1997 e420 (97,000) with clicking - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gordon12 · #1 05-30-2008, 07:42 PM

I bought this perfect e420 last year with 76,000 and it was perfect until I heard a clicking from the engine..I took it to a mercedes mechanic and he said i needed a new cam shaft oiler at the cost of about 1,200...am I being rooked????????????

Arthur Dalton · #2 05-30-2008, 09:06 PM

Search "Oil Tubes"

JimF · #3 05-31-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gordon12

I bought this perfect e420 last year with 76,000 and it was perfect until I heard a clicking from the engine..I took it to a mercedes mechanic and he said i needed a new cam shaft oiler at the cost of about 1,200...am I being rooked????????????

Check out Menu#19 in my web pages. It's a common failure and a DIY fix if you're handy.

tfwaok · #4 01-11-2009, 03:48 PM

I had the ticking noise and decided to give this fix a try. I ordered the parts from Phil and off I went with the repair. No one told me how difficult it would be to get to those 5mm bolts on the driver side. I ended up buying the 5mm hex in a 1/4" socket all molded in one piece and it worked perfectly with a wobble extension.

The next problem I had was getting the valve cover back on securely. First attemp had me thinking it was on properly until I went for a test drive and lost a couple quarts of oil. I removed the cover again to find that the gasket over the outside hump moved off during installation causing the problem.

No matter what I did to get the cover back in place could I do it without this thing moving. I finally decided to silicone the thing down and went to get a hair cut. When I returned I tried the installation again and when I felt back there with a couple of fingers I could feel the gasket. WHOOPEE! I couldn't believe I finally got it.

Car purrs now like a kitten with no more ticking. I am still getting a little smoke from the residual oil burn off, which had me thinking leak. I've rechecked everything and all seems well.

All in all, a very good fix that cost me less than $400 with parts and some additional tools I needed.

Dealer price would have been much higher.

Thanks forum members.

Tommy

Arthur Dalton · #5 01-11-2009, 03:52 PM

Check that you used 02 sensor safe Silicone....if not , clean it off and get some or you will have 02 sensor problems shortly.

JimF · #6 01-11-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfwaok

No matter what I did to get the cover back in place could I do it without this thing moving.

Recommend you use a small mechanic's mirror to "see" behind the valve cover. On the driver's side, the A/C tubing does present a problem which causes the gasket to "buckle".

How many 'oil-tubes' were open?? Did you replace all of them??

apb · #7 01-21-2009, 12:06 AM

I have a 97 E420 and so far have not had any oil tube problems (157kmi). I use synthetic oil only, I wonder if that made a difference. Now, watch, my car heard me and I will have problems tomorrow.

tfwaok · #8 02-07-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimF

Recommend you use a small mechanic's mirror to "see" behind the valve cover. On the driver's side, the A/C tubing does present a problem which causes the gasket to "buckle".

How many 'oil-tubes' were open?? Did you replace all of them??

I actually only had two that were open, one on each cylinder bank, but I replaced them all since there's no indication if another one is about to go. It makes no sense to have designed the oil tubes that way in the first place.

She purrrrrrs nicely now.