It turns out the cam was off by a tooth. Upper chain guide had broken and the one side skipped a tooth. It happened without any apparent calamity. And the chain is stretched a bit so it's time for a new chain and upper guides. Disaster avoided again.

i'm glad I'm replacing my chain guides and cam oiler tubes next weekend. Hoepfully I'll avoid this. I'm sure this is not a cheap repair 9but cheaper than having the chain snap!).

Troy
1995 E420 94k

I'm thinking replacing the guides is the first and most important thing to do - even before the tensioner. Broken guides seem to be the source of the problems, more so than bad tensioner or chain. In 92 the oil tubes are metal and pretty much bulletproof.

y2kimmel

I've got to do the same thing on my 95S420. Take lots of pictures for me will ya, and post on the board. I'm sure lots of us shade tree mechanics could use the pointers.

Ron

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1995 E320 -171k-km
1995 S420 -333k-km

Check out the "DIY" section at the top of the page - it has a great article on replacing the oiler tubes, and is what I plan to use to help me fix my car.

Troy
1995 E420