Brand new GLE350d diesel, oil leak and whistling noise?
 

Have about 2000km on my GLE350d. Notice the following:

1. Oil leak spots on my garage floor this morning. Just two small ones, but there none the less. Is this the famous OM642 oil leak issue? Anyone know if this is normal.

2. When accelerating fairly hard on the highway, I notice a loud distinctive whistling noise directly correlated to how open the throttle is. Does anyone else notice this?

You got to be kidding! I traded in my six yr old ML320B because of the notorious turbo oil seals leak. Now I will be constantly looking for oil spots on the ground.
I was hoping this was addressed by MB. Maybe not!!

We had an oil leak on our 2012 ML350 this past Dec/Jan at about 110,000 km. The leak started small and progressed on the right front side. After the leak was repaired, the turbo needed replaced. I think it may be worth inquiring if the whistle and the leak are connected. It is possible that the whistle may be your turbo and it may be a possible source for the leak.

It is definitely a concern for any issue and especially so soon. Fortunately our dealer (Barrie MB) was/is fantastic throughout the issue. Good luck.

The "famous OM642 oil leak issue" was with a particular seal and was addressed and resolved in 2010.

While all turbos whistle somewhat, under normal circumstances you shouldn't be able to hear it in the cabin with the windows closed, so it is likely that you have some kind of a problem with the turbocharger - but it is not systemic and widespread, so don't panic and alarm everyone. Take the car to the dealership and they'll fix it. It's very unfortunate that yours developed a problem after 2K km, but it is not a widespread issue.

I'm not panicking. Just gauging if anyone else has/had a similar issue.

It's at the dealership today.

Good luck and let us know what they find. Sounds like an issue with the turbo and should be 100% covered under warranty. The OM642s are now quite reliable and IMHO the best engine choice for the W166.

Same model and zero leaks and zero whistles!! Only issue I have is a minor brake noise the last 10-15 feet before stopping.

And you Canadian guys with 350d's should register on Fuelly.com to track your mileage since I am the only 350d on there right now. I need some competition!!

That's probably because MB Canada is not selling any at the moment. There are over 600 GLE diesels (that I know of) sitting in a MB lot in Toronto, and will likely stay there until the whole dieselgate SNAFU gets sorted out. MB can still sell used W166 ML Bluetecs, but not the rebadged GLE 350d which is the same car except for a couple of minoir cosmetic changes. Try to figure out the logic in that one. Thanks VW...

:rant:

I see at least 5-6 GLE 350d's a day on my drive through Burlington and Oakville and my dealer is selling a ton of them. I went from a ML550 and very happy with the change. Miss raw horsepower occasionally but the fuel economy and range are excellent plus the 9 speed and diesel driving dynamics are perfect for my commute as well as weekends up north (can make it to the cottage and back twice on one tank) :)

Where are you getting your information from? There was never a stop sell on MB diesels in Canada as far as I know. GLE350d's are all over the lots in Toronto... I just bought mine brand new about a month ago.

I was at MB downtown Toronto and 4 were on the lot for sale, with one in the showroom.

AFAIK MB Corporate has stopped selling them until further notice. It would be interesting to call a dealer and see if you can pick one up from the lot. They have them listed and in the showrooms... just not actually selling any at this time.

Someone that works at MB Canada HO. Yes, they have them in the showrooms and you could purchase one. You just can't take it home.

I don't think this is right. I just called my salesperson and he said you can buy and have delivered. Mine was purchased from in transit stock and came directly off a train, to the dealer, to my home. Weird.

Just called the service manager at my dealer and he says this is not true. They have delivered several GLE 350d's this week alone.

In that case I stand corrected and apologize - and will check with my source this afternoon. I was told last week that they weren't moving any, but it's quite possible that it was either a mistake or that it was temporary and voluntary (by MB). Will find out.

Dealer just called me back with an update - the only hold on diesels is the GL 350. No hold or issues with the GLE 350d.

Update - service manager called today to say the car was ready. Was told it was the oil cooler (no further info) and oil pan gaskets. Was told it was easier to fix because the GLE has "all the updated parts". Did not have to pull the engine, etc.

Service notes attached.

I hope everything will be ok now. From the report it does appear... "Quality control issue"!!

Ah - that makes sense. The person that I talked to likely inferred that all of the OM642 diesels, not just the GLS were on hold, but I guess they were only partially correct and I relayed the wrong information and that the pile of new SUVs sitting in the lot are GLSs, not GLEs. Again, thanks for the correction. I suspect the reason is that the EPA is now taking a closer look into emission testing standards for various passenger diesel vehicles (it's very convenient how the coal rollers - er, US- made pickup trucks are exempt), and seeing as the 3L turbo diesel OM642 is not offered in the US in the GLE model but only in the GLS, MB has chosen to voluntaritly stop the sale in Canada as well. IMHO it is a twist of logic that they are continuing to sell the identicaly-powered GLE, but with the ML Bluetec amounting to 75% of tolal ML sales here, I can see why (most GL buyers opted for the 4.7L turbo 550, it being a heavier and presuably higher-end vehicle).

tuffcalc - based on the service report, they found two separate leaks - one in the gasket where the oil was coming from, and another between the turbo and intercooler (not oil cooler) which is likely where the whistling noise originated. Glad it's all sorted out and that it was a quick fix.

My GLE350d spent the last 5 months in the shop (yes you read that right - 5 months). They even had the "flying doctor" from Germany come to take a look. They swapped the exhaust, turbos, intake manifolds etc.

The noise is still there but different. They said they could replicate this issue on a few cars, not on others. In the end they provided a letter that says "it's within normal standards".

It's hard for me to trust the vehicle knowing that after the large oil leak the whistle was cut in half. To me it's only
logical that they are somehow connected and unless the whistle is gone there must still be an issues/leak somewhere (especially since nobody else reports this noise - nor could I replicate it in two other GLE350ds).

Mercedes corproate has been very difficult to deal with - the dealership has been great.

... in the US this car would have been lemoned months ago.