2008 ML320 CDI - Oil Cooler Seals Replacement
 

Hey all,

Decided to replace my oil cooler seals on the OM642. I had a 'mystery leak' that was appearing on the driveway from the drivers side rear of the engine block. Eventually traced to the center of the valley of the V6 and the obvious culprit (after much probing with the boroscope) was that the oil cooler seals were failing.

Car has about 175K on the clock.

I also cleaned the intake manifolds, EGR plumbing, swirl motor flaps, and intake ports of the heads of the EGR+oil goo that was coating everything.

I took some photos and even have a time lapse video that I'm working on. The photos are already up so here's a link:

https://plus.google.com/photos/11000...23881113808401

If linking to third-party photo sites are not allowed, I can put a few up here if needed.

Hope these help someone and I'm happy to answer any questions if anyone is thinking of doing this job themselves. It took me about 9-10hrs with some help with the cleaning process. I also tore down the turbine housing to inspect the VNT/turbine (which took extra time) because I suspected some damage (which there was).

The swirl motor linkage was by far the most fragile part of the experience. I heard the horror stories so I was ultra careful disconnecting things. Spent about $50 in parts from Mercedes (gaskets) to the job.

Take care,

Your a brave man. Good job on tackling the repairs and thanks a million for taking the time to post pics.:y
I figure I have another year or two till I have to do the same. Not looking forward to it. Not out of fear, just getting lazier every day.:D

A good set of the proper bits/sockets and the job was pretty easy. A long ratchet with a tilt head made disconnecting the turbo exhaust bolts a lot easier.

The cleaning was the worst part. Clearly vacuumed up the most time. Very rewarding driving the car to the shop, doing the job, then driving it home at night.

I'm going to have to keep my eyes open for a turbine wheel. That one has passed some material (guessing either chunks of carbonized goo from the EGR+oil or something from the drivers exhaust manifold...which had the inner pipe weld crack). I re-welded it before re-installation :-)

Great post Brandon! This is very encouraging! I'm going to follow you and do the same in next a few weeks. Did you have to purchase any special tools for the job? (other than the hose collar plier..) Any tips would be appreciated!

hi everybody.I have a big broblem and im glad i find u guys.my story strats 2 days ago when i purchase my 09 320 bluetech.im from europe (please excuse my writing im still learning) and i always whant to buy one i love it,but i got f...t by the dealer and im kind of disapointed.i went i testdrive the car,everything good.the dealer asure me that its a clean carfax,a werry clean good car whit no issues,mint.after not even 24 hours i have leeaks on my driveway.of corse i purchased the car AS IS no warranty and dealer wont refund me.so i was kind of scared about the costs for fixing.i took the car to the dealer mercedes and they check the car for me and seams to be a frequent issue whit this engine around 100k (thats what they told me) so i have to replace a oil coolent or something like this that cost me $4200 (mercedes dealer estimate) .i atach a pix whit the leeak.any ideas,any sugestions,any help?thank u!

I have the same leak. It's a $2k fix at mb specialist shop. The leak won't do any damage if you keep eyes on oil level stick. It's sth you can just live with if you don't mind the oil stain on garage floor

How did the turbine bearings look @ 175k? You change the oil per schedule or more often?

I just got hit with this too!! Dealer wants 2200. I want tackle this but I'm afraid of the surprises and I don't have a service manual.

Brandon, can you chime on that time lapsed video.

Thank you,

Doug

Brandon, what a great write up, thanks, probably be looking this up in 7 years! A question I have is have these seals been updated from original design? I see the difference before and after but are the new thicker from new design or just crushed from use? If redesigned what was date?

Thanks for great write up!

have same problem>>>
 

same thing hit me, pay 260$ to diller just to do inspection and find problem. then MB ask for 2800-3000$ to fix it.
will be great if you can upload video, or some details, do u have any tricky moments with some parts?

Any attorney on this board? We really need put some pressure on MB for a recall

Mine also has mysterious leak on driver side, I usually see drop or two around cross member.
Does anybody know if '08 ML350 have oil cooler?

Only lasted a year
 

We had this problem on our 2009 ML 320 last year. It was covered under warranty at about 35,000 miles. Now it is a year later at 50,000 miles and the seal is leaking again. It is still under warranty, but is this going to be a once a year ordeal?

I have an '09 320 with 100k on it. After 2 attempts the dealer fixed the leak by replacing the cooler and the seals. No problem since. Done under the M-B extended waranty.

I just took in my 2008 320CDI for an oil change and asked them to look at the wheel bearings as there seemed to be a louder noise than usual while driving. They left me a message stating all of my bearings need replacing. Also, my engine oil cooler is leaking and my transmission cooler line is leaking. Sounds like I have a crappy vehicle. The quote is 1900$ for the engine oil cooler, 2000$ for 4 wheel bearings, 550$ for the transmission line leak and 200$ for a cracked drive belt. Gotta love german cars.

Has anyone had Mercedes help with the cost of this oil cooler leak out of warranty? Also very dissappointed all 4 of my bearings fail at the same time.

hello, has anyone done what Brandon did? and parts used/purchased and mercedes part numbers? thanks

2009 ML320 CDI - Oil Cooler Seals Replacement
 

Good day. I did half way, i take all needed parts, turbo, intake,,,,,, etc..... clean all and now looking to put it back together. I say Brendan pictures help me allot. I did it first time on this car. I did have previous experience with Diesel engines back in Russia. we have 4 q vans and 2 straight trucks. but in Canada it was first time. I say to take of turbo was the hardest thing ,,, rest of it went like butter. i hope it will be better on the way back... also have code# p203e intake manifold tuning valve stuck open bank 2, MB ask me for 320$ to do diagnostic and find a problem. i talk to guys in the parts department and they say most of the time they changing that electric motor-300$ located under the turbo. Also u need Torch sockets for star shaped, all bolts on MB. There is some pics: https://plus.google.com/photos/11420...86581912325089
https://plus.google.com/photos/11420...86581912325089


Will update when i am done.

there is 2 pg with almost all gaskets and air filters, it was extra 20$ for 2pc oil cooler gaskets, and 2pc for manifolds.
plus recommended fuel filter 68$. so in total 200-300$ on parts depend if u decide to change air and fuel filters.

there is 2pg with all parts#, but u can bring all gaskets to MB parts and they will find all of them. for you.

These leaks are a chronic, costly, and in many cases an ongoing problem on the 320 CDI'S. Up to 2012, consumer still rates the diesel engine ML's far below the gas ones in reliability. Poorly engineered to start with by M-B (the whole turbo seal design) I would stay away from the diesel engine from 06-2011 in the ML series unless you don't mind the bother and expense-or are a DIY. Of course the leaks may not show for 100000 plus miles then it is a more palatable problem.

Brandon thx allot for ur pics. all job done. Hope all good. so far running ok. thx again.

Wifes 2008 ML320 has been leaking since february. Yesterday went into limp mode with 7 codes pulled; 5 common and 2 mb specific.
Really hoping that some sensor connector got saturated with oil and just got some high resistance short.

At any rate, I have my seals and plan to attack this on saturday am.

Any final words of wisdom would be appreciated. Hearing the turbo can be a pain in the arse...not sure why just yet...

Wish me luck.
Mike

I started the oil cooler this weekend. Thanks Brandon for the Pics. I did not get any additional pics as everything I touched turned jet black in short order. I'll try to give a rundown of the weekend events.
1. Mercedes changed the seal material to viton; I ordered these about 3 months ago and they were orange. Friday, I stopped at the dealer and they are now under a new part number and are purple viton material.
2. Get a subscription to Alldata diy. Kinda difficult to get all the pieces to the big picture as you have to kinda jump around. Print the procedures and pictures along with the torque specs. Might even be good to pencil the torque values on your printed page that shows the bolt locations.
3. Get some swivel head ratchets. Brandon suggested these. These are virtually mandatory. I got a 3 piece set from H-freight along with a torx set. Will need the sockets and the bit type. These swivel ratchets will be my new goto ratchets unless I need a bunch of torque.
In a nutshell. here are the steps.
1. Remove the shroud and turbo shroud.
2. Remove both Air Filter enclosures.
3. Remove the left aft and center heat shield and insulation.
4. Remove the turbo and oil supply standoff
5. Remove the left fuel rail and the crossover fuel line that goes from right to left. Also had to undo the lines on 2 injectors to get the rail off.
6. Remove the EGR; Valve on the back left top of the manifold with a couple of coolant lines attache to it. Cheap set of hose clamp pliers worked well for theses as they are in a tight spot.
7. Remove the front side air box. Plastic housing at front of motor. First pull the air baffle box. Then pull the glow plug relay and bracket. disconnect the 2 screws that secure the assembly to the right forward engine bracket. You will also remove the dipstick bracket here as well.
8. Remove the turbo. These bolts (The ones that attach to exhaust manifolds) are tight as hell with not much room to work. Used the swilvel ratchets where I could, used 3/8 straight ratchet with a 3/4 deep well to give a better grip and a little added extension. Critical to make sure your torx is seated to the shoulder and keep the ratchet square when turning and you should be able to get them off without breaking.
9.Remove the turbo oil supply block.
10. Remove the charge air manifold. Undo 20 or so bolts (Look for the 2 left aft that are recessed; you'll see them. I just left the swirl motor attached and slid the assembly aft and then lifted the whole thing out. Then remove the swirl motor and unbut the 2 halves of the manifold.

Now the fun part. Parts Cleaner; tooth brush; baby bottle brushes; paper towels etc. soak the manifold down then power wash the hell out of it. remove the egr cooler assembly. It will be loaded with crud as well. Soak, Brush, power wash and flush.
Plastic front air assembly also will be loaded with crud as well; you know what to do. Soak scrub and powerwash.
When you see the intake holes on the cylinder head, you will wonder why you drive a mercedes diesel. Clean it anyway you can. I scraped what I could with a small jewelrs screwdriver and shop vac'd the crud out as I went.

I have the oil cooler resealed; the charge air manifold and front side back together but will need to get a new swirl motor this week as mine was blowing F104 and left a puddle of oil ont the table where it overnighted.

I plan to get it back together later this week after I get the rest of the parts.

masc243 - this is great! I'll tackle mine after I'm back from vacation! I'll definitely post detail photos on the turbo removal

- Ray

hello all, and thanks all for helpful info here. I will be Replacing oil cooler seals soon also. question is: should I subscribe to alldatadiy or startekinfo or neither one is really necessary?

Startek may have some more comprehensive info as there are some numbered procedures on alldata that are either difficult to find or simply not there. Makes it time consuming to some degree, but with enough research and studying, you can fill mentally fill in the blanks as to what you can't find.

I have not used startek, $20 bucks for a days use... if you use it, get all you need in one day and you should be okay.

And correction to the above; it is the right aft and center shield and insulation that needs to be removed as opposed to the left side.
MIke

hello ssalo, did you reuse all the bolts and screws? did you tighten the bolts to a certain torque? if so, where did you get that info?

Same condition at 60K
 

Hi. I'm new to the forum and just got a quote from the dealer for this service @ $2,200. The truck only has 60k on it and a good service history. No participation from MB corporate though the dealer did offer to participate slightly. Is this uncommon at 60K? I also just had to replace a rear air shock which was previously replaced by MB 20k ago.

This is my first MB is this what I am to expect from a build quality perspective?

OIL Cooler Seals Replacement
 

thanks for helpful information here. I will be Replacing oil cooler seals soon on my ML


zkzkd

From what I can tell, it is not a build quality issue and much as an unanticipated (but maybe should have been) poor selection of seal material.
(combined with a hard to get to repair) If the cooler was not located under the manifold, it would be a 1 to 2 hour repair.


Given the nature of the failure it seems it could be as much if not more time related than mile related.

Please let us know how it goes. Particularly on the turbo removal. I've bought purple seals but still haven't pulled the trigger

Take lots of pictures,
Up close and back to get perspective.

Brandon you did a great job which inculde turbo clean.I changed one on my ml320 cdi in 2011 it was hard to find any information.Removing turbo exahust bolt was the hardest part. have to grind of one the bolt.it will be vary hard to get the same quailty job from some one.Ordering parts was not easy either.I instaled provent valve to catch oil from breather.I wish mercedes installed beter oil trap (Hockey puck)

Here is a list of the parts that I did that job with.

This DOES NOT include the newer seals (purple ones) mentioned in this thread. Make sure you check for the latest part number.

1 SEAL RING. 0269974348 $5.00
1 SEALING RING. 0139970045 $4.50
1 O-RING. 0209974745 $2.20
1 O-RING. 0149976445 $5.00
1 INTAKE PIPE SOCKET. 6420980037 $9.25
1 GASKET. 6421421180 $7.00
1 GASKET. 6421420681 $2.70
2 GASKET. 6421410580 $6.25
1 GASKET. 6421420580 $2.70
2 GASKET. 6421880180 $4.50
1 METAL SEAL. 6421420781 $2.90

The ML hasn't leaked a drop of oil since I did this job. The swirl motor survived and I've put over 25K miles on the engine since then.

The VNT vanes continue to stick randomly (maybe once or twice a month) or when driving long, flat, low-engine-load type roads. I am keeping my eyes peeled for a good exhaust side to replace this one.

Here is a video of some of the work:
Unfortunately the go-pro died mid-job so that's all I have.

Not terrible for the first time I've ever worked on an OM642. Not as easy as my older diesels but it's do-able. The plastic pieces are annoying (brittle) and the dealer where this car lived in California had broken a bunch of wire loom pieces when they replaced the head gaskets long before I got it.

Not for the faint of of heart!

I have an '08 GL320 with 142k miles and has started dripping puddles of oil in the driveway. Local high end indy shop quoted me $2700. Doesn't sound like they do much in the way of cleaning or change the swirl motor. I think I'm going to tackle it myself. I appears that Brandon didn't remove the fuel rails in his job, but masc243 did. Is that the case Brandon? It looks like you just pulled the fuel filter forward and removed the fuel lines? Also any tips on the bolts to the turbocharger. Definitely don't want to break any bolts.

No need to remove fuel lines. Coolant will be drained.

$2700 sounds about right. Parts along are ~$800. I was planning to DIY as well (I've done brakes, fuel filter, door lock, door handle, mirror turn signal as well as front air struts on the GL..) but at the end I still decided to leave it for dealer. Glad I made that decision. The truck has stayed at shop for 2 weeks! They also found coolant leak and a broken DEF tank heater. For the oil cooler fix, they had to redo everything after a gasket leak being found during testing on the initial job.

What parts added up to $800?

I'll upload the papar work once I get home tonight

Part list is attached. Oil cooler + valve leak. with approx. 1/3 being the oil leak fix.
Labor was ~$1200

Looks like they replaced both intake manifolds($1200) rather than cleaning them and also replaced EGR valve($500).

EGR valve was leaking as a seperate error code.

Absolutely Sold/Convinced
 

MB V-6 Turbo-Diesels are to be avoided AT ALL COSTS (Pardon, the Bad Pun)

Sorry for Y'all's Tribulations !

BUT,This is an INsane unnecessary repair that should be picked up By the Factory !!! FOREVER MORE [As in as Long as you own the Chassis!!!]

Cheap ,Cheap,Cheap...Bean counting,Non-Engineer,carbon based life forms!!!

Thanks for posting the detailed instructions. I am in the process of tearing my 2007 E-320 apart to get at the oil cooler. A couple of questions.
1. Did you disconnect the coolant line at the thermostat?
2. If so, did you drain the coolant first?
3. Did you do anything special to bleed the air from the fuel lines that were disconnected?
4. Any problems getting the parts? Did you get them at your local dealer or order them online?
5. There is a black plastic tube/line that runs from the left front, across the engine to the right side then back to the back of the engine. Any idea what this is and does anything come out if it is disconnected.


I hate not having a Chilton's guide to follow, but I do appreciate folks like yourselves who share what they have learned.


It seems like I have oil leaking in through the EGR as well as a possible oil leak from the front seal at the harmonic balancer. I'll replace all. I love this car when it is running, but it has been the worst car I have ever owned, and at 54, I have owned a lot of cars. This one only has 90,000 miles on it and I have put more money into it (parts only as I do my own labor) than all the other cars I have owned combined - not including collision repair and customizing...


Thanks, Rob

More questions.
1. How do you disconnect the Swirl motor?
2. any tricks to getting the wire loom and fuel line on the right front side out of the way. It looks like I will have to disconnect 3 or 4 of the rubber hoses that connect to the steel fuel lines.


The intake is loose and ready to pull out except for the swirl motor. With the wire loom and fuel lines in the way, I can't take both intake halves out at the same time. So far the only casualties were two of the six bolts that hold the turbo to the exhaust manifolds. I have taken a bunch of pictures and will take more as I reassemble everything. There are quite a few hidden bolts that took a while to find that I'll point out for the next brave soul.


I did drain the coolant as it was apparent the radiator hose would have to be disconnected. The drain for the coolant is located on the right side just above a bracket for the under body trim. Get a 6 inch piece of hose to direct the coolant into your bucket, otherwise it sprays on the bracket and sprays everywhere. I am guessing a 3/16 or 1/4 ID hose would work. By the time I realized I would need it, I wasn't going to stop to look for one. I got about 6 quarts of coolant. Not much fuel when I drained the lines.

How to determine Oil Cooler is leaking
 

Here is a video of how to look for the seep hole on the driver side of the engine where the oil exits from the engine.

Thanks. I already know my oil cooler is leaking, I have everything apart except I don't know how to disconnect the swirl motor so I can take the intake manifold halves out independent of each other. Anyone? Anyone? Someone has to know the trick.
Thanks,
Rob

At this point you should have the fuel line that goes from the right side to the left side (looking at the motor from the front) disconnected as well as the fuel filter and the plastic housing covered wire bundle out of the way.


I'll assume the turbo is removed, EGR Valve and the intercooler silver pipe at the front of the engine.


Remove all of the bolts on the intake manifold; There are lots of them and of varying lengths. (Might want to label which size goes where, I didn't and had to take some extra time reinstalling figuring which was right).


Once you are confident all of the intake bolts are removed, you will then work the intake out by some slight prying action to brake it free from the cylinder heads Slide it aft and raise it straight up in one piece. The swirl motor will remain attached to the intake manifold when you remove it. Once the intake is removed, pay particular attention to how the levers are attached to the intake flaps; take pictures prior to removing anything. It will basically be hanging on the manifold by the levers and the plastic ball clips. Might want to order some new ball clips as they are basically two halves that press together but don't really snap fit when put together. They are secured when the swirl levers are installed to the swirl motor. Better to have a few on hand in case some of them break off.


Once the swirl motor is disconnected from the intake assembly, you can take the intake halves apart for cleaning. Large o-ring between the halves, might want to get one of those as well. It will be filled with crud from the pcv system as will the cylinder head intake ports. Prepare to get dirty.


I cleaned the intake with solvent and a pressure washer and was quite satisfied with the outcome.


The intakes on the heads were a real pain. I basically sprayed each intake with solvent and scraped what I could with a tiny screwdriver. My biggest concern was leaving chunks in the intake ports that might be sucked through the valve and into the cylinder. To mitigate this, I used my shop vac to continuously vacuum the port while cleaning and scraping. Some valves will be open and if you do this you will get some solvent down that particular cylinder. (Once all was back together, I cautiously bumped the engine a couple of times prior to starting to ensure the engine was free of fluid; this along with lots of suction on each port while cleaning. A little white smoke once started, but all was good. Also did an oil change right after the job.)


BMW Mercedes mechanic friend of mine suggested pentosin oil based on some info regarding pvc induced engine crud. I plan to change over to it this coming oil change. Once you get this apart and see all of the crud, you'll understand.


All of this info is from my recollection of the process back in nov/dec timeframe. I hope you find it of value.


Best to you,
Mike

Thanks Mike. I have a diesel Golf and a Diesel F-250 also, so I am familiar with the intake crud accumulation. Actually on the F-250 it is non-existant because they don't pump the crankcase vapors into the intake the same way. I have gotten the wire loom and fuel lines out of the way, but I have run into a problem. There is a coolant valve on the back driver's side that will not come off and the hoses are impossible to remove. It has 2 bolts which have been removed but it seems to have been glued down. I even wedged a utility knife part way between the two parts but I could not get it to pop off. Latter I will attempt heating the part to see if that will soften the sealant. The hoses look like they have a quick release clip at the firewall, but it didn't want to come off either and I was reluctant to force it since it looks like it will be equally difficult to get it back together when I reassemble everything. I really love the way the car performs, but I hate the engineering. There could not have been much consideration to repairing the vehicle, which it seems to need often. Even bolt and nut sizes are oddball. The nuts for the fuel lines must be 18mm. Since I don't have an 18mm wrench, I used the closest SAE that would fit. I ran into the same issue doing the brakes when I had to locate a 16 mm socket... I am taking lots of pictures and will post them when I am done in hopes that I can create a more complete idiots guide to oil cooler seal repair. LOL

The coolant lines go to the egr system in an attempt to cool the egr gasses. It is a very tight tolerance cylindrical insert. You'll need to see if you can rotate it back and forth to free it up then lift it straight up and out. Best to remove it with as many lines still attached as you can as they are a pain to get back in. They should go to a valve at the firewall, might could get them off there. A set of hose clamp pliers works best and are available at advance auto for 10 or 15 bucks. They will have a swivel type head that can be used to get a clamp into position at weird angles.


Got me wondering if it really needs to be removed from the manifold;
I removed mine, but simply can't recall if it's absolutely necessary as long as the coolant lines and connector are removed,
Once broke free and rotated a few degrees back and forth, it should slide out though.


Hope this helps.


Here is a pic of what it looks like:


Attachment 376180

I was able to get the intakes out this morning. My EGR was jammed in there and I was unable to get it separated till after I got the intakes out. I was able to disconnect the coolant lines at the firewall. There is a little clip that will come off and let you slide the coolant lines away from the firewall. There is a trick to getting the clip off. I took some pictures and I'll see if I can load them for others. I did end up dumping coolant into the oil..... I had taken the turbo pedestal off to get it out of the way. Once I lifted the intakes up, coolant came out of the egr coolant hoses. Well, I was going to change the oil anyway. I had the same problem when I pulled the oil cooler off. I hadn't realized it had coolant in it. So I ended up with coolant and oil in a big puddle in the engine valley. What a mess. I sure hope I don't have to do this again. Although, next time will be easier...

Please post some pics of your intake manifold ports so folks can see what the PCV and EGR system are cooking in there. Also post some pics of the inlets on the cylinder head.

Mike

For those of you who did this themselves - did you see any leftover/residual leaks still coming out of the seep hole after the repair? If yes, how long before it disappears ? I had mine done by the dealership but it still seems to weep out of that hole on the driver side of the engine. Dealer claims its residual - I tried to clean it but it still seeps oil.

Is it possible for the rear engine oil seal to fail and leak into that same weep hole ?

The valley where the oil cooler mounts should be clean when the cooler is reinstalled. There are a couple of areas aft of the cooler where the turbo standoff mounts that would be difficult to clean. I used a screwdriver and rags to soak up what I could and was fairly confident that no residual oil would be visible. After the repair, I left off the plastic engine belly panel for about a week or so, so that I could visually inspect the area for leaks.


I had no residual oil. Repaneled and no spots in the garage at all since the repair was made.


I'm not sure about the rear seal showing leak showing in the same area.


You could pop off your engine cover and take a peak at your fuel filter connections and make sure that you don't have any fuel leaks. Fuel seeps in the filter area would also take the same route and ultimately accumulate in the valley and make its way to the drain hole. By the time it travels through residual engine crud, it could appear as if it were engine oil.




Mike

I brought back my ML to the dealer because it was still leaking through the seep hole. They found out it was the Y-pipe. They ordered a new pipe and seal. Since the oil cooler was soaked in oil...it took some time for it to drain and dry up. There is no more leaking in the seep hole. But there is still very little oil coming from the bottom of the bell housing. Im guessing its coming from inside the bell housing. Its slowly improving though.

When you say Y Pipe, I assume you are referring to the turbo inlet and associated seal. If they changed the pipe and seal, you should be good. Hopefully you caught it early enough so that oil hasn't accumulated on top of the swirl motor. Oil seeping on top of the swirl motor will eventually make its way to pin holes at the top of the connector and find its way to the electronics of the board inside and trash it.

I got the same leaking problem. I followed some instruction on these treads. Everything run smoothly until I hurt one of the bolds on manifold.

I'm really stuck now. Any inputs appreciated!

Franky

There are many bolts in the Intake manfold. Did you strip one or brake one off. Gonna have to be more specific; maybe a pic or 2

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...4bf7819358.jpg

Here is the picture.

Still don't get it. What is wrong? Can't really see what the pic is trying to show. 2 Missing bolts??

The bolt head is kinda stripped from what I can see, not insurmountable to take off. There are tools to do that.

2012 GL
 

I have the same issue on my 2012 GL @ 49k miles(luckily still under warranty or bad luck that this hapenned so soon). Anyway the dealer is replacing the seals with the new purple viton seals.

My question is should my GL which is already a 2012 have not had these seals from the factory. I mean is it usual to have the older variety of seals even after there is a TSB and known issue with these?

Question 2 - can anyone provide follow up. Is this likely to happen again???

Lucky it happened during the warranty period - hopefully you won't see this again, but if you keep the car a long time it could as eventually all seals will give out. My car is in for a lower turbo seal and an oil cooler leak (probably another seal). I am very glad my car is under warranty. I am at 25k miles.

I continued fixing my car again this week. Finally, I got those bolts removed and I'm pretty much done with replacing the oil cooler seals and other seals. I put everything back in order plus changed new fuel and air filter and done all the cleaning.
Now, the problem is not the leaking oil anymore, but the car won't start. What would be the problem now? I heard some noise like running water in the beginning, i believed it's the coolant. Other noise was from around the turbo.

no start after oil cooler seal repl
 

Have no start issue after cooler seals repl.
Air in fuel system? - had to disconect fuel rails to remove wiring for access...
Also find a spare (?) wiring connector... shown on the attached photo.
Anyone?

OK - found the crosspipe nut was loose...starts fine now.
Any opinions on the "spare" electrical plug?.

Awesome! Another successful ending. As far as the electrical plug goes, need a better picture of it. Might it be a water in fuel sensor connector? I just don't recall any extra connectors when I did mine. If it goes to a needed sensor, ml would likely not start; that was my biggest concern when I initially read your post.

Well... no cigar yet.
Tried driving yesterday - the motor dies when accelerating.
In neutral, it stumbles between 1500 and 2000RPM. Reaches but does not maintain higher RPM.
Double checked all conections, no OBD codes showing. CEL not on...
The actuator motor cycles a few times after switching ignition off - wonder if it's possible to incorrectly hook up the linkage?

Will post a close up pic of the plug in question.

The plug in question...

Did you check the water sensor in the fuel filter?

Yes, it's connected.

Think my son has found the problem...
A sensor (located just above the alternator) in the throttle box, keeps popping out - found one of the locking lugs on it broken.

After Oil Cooler Leak Fix...Low Accell, Cold Start Problem & Thermostat Warning Light
 

Just finished the Oil Cooler Leak job on my 2009 ML320 @ 99.5K.

Started fine. Took it for a test run and at first had no acceleration. Did a restart and everything was fine. Great acceleration and no issues. Topped up the coolant and oil.

The next day....about 4 hours later...finished the repairs at 4AM, we took a trip and it had no acceleration..."Limp Mode", stuck flaps, swirl motor busted, whatever was wrong. Made a necessary 400 mile round trip with no passing kickdown or acceleration. Good fuel consumption. Temp good, etc. Symptoms did not improve over the next few days. Figured it may be the stuck intake flaps from a busted swirl motor. Read codes and nothing showed after clearing codes from rebuild.

Started to come back a few days later after using the paddles to shift for 2 days. Better accel when paddle shifting. So, I think the swirl motor may be OK. Still no good acceleration at higher speeds. No kickdown and "boost".

Then 4 days ago, the thermostat/ temp warning light came on. Acceleration still not back to normal, but much better. Temp reading on dash is normal 90C+-. Coolant level OK. All other functions seem good. Fuel Consumption better than before. No coolant leaks.
Temps were 6F in the AM Thursday, 30s days and 20s night. Would not start until 5-7 tries last 4 days now. Outside first day. In garage in upper 30s to 40s and still had 5 tries to get it started today. Fine after that, even after sitting for hours. But still the accel and kickdown issues.

Tried to do code read, but Advance Auto reader was down. Today, had to take a 150 mile trip. Temp sensor on. Rainy, 38 F whole trip. Pulled into destination and had some steam coming from front of radiator at front right. No leaks. No smell of coolant. Temp sensor said 90C.

Any ideas short of running it into the dealer to do a full readout and diagnosis. Frustrating after I thought I had completed the oil cooler leak job and it ran excellent first run up the street.:confused::confused::confused:

Plug on the differential pressure sensor may not be fully in...Facing vehicle, its on the RHS near the firewall.

Oil Cooler seals replaced now I have a coolant leak
 

2008 ML320 CDI Any thoughts as to what I may have missed after replacing the oil cooler gaskets? I drove it for a week with no leaks. Now I have a constant drip of coolant with the engine on. The drip is coming out from the same place as was the oil cooler leak but when I look into that area of the engine from the front and below the turbo I don't see puddling around the cooler but it is wet with coolant. I could have missed something. I really don't remember any other coolant related items in that area other than the air intake manifolds, and oil cooler. Thoughts? Thank you.:crazy:

Did you check to see if the leak is not coming from the little pipe with seals that is connecting the intake manifolds ( the little 1 inch connector with O rings). Another sourse, much easier to fix could be the gasket under the EGR or the sensor located on the driver side on top of the intake manifold.
Oofff. Coolant can leak from many areas after oil cooler seals replacement.

In my case, I did the repair a little while ago and I still have an oil leak.
The oil drips at the bottom of the bell housingdrainignfrom the left side .
The little drain hole on left is dry. I took a seringe a poured some water in the V valley and to my surprise water came down the bell housing and not the drain hole on the left. I am suspecting the gasket under the turbo piedestal or ... main seal.
I am drained of ideas or energy to mess with this.
By the way, do you have the torque specs for the 4 bolts conencting the turbo piedestal to engine block? I used 20Nm but I don't think is right.

I hope that by now you found your problem and had it fixed, easily.

All the best.

How much water exactly did you pour and where did you pour it (in front of the turbo?). I asked coz there is a 1 inch "wall" that separates the oil cooler and the turbo section.

Catalind - You guessed it right. I just finished this evening. I don't know how I did it but one of the o-rings was pinched out of the groove on that little crossover piece. I must have jostled it when I put it in the first time. After replacing the oil cooler seals, I had to take the whole thing apart again to replace that o-ring. I searched for the source of the leak for hours. It was on the bottom fuel filter side of the crossover and dripped on the floor the same place as the oil cooler leak.


Shame on me - I didn't have the torque specs so I used my little 6" rachet and popeye forearms. Spot torque is what we called it in the Navy. I saw spots after tightening each of them.


I have 160k on this 2008 ML 320 CDI. I'm just hoping to get another 40k out of it.


Thank you for the reply. I was really stumped.

My independent is telling me they need a tool to reinstall the turbo, which only the dealer has. Has anyone heard of this?? I have the same oil cooler leak issue.

They are telling me they can't get the turbo alignment tool needed to reinstall the turbo...

Anyone?

There is no special tool require to reinstall the turbo. Normal hand tools that anyone that specializes in MB will have; Torx, ratchets that adjust in the middle of the handle, torque wrenches, etc.

That's bs! I did tons reasearches and watched video/photos and services manuals back then.there is no special tools needed

Before changing the oil cooler seal there is another oil leaker that needs to be checked. Look at the orange gasket that connects to the turbo inlet. It is the one that goes to the y plastic piece on top of the intake; comes from air filter boxes. The PCV system breathes into this duct and oil will collect into the turbo inlet. If the seal is trashed, oil will leak around it, down to the swirl motor and to the v6 valley. From there it will makes its way to the floor giving an indication of a bad oil cooler seal.

Everyone told me I needed a oil cooler seal.
They told me even more after I had a loose oil cap.
New oil cap, cleaned up engine and a few months for the last pit of oil to work through, and now no more need for an oil cooler seal.


HMmmmmm?????
Wonder how many unneeded oil cooler seal replacements have been done?

Oil additives
 

Has anyone tried using an oil additive to stop leaks?

Advisable? not advisable?

If the seal is truly leaking a oil additive is what you use to sell the car to an unsuspecting buyer.


If the seal is just weeping slightly, the sealant might work, but also is hard on filters and small passages.

Swirl motor replacement now oil cooler leak?
 

A month ago we had to have the swirl motor in out 2009 GL320 (90K miles) replaced at dealer. Since then, we have had intermittent burnt plastic smells from engine bay. I have it in for service diagnosis on that smell and symptoms of other issues, service advisor says oil cooler is leaking and needs to be replaced ($2,700).

My question after reading all these helpful DIYs is could their tech, in replacing the swirl motor, have disturbed or otherwise caused hoses into/from oil cooler to start leaking?

The other hits in this visit to dealer: transfer case needs to be replaced ($6,600), front air suspension leaking, needs bags replaced ($3,200), right front wheel bearing ($990), and rear brakes (no sure of cost b/c I didn't ask — I can do rotors and pads in an easy afternoon.)

Hoping our aftermarket extended warranty will cover transfer case, wheel bearing, air springs and oil cooler, but not holding my breath. We've been left holding the bill on aforementioned swirl motor and before that, AdBlue tank replacement because they were not covered.

:smash:

TIA

What warranty do you have?

I can't remember. The folio is in the car at the dealer. Our SA has all the info from our numerous attempts in vain to date to collect on repairs.

The policy was $4,500 when we bought the GL in 2012. If it doesn't come through this time, it was a tough lesson learned.

+1 member in "om642 oil cooler leak club"

Every morning under the car there was oil leak, with size of a coin, after months "two coins"... and last... looses 1liter oil per day.
Common issue with oil cooler leak on om642. Cheap parts, but hard work.

:report:My advice is to use service/garage with "know-how" about Mercedes engines/issues. Better more money, than bad engine assembly!

I attached photo of the engine, after removing all parts, clear V-shape. You know how it looks like without cover.. you can't see V-shape.

It's cost of me $300($100 parts, $200 work) and 3 days without car.
Now i'm on test period, i hope no more oil leaks i next few years.

You did it yourself? If not, where did you get it done for $300?

I'm in Bulgaria, South East Europe. I went in local service garage which repairs MB cars.
Unfortunately, in Bulgaria, official Mercedes dealers are deceivers, impostors, cheaters

Diagnosing oil seal leak - picture
 

After removing all the underside panels and felt soundproofing from my oil-soaked '08 320 I finally sourced the leak. Looks like I too have joined the leaking oil cooler seal club :eek:. For those trying to diagnose, look for the weep hole just above the transmission lines at the rear left side of the block. Oil from this comes from the "V" and likely puts you into this club as well. Here's a picture of the weep hole.

I ordered an OM642 oil cooler seal kit from IDparts that claims to have all the parts needed for the task, including the improved purple viton seals.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...da5ddc298f.jpg

I have this same issue on my 2012 GL, second time around, first time was within 6 weeks from new, the car was sent back to the dealer for repair. I now have 115,000 kilometers on the engines, dealer maintained, last service was late and I have the 7 years Mercedes extended warranty. The dealer has not returned two voicemails asking if my warranty covers this work, I called Mercedes Customer care in Vancouver and the person I spoke to had no clue what I was talking about, again no one returned a call, I will try again to find out of Mercedes will repair the oil cooler seals, I was quoted $5027.52 for parts and $2559.20 for labour (worst case scenario)

Does that quote include a bucket of Vaseline?

I'm currently starting to button up my '08 320 after replacing the seals, and the whole job is going to cost me about $C200.00 INCLUDING the service manual I found on eBay, a set of star drive sockets, a pair of click-lock pliers, and a #45 Torx socket (to remove turbo pedestal). I bought a seal kit from IDparts, and spent another few bucks at my local MB dealer for EGR and Y-tube gaskets, a new intake seal, and a replacement clip to attach the servo to the RH bank of mixer valves (it WILL break when you try to remove it).

Sadly, I found the new purple Viton seals were already installed, but the monkey who did the job (B4 I bought the car) didn't torque the thing down properly, allowing it to leak. He also crushed and tore the intake seal when putting the intake plenum back on, and broke the rear RH tab on the air box. :eek:

Bottom line, unless the job is outside my skill set or comfort zone, I never let "technicians" touch my stuff. This latest example just confirms that feeling. Do it yourself, and then you'll know it's been done properly.

The whole job takes a few days, and a lot of paper towels and vinyl gloves, but it is doable. I read these outlandish quotes and stories about how you need "special" tools etc to install the turbo (unless they're referring to $2.99 #45 torx socket needed to R&R the turbo pedestal) and I just shake my head. Get a service manual, set aside some screen time, and take lots of pictures. OTOH, if MB welches on the extended warranty, bring your car over to me on the Island and I'll do it for half that! :naughty:

If there's interest, I'll post pics when done but they're already easy to find on some excellent earlier posts.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...8151633630.jpg

The culprit, deep in the belly of the beast.

Well, the car is fixed, Mercedes stood by their product and repaired the seals under warranty. The dealer I have used for most of the services was recently taken over by a larger company and they were no longer interested in the work so I called the dealer where I bought the vehicle and they were only too happy to help.

Just finished the Oil Cooler seal replacement on my 07 om642, with the exception of the 2 t45 bolts the attach the turbo to the pedestal. I believe they are a pretty high torque, however I don't have the exact value.

Can anyone help with this??

Torque Spec of the T45 Torx bolt for the oil feed pedestal to turbocharger Stage 1 30 nm and Stage 2 50 nmm

Hi all,
looks like I might be joining the engine cooler repair club soon. Wife notice oil in garage, so I took a look. I cleaned all oil from underside of tranny/motor and checked after a short trip. Bottom oily again but no oil by the famous drain hole. Had MB dealer look at it as well. They say oil cooler and want 2500 + tax for it.

Is the drain hole the only place for the oil to escape the belly of the beast or can it run overtop and down on each side of bellhousing?

Greetings from Kelowna in Canada

If the oil is not coming through the weep hole, and the hole isn't plugged up, I would think the leak may be from elsewhere. There's a dam in the V at the back of the block designed to divert the oil through the weep hole. Run a long pipe cleaner or whatever through the hole from below to ensure it's clear. If the oil still comes around the bell housing and not through the weep hole, I'd start looking elsewhere. Start with the turbo pedestal, valve covers, and the seal where the PCV valve mounts into the back of the RH valve cover.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...1a7b1a02d9.jpg
No way oil can leak from cooler without exiting here (unless plugged)

THANKS HARBRO
I'll try to find out if hole is plugged up once I get back home in 13 days. Doing construction on a 14/7 rotation.

Hi,
So i finally had the time to check if the drain hole by the oil cooler is plugged or not. Seems to be fine. Must be an oil cooler leak.

Wanted to do the oil cooler and oil change together and checked on the last dealer oil change.

NOTICED THAT DEALER SWITCHED TO 0W30 on my last oil change and oil leak happened shortly after that!!

Possible that I could switch back to 5W40 and not have the oil leak any more.
What are your thoughts on that.

Regards
Heiko

So the oil is or is not coming from the weep hole?

Yes. Oil is coming out of the drain hole. But wife was saying that it seems it's less than 2 weeks ago. Maybe 1-2 drops after each trip.

I'll keep an eye on it and fix it once it gets worse or in Summer as a preventative when I have more time. Working 14/7 doesn't allow for lots of time in the garage.

One or two drops a drive, it gets a piece of cardboard under the car.

Oil viscosity has little to do with a leak from the oil cooler seal. Once at operating temp, there would be little difference between the two. One thing to check is the orange seal between the air intake "batwing" to the turbo inlet. This was mentioned earlier in this thread and I wish I had paid attention to it. It is easy to tear when reinstalling after a air filter change, and if torn will allow oil to leak slowly down into the V to the point where it will accumulate and exit via the weep hole - making all appearances like there is a seal leak.

Remove the cover and look at the top of the butterfly valve actuator. It is above the oil cooler, and if covered in oil, you might have a cheap fix on your hands.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...64f9541ff4.jpg

Since changing the oil cooler seals is a massive job, has anyone attempted a more simple work around for the oil spill?

I was thinking of plugging in a plastic tube into the engine sweep hole and then to collect the oil spill in a container to be emptied every 3 months or so...Anyone tried this??

I'm thinking I'm doing this job soon. Pelican has a gasket kit:

Notes: Contains: (1) 642-142-18-80 EGR Gasket (1) 642-142-06-81 Exhaust Flange Gasket (1) 219-492-00-80 Exhaust Gasket (1) 642-142-31-80 Turbo Gasket (1) 642-142-32-80 Turbo Gasket (1) 014-997-49-45 Exhaust Seal Ring (2) 642-188-04-80 Oil Cooler Seals (1) 014-997-64-45 Exhaust Seal Ring (1) 013-997-00-45 Intake Manifold Seal (6) 000-078-05-80 Injector Seals (2) 642-141-05-80 Intake Manifold Gaskets (1) 642-141-00-80 Gasket,

Is all this necessary? It's $115.

Oil cooler parts list
 

Yes, those are necessary. I probably purchased more than I should but I'm also replacing the oil filter, fuel filter, air filters. I purchased some different seals, gaskets, bolts and other items that people recommend on posts that I came across. So far my husband and I have removed the turbo, or should I say he removed the turbo! And it was a pain! Next is the intake manifold. Once we get that out I can post a list of items that we replaced.

I also saved instructions from WIS (PDF's), $160 for a one week subscription was the best money I ever spent! If anyone would like a copy I would be more than happy to email them to you, just PM me.

Any advice on removing the carbon build up? EGR valve, intake nanifold.... what else will have carbon build up that you can remove yourself? And I apologize, this is the first time I have ever worked on any vehicle besides an oil change and replacing break pads. When the dealer quoted me $3,100 to replace the oil cooler, oil cooler seals and turbo inlet seal I laughed after I found out how much parts were. Honestly, the dealer will never touch my vehicle again. If I can understand directions from WIS, anyone can! This job is extremely time consuming and meticulous, but it's totally do-able.

Same Problem
 

Hi Andy I have the same cable and look everywhere and has not been able to find the plug, look by the alternator and couldn't find it either, can you please post a picture with the location, thank you for your help in advance

Anyone known if you can replace the swirl motor without taking the intake manifold apart? Would turbo and fuel filter removal give you enough access?

I have read DIYs in the sprinter forum where swirl motor is reattached after intake manifold is reassembled..

After you remove the turbo, fuel filter and fuel cross feed line, you should be able to access it by loosening the bolts holding the wire harness and swinging it aside. When disconnecting the valve actuators, be careful not to lose the small spring which pre-loads the valves. Be gentle with them as they are plastic and may be brittle. These are NOT replaceable. Break them and MB's solution will be to sell you an new intake manifold! You will have to replace the (2?) clips (#09398) that connect the acutator arm to the intake port shut off linkages. Be sure to replace (not re-use) any of the crush gaskets on your turbo, and exhaust manifolds.

Thanks! That is what I thought. ID parts have the best prices and decent selection of parts for diesel motors. What are the the (2?) clips (#09398) that connect the acutator arm to the intake port shut off linkages? This?

I am also replacing turbo bolts and also other bolts for down pipe and egr elbow..

The clips above connects to the manifold ball socket with the swirl motor arms right?

ID parts has an excellent kit for the OM642 oil seal repair. The kit is here, but the clips need to be ordered separately. They only cost a few bucks and can be found at the bottom of the page. I used this kit and everything was OEM quality and worked perfectly!

https://www.idparts.com/oil-cooler-s...42-p-5146.html

Thanks. Got these turbo exhaust bolts as well. It should not be too bad.

My flex head bent handle ratchet is going to be very handy for this..

I was looking for an excuse to buy one of those. ;)

Here is a pretty good look at it. Starts at 10:30...

AllDataDIY? I used that service for a month. Their manuals are wrong for my 2009 ML550. I said I wanted a refund and they refused, saying all they do is publish mfg data. I told them I could care less about their issues with their suppliers and disputed the charge with AMEX. End of story, got the charge reversed.

When mine started leaking, it leaked out 4 quarts between the time a neighbor pointed out the leak, and the time I got home - about 5 miles. A bucket and hose would have worked, if (1) I could have figured out how to attach a big-enough hose to the little tiny weep hole, which comes straight out of the block, and (2) I was able to stop every 4 miles and dump the accumulation back into the motor. If yours is a very slow leak, a few drops per day, use cardboard on the garage floor, but be ready for it to turn into a gusher. I wouldn't take that risk - a gusher can ruin your engine in a very few (10?) miles.

Was yours just the seal, or a failed cooler?

N Jay -

Don't know, yet. I'm still in the process of taking it apart. The gaskets from ID Parts cost about $120 with shipping (I already ordered them), and the oil cooler is only another $157, so I'll find out as I go along. The difference in price is very small, when considering the 10+ hours I expect to spend on the total repair.

Interested in what you find. Hard to believe that a failed seal could leak that much.

Replace the swirl motor and the 4 clips also. Otherwise you will have to go back in it again for that. My oil cooler was replaced under warranty last year and suspect the passenger side clip of the swirl motor arm now have broken off. Possibly weakened during reassembly by the dealership tech. Tech also caused a leak in one of my injectors laying on top of the motor while taking it apart. Fuel was leaking pretty good and only noticed it when raining. It could have easily turned into a case of black death.

I got a good look at it this last weekend to go back in. Use a deep female torx to get at the turbo bolts is what I gathered due to space limitations. You will need it to remove the turbo air to IC metal pipe long bolt which holds the plastic engine cover as well. I ended up using a 10mm closed wrench but a deep socket torx is the right tool.

VIM Tools VDE418 11-Piece Deep Torx Socket Set
Some details on turbo removal tricks and tips would be greatly appreciated on the GL and ML specifics.

Have to go back in myself and fix it at some point now out of warranty. Did emissions a few months back so I have 18 months to get back in there and sort it out.

FWIW I used these and had no problems with stripped bolts etc. Just make sure the tool is squarely seated before applying torque.
BTW, I think 10 hours is being pretty optimistic. Plan on nearly double that after cleaning the manifold, EGR, intake, etc.

IRT turbo R&R, if your gasket between the pedestal and turbo has two holes, you can clip it onto either the pedestal or the base of the turbo prior to installing. Clipping it onto the turbo will make it a LOT easier. I put the gasket onto the pedestal and it caused a lot of grief when it kept being knocked off. One other thing - be careful not to damage the fuel rail pressure sender on the back of the RH fuel rail. They cost a fortune, but FYI the sensor from a 3500 Sprinter is exactly the same - just different numbers - so MB can gouge of course... :naughty:

^I went around it with sockets and extensions this past weekend. The passenger side top turbo exhaust bolt using with your sockets pictured and small extension was a problem with my flex head bent handle ratchet. The ratchet head would hit against the elbow and not give me a firm seat on the bolt. A longer extension would hit the firewall.

I did not remove the center piece cowl though. Maybe removing the center piece is required. And I need to come up with a new combo length that fits in between which is why I am thinking a deep well torx socket..

Oil Cooler Gaskets Replacement
 

Hi there,
joined the oil cooler repair club yesterday.
After 9 hours I got it all apart and will be spending tomorrow cleaning all parts.

Any suggestions on what to use to get all the gunk removed??

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...ff5effc42f.jpg

Before....
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...4397b6d35c.jpg

After....

Remove the gunk from what? The oil cooler? You can buy something called "parts cleaner" from your local auto store. It's available in spray or liquid form. I usually keep a gallon around for soaking parts with stubborn "gunk" or other residues overnight, then using something like an old toothbrush to finish the job. If it's the gunk in the picture, use the spray, a non-metallic brush with hard bristles and plenty of rags. :)

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...3e0c33dfd4.jpg
Just wondering if I can clean most of the stuff out with a little scraper. What about small pieces that will fall inside. Not a big deal or big no no?

I would put rags in the openings to prevent anything from falling in, clean carefully with solvent and a plastic scraper and/or hard bristle brush, then use a vacuum to suck up any fragments of gunk you missed. But it's not my engine, it's yours...

No matter how carefully I cleaned or not, I would vacuum out the intakes.

Oil Cooler assembly.

I know the torque value is 12NM.
But is there a torque pattern for the oil cooler?
I have the repair manual for the oil cooler job, but there is no mention of a torque pattern!
Anybody knows????

I don't think a torque pattern is necessary, but whenever there isn't one, always start at the middle and work outward in a crisscross pattern.

Being that everything is apart, it would be a good idea to flush the system out using the cleaner at the bottom of the PDF.

It's alive
 

Just finished the oil cooler replacement and test drove for an hour. Engine sounds better as it did before and responds a bit faster.
Parked over a piece of cardboard over night just in case!

Looking back at the 7 days (around 6 hours a day) going through the repair. It's not that bad and I could do it next time probably in half the time, maybe less. There will be no standing back, looking at the motor and scratching my head (occasionally swearing in German or Russian) 😁😁😁https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...240d0eb7d4.jpg


​​​

Hi I have the same issue. I completed the oil cooler gasket replacement with all gaskets. Now Water is leaking from underneath. Please let me know how you fixed the issue. That will really help.

Thanks.

Water or coolant?

Its coolant (Green). During the oil cooler seal replacement, there are only 4 locations where there is coolant interaction.
1. Oil cooler itself. Oil / Coolant. I have new purple viton seals and perfect torque settings per specs - I doubt there is leak from here. Also if it leaks coolant, than oil also has to leak. I do not see oil in the coolant
2. Turbocharger - Pedestal from engine block. I replaced new seals and tightened at 20 NM per specs - poor visibility, can't see the leak
3. Turbocharger sitting on the pedestal - New seals and tightened to 20 NM per specs - poor visibility, can't see the leak
4. Water line - Tiny Coolant pipe on the right side of turbo with 2 O-Rings. This is ok, no leaks

My question is did I screw up with alignment of the turbocharge on the pedestal or upward (2 & 3). Should I loosen the bolts on the pedestal, shakeup the Turbo and re-tighten or do I have to remove & replace to new seals again ? Called the dealer and he talks about pressure test. I do not have such facilities in my home garage.

Also how to I go underneath the car and search for leak ?

Thanks for any help.

If you were able to do the cooler replacement I would bet you can gin-up a pressure test set up.

Get an bore scope camera off ebay and see what you can find.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-5-7-8mm-A...S/162589761880

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...99b954a2cb.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...2a735b38fc.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...c2b266c101.jpg
Green coolant is a big no no. A page from your owner's manual shows that any coolant from sheets 325.0 & 326.0 will do.

Drain all green coolant, fill with water and drain until all traces of green is gone. Then fill with proper coolant with 50-50 mixture.

From what I have found, Zerex G-05 (Honey/Gold) is the factory fill on US made MBs and is equivalent to the MB blue coolant.
I have also heard that Zerex makes G-05 in a few colors for different OEMs.

Yes that's correct, but I do not believe that is the same for diesel and Bluetec engines.

My GL320 has always had MB service and has "Gold" colored coolant.

That might very well be, but do you know for a fact that it is Zerex G05? It might be any one of the coolants listed above that it is gold colored.

Not for sure, but have seen several references that G05 is what they use, however nothing conclusive.
I have topped up with G05 and see no signs of incompatibly.

P0471/P0234 error after oil/water cooler replacement 2012 ML350 Bluetec
 

Hi All, Finally completed Oil/water cooler replacement. Earlier issues of coolant leaking etc. was false. Pressure test performed at 15Psi using a loaner coolant pressure test kit from Autozone and no leaks. The coolant was puddled up somewhere in the chassis and on the first start, it was literally raining and I thought that it was leaking all over. All that is dry. Cleared all errors using MB Star diagnosis tool. Started the car and ran for couple of hours. No issues at idle condition. On raising the accelerator, there seems to be exhaust fumes coming from underneath engine bay and following error codes:
P0471: Exhaust Pressure Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance
P0234: Turbocharger/supercharger overboost condition
The upper limit value of component B60 (Exhaust Back Pressure sensor) has been exceeded
There is an internal fault in component B60 (Exhaust Back Pressure sensor)
I am sure during and after repair work there were not blocks or obstructions to the exhaust circuit.
Two items I am not sure of that is contributing:
1) I replaced the clamp on the pipe fitting downstream from Turbo to catalytic converter but DID NOT replace the crush washer at that junction. That could be leaking. There could also be leak on the same outlet on turbocharger. I tightened to 20Nm. What should be the torque on the TC fitting ?
2) I replaced the sensor on EGR that I broke. (Driver side, next to EGR)
Please let me know if this leak could be a reason for error codes.
Also does the turbo get really hot when you step on the gas pedal for some time ? I read somewhere that turbo can reach upto 1050 Deg Cent.
Also I am not able to reset the "Low Coolant level Message" on the dash. How do I perform ? could there be air trapped in the circuit as I drained out all the coolant ? and how do I remove if I had to do that ?
Please help. Thanks.

probably doesn't help you much but my VGT control was getting stuck after I put mine back together you could check that make sure its not carboned up and getting stuck. I stopped fighting all the emissions crap on mine and just got a tune to eliminate some of the codes. If you see temps up to 1050 C then you most likely just fried something. Typically you don't want to run over 1200-1300F anything more than 1500 most vehicles will go into limp mode.

N Jay - It was the seal. I cleaned the oil cooler inside and out, and tried a pressure test. No leaks.
Subsequently, in the ALLDATAdiy literature, which appears to be a direct downloads from MB literature, it says clearly, "The oil cooler is not the cause and must not be replaced."
I'm an engineer, in the jet engine field. The oil cooler is made of a dozen or so aluminum plates, with channels in them, brazed together under pressure and heat. If it's going to leak, it will be because of an incomplete braze coverage, and it will happen AS SOON AS IT'S EXPOSED TO OIL UNDER PRESSURE. Part of the manufacturing process would be to test the assembly, under much higher temperatures and pressures than it would ever see in service. That type of brazed assembly is very stable (will not suddenly leak) under the pressures and temperatures it's exposed to, in operation, and certainly not, after years of operation.
Worked on this project, part time, since October. Runs fine, no leaks.
However, after a day or so it went into "limp" mode, generating a trouble code P2015, which means "P2015 Intake Manifold Runner Position Sensor/Switch Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1." I think that means that the position of the Swirl Flaps is problematic. It's probably an electrical connector that is not fully connected, but which one? Does anyone know, which connector reads out the Swirl Flap position?

I approached MB regarding leaking oil cooler leaks, they were not interested in helping out. I was on my own.

What year and model?

I'm in the process of buttoning everything back up after replacing my seals. Anyone tackling this job in the future may want to inspect their swirl flap intake runners. Mine had severe wear at the swirl motor arm attachment point which significantly reduced the travel of the flaps. There's a video at this

link

that illustrates this type of wear. Luckily, I had anticipated this and had a set of aluminum replacement runners on hand. Shouldn't have to worry about these wearing out. I bought them along with new clips on the auction website for $120 shipped from Canada, but have since seen listings located in the US for about half that price advertised for Jeep OM642 engines. They appear to be the same part.

I've only had two stumbles so far. First, I broke a bolt off on the turbo housing. Had it extracted at a machine shop for $25. The only other problem I've run into was trying to solve out how to remove the circular clips that are on the injector return lines. These are the little discs that spin around. Took me an hour to figure out, but you have to pull up on the spinning disc while holding the center down to release. Attached is a photo (courtesy of another poster) that provides a better view of the clip in order to illustrate how these work.

I ordered a set of glow plug pliers, but they didn't arrive in time, so I ended up using needle nose pliers and broke two of the connectors. I was happy to find that these can be easily replaced. My local dealership had them in stock for about $3 each.

Make sure you clean your EGR cooler thoroughly. Mine was almost completely clogged. I also removed the EGR valve and gave it a good cleaning as these are prone to sticking with enough carbon build-up. If I had known about the intake runner wear and how much gunk had accumulated in the engine, I would have pulled all this apart, even if the oil seals didn't need to be replaced. Really glad they forced me to get in there and see what a mess I had. I'm going to replace the PCV soon and look into possibly installing an oil catch can.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...7099a9ccce.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...d3a1f186dc.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...5e92589842.jpg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...d04e2d38e5.jpg

So I ended up with a bad coolant leak once I put everything back together. Endoscope showed it to be the small coolant pipe on the EGR Cooler. I should have suspected this when the bolts didn't want to line up properly during reassembly of the EGR Cooler to the intake manifold. :smash: So I spent a day taking everything apart again and find that the small O-ring on this pipe was torn. Add one more day and another kit of gaskets and it was back together again. I've taken it on several test drives and no codes or any drips! Engine seems to run smoother and my gas mileage has definitely improved. My swirl flaps weren't opening properly due to the worn intake runners, so I'm guessing that contributed to poor fuel economy prior to the repair. This job initially took about 25 hours for me and was about half that the second time around (which didn't involve broken bolts or any cleaning). I've attached a photo of the swirl flap motor from underneath. This may help someone with reassembly of the linkages.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...bd3a4139ac.jpg
Swirl motor from below. This is the view from the rear of the engine. You can see the linkage with the adjustment screw and spring on the left.

THANKS, Nilknarf!

Great job.

Two questions.
1) Where do you live?
2) How much Pizza and Beer to do mine when needed?

N Jay, are you responding to me (brucerman) or Nilknarf? I live in West Palm Beach, FL. I'm on a no-carb diet, so neither Beer nor Pizza will work, but I do like red wine......

I am open to any help, when I finally decide it needs to be done.

I have been told the seals are leaking three times.

First time was when I got the car. (don't know where the oil came from)
Second time was the service after I spilled a bunch while adding a quart.
The third was the service after the oil cap worked loose on a long drive.

I wonder how many dealers have torn into the engine just because of oil spilled from the top?

Heck, at 167K miles maybe the secret is keeping the seals well oiled from the outside? ;)

N Jay, if you're handy, you can figure out for yourself when the oil seals need replacement. I see from other threads of yours on this site that you've replaced the oil seals already. Clean the area of the "weep" hole, driver's side, just forward of the bell-housing, and just above the oil pan. Keep that area clean, and look at it if you ever get oil spots on the driveway.

Mine went from 'no leaks' to dropping 5 quarts of oil in 3 miles. Good thing I wasn't further from home!

You're the same person who offered Beer and Pizza? Sadly, I'm too far away to take advantage of it.

Brucerman, in south Florida

I's sure I could get through it. I just find thigs go so much easier the second time you do something, so it always helps to have someone else who already went through it their first time.
Nope, have not done the GL. I had to do the E350 (different design) not because the seal went bad, but because I was changing a came magnet that required pulling the filter to get to a bolt.

No new spots on the driveway since the shop cleaned the sound panel after the bad oil cap.

Seems once they get oil into the sound deadening, they can drip for a long time.

I first discovered my problem about three months ago while under the car changing transmission fluid. My mileage at the time was around 128k. The bell housing and undercarriage panels were drenched with oil. I traced it up to the weep hole at the back of the engine. I concurrently began to notice oil spots in the driveway the size of a quarter. After a couple of months, these became about three to five inches in diameter and I knew I'd better act quickly.

Now, like many (or most) W164 owners, I need to replace my steering rack. Since I don't have a lift, I'll be seeking professional help on that.

It sounds like you already replaced the oil/water intercooler seals, or will, soon.
My rack failed at only 85K miles. Bummer! How long has the world been making rack-and-pinion steering assemblies? I replaced it myself, without a lift. It was a BEAR! The assembly looks like a long cylinder going full-width across the car, about 4 inches in diameter, and another, shorter, cylinder at right angles to the first one, at the driver's end, that goes to the steering column. The factory started with a bare chassis, slid the smaller end of the steering rack into a hole in the passenger side inner fender well, then slid the other, driver's end, into a corresponding hole in the other fender well. The 'big' end, with the little cylinder at right angles, NEVER HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT LITTLE HOLE IN THE DRIVER"S INNER FENDER LINER. Then they installed the front differential case, then the engine, etc. When you try to take the rack out, there isn't room to angle the 'big' end upward, slide it toward the passenger's side, and take it out the top (the reverse of the factory assembly procedure) because the differential and engine are in the way. So you have to slide it out horizontally, either to left or right.
I finally managed it, but it was NOT EASY.
I recommend, getting a Drimmel tool, or a cut-off wheel, and enlarge the hole in the driver's side inner fender liner, so the 'big' end of the rack can fit through.
The Mercedes designers did not think this through, carefully enough. I think in the Mercedes dealership, they probably use a lift and a sky-hook to take the engine and differential, out through the top. The designers should have made that hole a little larger; but, if the customer is paying for it, who cares if the 2-hour job takes 15 hours? Also, there are 5 big bolts (thumb-size) down there, holding the rack and the differential in place. 4 of them are one size (22mm hex), the other is 21mm hex. Stupid! NOBODY has a 21mm wrench; standard sizes are 13mm, 15mm, 17mm, 19mm, 22mm, 24mm, etc.
The transfer case behind the transmission, that splits the power front-to-rear, also failed. Started jumping a tooth under brisk acceleration. Put in a used one, and disassembled the old one. THE CHAIN HAD STRETCHED! People have been designing chain drives since before the Wright Brothers started building bicycles! Motor output torque is known, gear radius is known, so tensile load on the chain is known; P/A is a simple calculation. Very frustrating, for an engineer, to look at another engineer's work, and realize that his supervisor wasn't doing his job, either.
The oil seals, the steering rack, and the transfer case SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED, at relatively low mileage. Mercedes engineering is not what it used to be, but the word isn't out, yet, and they're still selling lots of cars. This is MY LAST MERCEDES! (Please pardon my rant......)

I read somewhere that they stuck steering racks that were designed for sedans into these much heavier SUV's and that they just haven't been able to hold up to the stresses. That's an interesting method that you describe. I've read where most of the time the front differential has to be dropped. There's one mechanic that is a member of either MBWorld or Benzworld that has figured out how to swap out the control head of the rack (the area that is typically leaking) without having to remove the rack from the car.

I don't think mine was leaking. More like grinding, indicating wear between the rack and the pinion. That would agree with your friend's observation, that the assembly was undersized, for the loads placed on it.
As I said, sloppy engineering.

I agree with the engineering analysis, however you did not include weight reduction, and cost optimization, nor the compromises of "Platform" development.
Our GLs, especially the Diesels, are the heaviest model on this platform, so they have the least margin in a lot of design areas.

N_Jay, sounds like you're connected to the MB world. I found many good comments from you, when I recently perused this thread.

On further thought, I believe that two of my three problems were due to Nilknarf's suggestion that assemblies were carried over onto other platforms. The rack-and-pinion failed from grinding, a sign of overload, from being put into a heavier chassis than it was originally designed for. SOMEONE should have checked the loads, of the old design in the newer application.

My rear transfer case failed when the chain stretched and started jumping teeth. Probably the chain drive was designed for a lighter chassis with a gasoline engine. Putting it behind a diesel engine, with more torque, would clearly overload the chain, causing it to stretch. (It's the output torque from the transmission that matters, not the weight that's being driven.) So when the decision was made to put that gearcase behind a diesel engine, SOMEONE should have checked the design input torque, against the supplied torque in the new application.

So it appears that in my ONE car, there have been TWO failures due to oversight, when components from one chassis were carried over into another, heavier, chassis, with an engine that developes more torque. I theorize that the ML and GL series will have lots of rack-and-pinion failures, and lots of gearcase failures behind the diesel engines, as mileage accumulates.

So: IS THERE A CLASS ACTION SUIT HERE, with an obvious, easily-proven oversight on the part of MB, affecting lots of customers? There was talk of that, when I was following the rack-and-pinion discussion, on MBWorld forum. Would MBW forum tackle that, or do they just provide a forum? I'm an engineer, not a lawyer. The forum could be used to accumulate names/addresses of people with rack-and-pinion failures, and gearcase failures.

Responses? PM me, if you want.

Probably few on the ML, and the Jeep GC, Maybe a couple on the Durango, but the GL outweighs them all.
Modern engineering leaves a lot less margin than good old hand calculations.
Torque on a driveline has to do with both torque generation, AND load.
There are not failing right and left, just enough for the enthusiasts owning them in the second 1/2 of their life to notice.
As for the rack and pinion, wide tires and weight cause the load, so I would expect to see the issue on Diesels and AMGs
I'm at 167K miles and the rack, transmission and transfer case "Seem" fine. (for now).

Only when reusing the heat hardened Turbo to Turbo pedestal T45 Bolts. IF you are using new ones, because the previous monkey stripped out the T45 head, its a different torque. Cant find it yet, but I know the new bolts I just bought from the stealership both would NOT take the 50NM (36.9 foot pounds) second stage!

So I'm this situation for the removal of the turbo right now. I just bought a 2009 ML 320 Bluetec with 168k km a week ago. I'm pre-emptively changing the oil cooler seals as there's some kind of oil leak, but I haven't identified the exact source. I figured that I might as well do a full engine cleaning.

Now, I've got one stripped T45 bolt holding the turbo to pedestal. Is it possible to remove the turbo with the pedestal still attached? I think I've seen it done on E-class, but wondering if it's accessible in the w164.

Thanks!

did you find where this goes to?

I have changed the glowplugs in my 2008 ML 320cdi and noticed glowplugs 6 and 5 were very oily when they were removed and quite a bit of oil around where they go in, even a small pool of oil sitting there

The orange seal round the turbo on the Y pipe intake seemed ok but did have some oil round it ( would that need replacing, it has been done before )

Any ideas as to why lots of oil sitting round where glowplug 5 and 6 are??

BTW all the glowplugs on opposite side 1,2,3 where all clean and dry

Injector seal leaking? If so, then you are very lucky to catch it at beginning of black death.

5 & 6 overfuel for regens but if interrupted or shutdown before complete maybe surplus vaporizes into goo that builds up on cylinders, valves, & glowplugs?

Be careful with those torques, I am finishing this job and broke one T45 bolt when trying to torque to 50NM. It is an M8 and 50NM is too much for this bolt.

I have found some material stating that for Stage 1= 20NM and Stage 2= 60gredrees.

Turbocharger Number Designation Engine 642
BA09.40-P-1007-01K Screw/bolt, exhaust collector pipe support brace to cylinder crankcase Nm 20
BA09.40-P-1009-01K Screw/bolt, turbocharger to charge air manifold Nm 9
BA09.40-P-1010-01K Fit bolt, turbocharger to oil supply connection fitting Stage 1 Nm 20, Stage 2 ° 60
ENGINES 642 in MODEL 164
BA09.40-P-1011-01K Screw/bolt, turbocharger to exhaust collector pipe Stage 1 Nm 20,Stage 2 ° 90
BA09.40-P-1012-01K Exhaust line to turbocharger Nm 20
BA09.40-P-1013-01K Screw/bolt, coolant line to turbocharger/ Nm 9.

Torque settings
 

Just about to dive into this myself - would anyone happen to have the full torque settings for doing all this please ? ML320 W164 (2006)

Apologies if I've missed a post listing them !


Thanks

Lee

It took me 30hours to do it.

Please visit this post, it has a lot of useful pdfs...

https://mbworld.org/forums/m-class-w...ler-seals.html

Good luck!

Thanks for that - much appreciated

Yeah it looks quite a task. I'm expecting it to take me 2 full working days or more. I don't want to hang it out too long or I'll forget how all the bolts go back ! (I'm actually putting them back in their holes as I go so in theory it shouldn't be too bad and save time on reassembly)

Done part of it today until daylight ran out. 7am start tomorrow to hopefully get a good full day.

I'll need all the luck I can get so cheers !

All the best

And do not forget to mark the positions of the fuel nuts so you can torque them to the same position or you will need a special tool to torque.
I manage to do it removing only the passenger side fuel rail...

PDF instructions
 

Hi there!

I'm about to help out a friend with this job. Any indication would be greatly appreciated. The PDF file, if you could please send it to me, would be fantastic as well.
Niw, I'm at the research level. I'm trying to get as much info as possible. Trying to figure out what o-rings and gaskets are necessary...
Anyhow, thank you for your post, it's really great for all of us to be able to communicate and help eachother.
Maybe it is too late, but I heard about oven cleaner being really good for carbon build up...
Thank you.
Happy 2020!

Feri, you must open your own separate thread by explaining your friend's problem and tell us the year and model and whether it is gas or diesel.

Sorry brother, I have to apologize. It is for the first time for me...
I will open a separate thread. Hopefully I'll do it right :-)
Thank you.

pdf oil cooler seal 0m642 instructions
 

hi any chance of a copy of the om 642 oil cooler replacement instructions and the torque settings.tvm

Hi, try this post.
https://mbworld.org/forums/m-class-w...ler-seals.html