Replace all lifters or just the bad ones??
 

We've got one or several real noisy lifters (or what ever there called by MB) in our 3.5L 2003. It has 86,000 miles & has had regular oil changes within the proper miles (with Mobil 1 0-40) however apparently this was not enough with the short trips that my wife uses it. Next time around I will be changing about every 4500 miles IMO. Anyway, the dealer dumped the oil & added a qt of ATF to try & clean it, then I changed this after a week of running & used Mobil 1 0-30 with a qt. of Rislone. None of this has done any good yet. I don't think it will. They say that these arn't conventional hyd lifters like I am use to in an old V-8?, you don't change them all, is this right? Should we just change out the bad 1 or 2 on the pass. bank & forget about the others till they go bad? Or should we do them all? I don't know the cost difference yet but oviously it would be cheaper to change 1 or 2 on the same bank rather than doing them all. There still checking with the tech. & haven't advised me yet. What's the opionions out there?. At this point were a little "tight" & would rather not do them all if we can get away with it. Thanks

Seems to me all you need to do is change the noisy ones. But I don't quite understand how one goes about identifying which ones are noisy.
I would think doing them all would be a waste of money.

If I were you, while you have it open I would replace them all. They are not expensive.

Thanks for your replies! I think that maybe I will have the ones changed on the one bank only for now. See how it goes, then do the other bank when I have to. What do you guys think?

If it were my car I would replace all the lifters. In the future change the oil at least once per year regardless of mileage.

If it was mine I'd change oil to 10w40,and try that.

No sense in blowing cash needlessly, who knows when or if any of the other lifters will start making noise. If you can identify the noisy ones, change them only and save yourself some money. I read you loud and clear on the need to keep the costs down, even if the others don't. Make absolutely sure you keep to a strict oil change regimen henceforth.

The VW service manual gives information on testing lifters, I'd venture that the test procedure will work on an MB too:


-J

there is a chance the old lifters will give in soon unless they have been replaced recently .

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A 2003 with 86k - if that's true what a sad state of affairs. Pitiful really.

lifter update
 

The wifey drove home last night & said the engine was quite! Wow, I thought this was great. Don't know how long it will last, but started it this morning about 25@F last night (sits outside) it rattled for maybe 30 seconds then went pretty quite, then after maybe a couple of minutes basically went away completely. The quietest its ever been since we have owned it. NOW WHAT? should I run it for about a 1000 mile on this change & dump it again?. I was running Mobil 0-30 w/1qt of Rislone. Maybe thru the cold winter use the lighter oil, then switch later to the 0-40? (I've got about 300-400 miles on this oil change) Tempted to go with a Valvoline Racing oil & change it about every 3500 miles like I do with everything else I own. If I stay with the light Mobil 1 I'm still only go about 4000 mile (short trips) or stretch it to about 5000 with some hwy. miles. Appreciate all the replys & opinions, Thanks. & Happy Holidays, ( I know I just had a nice Christmas present, if it lasts!)

Racing oil is not made to be used for extended periods. Racing oils have minimal detergents. It's made to be used and changed after aprox. 500 miles.

Another way i use is lobes up , try to put a feeler gauge thru lobe /cam, the loose oness(bad) will show , or try to depress each one but feeler gauge is faster, use a .005 whatever one the gauge slips into will be the bad one.