I got a 2000 E320 for almost a year now, i found the valves are getting noisy after cold start and it seems it is getting worse. I took it to two different shops and they said it is normal for E class and even if i fix it it wi;; come back pretty soon. Any idea on this kind of problem?

Believe it or not it is normal.. whether or not it is your valves or not, i dont know.. I know that on my car it was the hydraulic lifters that making almost like a tapping noise until they are freshly lubricated. This all stopped when i did the head gasket on my car and had them redo the head, havent heard the clicking since.

I do know that during the winter i used much lighter weight oil to increase flow on cold starts and this too quieted the lifters down, that is until i had the head redone..

Are you noticing any difference in performance or how the engine runs,, besides the obvious noise?

Probably extended oil chane interval. Try old ailrplane trick.When the oil get down a little add marvel mystery oil.

Yes Marvel mystery oil i find is good to put in the engine once every 5 oil changes,, it really does keep things going properly. I love the stuff..

What is Marvel mystery oil ? I got oil change every 5000 KM which is 3000 miles and I only got 25000 KM or 15000 miles on the engine. To me it seems too early for any engine related problem.

is it under warranty?

Warranty has expired for a few months already. It's kind of hard for me to identify a good mechanic specialised on MB.

Finding a good MB mechanic is vital.. you want someone who knows all the wierd ins and outs of the MB engineering... look around they are certainly out there..