sksvlad

I took my car to an indy shop and was told "valve cover gasket leak". They replaced the gasket. leaked again, brought it back, they blamed the gasket, fixed it the 2nd time. It leaks again. What to do?
I found these 2 old responses, maybe it helps.

Older thread, but why not breathe life back into it!
I've had the valve cover gaskets replaced twice and still get a few small drips of oil seeping out and dripping onto the exhaust heat shield, now only on the left side. Happens within the first several miles of starting the car, then it either stops or maybe another drop. I can tell when it happens if the wind is right and I'm stopped at a light...the smell gets sucked into the cabin air intake. It's an unusual smell, so I heated up a piece of metal and put a drop of Mobil 1 on it...that's the smell. Also, when I get home I pop the hood and check with a flashlight and sometimes I see a little wet spot on the heat shield.
My indy mechanic says he occasionally sees warped valve covers (not as many as on BMWs). He installs the gaskets dry. I asked about using a gasket compound but he doesn't like to do that... says he's seen issues with it. The guy is meticulous.
So, I get an occasional whiff of it, and someday I'll have him check it again. I don't do work like that myself because I am a klutz.

I had this problem on the kid's C240. I replaced the valve cover gaskets with the Victor Reinz aftermarket seals. I only used them because I was ordering some other stuff from autohausaz and it was convenient as that's the brand they carried. They aren't much less expensive - just a few dollars less - than OEM MBZ gaskets. Well, it still leaked! I heard lots of complaints about Victor Reinz gaskets on the forums, so I ordered genuine MBZ gaskets and replaced them. I compared the Reinz to MBZ and found they are smaller in cross-section diameter and that's that problem. With the MBZ gaskets, I've had no more leaks. They are installed "dry" - no sealant needed or recommended. Oh, and when you do this job, you need to remove and thoroughly clean the breather covers. A clogged breather can cause pressure to build up and then any gasket will leak. The breather covers uses black RTV as a sealant - no gaskets.

insame1

You need to make sure they are using the OE Mercedes gasket the others are too thin and will leak no matter what.

Nachtsturm

Only buy OE parts for your AMG. If they are using OE, take it to another indy.

clk_55

When I did the valve covers on my car I did one side with the sealant and one side without. I used brand new OEM gaskets on both sides. A week or so later the side without the sealant started leaking again. Three years later and the side with the sealant is still holding up amazingly well.

Dmtypr

This happened to me with victor-reinz and felpro gasket. You need to get thicker OEM Mercedes-Benz gasket otherwise oil can drip to your alternator and damage it; my car was having problems with 2 alternators and the source was leakage from the valvecover.

strider-g3

Is it true that these engines need the entire valve covers themselves changed? A local Mercedes expert told me its usually not the gaskets alone that need replacing but the whole valve cover... maybe hes just trying to rip me off?

insame1

no you just need to use a mercedes gasket. most things after market is fine but you need OE mercedes valave cover gaskets or they WILL leak.

Robjr

Nachtsturm......

You meant to say "not using OE"......yes?

Rob

Stephen04E55

the chamber on top which is sealed only with RTV can be a problem also. Yes, make sure the mechanic is using OEM gaskets. Mercedes Source has a kit to aid in this procedure.
https://mercedessource.com/store/m11...o-instructions
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