E430 - Valve lifter/rocker/roller questions

[dtanesq]

Hi everyone. I haven't been here in forever, but I have a question for the more experienced in the group.

My wife owns a 1999 E430 with just over 81,000 miles on the clock. The car developed significant valve lash noise (when cold). We live in the Pacific Northwest, so it's not like it's warm here a whole lot, even this past summer. The car has been serviced religiously and regularly by the dealer from whom she purchased the car. The car has been around since 1999, I've been around since 2003, so I don't know the entire precise history of the car, but I do know that it receives regular maintenance - oil every 3000-5000 and MB-recommended service at the appropriate intervals.

She took the car to the dealer for regular service earlier this week while I was out of town and asked about the valve noise. The diagnosis which came back was that the one-piece valve lifter/rocker/rollers on the left bank of the V-8 all need to be replaced as it appeared to the tech and service advisor that the hardening on the contact areas had worn. There is wear (normal) on the camshaft, but the lifters appear to be worn excessively. She asked about the probable cause for this condition and was told by her service advisor that there wasn't an apparent cause - lubrication appears normal, etc. And, the right bank doesn't have any of the same issue.

The cost of the work is a doozy (about $2500). What gives here? Is there something that might be missed? Something missed in diagnosing this? It doesn't seem to me that with an engine as relatively fresh as this one that the valve lifters should be failing (if that's what they're doing). The early life of this Benz was at mostly city-traffic speeds, but the last 2 years, this car spends its waking hours at freeway speeds, including longer jaunts up to Vancouver and down to Portland. Could it be that the servicing techs have failed to do some proper adjustment or something, leading to this failure?

The service advisor said to me that he almost never sees this repair. The dealer doesn't stock the parts.

I tried to search the forum for some ideas, but either my search technique is lacking or there's nothing to find.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[mbdoc]

Lifter failure on a "properly" maintained M113 engine is VERY rare.

Most likely they are quoting replacement of ALL of the lifters when ONLY 1 or 2 is bad.

The job takes 4+- hrs for one bank of the engine.

The lifter has a MB list price of $6 each X 12 lifters @ bank, even with a valve cover gasket...Maybe $125.. + 5 hrs of labor X $120@ hr..

I didn't major in MATH but........$700 to replace all of the lifters on 1 side of the engine.

Maybe they are quoting replacement of ALL of the "rocker arms"????

[dtanesq]

Thanks Doc. Very helpful.