CLK430 Timing chain`
My shop won't be able to look at it for 6 days.
more info
1999 CLK430
144,397. miles
valves or rockers always knocked loud.
wasn't beating on it.
However, you said it cranks normally. When pistons are hitting valves, engines usually don't spin easily. It could be a timing chain, but it could be a lot of things. Before tearing the engine apart you may want to ensure you're getting spark and fuel. It's far more likely that the CPS failed than the timing chain. On an ME 2.8 car, if the CPS is dead and the car cranks, it stores a code. A P0335, P300D, P0335, or a P2034. I've forgotten which and there may be a couple of others. I have no idea whether your ME 2.0 car stores it. Have you dumped the codes? If so, what are they?
Lastly, if it is the CPS, and the top end is noisy (common on an M113), it may be the lifters (common on an M113). Some of us have swapped the lifters out to quiet things down.
I hope that helps.
However, you said it cranks normally. When pistons are hitting valves, engines usually don't spin easily. It could be a timing chain, but it could be a lot of things. Before tearing the engine apart you may want to ensure you're getting spark and fuel. It's far more likely that the CPS failed than the timing chain. On an ME 2.8 car, if the CPS is dead and the car cranks, it stores a code. A P0335, P300D, P0335, or a P2034. I've forgotten which and there may be a couple of others. I have no idea whether your ME 2.0 car stores it. Have you dumped the codes? If so, what are they?
Lastly, if it is the CPS, and the top end is noisy (common on an M113), it may be the lifters (common on an M113). Some of us have swapped the lifters out to quiet things down.
I hope that helps.
If it's the CPS, a code would be stored because the ECU knows the starter has been engaged but it is not picking up a signal from the CPS, showing that the engine was moving. If the car was finally restarted, with an ME 2.8, you'd see a check engine light - after the car was running. In your case, the car isn't running, so you don't see anything. With an ME 2.8 car, if the CPS was bad and you dumped the codes right now you'd see a CPS failure code. I don't know whether ME 2.0 cars store that or not. It seems likely they would.
To dump the codes, you use a code reader. Some auto parts chain stores loan them to customers for free with the hope that those same customers will buy parts from them. I bought mine about 10 years ago for less than $50 IIRC. Many code readers can also be used to clear codes. Not all codes (like some transmission codes for example), but many.
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However, you said it cranks normally. When pistons are hitting valves, engines usually don't spin easily. It could be a timing chain, but it could be a lot of things. Before tearing the engine apart you may want to ensure you're getting spark and fuel. It's far more likely that the CPS failed than the timing chain. On an ME 2.8 car, if the CPS is dead and the car cranks, it stores a code. A P0335, P300D, P0335, or a P2034. I've forgotten which and there may be a couple of others. I have no idea whether your ME 2.0 car stores it. Have you dumped the codes? If so, what are they?
Lastly, if it is the CPS, and the top end is noisy (common on an M113), it may be the lifters (common on an M113). Some of us have swapped the lifters out to quiet things down.
I hope that helps.
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If the chain remains intact when this happens there will be no compression and the piston to valve clearance will be ok. If the latter a broken chain or cam gear fails the valves will hit the piston and contribute to Marcus description above post and destroy the engine.
Mercedes recommends replacing the chain @ 200k Km. Around 140,000 miles. Other manufacturers that use the double roller in a V8 specify 200,000 miles.
Cam sensor code and free spinning engine might be the chain failure as well.
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