SL/R231: Front Left Engine Cover Leak---->>>Again
06-23-2022, 11:56 AM
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SL 400
Front Left Engine Cover Leak---->>>Again
Hello all,
Taking a road trip soon, so I had the SL checked by MB for any issues prior to taking that trip. MB found that once again my front left engine cover was leaking slightly. They have since completed that repair and of course that repair was free of charge. (they fixed the same leak a few months ago) I am glad that the leak wasn't a large one and was found and corrected, but it seems strange that this cover seal issue keeps resurfacing and has now been resealed by two different MB dealers...
Everything was fixed and buttoned back up, etc. and I had the car back in 2 days. I also was able to sample a 2022 GLB loaner for a few days. No to shabby overall. Loved the interior and ride comfort, but not 100% sold on the exterior and wasn't a fan of it not have navigation. Seemed a bit of a gas hog to me as well, but it is bigger than my wife's GLK, so what you gonna do? Also noticed that the newer cars all seem to have the newer usbc plug? (I guess thats what its called) I couldn't even charge my phone via my original phone cord that I took out of the SL. Bummer. Thankfully I don't need to charge my phone when going to, or from work.
Anyway, I am glad that MB performs safety and inspection checks on our cars during service visits, so that these types of leaks, or other issues can be found. Other car dealers probably do these same kinda checks. I am curious as to why it seems to be somewhat difficult to get the seal correct when reinstalling the covers? I have seen post, etc. that others have had some issues with cover leakage, so I guess it can be a annoying and tricky situation to repair.
I guess at the next service work visit at 120k next month we will know if any oil leaks has returned.....
Taking a road trip soon, so I had the SL checked by MB for any issues prior to taking that trip. MB found that once again my front left engine cover was leaking slightly. They have since completed that repair and of course that repair was free of charge. (they fixed the same leak a few months ago) I am glad that the leak wasn't a large one and was found and corrected, but it seems strange that this cover seal issue keeps resurfacing and has now been resealed by two different MB dealers...
Everything was fixed and buttoned back up, etc. and I had the car back in 2 days. I also was able to sample a 2022 GLB loaner for a few days. No to shabby overall. Loved the interior and ride comfort, but not 100% sold on the exterior and wasn't a fan of it not have navigation. Seemed a bit of a gas hog to me as well, but it is bigger than my wife's GLK, so what you gonna do? Also noticed that the newer cars all seem to have the newer usbc plug? (I guess thats what its called) I couldn't even charge my phone via my original phone cord that I took out of the SL. Bummer. Thankfully I don't need to charge my phone when going to, or from work.
Anyway, I am glad that MB performs safety and inspection checks on our cars during service visits, so that these types of leaks, or other issues can be found. Other car dealers probably do these same kinda checks. I am curious as to why it seems to be somewhat difficult to get the seal correct when reinstalling the covers? I have seen post, etc. that others have had some issues with cover leakage, so I guess it can be a annoying and tricky situation to repair.
I guess at the next service work visit at 120k next month we will know if any oil leaks has returned.....
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; 06-25-2022 at 07:23 AM.
06-24-2022, 05:38 AM
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2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Glad they covered the repair under warranty. I've heard they can be pricey. I didn't realize you had that many miles on your car, but I guess with the amount of driving you do, that shouldn't be a surprise. I had leaky valve covers on my 2004 SL500 R230 that I repaired myself, but they were probably easier to get to. It was 15 years old with almost 100k miles at the time, but had been first diagnosed at 13 years old with 50k miles. That said, I drove it nearly 50k miles that way with no problems other than a slightly dirty engine. I finally repaired it when I wanted something to do.
Not sure why mine started leaking or how long there had been a problem; I bought the car used from a co-worker that had had the car dealer serviced from day one. She did not drive it much to put only 50k miles on it in 13 years, so I chalked it up to lack of usage and the gaskets had dried out. In your case, maybe it is all the hot/cold cycles to put 120k on your car. In any case, it's not a repair I would consider critical unless there is a lot of oil loss.
WRT the newer model, with CarPlay there really isn't a need for factory navigation (unless you live in an area of the country with poor or no satellite coverage--and where is that?). There's a good chance, as well, that the car was equipped with a proximity charger, usually a flat, tray-like area on the console. Newer phones can be charged simply by placing the phone on the charging surface. You will need to upgrade from that flip-phone you still use. 😝
Not sure why mine started leaking or how long there had been a problem; I bought the car used from a co-worker that had had the car dealer serviced from day one. She did not drive it much to put only 50k miles on it in 13 years, so I chalked it up to lack of usage and the gaskets had dried out. In your case, maybe it is all the hot/cold cycles to put 120k on your car. In any case, it's not a repair I would consider critical unless there is a lot of oil loss.
WRT the newer model, with CarPlay there really isn't a need for factory navigation (unless you live in an area of the country with poor or no satellite coverage--and where is that?). There's a good chance, as well, that the car was equipped with a proximity charger, usually a flat, tray-like area on the console. Newer phones can be charged simply by placing the phone on the charging surface. You will need to upgrade from that flip-phone you still use. 😝
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ThatsMyDawg (06-24-2022)
06-24-2022, 07:33 AM
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Great info and background.
Yes I do drive a lot and I love doing so. Funny how the nicer your car is the more you don’t mind driving lol. I have had cars in the past that after 15 minutes of driving I felt like I was beat and couldn’t wait to get out of it.
I am really looking forward to my road trip soon. I have always wanted to take a convertible to the beach, plus in the past we have always taken one of our SUVs when vacationing. The kids were still young and at home back then. Empty nesters now, so no more SUV trips.
Now that you mention it, there was a tray area in the GLB that could have been a charging area, but it never crossed my mind, because I usually see some indication markings, etc. or something that tell you that’s what the area is.
I know navigation is no longer required in vehicles with carplay, etc., but if I am being honest I still look down on it when a car doesn’t have navigation, since even cheap cars have navigation almost as standard. I shouldn’t look down on them, but I do.
As for the leaky cover, I’m just glad it’s done and hope it doesn’t return again, but I will keep and eye on it.
It’s funny but I was in such a rush to return the GLB loaner and get back in the SL and then back to work that I completely forgot to walk over to the parts department and pickup my speakers that I ordered. Bummer, because I wanted to swap out the speakers, as well as work on my rock chips with the repair kit, before I went out of town. There is not enough time left before I leave to complete the work now, but I might run back over to MB to grab the speakers later today.
Hey, I had good times with my old Razor flip phone, but thankfully that is long gone now. Lol.
Yes I do drive a lot and I love doing so. Funny how the nicer your car is the more you don’t mind driving lol. I have had cars in the past that after 15 minutes of driving I felt like I was beat and couldn’t wait to get out of it.
I am really looking forward to my road trip soon. I have always wanted to take a convertible to the beach, plus in the past we have always taken one of our SUVs when vacationing. The kids were still young and at home back then. Empty nesters now, so no more SUV trips.
Now that you mention it, there was a tray area in the GLB that could have been a charging area, but it never crossed my mind, because I usually see some indication markings, etc. or something that tell you that’s what the area is.
I know navigation is no longer required in vehicles with carplay, etc., but if I am being honest I still look down on it when a car doesn’t have navigation, since even cheap cars have navigation almost as standard. I shouldn’t look down on them, but I do.
As for the leaky cover, I’m just glad it’s done and hope it doesn’t return again, but I will keep and eye on it.
It’s funny but I was in such a rush to return the GLB loaner and get back in the SL and then back to work that I completely forgot to walk over to the parts department and pickup my speakers that I ordered. Bummer, because I wanted to swap out the speakers, as well as work on my rock chips with the repair kit, before I went out of town. There is not enough time left before I leave to complete the work now, but I might run back over to MB to grab the speakers later today.
Hey, I had good times with my old Razor flip phone, but thankfully that is long gone now. Lol.
Glad they covered the repair under warranty. I've heard they can be pricey. I didn't realize you had that many miles on your car, but I guess with the amount of driving you do, that shouldn't be a surprise. I had leaky valve covers on my 2004 SL500 R230 that I repaired myself, but they were probably easier to get to. It was 15 years old with almost 100k miles at the time, but had been first diagnosed at 13 years old with 50k miles. That said, I drove it nearly 50k miles that way with no problems other than a slightly dirty engine. I finally repaired it when I wanted something to do.
Not sure why mine started leaking or how long there had been a problem; I bought the car used from a co-worker that had had the car dealer serviced from day one. She did not drive it much to put only 50k miles on it in 13 years, so I chalked it up to lack of usage and the gaskets had dried out. In your case, maybe it is all the hot/cold cycles to put 120k on your car. In any case, it's not a repair I would consider critical unless there is a lot of oil loss.
WRT the newer model, with CarPlay there really isn't a need for factory navigation (unless you live in an area of the country with poor or no satellite coverage--and where is that?). There's a good chance, as well, that the car was equipped with a proximity charger, usually a flat, tray-like area on the console. Newer phones can be charged simply by placing the phone on the charging surface. You will need to upgrade from that flip-phone you still use. 😝
Not sure why mine started leaking or how long there had been a problem; I bought the car used from a co-worker that had had the car dealer serviced from day one. She did not drive it much to put only 50k miles on it in 13 years, so I chalked it up to lack of usage and the gaskets had dried out. In your case, maybe it is all the hot/cold cycles to put 120k on your car. In any case, it's not a repair I would consider critical unless there is a lot of oil loss.
WRT the newer model, with CarPlay there really isn't a need for factory navigation (unless you live in an area of the country with poor or no satellite coverage--and where is that?). There's a good chance, as well, that the car was equipped with a proximity charger, usually a flat, tray-like area on the console. Newer phones can be charged simply by placing the phone on the charging surface. You will need to upgrade from that flip-phone you still use. 😝
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; 06-24-2022 at 07:36 AM.
06-24-2022, 07:54 PM
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it seems strange that this same leak has resurfaced twice and has been repaired by two different MB dealers. I am curious as to why it seems to be somewhat difficult to get the seal correct when reinstalling the covers? I have seen post, etc. that others have had some issues with cover leakage, so I guess it can be a annoying and tricky situation to repair.
I guess at the next service work visit at 120k next month we will know if any oil leaks has returned.....
I guess at the next service work visit at 120k next month we will know if any oil leaks has returned.....
The two most important requirements needed to re-seal gasketless surfaces that use MB Sealant 0039899820 (Loctite 5970) is
A: the surface must be spotless and free from any oil. Preferably prepped with MB gasket remover 0109899071 (Loctite 7063 or 7200) alcohol or similar will probably work too.
B: CURE TIME, this is a luxury most dealerships don’t have. Having a car sitting in a bay for 24-48 hours just isn’t going to happen.
I’ve learned the hard way that sometimes it can take a good 24-48 hours for the sealant to cure, especially for anything with pressure. You can usually get away with less but sometimes, especially with a problem leak, you have to give the sealant time to cure.
Take a look at full cure time on the loctite spec sheet for 5970 in the attached PDF 🙁
Takes 21 days to get 100% cure.
Chances are as soon as your car was buttoned up, it was driven right out for a test drive and returned to you ASAP.
Last edited by crconsulting; 06-24-2022 at 08:02 PM.
06-24-2022, 08:24 PM
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I agree that it likely was returned to me as quick as possible, but on the original repair (not last week) my car was at the dealer for an extended time with engine out as they were doing other warranty work, so they would have had time to wait for it to cure when they got things back in order. At that time they had my car for so long that another 2 days wouldn’t have made any difference.
Who really knows though?
Side note——->>>>>! I did go back and pick up my speakers from MB earlier today. One less thing to do when I return from the road trip.
Who really knows though?
Side note——->>>>>! I did go back and pick up my speakers from MB earlier today. One less thing to do when I return from the road trip.
The two most important requirements needed to re-seal gasketless surfaces that use MB Sealant 0039899820 (Loctite 5970) is
A: the surface must be spotless and free from any oil. Preferably prepped with MB gasket remover 0109899071 (Loctite 7063 or 7200) alcohol or similar will probably work too.
B: CURE TIME, this is a luxury most dealerships don’t have. Having a car sitting in a bay for 24-48 hours just isn’t going to happen.
I’ve learned the hard way that sometimes it can take a good 24-48 hours for the sealant to cure, especially for anything with pressure. You can usually get away with less but sometimes, especially with a problem leak, you have to give the sealant time to cure.
Take a look at full cure time on the loctite spec sheet for 5970 in the attached PDF 🙁
Takes 21 days to get 100% cure.
Chances are as soon as your car was buttoned up, it was driven right out for a test drive and returned to you ASAP.
A: the surface must be spotless and free from any oil. Preferably prepped with MB gasket remover 0109899071 (Loctite 7063 or 7200) alcohol or similar will probably work too.
B: CURE TIME, this is a luxury most dealerships don’t have. Having a car sitting in a bay for 24-48 hours just isn’t going to happen.
I’ve learned the hard way that sometimes it can take a good 24-48 hours for the sealant to cure, especially for anything with pressure. You can usually get away with less but sometimes, especially with a problem leak, you have to give the sealant time to cure.
Take a look at full cure time on the loctite spec sheet for 5970 in the attached PDF 🙁
Takes 21 days to get 100% cure.
Chances are as soon as your car was buttoned up, it was driven right out for a test drive and returned to you ASAP.
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; 06-25-2022 at 07:26 AM.
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crconsulting (06-24-2022)
06-24-2022, 08:35 PM
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Remember, there are TWO parts to getting a good seal.
See part: A 😀
if it didn’t seal they got one part wrong…
Things could be worse, you could have an M120 V12 😂
Those things can be sieve’s
Last edited by crconsulting; 06-24-2022 at 08:42 PM.
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ThatsMyDawg (06-24-2022)
06-24-2022, 11:32 PM
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The root cause is a defective sealing process from the factory. Whether it is machine or sealant related has not been posted on this site. Generally once the dealer re-seals the front cylinder head covers, it remains leak free. A re-seal of a re-seal is not often posted on this site. Possible reasons for leaking after dealer re-seal are inadequate or improper sealant application, or insufficient torque on the very low torque single use aluminum screws.
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ThatsMyDawg (06-25-2022)
