W210 "tappet Noise"

[shailey]

Hi, Folks,

I have a 2002 E320 with 56,000 miles on the clock. Beginning a few weeks ago, I noticed a rattling sound on cold start ups that faded almost away after about one minute of run time. I recharged my air conditioner thinking that the noise might be coming from a failing compressor. The noise did not go away and seems to have become more pronounced over the last week or so.

The local dealer says that I have some "tappet noise", that some of these cars get it and some don't and that it is not bad enough to fix. My questions for the forum are:

1. Could i really be experiencing tappet noise on a $50,000 automobile with only 56,000 miles in it?

2. If so, is this a common problem with this engine?

3. What could be causing it?

4. Should i have it fixed now before it gets worse?

5. What recource do I haved with Mercedes? This car has just come of warranty.

please let me know your thoughts and advice.

Thanks,

Steve