I have an oil leak somewhere behind the exhaust manifold but can not determine exactly where without removing some engine components.
(94 E320-115,000 miles) The leak is also approximately close to the alternator mounting bracket area.

Anyone care to guess where this oil might be coming from?

Thanks... Ed in Va.

Oil pan gasket or its coming from head gasket/valve cover/timing cover gasket. There is nowhere else it can come from so check those.

__________________
2016 Monsoon Gray Audi Allroad - 21k
2008 Black Mercedes E350 4Matic Sport - 131k
2014 Jeep Wranger Unlimited Sahara - 62k
2003 Gray Mercedes ML350 - 122k

Ditto ps2cho's comments. Just did my head gasket and it was the head gasket for the back left near passenger side and front timing cover for front passenger side above alternator. Cheaper and much easier to do timing cover fix first to see if it is the issue. I have no leaks from either now.

That's a good idea...

I'll try to take a close look at the timing cover gasket.

Don't really want to pull the head until I can rule out everything else.

Thanks for the suggestion...

Ed in Va.

There's a little u-shapped gasket that sits underneath the top timing cover and on top of the bottom timing cover. Get a new one (they're cheap) and clean out all of the old one and crud in the grrove. Also get a new camshaft seal as well and pop the other one out. Do not put the new cam seal in until after you have installed the timing cover back on over the u-shaped gasket and bolted it in. Otherwise, it is a son-of-a gun to not roll the bottom gasket and not have it seal properly. Put a dab of sealant at the tips of the u-shaped gasket and against the head in the corners and then on to the backside of the contact surfaces of the cover where it meets the head.

Set the cover down and in on top of the gasket so you don't have to slide it forward on the bottom but just need to press down and forward at the top and slide your bottom bolts in while holding it in place.
Once on, tighten the two bottom bolts, then the two top bolts. Then fit the new camshaft seal on over cam and back into the timing cover being careful on all edges so you don't damage that one either. Use a very large socket the same diameter to tap carefully back in until flush with the cover's face. Reinstall orange dust cover, distributor cap, and reconnect plug wires.

Hope that helps. You can also do a search on the forum and see some pics and other tips. Good luck.

sptt

Thanks sptt...

Sounds so simple...

ET

Nice article here - http://continentalimports.com/ser_index.html then "magazine articles" on the left, then "Mercedes Benz head gasket replacment"

One other place you can get an oil leak is from the oil level sender unit, mounted on the left side of the oil pan. Seems like the wrong side if you're finding oil behind the exhaust manifold, but oil gets blown all over the place, so you can't really be sure until you look. You should be so lucky. On the other hand, it could also be the rear main seal.

__________________
1988 California version 260E (W124)
Anthracite Grey/Palomino
Owned since new and still going strong and smooth
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Past Mercedes-Benz:
1986 190E Baby Benz
1967 230 Inherited from mom when she downsized
1959 220S Introduced me to the joys of keepin' 'em goin'

There are only 10 kinds of people in the world--those who understand binary and those who don't

Remember that for an oil leak, the trail will always be down and back.

Oil never leaks up and forward (discounting "slung" oil, of course).


Clean the engine, then dump some white powder (no, not coke, something like baby powder...)on the block, and run the car a bit. The oil path should be visible.

Jim

__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

Unless, of course, you are sliding backward on your roof.

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Earl McLain
'02 C230 Kompressor
'89 560 SEL "Frau BlueCar" (retired April 2004)

I thought I was reliving a bad dream for a minute--perfectly articulated!

At 116K, this motor is ripe for a head gasket. Mine was a squirter, the copper seal in the head gasket let loose.

No mention of the timing chain tensioner crush washers. I didn't torque it properly during a 103 job and it leaked rather nicely!

__________________
Mark
========
THE WHITE FLEET
2016 GLE300d 4-MATIC 38K BROWN!
2012 S350 Bluetec==94k WHITE

2007 ML320 CDI==166K WHITE (FOR SALE)

Under new management:
2005 E320 CDI--140K--WHITE
1995 E300-Diesel-133.5K--THE CAR IS BLUE
1986 300SL--97.5K (European) AND WHITE. Back in Europe!
1991 190E 2.3-73K California Perfect.--WHITE
1995 E320-Wagon-159K--WHITE (recently scrapped)
1987 300D Turbo-213K--WHITE
1987 190D 2.5 Turbo-288K--WHITE

This is a must!!

__________________
Mark
========
THE WHITE FLEET
2016 GLE300d 4-MATIC 38K BROWN!
2012 S350 Bluetec==94k WHITE

2007 ML320 CDI==166K WHITE (FOR SALE)

Under new management:
2005 E320 CDI--140K--WHITE
1995 E300-Diesel-133.5K--THE CAR IS BLUE
1986 300SL--97.5K (European) AND WHITE. Back in Europe!
1991 190E 2.3-73K California Perfect.--WHITE
1995 E320-Wagon-159K--WHITE (recently scrapped)
1987 300D Turbo-213K--WHITE
1987 190D 2.5 Turbo-288K--WHITE

Wow, Thanks for all the great ideas...

I think the white powder (not coke) around the leaking area will be a good idea.

I Didn't think a head gasket would be leaking at this point, but I see I need to leave that possibility open.

Ed