ILUVMILS - that is my biggest worry, that the rings are toast.
I'm just trying to decide what to do next. try and de-sludge it as best I can and pray, or just get another engine.
I pulled the engine cover (plastic one) and looked around with a flashlight. What I found is some leaking around the passenger side valve cover, just under the MAF. There is plenty of dusty-looking oil gunk there and several of the coil packs look wet with oil. Also some fresh looking oil around the spark plug areas on that side.
So there is a leak.
However, there is absolutely no oil under the car in my garage where it sits all night. So these leaks must be minor. Unless perhaps they leak more under high load and then stop once parked??
Also - looked under the oil cap and down into the valve head area and I saw reddish-brown sludge. It wipes off easily with my finger. Looks dirty inside as well. I could post a pic later if that woudl help?
I'm wondering if I should pull a valve cover to see how bad the sludge is. Perhaps I should try some AutoRX or flushes to try and clean the sludge? I know manufacturers state not to use it, but at this point my trust in Mercedes' advice is suspect to say the least.
It kills me to see a beautiful car like this, which has been babied - and I mean babied - since Day 1. I have about 40 pages of records from the dealer to prove so. Service booklet inside the glovebox has also been kept up to date.
And now I'm guessing when I pull the valve cover, it'll be a mess of sludge, slidge, sludge.
