Vibration at idle, 1995 E320
 

My E320 developed a noticable vibration at idle (500 rpm). It is not as though the engine developed a miss, it's more like an out of balance vibration. It goes away at higher rpms.

It smooths out a little when I shift into neutral (700 rpm), but it also smooths out in Drive at 700 rpm.

I opened the hood and watched the engine as I shift from Drive to Reverse. There is no big jump of the engine.

Could it be worn engine mounts?

If it feels like a miss, it probably is. Motor mounts will transmit all engine vibration to the chassis, not just the "out of balance" sensations. Does this car still have a distributor or does it have the coil packs? When's the last time it got an ignition tuneup?

The car has coil packs. I had one go bad some time ago, so I know what that feels like. This is more subtle and only at idle. Otherwise, it runs smooth as silk. Like I said, it is not a miss. Ignition tune up is current, but due soon in 4000 miles.

Fixed! I installed new Lemfoerder motor mounts and now the engine idles smooth as silk.

The job took me 1.5 hours. The car sees no salt so I didn't have to fight the fasteners.