattern or a 4 leaf pattern. A flat screw driver of the correct size will get the locks lugs loose(a hint from the tire guys at Affordable tires in Palmdale Ca). I watched them take my wheel off as I was looking for the key.........so much for being theft proof.

Centra should still be able to supply a key for them too. i used a socket from a socket set to get some undone...12mm i think.

It only takes a few minutes to get a cam cover off,and the gaskets are neoprene and can be reused several times so unless they are pouring oil out,just use them again.

BTW, Bruxner highway(from the coast to Inverell ) runs at right angles to the main highway,which is the new England highway. I know where Douglas street is.
Brisbane is fine and sunny,max temp is 26 C at the moment but no rain for some weeks now.

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice.

I asked Enrique way back to check for the chain & he just said to listen for the rattle. He doesnt have a boroscope don't think so anyway.

I just called him to ask about the sound. He'll have to listen to it but he says the chain sound is heard on cold start ups so he doesn;t think my sound is the chain.

I would feel better knowing what it looked like inside but Enrique doesn't want to check. Guess he is saving me money. How long would it take to get to the valve cover take it off & reinstall it?

The wheels are SND & I can't find much about them but did see them on a Bentley once. Nothing comes up on a recent google. What does centra have to do with SND & I can;t find a company contact for them either?
Darn.

Would be nice to get a key from the company but where to contact them.
Are they standard locks they have one key for all? I was thinking I might have to ask a locksmith if he can make a key from the lock if thats possible.

Looks like a round key with 4 leaf clover pattern? Thats' it
Where do I get a key? That would be grand!
Do you think a locksmith can get a key?
If they are standard you think I can find someone on the forum to make me a copy of a 4 clover design key?

It's really not good as I can;t rotate tires or even check brakes so its something I have to tend to but its been put off.

Chadar thanks for the kind offer to look under the valves.
Maybe I can ask Enrique again...he doesn;t want to do it.
Still a timing chain job is costly but would be nice to know condition/age of plastic under there. I'd be afraid of resealing the timing cover & condition of gaskets. might be opening up a problem.


Brissy Yep, your right NE highway thought its not much of a highway in Tenterfield & Mum is a few houses away from it

Drive to a wheel store and see if they have or can get a key for you. They can get the old locks off and maybe have new locks and keys. Problem solved.
The tire changers at my tire place got mine off with a screwdriver. So much for being theft proof.

You think a wheel store with new locks would be cheaper & better than getting a key for an old rusty lock?
Guess as long as they can get them off without too much trouble its worth it as the old locks look rusty & I have no idea how to get a key from the company & I was really thinking it might be better to call a locksmith to make a key.

I wonder how much four wheel locks would be compared to getting a key?
From what you are saying these wheel locks to a tire store are not a big deal?

Thanks

Try a different mechanic, checking for chain wear is VITAL.
These engines,as I have said before ,should run silently and any noise is a cause of concern.
You won't ruin the gaskets ( generally about $5-$10 each) by taking the covers off and it's something you can do yourself .
But look for independent mercedes Specialists in your area ,most are ex dealer people and will be able to quote you a price for checking straight away.
Changing the chain is easy ,I know several people who have never changed a tire before look up the link and follow it through .And then change the chain themselves quite successfully .

Just curious is the cam cover in front or is that a valve cover? What side do they check to take a look at the chain. I guess I'll leave that to the experts. I suppose the passenger side is easier to get to as the drivers side has some plastic tubing over the valve cover or so I seem to remember.

Thanks for the advice & I have another benz mechanic I take my Volvo to but Enrique is a very trusted mechanic in the benz circle. I trust him to do whats right & he thinks the engine sounds fine. I can ask him how much & it seems like it is something under an hour labor? I agree this chain thing is scary & I would feel better knowing what the condition is but I have to trust him.

I'll ask him again.

As for valve covers I figure there is a bolt tightening sequence to evenly press the gasket & optimal torque on the bolts so would not want to attempt it myself.

Only 4 10mm bolts on a valve cover?
Thought for sure there were more than that.
It seems there would be bolts in the center of the cover not just on each end?
Thought for sure there would be least 6 or more likely 8

Still not something I feel comfortable doing.

They only need to tightened down so they don't leak,very simple in fact without any special method. Too tight and the covers distort slightly ,too loose and oil leaks from under the gasket.
"...it's a bit like a doctor,get them to show you in detail what you need to know ,not what they want you to hear....":D
When they are this color the engine is on borrowed time.
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/8471/p8120916.jpg

Smaller pic.
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/9357/p8200004.jpg

Yikes thats the rootbeer color.
Not what you want to see.
I guess I would feel better knowing. Maybe it was done not many miles ago?
My engine has 196,000 miles on it
The Dr that owned it let it sit unused for years & I have no records of what was done with it.

He may have died but maybe while he was using the car I hope he kept up with the maintenance.

It's a big expense & it would tap me out.

Do you have a 4 leaf key? are they all the same? Maybe you can have a key cut for me if it would fit it would really be appreciated.

It seems wheel shops can get off wheels but Enrique can't rotate tires or check brakes or things so I really need to have a car where I can get the wheels off if I plan on using it.

Hey that's really nice of you to offer to check the condition of my plastic parts I guess by color? I don;t know why Enrique didn't want to do it. I did ask about it a while ago when I first got the car.

I think Jim is coming to see Enrique for his valve stems & I might have to make a list for Enrique to check some things next week.

You think its best on the car to check the AC for leaks & charge?
Enrique said if I donlt use it it will only loose the charge again
He didn't say if it was bad for the system though.
I don't want that but I'd have to be spending $ on the car I hardly use & I been putting it off.

Shadow,

Jim was down last week and Enrique changed out his valve seals and did some other work.

The valve cover removal is at best a 1/2 hour per side or less. I did both of mine on two cars in just over an Hour. 4 bolts each cover, but you need to replace the crush washers(I think I have an extra set or two) and check the valve cover gaskets and replace them if needed(I doubt the Curbstoner put new Valve Cover gaskets on the car, but I could be wrong.

Enrique probably is trying to save you money.

My wheel key is not like yours , every company had their own design, that is why I said to buy new locks and a key from a tire/wheel store. The tire / wheel store can rotate the tires for you too.

Let me know if you'd like me to come by and take a look at the chain and upper guides. I can listen for that noise you have heard. Might be able to get the wheel locks loose too?