E-Class (W211) 2003-2009

The dreaded M272 Balance Shaft

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Old 07-19-2018, 12:12 PM
  #526  
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2006 E350
Originally Posted by N_Jay
What is the car worth? Now and After the $6k?

What can you buy for teh sell price of the car +$6K?
I imagine the car is worth $2-4k now and probably $6k after the repair.

I don't know what I could buy for $8k. I'd likely need to round it to $12k and hope that the new used car needs no large repairs either.
Old 07-19-2018, 12:13 PM
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2007 W211 E350 4Matic / 2008 X164 GL320 CDI
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/cars+between+6000+and+7500/Mercedes-Benz/E+350/Young+America+MN-55555?zip=55555&startYear=1981&endYear=2019&makeCo deList=MB&searchRadius=0&modelCodeList=E350&minPri ce=6000&maxPrice=7500&sortBy=mileageASC&numRecords =100&firstRecord=0

Buy the lowest mileage best cared for newest car at 10K and put 2K in teh rainy day fund.
Then set a budget of about 2K a year in maintenance and repairs.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...&firstRecord=0

Last edited by N_Jay; 07-19-2018 at 12:17 PM.
Old 07-19-2018, 12:36 PM
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2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
Originally Posted by mountain man
So the check engine light just came back on. No surprise. I've called around and it looks the like the repairs are about $6k to either repair or just replace the engine outright. Which route do most people go? Just get a new car?
I think most people end up dumping it. $6k isn't a bad price, some get quoted as high as 7-8k, but there's a reason the 2006 years are so cheap. There's lots of ads on craigslists which will state something to the effect that the CEL is on, probably something minor. I laugh at those all the time. The 2008/2009 were better years, even the early 2007 models still had the problem. The expensive part of the repair is just the requirement to remove the engine. to fix it.
Old 07-19-2018, 05:37 PM
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06 E350
UNLOAD IT AND DONT BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES!!!!
Old 07-19-2018, 06:07 PM
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2006 E350
Originally Posted by Shack1
UNLOAD IT AND DONT BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES!!!!
I think that's what I'm going to need to do.
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Old 07-19-2018, 06:13 PM
  #531  
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2006 E350
Boy do I feel like a loser for buying this car. My C320 was great. I'm going to let the wife buy the next car. She obviously has better sense than I do.
Old 07-19-2018, 06:15 PM
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2006 E350
It's surprising to me as an outsider how little mercedes cared about fixing what was obviously poor engineering. I also apologize for post padding. I don't how I can delete posts.

Last edited by mountain man; 07-19-2018 at 06:17 PM.
Old 07-19-2018, 06:30 PM
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06 E350
Originally Posted by mountain man
It's surprising to me as an outsider how little mercedes cared about fixing what was obviously poor engineering. I also apologize for post padding. I don't how I can delete posts.
I totally agree, they knew the part was defective, IMO they should have covered the whole repair! 44k with a major engine malfunction is beyond words, look what Toyota did with the 3.0 head gasket issue, STOOD BEHIND THEIR
CARS AND CUSTOMERS.

Good luck Ill never buy another Mercedes after this ordeal.

Last edited by Shack1; 07-19-2018 at 06:32 PM.
Old 07-19-2018, 06:32 PM
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06 E350
MERCEDES IS THE ONLY ONE'S WHO SHOULD BE APOLOGIZING!!!

ILL PROBABLY HAVE THE DREADED SBC PUMP TRIGGER THE HAVE SBC UNIT SERVICED TOO, FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN A
SET FINATE AMOUNT OF SEQUENCES

Last edited by Shack1; 07-19-2018 at 06:34 PM.
Old 07-20-2018, 05:17 PM
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My 06 E350 has 138K miles and other than diligent routine maintenance and some scheduled replacements everything works perfectly. MB replaced entire fuel system at 110K , as well as transfer case and some other repairs earlier no charge. Seems like the owners of cars in the affected range that never have a balance shaft problem don’t bother to join this forum to complain. Given the number of those vehicles sold in that sequence, plus that the majority of balance shaft failures, according to MB statistics released in the class action were SUV and commercial applications, then the W211 series from late 05 to early 07 that are in the affected range do not all fail.

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Old 07-20-2018, 05:42 PM
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2006 E350
Originally Posted by 62bassman
My 06 E350 has 138K miles and other than diligent routine maintenance and some scheduled replacements everything works perfectly. MB replaced entire fuel system at 110K , as well as transfer case and some other repairs earlier no charge. Seems like the owners of cars in the affected range that never have a balance shaft problem don’t bother to join this forum to complain. Given the number of those vehicles sold in that sequence, plus that the majority of balance shaft failures, according to MB statistics released in the class action were SUV and commercial applications, then the W211 series from late 05 to early 07 that are in the affected range do not all fail.
I have the maintenance records for my car. I'm the second owner of a relatively low mileage vehicle bought from a family of Mercedes aficionados. I thought I did due diligence but apparently I was mistaken. My understanding was the engine should be reliable to 200k+. I'm not even at 100k. I can own up to wear and tear. I've had to replace the power steering pump and brakes are due in 10k miles.

However having this balance shaft issue pop up and seeing how pervasive it is and not having any real recourse but to junk the car is a huge pissoff. I could put another 2k into the car but 5-6k is crazy considering all the other maintenance an older car needs. European cars are more expensive to maintain. I'm fine with that. I know I'm beating a dead horse but this was pretty bad engineering and a lousy settlement that benefited the lawyers and not much else.

And I'm curious if you periscoped your shaft recently?

Last edited by mountain man; 07-20-2018 at 05:45 PM.
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Old 07-20-2018, 05:54 PM
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2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
Originally Posted by mountain man
Boy do I feel like a loser for buying this car. My C320 was great. I'm going to let the wife buy the next car. She obviously has better sense than I do.
You basically needed to do the research on the next car you buy. I was also interested in a 2006 initially just because it was face lifted but read the forum on all the problems and was going to get a 2007, but I got tired of checking to see if each one was past the balance shaft problem or not so I ended up with a 2008. Some standard maintenance stuff on it, but no crazy big bills like balance shaft/SBC etc. Biggest expense has probably been tires and bent rims.
Old 08-28-2018, 04:07 PM
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mercedes cls350
Is £2000 plus the norm for a balance shaft repair on a 2007 cls350 ?
Old 08-28-2018, 04:13 PM
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2007 cls550
In the US 4-5k independent mechanic and 6-7k dealer.

Parts are $500 plus another $500 in various tools and parts that should do while in there.
Old 08-28-2018, 05:09 PM
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06 E350
Im suprised an 07 would have the issue, miles? My repair at 44700 was $6500 dealer minus 15%, turned down at two indys.
Old 08-28-2018, 05:31 PM
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2007 cls550
Take a non hardened steel gear and run a hardened chain on it. Done.
Old 08-28-2018, 06:14 PM
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06 E350
Originally Posted by 95viper
Take a non hardened steel gear and run a hardened chain on it. Done.
Thanks Capt. obvious. Was under the impression 07's were passed the issue
Old 08-28-2018, 06:22 PM
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2007 E350 Sedan
Originally Posted by Shack1
Thanks Capt. obvious. Was under the impression 07's were passed the issue
They were not. My early model year 2007 fell to the problem at about 78K miles.

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Old 08-28-2018, 06:46 PM
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2007 cls550
Reading you post implies that you don’t know what caused the problem. I have a hard time believing that anyone paid 4K yet still didn’t find out what years were affected. Maybe try that search function since the year ranges have been discussed hundreds of times.

But that’s just captain obvious so maybe not.
Old 08-28-2018, 07:57 PM
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06 E350
Originally Posted by 95viper
Reading you post implies that you don’t know what caused the problem. I have a hard time believing that anyone paid 4K yet still didn’t find out what years were affected. Maybe try that search function since the year ranges have been discussed hundreds of times.

But that’s just captain obvious so maybe not.
Yeah I don't know what caused the problem but I paid $5400 to fix it. LOL DID YOU HAVE A CAR AFFECTED?
Please tell me what the cut off date was, since you know everything about everything? Capt. Obvious
Old 08-28-2018, 08:11 PM
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Geez. Of course I had a car affected. I fixed it myself too and interacted with this community to learn and share information so relax dude. I wasn’t trying to bust your balz, I thought you had a legit question.

The cutoff off date depends on model. For my CLS, which has the same problem but a gear instead of balance shaft, it was around October. You need a vin search to get exact.
Old 08-28-2018, 08:17 PM
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2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
Originally Posted by Shack1
Yeah I don't know what caused the problem but I paid $5400 to fix it. LOL DID YOU HAVE A CAR AFFECTED?
Please tell me what the cut off date was, since you know everything about everything? Capt. Obvious
It's mentioned several times in the beginning of this thread. Basically all of 2006 E350's and some early 2007 E350 models, probably sometime to the September production date. M272 was the balance shaft, the M273 (the 8 cylinder) was the idler gear.

You run the vin through a vin decoder like:

https://www.datamb.com/

And then you see if you're in the affected range or not.

Lots of people get things fixed without knowing what the original problem was. All you have to do is take it to the dealer and tell them to fix it and you get the bill afterwards and hopefully the problem is fixed.
Old 08-28-2018, 08:21 PM
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06 E350
Originally Posted by 95viper
Geez. Of course I had a car affected. I fixed it myself too and interacted with this community to learn and share information so relax dude. I wasn’t trying to bust your balz, I thought you had a legit question.

The cutoff off date depends on model. For my CLS, which has the same problem but a gear instead of balance shaft, it was around October. You need a vin search to get exact.
I bet mine was at a lower mileage than yours. 44700
I bought the car in 09 with 22k, so if there were reports of this issue they were FEW.
I did plenty of research and tried to get estimates from indys but was turned down. At least I got 15% off as I was well over a year from the tiered settlement date.
I get a little pissed I admit it, when someone says I don't know what caused an obvious wear problem due to bad materials.
Still pissed that MB didnt cover the whole repair and made a car thats already had this and a transmission issue, im only at 48000 and had the transmission go to limp mode,
which I had repaired by shipping the control module and had its electrics repaired. Then I the damn indy shop didnt put the trans gasket in correctly and it leaked.
So I bought a transfer pump and another new gasket and did it myself. NO leaks and working great now. Next issue the Fing SBC brake bs!
Old 08-28-2018, 08:28 PM
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06 E350
Worst car I have owned PERIOD!
Old 08-28-2018, 08:34 PM
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Now we are definitely in agreement although mine has 38k miles on it now. I cannot believe that MBZ wouldn’t even give me the parts to do it myself. They covered up a problem and the settlement didn’t help those with low mileage cars who will eventually have the problem.

Thankfully I have an 07 and don’t have the SBC drama. I did have to replace an airbag though.


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