w202 idler pulley or shifter bushing problem?

[apprentice]

just got my 95 c220 back from the body shop after a tree fell on top of my roof and wind shield (it happened 3 months ago, by the way). when i drove it home last night, i noticed the shifter was loose (it actually made a vibrating noise in the center console when i accelerated) and when the car pulled to a stop, you can hear a vibrating noise from the engine compartment (disappears when you stepped on the gas). i searched on the forum and it seems like the shifter bushing is bad. then i got a call this am from my body guy telling me that when they jacked up the car to do some work ( remember, a tree fell on "TOP" of my car.), they heard some noise and think that my "idler pulley" is going south that will need replacement (his partner is the mechanic). i told him i will get back to him. so what do you guys think. what kinds of sighs should i be looking for when the idler pulley goes bad. what about the shifter bushing? my car has about 11k miles. runs great. no major problems so far. what kinds of major maintanence stuff should i do now- a head gasket replacement?
thanks

[apprentice]

no one has any ideas?

[blackmercedes]

When he says "idler pulley" I wonder if he means belt tensioner pulley?

That is a common wear part on your car, and it's not unusual for it to need replacing. That said, I have never seen it cause the shifter to make noise. My C230 has been through one, as has my Dad's 1998 C230, and our now-gone 1998 E300 also had one replaced. On all three of those cars, there was noise from the pulley, but nothing from the shifter.

This warrants further investigation, and I'd probably seek another opinion than the body shop mechanic.

Is the head gasket leaking? It's pretty unusual for the M111 DOHC engine. However, given the length of time your car has sat, the gasket may have worn due to inactivity. Though it is a cousin to the M104 2.8 and 3.2L engines, the 2.2 and 2.3 M111 four bangers do not seem to suffer from premature gasket failure.

Do you have oil in the coolant?