You want smart answers ask smart questions. Who the hell knows what it will cost till you find out whats wrong with it. But just about everything it could be will be more than $100.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Thanks again, Steve. I didn't think my question was too broad, since I asked how tightening the valve that was loose made the tick louder. I was only trying to find out if he had done something that everyone here knows is totally wrong. But I am not a mechanic, and I am assuming that by your answer and credentials, it was a stupid question. I realize that I got a pretty great car for an amazing price, and that it will cost more than $100 to fix.

The point is that the valves aren't tightenable, they are hydraulic. Whatever they didn't accomplish can only be determined by evaluating what your condition is and maybe from that what it was.

The likely candidate is a collapsed lifter and is really not much more expensive to fix than your car cost. But it could be a worn cam which is a little pricey. If it is a lifter and it doesn't get fixed it will wind up needing a cam.

Someone who will know what to look for will have to take a look.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Jed, does the ticking noise seem excessive to you? Have you compared the ticking to some other high-mileage Mercedes with the same or similar engine?

I'd give it a new oil change with the correct viscosity synthetic listen if the noise changes.

I think maybe you should just drive it till it drives no longer, could be another 100K miles.

I haven't tried anything, as I just got the car on Friday. It does seem excessive, though I have nothing but my 240D to compare it to. It is pretty clear something is up. Thanks for the tip - I will change the oil to synthetic before I take it to get looked at. Do you realy think it will last and is even safe to drive? I know you aren't here and can't hear it - and at risk of again asking a stupid question...

Thanks a lot for your help.

a friend gave it to you for $100?.....I don't buy it Jed....really..what are you trying to pull here?

???????

Please explain

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I know, I know. Promise it's true. What's more is I had to make him take the $100. He bought it for his son (16), and when the mechanic told him about the valve, he wrote it off. I think he paid $1,200 for it, which is why I insisted on giving him something for it. I tried to tell him that it couldn't be too bad since, after all, it IS a Mercedes, and only has 116K on it. Almost anything wrong with it would be worth fixing (he DOES have the money). He went ahead and bought his son some SUV and called me saying "come get this thing out of my driveway - it's taking up a spot". I think a lot of the kindness came from the fact that my wife had just wrecked our '94 Jetta into something that fell off of a semi (no lisence plate recorded) and she has nothing to drive. Also, poeple who are used to driving american cars don't realize that 120K on a MB is considered 'low mileage'. He simply did not know what he had. I'll take and upload pictures...I am not pulling anything...Promise!!

All I have to say is, if you have any more friends with cars like that, then you're MORE than welcome to send them my way.

I will happily do them the favor of taking a low-mile MB off their hands for $100, day and night 24/7 365. Lol.

probably not coming up, but that really shouldn't stop the engine from running properly. More of an inconvience than a mechanical problem. Plus there are lifter cleaners available that may clear the problem, plus a lifter is no big deal to change, just have to pull the cam and drop a new one in. Good Luck...