LexDiamonds

wow... just.. wow.

Rudeney

You are using Mobil 1 0w-40 "European" formula, right? If you are using the wrong weight of oil, or an oil that doesn't meet 229.5 MB spec, that could cause your sludge. Also, it might not be "sludge" at all - if it's cold where you are and you drive short distances and rarely exceed 300rpm, you can get "gel". It;s not really a problem, and can easily be solved by 30 minutes or so of "spirited" driving.

Well, it's something you coudl do with the proper tools and skills. If you don't have that, or aren't willing to get it, then it's best left to a pro.

MLSYD

Do you know if there's a DYI of hot to remove them in this forum? Been trying to look for it but can't find it.

It doesn't get too cold here in Australia, if anything its pretty hot. Yep that's the oil I've been using. I think the sludge is from me neglecting it for awhile. I put it all back today after i scraped the sludge out and its running good now. I'm gonna run it for a month and open it again to see if need to scrap more sludge out but i think it might run even better if take them apart to soak them.

Rudeney

I don't know of a DIY, but if one exists, it would be related to replacing the camshafts.

slobodan

WOW! That's a lot of sludge. Just short of an engine teardown you are doing the right thing by doing many short interval oil changes using Mobil 0-40 and nothing else as you are slowly flushing that garbage out. be sure to change your oil filter as well each time because you don’t want to clog that up. There is another way that you clean it up by using a product called Auto RX ( http://www.auto-rx.com/ ) It is not a solvent but it uses the same stuff your oil uses to carry away the dirt. I use on my 99 320 but only as a matiness procedure which means I only use a small amount in each oil change. A lot of people will say don't use anything at all as that is what is stated in the manual. I tend to agree with this normally but I ran across this product reading Bob is the oil Guy's web site ( http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ ) and I personally know two people who have used it whit good results. I'm in no way indorsing this product or garneting the results I’m putting this out here for another option for you to try. Hope it helps

spinn

I've used Auto RX on my Toyota Sequoia and it required using a non-synthetic oil...thus, Mobil 1 cannot be used. What brand would you use?

slobodan

For the cleaning regiment I would use any quality conventional oil as you will change it before the oil has a chance to break down. After the cleaning I would switch back to the Mobil

mis3

Is there a recommended schedule to replace these spark plug wires?

I have replaced the spark plugs twice already, I changed them every 100K KM.

spinn

I'm not aware of any non-synthetic oil that is approved by Mercedes that one can use.

Gersh320

Never use non synthetic! these engines are built with far to close of tolerances to use anything but synthetic, quality synthetic.

As far as the spark plug wires. A lot of people change the wires at the same time as the plugs @ about 100k miles. I changed the plugs @95k miles and still using the same wires. My engine bay is immaculate so I figure they are OK for a while longer. No loss in performance, based off my Torque app :-)

mis3

I asked my MB service adviser about these spark plug wires.

He replied that there is no schedule maintenance for these wires, they are replaced only when necessary. He added that MB spark plug wires are of good quality. Also, they are not exposed to the elements since they are housed below the engine cover.

When I went to the online parts store, I saw many spark plug wires for my car made by Denso, Standard, Bosch, etc. Who is the OE manufacturer?

Gersh320

That usually varies from year to year. Bosch is always a good bet. When in doubt get original. Great place for original parts is www.bmwmercedesparts.com I get almost all my stuff from there. Very close to after-market prices.

Zaphodsplanet

I know I'm repeating several others here when I say... "HOLY CRAP". I had a 2000 ML320 before my E.... and it was starting to burn oil like a mad man (part of reason why I traded it). It looks like someone was running cheap dino oil and never changing it. I once used an engine cleaner made by Amsoil. It was something that was designed to remove sludge from inside the engine. Basically you'd put it in the engine oil and run it for 20 minutes at idle. Then you'd change the oil. I had a bit of sludge in that ML and it stripped it all out. Only drawback was it started burning oil even faster after that. I do miss my ML... but I wasn't up for fighting with the dealership trying to get MB to pay for a new engine, which they should have as it was burning something like a quart every 6-700 miles.

Holy crap.... were you not getting an error for the ERG tube being clogged too? And were there any check engine error messages of any kind. I can't believe there's that much crap inside the engine... what a stinking mess.

Give us an update if you haven't driven it off a cliff and into the ocean... or parked it in a bad part of town with the keys in it....LOL

netengineer

I plan on doing mine this weekend. This is a great post! I have a 2005 C240 but it is the same engine and these directions are perfect. I am so glad I found this forum.

I can't tell from the post but... should I use something to flush the old oil out or not?

netengineer

I know this thread is old but I did have another question. Can you change the gaskets without removing the plugs? I just replaced my plugs 20k miles ago.

Rudeney

Yes, you can replace the valve cover gaskets without removing the spark plugs. However, you will need to remove the coil packs as they are attached to the valve covers. Since the maintenance schedule calls for a plug change around 100K miles, and the valve covers usually end up leaking about the same time, most people end up doing it all in one job. Having the valve covers removed also gives you a little more visibility to the spark plugs for their removal.

bbrownllc

This is a SUPER guide. My 04 E320 wagon now has 195K miles and is way out of warrantee so I've started to work on it myself and the DYI's like this one is perfect for a guy like me.
Did the plugs, wires in 3 hours last night, did the oil change and air filters in 90 min this past week end.

Next are the valve cover gaskets and changing the transmission oil and filter.

Total parts costs so far: less than $600 labor saving: $1000's !!

Thanks for all you guys that post these DIY's

PelicanParts.com

More data on topic.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm

whunter@pelicanparts.com

.

paul.gorringe

Thanks to this fantastic guide I am now totally free of oil leaks on the valve covers on my CLK 500
This really should be a sticky as it seems to be a common fault and so easy to do when following this guide

Thanks again

ricardovasco

Nice job! I've heard Mercedes doesn't recommend to use gasket sealant . Its only to replace the valve cover gasket without anything. Now , Im not sure what to do with mine. Do I need to use sealant or not?

Gersh320

Don't use the sealant on the valve cover. I didn't on mine nor do any of our technicians at our shop. I don't know about your engine but mine only used sealant on the breather covers.
Good luck.

ricardovasco

Thanks. My car is the CLK500 coupe ,W209, engine M113. So, I don't need to use sealant?

Rudeney

No, do not use any sealant on the valve cover gaskets. However, the breather cover that is on top of the valve cover does not have a pre-formed gasket - you use black RTV on it. And you should remove it to clean it out along with cleaning the valve covers and the vacuum hose ports.

clydem

I have a 100K tuneup coming up next Spring.
Glad to know about the valve covers.
It would be really nice to have a list of parts & a list of links to DIY threads.

Gersh320

Send me your VIN and I'll look up the part numbers of the items you want to tackle.