Engine whine from front driver (left)
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W220 - S430, W220 - S430, W221, S550, X164 - GL450
Engine whine from front driver (left)
hello folks!
I have a 2008 GL450, with what i presume to be the m273 engine. I have not had any drivability issues, but I just noticed that there is an audible whine from the front of the engine, on the driver (left) side, right around the power steering reservoir.
I've taken the belts off, yet the noise persists, so its nothing on the belt line - it also seemingly gets quieter as the car warms up.
I'm wondering if its something todo with timing chain guides, tensioners. I've attached a video (only to hear what is happening, just audio in the video).
I have a 2008 GL450, with what i presume to be the m273 engine. I have not had any drivability issues, but I just noticed that there is an audible whine from the front of the engine, on the driver (left) side, right around the power steering reservoir.
I've taken the belts off, yet the noise persists, so its nothing on the belt line - it also seemingly gets quieter as the car warms up.
I'm wondering if its something todo with timing chain guides, tensioners. I've attached a video (only to hear what is happening, just audio in the video).
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W220 - S430, W220 - S430, W221, S550, X164 - GL450
yeah, unfortunately that is with the serpentine belt off - scary, I know.
As an update, it made this noise, then stopped making the noise - I drove it up the street to a local reputable mercedes shop, they couldn't really hear anything as the noise had stopped entirely, but they could hear something (as i did) from the inside of the timing cover on the drivers side, with a screw driver. They said "it could go anytime".
I drove it home, parked the car - and then decided todo one final round of testing. When I went out the car would not start and acted as though it had a dead battery. Went to grab the jumper pack and popped the hood, but had a moment where i thought "this isn't right, try to start it again". I tried again and the engine turned over, started making an incredibly loud metal on metal banging noise and I shut her off.
I have yet to take her apart, will probably do it tomorrow or thursday as its my off week and i only have a couple days left. Something has gone catastrophically wrong and its unfortunate as I've religiously keep up with maintenance, oil, transmission - just replaced the transfer case chain, replaced all pumps and pulleys on the engine myself like 10,000 miles ago, redid all the suspension.
Gonna have to take her apart to actually see whats wrong but im guessing just by age and engine code its timing/balance shaft related, and its probably more cost efficient to just buy another M273 engine than it is to fix this one. Will update further with pics once I have taken valve/timing covers off, drained oil and removed oil pan.
As an update, it made this noise, then stopped making the noise - I drove it up the street to a local reputable mercedes shop, they couldn't really hear anything as the noise had stopped entirely, but they could hear something (as i did) from the inside of the timing cover on the drivers side, with a screw driver. They said "it could go anytime".
I drove it home, parked the car - and then decided todo one final round of testing. When I went out the car would not start and acted as though it had a dead battery. Went to grab the jumper pack and popped the hood, but had a moment where i thought "this isn't right, try to start it again". I tried again and the engine turned over, started making an incredibly loud metal on metal banging noise and I shut her off.
I have yet to take her apart, will probably do it tomorrow or thursday as its my off week and i only have a couple days left. Something has gone catastrophically wrong and its unfortunate as I've religiously keep up with maintenance, oil, transmission - just replaced the transfer case chain, replaced all pumps and pulleys on the engine myself like 10,000 miles ago, redid all the suspension.
Gonna have to take her apart to actually see whats wrong but im guessing just by age and engine code its timing/balance shaft related, and its probably more cost efficient to just buy another M273 engine than it is to fix this one. Will update further with pics once I have taken valve/timing covers off, drained oil and removed oil pan.
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NGL450 w/EORP, S550
If it’s a 2008 your engine should not fall within the affected range of the soft idler gear, but have you confirmed?
from what you describe above it sounds like a seized cam bearing / bearings or a skipped timing tooth and the clang clang noise is piston to valve contact.
from what you describe above it sounds like a seized cam bearing / bearings or a skipped timing tooth and the clang clang noise is piston to valve contact.
Last edited by Max Blast; Oct 30, 2024 at 10:03 AM.
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W220 - S430, W220 - S430, W221, S550, X164 - GL450
upon checking, i am not within balance shaft failure time. The noise reminds me of an old Taurus I had years ago, one of the tensioners failed and ended up making the chain too tight and made a noise errily similar to the benz. With that being said, Taurus noise was in the center of the engine, and this was up on the driverside left, suspiciously close to the cam gear....
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Yeah, I’m thinking a combination of the seized camshaft or camshafts due to oil starvation and your engine jumping out of time when you started it after it had seized, now about to make piston McNuggets.
Let us know what you find.
Let us know what you find.
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you think oil starvation as a result of an oil pump failure perhaps? I know thats along the chain system.
It's really interesting to me, no noise whatsoever before this (this being the squealing in the video), no sign whatsoever - no chain rattle, nothing. Change oil with mobile 1 euro blend for the last 232,000 miles. Accessible timing chain tensioner bits were replaced probably about 60,000 miles ago (by me).
Had a day about two weeks ago where the ESP light came on, and the car would not move at all - that lasted until i restarted the car and then it gave me no problems.
Generally agree with your hypothesis - I've got an eye on an m273 engine with 157k for 1500. Starting the disassembly tonight on the old engine, seeing what i'm going to have todo to get this thing out of my car. Don't have my own lift, so itl be tricky, but I think I can manage.
Edit: I do thank my girl for getting me home from the mechanics shop and letting me park in the driveway, shutting off normally like I've always done, before just absolutely catastrophically dying.
It's really interesting to me, no noise whatsoever before this (this being the squealing in the video), no sign whatsoever - no chain rattle, nothing. Change oil with mobile 1 euro blend for the last 232,000 miles. Accessible timing chain tensioner bits were replaced probably about 60,000 miles ago (by me).
Had a day about two weeks ago where the ESP light came on, and the car would not move at all - that lasted until i restarted the car and then it gave me no problems.
Generally agree with your hypothesis - I've got an eye on an m273 engine with 157k for 1500. Starting the disassembly tonight on the old engine, seeing what i'm going to have todo to get this thing out of my car. Don't have my own lift, so itl be tricky, but I think I can manage.
Edit: I do thank my girl for getting me home from the mechanics shop and letting me park in the driveway, shutting off normally like I've always done, before just absolutely catastrophically dying.
Last edited by xrgallagher33xx; Oct 30, 2024 at 05:08 PM.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: In my garage
E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
If it’s a 2008 your engine should not fall within the affected range of the soft idler gear, but have you confirmed?
from what you describe above it sounds like a seized cam bearing / bearings or a skipped timing tooth and the clang clang noise is piston to valve contact.
from what you describe above it sounds like a seized cam bearing / bearings or a skipped timing tooth and the clang clang noise is piston to valve contact.
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W220 - S430, W220 - S430, W221, S550, X164 - GL450
This girls got 232,000 miles, if the balance shaft failed at 232,000 i'd say its doing its job (obviously id like it todo more, but you cant ask for much more. than 15 years of solid use)
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It's a shame because at close to 300k miles on mine before it was totaled did not require any oil between 10k mile oil changes. I lived with the CEL for a very long time and ultimately it died from water intrusion. If it hadn't leaked like a sieve, I would have driven it until the engine failed.
