Has anyone here replaced the belt tensioner before or can point me in the direction of a good DIY for our 113 motor. I have replaced in my 'pops' Ml but his engine bay has tons of room in comparison. What has to be absolutely removed for access?

 

According to the WIS

The mechanical fan
The fan shroud
The belt
Rotate the tensioning pulley counter clockwise and lock it
Then the tensioner.

Let me know if you want a copy of the doc.

 

If you have this style of tensioner, I would strongly urge you to replace - mine completely seized and luckily only the belt slipped off without damage to the radiator and ancillary components. The only warning was a sound akin to a belt 'screech' and shortly thereafter the loss of my power steering and alternator.

As you can see, the bearing cage has broken. Thanks Marcus for the post, I actually could replace it without having to remove the viscous coupled fan (thankfully).

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm curious - how many miles had your car covered? and is the replacement any different to the original?

Mike

 

The car has 127K on the odometer and the newer 'revised' style has a flat spool like the one I replaced on my pop's ML - see LINK

At least on his vehicle his gave a loud rattle and was replaced before it failed. Obviously there were issues across many MB lines with these.

 

In reading your other link - underneath is exactly how I loosen mine to pull the belt. Tons of room and easily accessible. Good post.

 

[QUOTE=StapleGun;3858229]If you have this style of tensioner, I would strongly urge you to replace QUOTE]

I wouldn't be worried about new type/old type. Neither are very common for failures. They are a wear item, they rairly give a warning, maybe a grinding noise for those with sensitve ears from outside the car only.

I've seen many more top idler pullies (between the alternator and the P/S pump) fail than belt tensioner pullies.

 

Just replace mine yesterday. Was able to go from underneath without taking the fan or shroud off. Just loosened shroud and weaseled it out.

 

[quote=Ausmbtech;3860151]Ordered 'that' top idler pulley to replace since I am there as well.

 

[QUOTE=StapleGun;3864572]
What does it look like this top idler pulley?

What else than the multi rib belt, tensioner and the top idler pulley have you changed?
I guess you changed the harmonic balancer in the past?

 

Had the Harmonic replaced by MB (TSB) no charge - The idler is the smallest pulley at the top.

 

I realised I have bought the belt idler pulley, but I haven't changed the parts yet!
I guess the belt idler pulley, harmonic balancer, belt tensioner isn't a common problem in Europe?
Correct me if I'm wrong!

I have bought these parts:
Harmonic Balancer
Belt tensioner
Multi rib belt
Belt idler pulley
Thermostat

Thanks for the input bro!

 

Check for TSB on the Harmonic by MB - I'll have to look for the bulletin. Bring a serpentine to the dealer and have them put in on. If they are cool with you bringing them the parts it's all easy work.

 

Don't know why you purchased the HB. That was a dealer recall that they are obligated to replace and install for free.

 

I'm out for the Christmas break - once I get home, I'll verify. I believe the campaign number is 2005020003. If it's covered the dealer should cover it (although I am speaking of MB USA). Don't go crazy buying parts, the HB is not going to be a fun part to replace...I would replace H20 pump, tensioner, idler, and belt at the very least.

 

well I bought it 2 years ago because the US dollar was so cheap in value and I also bought these otha parts too!
I was reading those horror stories on this community and I thought that these Harmonic Balansers were bad in the whole universe?
So I thought that I eventually will suffer from this problema too!

I live in Sweden, there are no such recalls for this part!
I guess you guys in the US are pampered with long time safe warranties regarding your cars!
Which is great!
You don't have to pay for bad parts on a car!
It's covered by warranties for long time ahead!
In Europe it's the opposite!
When the warranty is out then we are screwed, just empty our pockets and cash out the money!
The US versions of your cars are covered with better warranties than European cars!
You have those lemon laws!
I guess that American companies are scared to death when it comes to major lawsuits!
In sweden there were only recalls for cancer problems on our beloved Mercs!
Cancer is the famous rustproblems MB had in the past starting with the new E-classe 210, early cars from 1995 to 2005 when the E-211 came out, this concerns several model range:
A-klasse,C-203, E-211,the crappy ML jeep, S-klasse 220 and so on!

Regarding the Harmonic Balancer:
My friend in Sweden had a Clk 208 1999 model.
It was a Clk 320.
His HB snapped!
The vulk inside the balancer had broken and the half of the hard rubber vulk had come loose from the inner round metal housing!
This caused the engine to shake it's booty and vibrate when idling!
Well my dumb ****ed friend couldn't see what was wrong!
He asked several friends, what is wrong with his Benz, and of course he got several answers, maybe your wheelbearings are bad, your engine-mounts are out, etc etc!
Well if he had gone to the stealership and asked what's the problem was, they would have told him at once!
Stupid him, he didn't go there!
Beacuse being so cheap!
So he drove about a year with this HB broken!
So next time he asked me what is the problem with the car!
I popped the hood and told him, there is your problem you smuck!
How long have you been driving with this problem, he said almost a year!
Well good for you then being so stupid!
I said!
If this part had broken completely then you can buy your self a used engine or replace the broken parts which will cost more!
Luck y for my friend the engine didn't break and he went to a mechanic and changed the part!
After that part was changed he sold the Benz to another friend!
He couldn't afford owning a Benz!
He bought the car because I have a C43 AMG and he told his friends that I was showing off with my car and I am not the only one that can own a Benz!

STUPID PEOPLE WITH ****ED UP ATTITUDE: They are backstabbers, they are not your friend if the jive talk behind your back because you have a fancy car, because of jelousy being a hardcore cargeek!

So making a short story long, I will eventually change this part when I see it start crackeling!
The heat in the engine bay during summers is making all the rubber and plastic parts detoriate over time!

 

Mercedes in the USA is a different animal entirely - it is marketed as a luxury brand and MB coddles that image, or at least attempts to. In Europe the MB is akin to a GM in the sense that you see Mercedes taxis everywhere (a workhorse) - I lived in Spain and have traveled extensively (Prague, Frankfurt, Cairo, Madrid, Paris, etc - in Europe you'll see cars sold with vinyl interiors and manual transmissions which you will not find in the models sold in the US.

With regards to the Harmonic Balancer replacement - NOT all required it. I do not have the parts' number ranges handy that called for the replacement. The only reason I purchased this car is because I can work on it. My wife had a 3-series BMW and it was falling apart at the 100K mark it was horrible. My '72 BMW was a solid car by today's standards.

Cars made within the past ten years are built with 'planned obsolesence' meaning - last five years, the company has made their money off of their first buyer. MB in the past few years has gotten worse, panel gaps akin to GM - very wide and the wiring looms just bound with tape versus bound and located within actual housings routed throughout the vehicle.

On another note, my transmission fluid enjoys a 40K flush and is due again - MB could care less about you - they have made their money. Floating the concept that a fluid would last indefinitely escapes any sound logic. Replace it on yearly basis or at least do a flush and fill - just to round out my recommendations.

 

yeah I also do the flush on my transmission at sensible miles!
to keep it safe from wear and tear!

I can say that I am not at all impressed with my car's quality!
There are to many glitches if I may say!
It's nice and sounds great from the tubes, a lot of tourqe and speed is positive from these engines!

My problems can be red below!
The clear coat has fallen off on certain places on inside metal where it's folded around the dooredges or trunkedges where the rubber plastic seal is attached and then hardened in factory oven!
Sorry for bad explanation I don't know what you call it in english?

Other things is rattling inside cabin when driving on bad surface roads!

My climate control head unit is losing the digital readouts: quick fix is to tap the display!

Booooose Hifi system is weird!
Much lower sounding on drivers front side than passengers front side!
No cracked speakers!
Sound is strong although when blasting heavy metal!!
No problem there!
The tapedeck is turning tricks on me by turning off by it self when increasing or turning down the volume!
This happens a few times a year only, not all the time!

I had some rust spots on my car but this problem was taken care of by stealership!
Since then I don't drive my car in the winter!
I had it for 5 years now so this is the 5th winter in hybernate!

Problems: changed parts:
transmission seal leaking oil!

electronic module changed in transmission, caused oil leak!

MAF changed, bad sensor

o2 sensors changed, bad sensor at about 4000 miles!
I have changed both!
I have only 2 of them in the front!