rdavies85

Yargh I just had the exact same thing happen to mine--pulley seized, belt shredded, limped to the nearest off-ramp and made it just as the coolant temp alert began to flash.


Does anyone know how to get dealer techs to check pulleys more thoroughly to catch stuff like this before it happens? I literally picked up the vehicle from CarMax Weds night, had FULL diagnostic inspection done by dealer on Thurs (charged 4 hours of labor so assume it was in fact relatively comprehensive--they did recommend new brake fluid and air intake filters, which I authorized) and then belt shredded Friday, about 95% of the way thru a 500 mile road trip.


Because parts had to be ordered, my ML's been in the shop since then--5 days now. They found that actually 3 pulleys were bad, obvs needed a new belt, and when the belt snapped it also nicked a coolant line, so that is being replaced as well.


On the bright side, she looks pretty even when she's sad:






Waiting for the tow...


Piggyback time

fritza2tt

The iop idler pulley must be taking the most abuse because it is under a high tension spring load and the belt makes a u-turn around it. Without lubrication and the high RPMs thse engines are capable of, it is a wonder they last a hundred thousand miles. Mine did until last year when I had about 108,000 on it. When the pulley froze the belt made a high piched squealing noise before it failed, which my younger son heared, but I did not, so I kept going. When the belt shredded and failed, the alternator stopped tunning and a red battery light came on. This made me stop and investigate. The nearest dealer responded with a tow truck. Pulley and belt were replaced and no ther damage needed to be taken care of.
I am also driving an old 1987 300D Turbo. It has 276,000 miles on it and, knock on wood, an idler pulley never failed. But the tension spring broke a year ago and had to be replaced.
This makes me think that in my 2007 ML63 the other 2 pulleys may continue to yet last for a while with now only 112,000 miles on it.
This AMG is still in showroom condition, a pleasure to drive and to look at. I baby it too, hardly ever exceed 2,500 RPM. Over the last 5,000 miles the average fuel consumption recorded by the computer was 16.9 mpg. This must be a bit on the high side, because dividing the total distance driven from the time I bought it 16 months ago, by the total number of gallons I bought, the average fuel consumption comes out to only 16.3 mpg.
This will be hard to match for younger drivers. It was easy for me, I'm 86 years old. :-)))

Fly by night

Have a 2012 ML63 it's the best overall suv we've ever owned thus far

rdavies85

Thanks Fritz, and yep I'd say you are probably good for a while if the bad one was replaced recently and the others have made it this far. I have read of a few others having some recurring issues with pulleys/belt that eventually required more significant remediation, but that is definitely not the norm as the belt & related components are apparently supposed to be good for 100k+.


When I picked it up yesterday the tech said it was tough to tell root cause of my own issue, but looked like the pulley bearings may have been to blame--maybe lube dried up or some oxidation occurred when the vehicle was sitting on the lot not really being driven for the past 8 months? No issues with pulley alignment, belt tension, etc. I have the old parts; if anyone fancies themselves an amateur AMG tech I can take a few pics and you can diagnose away.


RE: your comment on mileage. I have so far averaged 15.8 mpg over 550 miles, but ~100 of those were sitting in abnormal (for this route) stop-and-go traffic due to highway construction, accident backups, etc. And even tho I'm on cruise (at a totally legal speed) 95% of the time, I am not 86 (yet) and have of course been punching it when the opportunity arises. I'm pretty sure that without the traffic (obvs not giving up the opportunistic floggings) I could hit somewhere in the 17-18 range.


In any case, I have the vehicle back now and all appears to be well after 50 miles around the city. All repairs were covered by CarMax so other than the inconvenience of being carless for a few days I'm none the worse for it. Hitting the road for the return trip to Philly today after lunch, so will post again if any further repair-related drama ensues.

executive13

unfortunately there is really no way to tell if the pulley is gonna go soon. Mine started making noise and about 10 miles later it froze. This was at 60K miles. But you should have ALL the pulleys changed if one goes. The dealer changed all pulleys on mine. Its only a matter of time before another one goes.

executive13

and what kind of place are you bringing it to that its there for 5 days and still not fixed? My dealer gets parts, ANY part the next day early morning. No matter what my truck needs it has never been at the dealer for more than a day and a half. MB dealers order from one of the many the MB warehouses and get parts overnighted daily.

betrezra

I would consider the tensioner a maintenance item and replace early.

It is cheap.

rdavies85

It was the local MB dealer (well, 1 of 2) in Ottawa, Canada. The parts did come "overnight" if you only count business days--the issue occurred Friday night and they checked it out Saturday AM. They had 2 of the 3 needed pulleys in stock, but ordered the 3rd pulley and a belt Monday AM. Arrived Tuesday AM and installed. Then after everything was in place they started it up and noticed a coolant leak from when the belt snapped and smacked the thermostat housing and connecting hose. Had to order that too, arrived & installed the following morning, picked up that (weds) afternoon. It was the combo of weekend + multiple derivative issues that caused the delay.

Also when you say "ALL" pulleys, do you mean the 3 idler pulleys, or literally all 9 pulleys in the system? They checked all 9 and identified the 3 that needed replacing (1 that failed and 2 that were noisy).

Early tensioner replace makes sense but don't think that was the issue here--more likely due to the vehicle sitting on a lot in Cali for ~6-8 months without being driven much--belt & bearing lube dried out but did not show obvious signs of imminent failure.

tommydee

I've owned my ML63 almost 8 years now....People think its a new car...Styling is great... Ride is excellent and power is awesome.....no rattles drives like the day I brought it home!!! Its going to be tough to let it go for a GLA 45....But I think the GLA 45 is the car of the future...

avery.whss

I'm looking at a 2007 ML63 with 140,000 KM ...do the intake manifold gaskets leak on these engines like they do on the c63s? my 09 c63 has had 2 intake manifold leaks so far.

GabL

Looking to purchase a 2011 ML63, and I have concern about brakes and tires. As I read somewhere that owners change tires and brakes every year, if not sooner than that. With each cost over $2,000 to replace. Is that true?

This car will be my daily driver, and I do about 20,000km max a year, normal driving (of course will still push it a bit, it's a ML63 afterall!). How long the brakes and tires will last in normal circumstance?

Thanks in advance!
Gab

fritza2tt

Gab, for regular commuting it will not be fuel wise, tires and brakes wise the least expensive vehicle to drive. But I have a few suggestions that may help you to keep costs down. One is speed. If you don't drive over 80 mph, you will never have to exceed 2,500 rpm. For that medium grade fuel will be adequate. You don't need 93-94 octane gasoline unless you have hilly roads or plan to drive at 150 mph. Same with tires. Walmart sell a good Korean 20x10 "Rodean" tire or something like that, can't remember, for less than $150each. It is good for 150 mph. I have used them for over a year. Nothing wrong with them.
Same with the brakes. They are oversized and difficult to wear out in normal driving. Before the pads are worn down to minimum, change the pads only. And while you are at it, flush the brake system, at least once every six years.
I know, there will be people yelling now, why buy an ML63 if you are going to drive like that? For me it is the pleasure to KNOW what it was designed for and what it is capable of doing. I even love to just sit in it and marvel at fine engineering and execution of workmanship. I view mine like a Lipizzaner stallion that was retired from the ring in Vienna - a piece f art, a collector's item. :-)

GabL

Hi Friedolin,

Thanks for your comments and advise. I understand maintaining a ML63 is definitely different than maintaining any other cars, but I would like to be prepared. A set of pad and tires each year might be too much for me, both the cost and the hassle to visit the shop to get it done. This is why I would like to get some feedback before purchasing the vehicle.

And you made a good point, a Corolla should suit all people's commute requirement, all other vehicles are over killing if just for the commute purpose. It is the pleasure to drive and the capability of the vehicle that had me looking into it. Thanks!!

Gab

fritza2tt

A 2007 ML63 AMG is what I have. When you go over 100,000 miles some additional maintenance may be required. Mine developed a slight oil leak. The oil came from a hardened o-ring in the oil cooler line. No manifold gasket leak so far. Don't see why itt should leak once it is put together right.

executive13

[QUOTE=GabL;6492382]Hi Friedolin,

Thanks for your comments and advise. I understand maintaining a ML63 is definitely different than maintaining any other cars, but I would like to be prepared. A set of pad and tires each year might be too much for me, both the cost and the hassle to visit the shop to get it done. This is why I would like to get some feedback before purchasing the vehicle.

And you made a good point, a Corolla should suit all people's commute requirement, all other vehicles are over killing if just for the commute purpose. It is the pleasure to drive and the capability of the vehicle that had me looking into it. Thanks!!

Gab[/QUOTE

When driven normally the brakes will go between 15-20K. These trucks are heavy and eat brakes. And you do NEED to change rotors also. Ask anyone that actually works on these vehicles and they will all tell you that. DIY price $1K. Dealer price, slightly over $2K. And what kind of tires did that genius say to get? Korean brand roadian? Yeah, go that those. You will have the worst ride in history and about as much noise as a train driving through your living room. Do NOT get those. You will be sorry you did.

fritza2tt

[QUOTE=executive13;6500733]

fritza2tt

Do NOT get those...? :-)))
Look, I would not say that. It all depends on which one you get when you buy one used. Chances are, who ever the owner of an expensive rig like this was, had properly taken care off it too, unless you bought it off a juvenile who tried to destroy the engine. This is also the reason why you can get a great buy. People who can afford it buy new. I was lucky with mine, it was was super clean and had been properly taken care of. The car (unibody construction) is the ultimate SUV and the safest of them to drive.
My mechanic is able to download computer information. He is honest and reasonable mainly because he does not have a lot of overhead expenses. Other than the electronics the car is a basic Benz, no more complicated to maintain than an ordinary vehicle. He worked on the engine oil leak, found it and fixed for half the estimate from a dealer.
Same with brakes, standard flushing of the brake fluid, no problem. To replace brake pads is not all that expensive either. I have driven mine 12,000 miles now and no great amount of brake wear is noticeable.
After a while you learn to keep separation in traffic and coast whenever possible. The transmission shift down rapidly and will help with slowing down if you will let it. Tires are reasonable too at WalMart.
There is no reason not to commute with one if your other choice would be a pick-up truck. I also use medium grade 89 Octane fuel. Good for normal driving in the US and Canada. I save the high Octane fuel for when I want to show what the car can do, which is hardly ever. :-)

fritza2tt

Mine has 112,000 miles on it now and the engine and transmission work flawlessly. In suburban driving and some free way Interstate now and then, I have averaged from the beginning, a year and a half ago, 16.3 mpg. Here is a picture of the computer read-out. That's the recorded average for more than 5,000 miles.

CyborgX_CZ

Hi Guys,

I'm in the market for one of these ... well 2007-ish models and since I'm complete newb I would like to know if this car will be a good solid car for driving around the town, if it's reliable, if I can tow open trailer and what to look for when buying used vehicle like this.

Quick intro about myself... car nut ... first fun car bought in 2006.. it was 2006 STi which was my intro car in to a track world... when the car was destroyed by stupid driver who did u-turn right in front of me in 2008 I bought a C5 Z06 for couple years but never really like that car not on the street neither on the track. Car got sold and I got myself 2004 Subaru Forester XT for daily and BMW Spec E30 for the track.... fast forward.... as a cur nut I couldn't leave my forester alone it was a great platform for daily "sleeper" ... car received a new built engine that I built myself and complete STi drive train (6spd transmission and all supporting modification including working DCCD) that were the key features for this car among all the other mods which If I had to list it will be like two pages worth. Car was my baby and with 2500lb and 400hp under the hood it was fun to drive in any conditions... well until this Wednesday when I was t-boned by a utility truck running stop light :-( If I was younger I would swap everything in to a new car but being 38 old I had to change my mind and besides finishing my certification and stop being a loner there is no more room for endless night in the shop working on the cars so I think it's time to move on. Of course I can't just jump in to a minivan or Prius but my next car needs to be even more practical than my subie ... other words ... it needs to be still fun to drive plus towing capability and more classy. The only candidate so far is ML63 any good advice are welcome.

fritza2tt

Hi, you sound like a man after my own heart, not afraid to tackle something new and willing to get your hands dirty. I bought my 2007 ML63 AMG almost two years ago and I love it. I was lucky in finding one (100,000 miles) that was still immaculate inside and out, properly maintained with service records listed on CarFAX and absolutely nothing wrong with it. It had lived in Florida and when traded was picked up by a couple of dealers who thought they could make a quick buck, brought to Atlanta, GA, where I found it in the back of a lot with the rotors rusted already. I viewed mine as a Lipizzaner stallion, who had served its duties and was now put out to pasture. :-) Mind you, you want to be sure that yours does not come from an area where salt in the winter and floods during Hurricane season can quickly ruin a perfectly good car. That said, I believe these ML63s are indestructible in normal service, especially if driven only in the US.
When I got mine, I had my favorite master mechanic do a thorough service. He flushed the radiator and the break system, all filters, including the charcoal filter in the dash, and while he was at it, we also got new air bags and a compressor for the suspension. In the process we discovered that the right front strut was leaking and we replaced it as well. Then it became like driving a brand new ML63 AMG. No dealer service was necessary.
Elsewhere on the forum you can find additional reports from me about the repair of an idler pulley a year later, and my findings about fuel consumption.
If you have not found one yet, CarGuru has quite a listing of used ones with prices falling rapidly. I wish you luck with it and keep us posted.

CyborgX_CZ

Thanks for warm welcome :-) And I'm glad there is not much that could go wrong with these cars... I consider myself a pretty skilled but also I know few ppl that can fix anything... so now i just need to find my DREAM CAR :-) Will keep you posted....

fritza2tt

Update on 2007 ML63 AMG - Rodean tires have become noisy, but everything else is great. Coming up on 125,000 miles. No issues with the engine or transmission. Am getting excellent mileage. Last 7,364 miles computer average mileage readout 17.0 mpg
Last weekend trip from Atlanta to Nashville, distance 769.3 miles, fuel bought 46.1 gallons, mostly on the interstate at 80 mph averaged out to 16.69 mpg.

alkibenz

I'm looking at buying a 2007 ML63 (120,000 miles). The seller indicates there is a noisy lifter? Is this a deal breaker?

I looked at a 2001 ML55 that had noisy lifters.

My current 2000 ML430 has 210,000 miles. The timing chain is noisy but the truck runs well. No lifter click/noise.

Thanks,

Eddie

fritza2tt

Eddie, all depends on what it costs. If it is a fire sale, might be worth it. I just bought a 2012 S63 AMG and had considered trading my ML63 AMG, now with 125,000 on it. My engine and A/T and most everything else is in excellent condition. Where are you located and what were you prepared to spend? I have driven mine sparingly and very conservatively over the last two and a half years. One measure of that is what my computer confirms: average fuel consumption for the last 8,000 plus miles was 17.0 mpg! It is also a sign of a very healthy engine. :-) Friedolin

alkibenz

Fritz,


Thanks for the reply.


Thinking ... thinking ... thinking


Eddie