Thanks foe sharing your experience, GREENM3. I've got nothing to lose by trying the same approach.

I wanted to follow up on my earlier post on my personal experience with the Harmonic Balancer failure. I took the car into my local MB shop and they quoted me $4000 to do the work which included replacing the Crank pulley, drive belt, front engine cover, oil pan cover, and whatever seals and gaskets were involved. Their quote originally included 28 hours of labor. Thanks to all of the great posts here I quickly realized that was WAY to many hours. I questioned my service advisor and he said he would gladly call MBUSA and see if the hours have been updated as that was the last number of hours they were given. As anticipated he came back saying that indeed the hours were reduced to only 18 shop hours but none of their mechanics could complete the job that quickly and went on to say that 22 hours would be their minimum charge.
I am not going to mention any dealer names but at this point I said screw you, I will send a flatbed to pick up my ML and take it somewhere else for repair. I found an indy that specialized in MB who took a look at the repairs and found that the front cover didn't even need replaced. He said it was only slighly touched and some aluminum repair would make it like new. Well to make a long story short I got the same repairs done at the indy for $1400 which included replacing a leaky water pump that the MB dealership didn't even catch. I also asked them to change the fuel filter which included also changing the fuel lines...HECK they did this part and threw it in for free!! I couldn't be happier with my experience with the indy.
As a real kick in the butt I just got a flyer in the mail from the MB dealer yesterday asking me to fill out a survey and conveyed that they hoped that my service experience was a pleasant one. YEAH WHATEVER!

Fletch -- I also have the 112 035 05 00 revision part on my 99 ML 320 with 104K miles. Does it need to be replaced or is it holding up?

I have 36k on my 05 and it looks OK, it has one small mark on the rubber but so far so good. I plan to replace the first visit to my independent. I would do it myself but I dont think my air tools will fit and I dont have the crank lockout tool.

I think the 05 was the factory installed first revision of the 00 but I have no data to back that claim up other than the fact that the 05 has never been available as a replacement part as far as I can tell.

hey everyone!

98 (manufactured 12/97) c280 over here. recently, ive been hearing a slight squeaking noise from the engine compartment. i took a look under the hood to see if i could locate the source of the noise and then i noticed that the crankshaft pulley was wobbling while the car was at idle. i killed the ignition and then i noticed that the inner rubber ring was coming out of the pulley frame. after reading parts of this thread, i guess the harmonic balancer is a big problem for m112 v6s. how much would it cost to fix this problem?

ricerockets: fix it NOW or it will cost a lot more, when it comes apart!! Don't drive it another mile, have it towed! Yes, these are a big problem on the 112 engines.

Fletch: don't waste your time with air tools, not enough grunt to remove the bolt.

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Lenny

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. --Ernest Hemingway

'10 GL550/'04 BMW 545/'99 BMW 323/'98 ML320/'87 VW GTI (race)

I have a '99 E320 with 55k miles. I have the original H/B 112 035 00 00, but no noticeable problems. I'm interested in the hairline cracks that are the forerunner to the expensive problems. Can anyone tell me if these cracks are on the diameter of the balander or on the radius?
I've noticed a few hairline cracks on the diameter, but no wobbling, etc. Would appreciate the thoughts of anyone who has experienced/repaired this problem.

Hi. I'm new to Mercedes and to this website. I recently traded in my Infiniti G35 for a 1998 C43 AMG, Starmark inspected, warrantied, etc. However, after reading about all the problems with M-B cars I'm sorry that I did not do my homework before the trade-in. It appears I should have kept my G35. Aren't there ANY Mercedes owners in this website that have any thing good to say about Mercedes?

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Dan
1998 C43

cyclocross - Yes, there are many satisfied M-B owners. I have owned and maintained M-B since the mid sixties. I find a lot of what I read to be overly hostile and unproductive. In all my experience with M-B I have never found them to meet the myth that they were so great in the past and are so much worse now. There are legitimate problems with all of them. However, my W202 C-Class (the chassis on which your C43 is built) and my W210 E-Class have proven to be excellent cars. I have had a few problems and I work with my dealer on those which I think should receive some factory support. I have had very good luck by acting in a businesslike manner and working with the techs to locate and solve the issues. I also do much of my own work and frankly, from a servicability standpoint, my newer cars are superb. My advice is to relax and enjoy your car, stay up to date with any issues by reading this forum and others, and take a lot of what you read with a grain of salt. One note, I follow other forums for other cars - they all have issues.

I've bought all the parts I should need to do the job myself, but I'm missing a socket bit - the current crank bolt that's on the car (1999 E320) takes a hex bit. Does anyone know what size it takes or if I need another special bit to remove the current bolt?

I find this very odd since the replacement bolt uses a standard socket wrench bit (I found a 1 1/8" fits it nicely).

The original bolt takes a nice 17mm Allen socket.
The newer style replacement part uses a 27mm socket ( just like MB's of previous.)
Dr.D

Dr. Diesel,

Thanks very much for the reply. I bought a 17mm allen wrench from Sears and found it wouldn't go in all the way. Possibly just dirt in there I guess.

Also, I think the socket I bought for the replacement bolt is 1 1/16, not 1 1/8 as I originally stated. 1 1/16 is 26.9875mm so it will probably work just the same

cyclocross, yes we love our Mercedes'. If we didn't, we wouldn't be on this forum trying to keep them running in perfect condition. However, since we all paid a premium to own a Mercedes, we expect a very high quality automobile, certainly one that rates higher than Chevrolet on the latest J.D. Power & Associates report.

We also expect Mercedes to be a quality and reputable company that stands behind its premium marquee. However, at least as far this thread and problem is concerned, they have not stood behind their product. Since you have a warranty, you don't have to be concerned, at least for the moment. Enjoy your C43.

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Dave

1998 E320
2001 SLK320
2000 Lexus RX300

BEWARE!!! It takes over 250lb/ft of torque to remove that LITTLE bolt! IF you strip it, it will have to be torched off!!!!

I would not use anything but a 17mm allen socket from SNAP-On or equiv!!!!

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Benzmac:
Donnie Drummonds
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 11 YRS

vince and DaveJ:
Yes, I do need to relax and just enjoy the car. It is very enjoyable. Last weekend I drove up to Infineon Raceway to see a friend from work at a NASA event. The car is very smooth, quiet and rattle/buzz free. The only "weird" characteristic I noticed is that the front tires seem to follow longitudinal grooves or ruts on the road. I don't know if this is due to the tires (225 ContiSportContact2) or just the nature of the beast. Not a big deal, very subtle, just different from my G35, which drove as straight as an arrow.

I think my prior comment about anyone liking M-B stems from being somewhat apprehensive after my initial experiences:
* salesman - Oh yes, the Starmark certification is very thorough, we check everything and replace as necessary.
reality - The first two items I later checked showed the spare tire to have about 18# and the battery was low on water.
* The plugs should have been changed at the 22,000 mile "B" service done a few weeks short of four years (the service checklist says the plugs are to be changed every 100,000 miles or four years). I bought the car with five years on the original plugs. This is not the end of the world but I thought MBUSA would have been more conscientious. Several local dealers have quoted me $400-$500 to change plugs (!).
* The owner's manual does not state the tire pressure so I call my "personal service rep.":
rep - the tire pressures are indicated inside the gas filler door.
me - the label is for the wrong tires, 215s. my car has 225/245s.
rep - well, you'll have to contact the tire manufacturer.
So, I contact the tire manufacturer and they say contact the car dealer.
me - the tire manufacturer said to contact you.
rep - well, you can try 32/35 PSIG and see how it works. (!!)
Wow! This is from factory trained and certified service personnel. I could have asked the junkyard dog and received as good a guess (2 barks/5 barks).

I know. I know. These incidents are not life threatening. But it does make you wonder about MBUSA's attitude toward the customer. The VW, BMW, and Infiniti service people (except for Niello Infiniti in Concord, CA) were never this bad.

But, I am calm and relaxed.

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Dan
1998 C43