Took the ML430 in to the dealership for an oil change and they said my valve cover gaskets were leaking.
They wanted $1000 to fix them.
My question is, how long can I let this go without fixing them? I have 175K miles on her now and would like to keep going.
Is this an emergency or could I continue on without a problem?
Just curious.
I will probably take her in to the independent guy up the road for a second opinion and hopefully a better price.
Thanks

 

Mercedes told me I needed valve cover gaskets on my 01 ML430 with 190,000 miles.It was leaking oil down on to the ac compressor.After checking the leak for myself I discovered the leak was coming from the base of the oil filter housing.There is a O-Ring under the filter housing it can be purchased in a kit from Mercedes.You will need a 46mm thin wall socket to remove the large nut in the bottom of the filter housing to access the O-Ring.The socket can be purchased from Cumminsperformanceparts.com part#C1410M46 .There is also a small rectangle aluminum cover on the front of left head this is also a common source of leak.1000 is very excessive for valve cover gaskets. Good Luck.

 

Thanks for the info. I agree it seems very expensive.

 

Have you looked to see if the valve covers are in fact leaking?

 

I'm not that handy under the hood.
I don't even change my own oil.
I can do the easier things like change light bulbs and air filters. Not sure how I would even go about it.
I figure so far I only have to add about a quart of oil in-between changes so it can't be that bad.
I could always bring her in to the independent repair shop for a second opinion.

 

That is not excessive oil use for a vehicle with that many miles.Unless your leaving a puddle on the ground I wouldn't worry. Take it to a private repair shop.It should not be any where near $1000 for valve cover gaskets.

 

My oil leak appears to be from where this" thing" bolts to the filter housing.Any secrets to removing it to replace the gasket or whatever they use. 2000 ML430

 

Be sure and buy the genuine kit from Mercedes. I have been told this is one item not to buy aftermarket.It includes the Oring gasket between the filter housing and timing cover. .You will wont to replace all seals at once.To get to the seals for the engine oil cooler is pretty straight forward maybe an hour. .



Mercedes told me I needed valve cover gaskets on my 01 ML430 with 190,000 miles.It was leaking oil down on to the ac compressor. After checking the leak for myself I discovered the leak was coming from the base of the oil filter housing.There is a O-Ring under the filter housing it can be purchased in a kit from Mercedes.You will need a 46mm thin wall socket to remove the large nut in the bottom of the filter housing to access the O-Ring.The socket can be purchased from Cumminsperformanceparts.com part#C1410M46 .












for valve cover gaskets. Good Luck.

 

[QUOTE=CLLARK1;5758430]Be sure and buy the genuine kit from Mercedes. I have been told this is one item not to buy aftermarket.It includes the Oring gasket between the filter housing and timing cover. .You will wont to replace all seals at once.To get to the seals for the power steering cooler is pretty straight forward maybe an hour. .

Ok I couldn't work out what that thing was. So it's the power steering oil cooler. Many thanks

 

I am sorry it is the engine oil cooler not the power steering cooler I dont know what I was thinking.It has about six bolts attaching it to the oil filter housing.You should not have to disconnect the coolant hoses.There is a air pump that is in the way it is easy to move out of the way.I think it just has one bolt that holds a strap and disconnect the wiring harness.I dont think I had to disconnect the hoses.With the pump out of the way you should have easy access.

 

That makes more sense I thought maybe the Aussie
ones differed, thanks again.

 

My mechanic also told me that I needed new valve cover gaskets cause mine were leaking. I bought them and replaced them myself when I did the plugs etc. When I removed the valve covers, a few of the screws were loose and the gaskets looked almost new. They probably just needed to be tightened to stop leaking but I changed em anyways. I would check to make sure your valve cover screws are tight when you're working in there.

 

Heard the same thing from my local MB dealer when I took it in to change serpentine belt and oil/filters. There is a small oil leak on the RH side of the engine. Not sure I'm convinced this is due to a leaking valve cover gasket. Estimate was $288+. I stay on top of maintenance on my 2004 ML 350, but just not sure about this one. No smoking exhaust, burning oil smell. It has 126k on it.