I've been having some issues with emissions for a while, and finally the root of the problem has been found. The gear at the end of the balance shaft is worn down causing issues with the timing chain, making the car run badly.

My mechanic tells me that the gear at the end of the balance shaft cannot be replaced without replacing the whole balance shaft. To do this you have to remove the engine from the car because there are bolts securing the balance shaft between the engine and the transmission.

So basically, this is going to cost me a _LOT_ of money.

Has anyone had this issue? Is this the only way to fix it?

...also, to add insult to injury, the car is only driven 134,000 km (83,000 miles)

Any codes? Look for a second opinion. This is very unusual.

No 112 V6's are not affected by this. 272's are. The repair shop will have to take photos of there findings. Please post photo's if you are able to get any.

The car was diagnosed by the official Mercedes dealer here, it threw a code about engine timing. They said that the valve cover should be removed to check for damage to the timing chain. However, they charge obscene prices so I took the car to another shop compromised of MB specialists and they said the same thing. They then took the valve covers off and noticed that the chain was loose, which led to the discovery of the mangled gear.


I'll swing by the shop later and see if I can get a picture. I'll also find out which code came up during diagnostics.