Recently my 2005 E320 CDI is making a clacking sound and it reminds me of how the older Mercedes Diesels would have that type of clanking sound when they ran. I checked the onboard oil level and it said oil ok... Still, I added a half a quart of oil and the noise lessened. I think I'll start by simply changing my oil as this car has no dipstick so I cant feel the oil's viscosity. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

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Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

There’s no provision to adjust valves.

What oil are you running and how long has it been in there?

There’s a special tool dipstick available for that engine. Like the transmission dipstick, it isn’t meant to be left in the dipstick tube.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

The OM648 in your E320 has hydraulic lifters for the valves. Its possible for these to wear out over time so at higher miles they may be leaking down too fast and causing tapping noises. How many miles on the engine?

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

There are 197,000 miles on the engine. Prior to yesterday I hadn't heard this noise, it's just one as opposed to many things clanking, like all of the valves

__________________
Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

I'm running mobile 1 full synthetic oil, about 5k since I change the oil, maybe it bit more... I have been doing a lot if high speed driving recently on the highways

__________________
Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

I used to run mobil 1 but switched to Liquimoly oil a few years ago. In my opinion/experience the engines are quite a bit quieter/smoother vs Mobil 1. I believe this one would work well in the OM648:

LIQUI MOLY - Motor Oils, Additives, Car Care - Products - Leichtlauf High Tech 5W-40

I use that in my gassers as I have to use the 5-30 low ash version in my Bluetec

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

You need to be running a diesel rated oil, 5W40 in that car IIRC.

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Jim

I agree, I think that the Mobile experiences thermal breakdown..... My CDI is usually only driven on the weekends as my employer issues me a company vehicle as part of my position as a project manager..... So, November I got rear ended twice in the company vehicle resulting in the car being totaled. ....So, my employer is paying me mileage until the newly ordered vehicle arrives..... Ultimately I have been driving it a lot with a lot of high speed 80 mph highway driving.

I think that I will invest in the Lubro-Moly suggested in the above post as it appears to be better for diesels..... Last thing I need is an internal engine problem!

Thanks guys, any further advice will be greatly appreciated

__________________
Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

look up youtube's black death maint,on those motors

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

I'd leave cover off so you will be able to tell immediately if you have a leaking injector seal.

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Jim

I pulled the cover off and it is squeaky clean with no signs or residue of black death, should I spay soapy water at the base of each injector to insure that none are leaking?

__________________
Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

No need to do that, just look every time you have hood open. Heads up, on the first one I ever resealed I used an injector puller from China and ended up gouging a chunk out of the valve cover. There is not much to valve cover replacement on this application.

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Jim

I took the covers off again, no Black Death, the sound cones after about 20 seconds after starting and it definitely sounds like one item internal to the head, I took a video so people here can hear it but I cannot find an option that allows me to post it in this thread.

Any further advice would be truly appreciated, thanks guys

I did exactly the same thing. A while with a grinder and many test fits I was able to reshape the chinese puller hook so that it slots in much nicer and subsequent injector reseals have gone much smoother.

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68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

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