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I bought the wife a 2017 S 550, and liked it so much I bought myself a 2012 E550 4Matic sedan. I bought it a couple weeks ago over the phone, and it arrived this morning from NC. It's my first time seeing it. Never driven one before (though I did go around the block in an older E350 once).
Anyway, It's Quartz Blue Metallic with tan / black interior and 41,500 miles on the clock.
(No active seats, heated steering wheel, or illuminated door sills though)
Underside looks brand new,
BUT,. when I start it,... it ticks 3-4 times with what sounds like an exhaust leak from just behind the passenger front wheel. Then it's fine after that.
Any ideas?
(These are pics from the dealer. I'll take better ones tomorrow).
Does it tick every time you start it? When hot? When cold? Are you sure it's exhaust? What is your VIN?
There were some timing chain tensioner issues on some of the earlier cars:
Engine 278:
1) Up to engine number 278 9xx 30 073273 install check valves and chain tensioners
2) From engine number 278 9xx 30 073274 up to engine number 278 9xx 30 103675 (February 2013) install checkvalves only (optimized tensioners installed in this production range)
Does it tick every time you start it? When hot? When cold? Are you sure it's exhaust? What is your VIN?
There were some timing chain tensioner issues on some of the earlier cars:
Engine 278:
1) Up to engine number 278 9xx 30 073273 install check valves and chain tensioners
2) From engine number 278 9xx 30 073274 up to engine number 278 9xx 30 103675 (February 2013)
Where do I find the engine number?
It was built in Feb, 2012.
Using Mercedes VIN decoder I get this; 278922 30 038654 278.922
On another note,..I have car scales,.. so I just weighed the car.
Google says it weighs 4,145 lbs.
Mine weighs 4,372 with about 80% fuel (85 lbs worth).
So the car would weigh 4,287 with an empty tank, and 4,391 with a full tank.
(For comparison, my wife's loaded '17 S550 weighed 4,850 with 1/2 tank)
It was built in Feb, 2012.
Using Mercedes VIN decoder I get this; 278922 30 038654 278.922
On another note,..I have car scales,.. so I just weighed the car.
Google says it weighs 4,145 lbs.
Mine weighs 4,372 with about 80% fuel (85 lbs worth).
So the car would weigh 4,287 with an empty tank, and 4,391 with a full tank.
(For comparison, my wife's loaded '17 S550 weighed 4,850 with 1/2 tank)
Yours have more weight than mine. You and I have airmatic. I have distronic which adds a tiny bit on weight, but you have pano which add a lot of weight.
Edit: it's this a Canadian car?
Edit 2: nevermind you don't have option 432
Last edited by S. Madman; Oct 10, 2020 at 12:37 PM.
"1) Up to engine number 278 9xx 30 073273 install check valves and chain tensioners"
"Using Mercedes VIN decoder I get this; 278922 30 038654"
Okay, you have an early engine and are within the first VIN range requiring the Tensioner and Check Valve replacement. You need to see if that has been done yet.
Yesterday I drove the car for the second time. (First time was 8 min perhaps).
Yesterday I drove 30 min to an event,.... and 5 hours later when I started it up to leave,.. it made no funny noises at all.
On the way home I stopped by a grocery store,.. and when I re-started the warm car, it also started with no ticking noises.
This morning I started it, and no noise. I drove 30 min to church,.. and 3.5 hours later when I started it up to leave,.. also no ticking noise.
3 hours after returning home, I decide to figure out where a dip-stick is,.. and what sort of oil filters I need to buy (two types, post or no post apparently). And I discover the oil is high on the stick. It's over the plastic stick end, and onto the wire. (The BMW Dealer I bought it from claims to have done an oil change with mystery brand 0W40 ).
SO I used a MightyVac to pull a quart or more of oil out to get it down to the top of the range. I went to start it and I did get a ticking noise,.. about 5-7 ticks over a 2 sec period of time.
Soooo,.... the ticks have mostly gone away.
ALSO,.. when I drove it yesterday morning,.. it was registering 12 mpg. But over the course of yesterday's driving it kept increasing into the low 20's. And today,.. I averaged 24.5 mpg
Perhaps the car had just been sitting too long?
When A friend of a friend test drove it weeks ago in NC,.. he said there was a warning on the dash about the auxiliary battery being low,.. and I saw the same thing when I got the car. But that went away after first long drive.
Also,... when the guy started the engine to back it off the delivery truck,.. the turbos wound up quite a bit. Now I hardly hear them when starting.
Seems the car is loosening up, which can happen after a car has been sitting for 3 months or whatever.
Still a bit of a tick every second or third warm start is what I'm seeing now.
Anyway,.. if anyone can check to see if the can-chain tensioners have been done,.. the VIN is;WDDHF9BB8CA615730
Interesting you have scales. Are you a racer?
I don’t think anyone here has the capability to pull a VMI for you to see if the tensioners were serviced. You need a dealer to do that and they aren’t always accommodating. I still think it’s no big deal.
Interesting you have scales. Are you a racer?
I don’t think anyone here has the capability to pull a VMI for you to see if the tensioners were serviced. You need a dealer to do that and they aren’t always accommodating. I still think it’s no big deal.
I used to do a lot of track days in a BMW, then a Subaru STI. But my current Porsche Turbo is not suited to track work. (Perhaps adding an extra 350 hp didn't help?).
You're right in that the noise isn't something to be too awfully worried about,.. but the plan was to install a Eurocharged Stage 2 flash in the engine, and perhaps flash the trans computer. I did that same engine flash in the wife's S550,.. and it's VERY nice. That big boat now does 0-60 in 4.05 sec, as measured with my VBox Sport. That's 1/2 sec faster than a Mustang GT.
That flash would add 175 hp and 250 ft lbs to the E Class. So I'd want everything to be tip-top,.. AND have the very best in oil in there. All I could find locally that met 229.5 was Total Energy 9000 in a 5W40. I use a mix of Motul 5W40 and 5W50 in the Porsche.
Stage 2 is fun, you're gonna like it! you doing downpipes, or just gutting the cats?
Was thinking of just doing the Stage 2 flash,.. like I did on the wife's 2017 S 550.
1- Are pipes still available somewhere?
2- How hard are they to put in?
3- What's the power difference?
I had asked the Eurocharged guys a while back about the downpipes,.. and the cats,... because most manufacturers cats won't hold up to bi power / boost increases. But the guy there said they seem to hold up really well,.. I just wouldn't get all of that 580/695. But he wouldn't say how much less.
The car goes pretty good as it is,... being a luxury exec hauler on air suspension and all.
The only difference between stage 1 and stage 2 is turning off the catalyst monitors and power increase comes from removing the cats. So, if you're not going catless, your not getting "Stage 2". With EC Tune. On the E550, you'll see 100hp and 150lb/ft increase(approx 530/630). The cat removal is where you get the other 50hp/65tq.
I have BMH downpipes, but yes, there are still people who make them. Red Star seems to be the favorite flavor of the current times. There is a good thread in the W212 AMG forum. https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...downpipes.html
The only difference between stage 1 and stage 2 is turning off the catalyst monitors and power increase comes from removing the cats. So, if you're not going catless, your not getting "Stage 2". With EC Tune. On the E550, you'll see 100hp and 150lb/ft increase(approx 530/630). The cat removal is where you get the other 50hp/65tq.
I have BMH downpipes, but yes, there are still people who make them. Red Star seems to be the favorite flavor of the current times.
Thanks man. Hmmm,.. $1900 for tune, $300ish fo rthe programmer, $1,500 tcu tune, $2,300 pipes,... ... That's $6,100. I think I may just do Stage 1 then. It''s fast already.
The noises on startup got to where they were only on warm startups,.. then got less and less frequent,.. and after I changed the oil yesterday to Total 9000 Energy 5w40,.. it''s been silent since.
Today I drove for 15 min, then started it 10 min later, drove an hour. Then 6 hours later drove it for an hour,. parked for 1.5 hours, then drove 15 min, got gas, then home. All 5 starts were completely tick free.
I'm super happy with it now.
My next step is ordering replacement wood interior items and floor mats, and contacting Eurocharged.
So, there you go. Enjoy it. Cruising at speed on the highway is pure bliss in these E550s. They are designed to go 120 mph on the Autobahn for hours with no drama. You chose well.
Thanks man. Hmmm,.. $1900 for tune, $300ish fo rthe programmer, $1,500 tcu tune, $2,300 pipes,... ... That's $6,100. I think I may just do Stage 1 then. It''s fast already.
The noises on startup got to where they were only on warm startups,.. then got less and less frequent,.. and after I changed the oil yesterday to Total 9000 Energy 5w40,.. it''s been silent since.
Today I drove for 15 min, then started it 10 min later, drove an hour. Then 6 hours later drove it for an hour,. parked for 1.5 hours, then drove 15 min, got gas, then home. All 5 starts were completely tick free.
I'm super happy with it now.
My next step is ordering replacement wood interior items and floor mats, and contacting Eurocharged.
Probably just had crummy oil in it...nice.
Stage one is only $1500 and you don't really need a handheld. It's actually cheaper and easier to just get an extra ECU and have it cloned if you want to be able to switch back and forth between tunes. Unless you just really need an extra OBD scanner, or are nowhere close to an EC Shop, there is no use in getting the MyGenius, just my personal $0.02. Start there and later, if it's not enough(it never is...) you can then build on what you already have. Good luck and have fun!
Probably just had crummy oil in it...nice.
Stage one is only $1500 and you don't really need a handheld. It's actually cheaper and easier to just get an extra ECU and have it cloned if you want to be able to switch back and forth between tunes. Unless you just really need an extra OBD scanner, or are nowhere close to an EC Shop, there is no use in getting the MyGenius, just my personal $0.02. Start there and later, if it's not enough(it never is...) you can then build on what you already have. Good luck and have fun!
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