RichieBoy

What’s going on guys. As you could see from the title Im a new E350 owner. I am just looking for some tips to keep the car in great shape. It currently has 69000 miles on it. Car is in great shape. I know the m272 engines you gotta watch out for the thermostat (which has been replaced already) and I know about the balance shaft issue (don’t know if I’m affected by that because it’s a 2011). Just wondering what I should worry about or tips to help improve the longevity of the car. I see that FCPEURO sells a Mercedes 722.9 filter upgrade kit for the trans https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mercedes-722-9-transmission-pan-upgrade-kit-pentosin-001989680310#fitment
don’t know if that’s something I should look into thanks for all the tips and info thank u

CaliBenzDriver

There not a single thing that needs attention - Until you run into troubleshooting faults, you should focus on A to Z scheduled maintenance:
ALL fluids, brakes, filters, plugs, mounts, sensors, belt, tensioners, VVT, PCV, batteries, radars, ...

These cars tend to be predictable with regular care.

RichieBoy

i assume for the vvt your talking about the magnetic cam adjusters ?

CaliBenzDriver

VVT is sort of an all-inclusive topic:
4x solenoid adjusters : leak oil in ECU harness
4x position sensors : leak oil in ECU harness
2x timing chain tensioners: internal pressure leak
2x missing check valves: internal bleed
(4x variable timing gears : worned out lock pin)

It grows from cheap to expensive:
Phase I: Maintenance parts ($$$) @60kMi
Phase II: Repair worn VVT gears ($$$$) @150kMi

Your mileage may vary with driving style 😊

RichieBoy

thanks for the info I really appreciate it any other things to watch out for

atraudes

There's only one chain tensioner on the M272 and it's not a bad idea to replace it (nor is it hard to do at all, an hour or two maybe). Definitely change the cam magnets, the cam sensors aren't a bad idea.

Which check valves are you referring to, CaliBenzDriver? You've piqued my curiosity. For the timing gears, Febi makes them and they're priced around 250 each. Still not cheap, but much easier to swallow.

Like others said, just the usual engine maintenance items are really required. Belts, pulleys, fluids, water pump (but not yet for you, I'm betting), that sort of thing. The PCV system probably isn't a bad idea as well.

The rear diff fluid is easy to change but the front (if you have 4matic) is trickier. It has a drain plug but no fill. If you remove the alternator you'll have access to the breather cap on top. Pull that off and you'll have a spot to pour in new fluid.

Look for fluid leaks. More than likely your oil cooler will need new gaskets soon if not already, and the o-ring between the power steering pump and its reservoir is another common leak point. The front diff will likely need to be resealed at some point which is not cheap or easy. Just like the rear crank seal, wait until it gets bad enough to warrant.

If/when the engine starts starts transmitting too much vibration to the car you'll need new engine mounts, which are also not easy. The transmission mount on the other hand is very easy to change.

Definitely change the transmission fluid, and use the kit you linked to. More than likely yours is using the red fluid, but do some double checking to make sure it's not using the blue fluid by chance. They're incompatible and IIRC 2011 was around when they started changing over.

Post back if there's anything you're not sure of!

RichieBoy

wow thanks for all the info will definitely look in to all of that by chance would you know for the 2011s do I need to worry about the balance shaft

CaliBenzDriver

yeah, watch out for potholes: bent rims + blown rubbers !

> Front lower control arms are good to swap when bushings befome sloppy. Driver side stabilizer bar bushing + links become noisy.

> A maintenance kit with serpentine drive belt, tensioner and both plastic idlers are good to stay ahead of to spare your water pump and alternator bearings.

> Simple cabin blower filter replacement prevents from burning the speed regulator thermal fuse. In turn cleaner air helps spare the dedicated fan/filter cooling the hot head units ($$$$). Well worth doing on (50kMi) schedule.


Once you know... the game is to try to cut down on overgrown surprises

atraudes

Oh yeah, forgot to mention! You definitely don't need to worry about the balance shaft. It was completely sorted out by 2011

RichieBoy

ok cool thank you definitely gonna try to keep the car in the best shape I can when do u think I should start to worry about the water pump it has 69000 miles so

atraudes

Probably not until you're past 100k miles, but pull the belt off and try wiggling the pulley. There should be very little play in it. Like the idler pulleys it should be nice and tight. A sure sign it's done for is coolant seeping out from behind the pulley.

RichieBoy

ok definitely will check once I get home and all the other seals u mentioned when should I look into that should I wait till I see things leaking or catch it before

atraudes

For the leaks, I wouldn't bother until you see start seeing seepage.

RichieBoy

sounds good if I have any other questions I’ll post on here or pm you seem like u know the m272 inside and out lol

Left Coast Geek

if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

CaliBenzDriver

I totally don't know the M272 engine specifics besides the balancer shaft and the ABC brakes.

In M276 MB improved the engine with 3 chains, oil pump and separate camshaft banks. They machined oil passages but carefully left out of the check valves that hold oil to prevent it from draining.

When engine is started there is no chain tension because these tensioners are plain non-ratcheting basic spring rod.

The tensioners soly rely on oil pressure to keep the internal spring from bouncing with camshafts back forces.

The tensioners shaft and bore are machined loose so the seal serves as bearing guide unti it is worned through and leaks pressure.

With lack of oil pressure, the lock pin in the VVT gears normally prevent the uncontrolled back and forth camshaft motion. The soft steel surfaces are not heat untreated so the pin wears itself loose going in/out frequently. That's when the startup rattle gets predictively loud and engine harder to start.

The rattle is one thing but when the camshafts are free to rock back and forth the valves timing varies +/- 10°. The whole engine will vibrate increasingly until the ECU is no longer able to manage VVT position with solenoids/sensors and pop codes.

RichieBoy

I hear you trust me don’t go looking for problems but I know you really gotta stay on top of German cars

Left Coast Geek

Note, Febi makes nothing. They are a reboxer of generic parts, and what you get in a Febi box can be almost anything. Yes, the "Bi" is Bilstein but it has no relationship to the shock absorber company. So , caveat emptor.

atraudes

That's fair. I trusted it enough to use them when I swapped out my passenger exhaust gear so I'll update if things get weird

Dane500

Welcome to a car that makes you feel different when you climb in.

I'm on number 2 ( I buy used...so I'm "that guy"l

That being said, of all the cool cars ive owned...these are just different. Purely a pleasure to drive every day.
This site has helped me immensely and there's a wealth of knowledge.

Drive her until the wheels fall off.. (don't worry, they won't. It's not a BMW)