PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - 1995 E320,Lifter tick after parking nose down?

d.delano · #3 03-03-2010, 01:51 PM

This has been my experience with an m103 engine- at home my parking spot points the car downhill. In the morning it starts fine, but 9 times out of 10 lifter(s) will tick until the oil pressure comes up. My theory is that I have more than one lifter that has collapsed or something, and when I shut the engine off in the evening the valvetrain by happenstance lands on one. Downhill parking probably exacerbates the issue, but I've had it tick when parked on level ground as well. Sometimes though, even while parked downhill, it doesn't tick on startup, but only sometimes.
My solution is to not lose any sleep over it, and just use a good synthetic oil with a zinc additive for the valvetrain's health. I use Shell Rotella synthetic 5w-40 for diesels. Sometimes changing to an oil like this will eliminate the ticking but in my case it has not. I just know and understand that this engine has 150k on it and the lifters will tick, but as long as I keep good oil in it it won't hurt anything. I haven't needed a head gasket yet but when(if) that happens, if I still own the car, I will take the opportunity to renew the cylinder head completely, including replacing the lifters. It's no big deal. You have bigger issues to deal with, just change to a good oil with zinc in it to protect your valvetrain.