Rudeney

WDBTJ56H48F249509 has M272 engine #852393, which is beyond the range for both balance shaft and cam magnet problems - you're good!

DubStep

Thank you so much. Thats a huge weight removed.

Crimsonviper

thinking of getting an early 280 on an 05 plate
WDB2094542T062712

Thanks!!!

Rudeney

M272 # 195075 - in the range for potential balance shaft problems.

stclairstv

WDBRF52H16F749951 can someone check this before I buy it....thanks

Rudeney

WDBRF52H16F749951 is a C230 with M272 engine #168670, which is within the range for potential balance shaft problems (as I would expect with a MY2006). Have you had any symptoms? If no, I'd still get codes pulled as the problem can start with a few intermittent instances of P0016/P0017 that are stored, but so random the MIL is not illuminated. And of course your may be just fine and never have problems, but better to know sooner than later.

Crimsonviper

Thanks Rodney!

stclairstv

WDBRF52H16F749951 is a C230 with M272 engine #168670, which is within the range for potential balance shaft problems (as I would expect with a MY2006). Have you had any symptoms? If no, I'd still get codes pulled as the problem can start with a few intermittent instances of P0016/P0017 that are stored, but so random the MIL is not illuminated. And of course your may be just fine and never have problems, but better to know sooner than later.


I am looking to buy this car. it only has 45,000 miles on it. Not private seller but from a wholesaler. Any way I can find out if it has been fixed or anything? Car im buying was a theft vehicle but in perfect condition and all 3 keys which seems like someone pulled one over the banks eyes! Insurance write off. Thanks for the info

Rudeney

The only way to tell if it has been fixed is by dealer service records. If you'll taker it to a dealer for a pre-purchase inspection (they usually charge around $150 for this), they can look at the service records and let you know. Otherwise, unless you can get this car for about $4K less than one not in affected range, then I'd pass. It's an expensive roll of the dice.

stclairstv

I can get the car for 11,000 bucks, 45,000 miles and thank you for your help!! I did notice that when I started it and let it run I smelt something but not like oil burning. Smelt kinda like plastic melting type smell but no exactly like plastic melting. Hard to explain, may just be a normal smell but there was some sort of smell. The car has been sitting couple weeks.....

PatrickWynn

Here is my VIN WDBRF52H96A841001
CEL is on and we've had some odd shifting issues in an automatic transmission. Thanks for any and all help!!

Rudeney

KBB lists trade-in value at about $11K and private party at about $13K. Generally speaking, I shoot for KBB trade-in value when buying a used car, and dealers generally offer $2K-4K under KBB trade-in value. So, given that you may have a $4K repair on your hands, I'd not pay more than $8K for it. But that's just me.

Rudeney

You have M272 engine #139974, which is within range for potential balance shaft problems. This will not affect shifting. In fact, unless there is a catastrophic failure of the timing idler gear on the end of the balance shaft, you won't have any symptoms except for the P0016/P0017 (DTC 1208/1200) codes. The shifting could be something else. I strongly suggest you get codes pulled - preferably with SDS so you get the native DTCs and TCU codes.

Yashar Mammadov

hi all,

please can someone check my VIN ?

WDBHA29GXWA580967

i have lost my service book.

my mail is: yashar1001@hotmail.com


many thanks in advance!!

Elrond

Hi I'm an owner of a second hand CLS 350 (European car),the vin is :
WDD2193561A001130, I'm pretty sure that the car is within the affected range, but how can I find if it has been repaired ?

Rudeney

That's a W202 with an M112 engine so no worries about balance shaft issues. If you are looking for service records, you'll have to go to a dealer and have them pull a VMI for you.

Rudeney

Yep, you have engine #7508, which is within the range for potential balance shaft problems. Have you had any issues? How many miles on the clock? Even if the MIL is not illuminated, you should still check codes - intermittent P0016/P0017 codes can occur but not in enough numbers to trigger the MIL. Of course if the gear is failing, which yours may not be, the problem will get worse and the errors more often and eventually the MIL will be illuminated steady.

Elrond

Thanks for the info, the car has 110000 miles and there aren't any errors ( checked in a local dealer ) but the dealer can't confirm that the balance shaft has been replaced. But I would guess that it has been serviced, because from what I read this problem usually occurs around 65000- 130000km (not sure what is that in miles), but I still would feel much better if I find a way to confirm for sure.
By the way a friend of mine has the same cls 2004 dec 350 petrol and he has done more 200000 miles without a gearbox or enfine problem.

Rudeney

Generally, the balance shaft errors show up before 100K miles, so your might be fine. Unfortunately, there is inexpensive way to inspect it - by the time you get everything prepped to remove the timing case cover, you're 80% into the labor of replacing the balance shaft.

Like I said, not all will fail. Only MBZ and their supplier knows for sure, but the hypothesis is that the part supplier had a defective process for hardening the balance shafts. Maybe they used multiple furnaces for heat hardening and one had a bad thermostat, or maybe a certain employee didn't know how to properly operate the furnace, or maybe the guys got drunk on payday Thursday, came in hung over and careless on Friday. Regardless, only some percentage of them are bad. It seems that the supplier did not serialize the parts, so MBZ only knows that they could be in the first 500,000+ M272/M273 engines built until they discovered the problem.

Elrond

Hi RODNEY, your info has been very valuable, I just spoke with the official dealer's, main office in Bulgaria (that is where I live) and they told me that the price of the repair kit and the work is aprox. 1000-1200Euro (around 1300-1600 USD), which is not too bad. So I'm feeling a bit better now, any way my next mercedes if there is one will be with a V8 and no balnce shafts .

Rudeney

FYI, this same failure occurs on the M273 V8 engine (up to serial number 88611). Both engines have an idler gear that the timing chain runs on between the two cam banks. The difference on the V8 is that the gear is just an idler, bolted to the engine block on a bearing. On the V6, the gear is forged onto the end of the balance shaft, thus driving the balance shaft to counter-act engine vibrations inherent in a V6 configuration, but not an issue on a V8. it seems the same supplier (improperly) forged both the idler sprocket on the V8 and balance shaft/idler sprocket for the V6.

vmull

Please check my vin for balance shaft issues WDXPF446679317427 MB Sprinter

Rudeney

WDXPF446679317427 has M272 engine #514675 - no worries on the balance shaft.

cooyah9

Rodney, ur probably sick of this by now, but could you check on vin WDBTJ75J15F133339
please?

Rudeney

WDBTJ75J15F133339 is a CLK500. That's an M113 engine, which will have no balance shaft issues.