SL55/63/65/R230 AMG R230 m156 ticking noise after warm. Help!!!

Jokiri · 2023-03-01 08:46:28

Hi all im sure lots of posts asking about same problem but I couldn?t find the answers. After replacing head bolts my m156 SL has a ticking noise once engine warms up and gets louder as temperature goes up. Never had this noise before only after replacing head bolts and getting an engine job done. Tech says its the lifters and need to drive it more . 2000 miles later noise is still the same.any help is appreciate it. Thanks

03-02-2023, 08:00 PM

#2

okbarnett

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Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension

they had several problems.

M156 Engine Common Problems

While the M156’s bottom end is able to handle gobs of power thrown at it, overall reliability is not the greatest for an AMG engine. From the factory, there are issues with the head bolts and multiple valve train components. Even on completely stock cars issues can occur, and out of warranty they can be pretty expensive fixes.

Common M156 engine problems:

Head Bolts
Camshaft Lobes
Camshaft Adjuster Plates
Lifters

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The symptoms of worn or broken head bolts are thick white smoke from the exhaust, low coolant levels, and milky colored oil. The white smoke and loss of coolant comes from the coolant entering the engine and getting burned off. The milky color of the oil indicates the presence of coolant leaking into it.

For 2011+ models, the M156 has updated head bolts from the factory, rectifying the issue for those engines. Anyone experiencing head bolt failure on their M156 should upgrade to the revised OEM head bolts. Of course, if you are planning on pushing extreme power levels, head studs should probably be considered, too.

2) M156 Lifter Issues

The biggest issues with the M156 valve train are the steel valve lifters. These were the subject of the 2011 lawsuit, and in hindsight it is pretty obvious why. The purpose of lifters is to close and open the intake or exhaust valves on the cylinders, and they are controlled by the camshaft lobes. However, the M156 lifters are known in some cases to completely seize up due to oiling issues. This would cause premature wear on them due to the cam lobes repeatedly only hitting one area.

Subsequently, seized lifters can eventually lead to misfiring and spark problems, resulting in CELs and limp mode. Eventually, Mercedes updated the design on the lifters to allow for better oiling to eliminate the problem of premature wear and seizing. However, these have been given mixed reviews, with some claiming they did not alleviate the problem at all.

The solution to the lifters issue is to either get the updated part from AMG, or, if you do not trust that to work, the lifters out of the M159, the M156’s cousin, can be used. In addition, the M159’s black series of lifters have a specific coating to reduce friction and wear. They are also much lighter than stock, which allows for increased performance. Many people will swap out their OEM lifters for ones out of the M159 when they replace their head bolts, so that is an option to keep in mind if you experience head bolt issues.

3) MBZ 6.2L V8 Worn Camshaft Lobes

Worn cam lobes are another valve train issue on the M156, and they are related to the issue with the lifters. The cam lobes, similar to the lifters, also suffer from oiling design issues which impact lubrication. This was compounded by the problems with the lifters, which, once seized in place, would wear the top of the cam lobes. This could cause severe scoring, and in some cases would compromise the cam lobes entirely.

Symptoms of worn camshaft lobes are increased ticking noises from the valve train, especially on cold starts. In addition, if the issue gets severe enough, it could cause misfires and spark issues along with the lifters.

There are two possible solutions to worn cam lobes. The quickest, easiest, and cheapest solution is to add a lubrication additive, like Ceratec or MOS2. However, this solution is really more of a battle dressing than anything, and does not really solve the heart of the issue. The only way to truly eliminate the problem is to buy an aftermarket set of camshafts that are stronger and better designed than OEM. There are several available options on the market, even for those looking at adding forced induction to their M156.

4) Worn Camshaft Adjuster Plates

The final plague of the M156 valve train are the camshaft adjuster plates. Cam adjusters are responsible for controlling the variable valve timing (VVT) on an engine, and are incredibly important for things like gas mileage and performance. However, on the M156, the cam adjusters frequently had issues. The plates would fall out of tolerance and cause issues with oiling, which would lead to lots of premature wear.

Symptoms of worn cam adjuster plates are a loud rattling sound at startup, sudden negative changes to fuel economy, poor throttle response, and misfire and VVT codes. Mercedes-AMG actually released a factory service bulletin addressing issues with the cam adjuster plates. It covered every single model year and model that contained the M156 – including post-facelift C63 AMGs, which drivers still report suffer from these issues.

The fix for worn plates is to either replace them with OEM or go with aftermarket solutions. Replacing with OEM will likely, but not always, lead to the same issue occurring again after a period of time. Aftermarket wise, 63Motorsports has several versions of plates for the M156 that are stronger and more durable than stock.

M156 Engine Summary

Overall, the M156 is an incredibly powerful engine that has a very well engineered bottom end. It produces a throaty V8 tone that sounds thunderous and raspy, to go with the 500+hp engine that screams down the streets. It has appeared in some of the most well reviewed Mercedes of the last decade, including the W204 C63 AMG and SLS AMG.

Yet, the engine is not without its issues. Pre-2011 models featured poorly designed and manufactured head bolts that were prone to leaking and breaking. The valve train also had several issues, especially with the lifters, cam lobes, and cam adjuster plates. Mercedes acknowledged several of these issues, but their fixes were less than adequate (with the exception of the head bolts).

Still, the M156 is a standout engine that drivers praise for its performance and ability to handle lots of power. The fact that Mercedes-AMG still uses it in the most recent iteration of their GT3 Evo in 2020 shows just how respectable and well designed it truly is. While it does not respond great to most bolt-ons, exhaust headers and tuning can still produce some pretty noticeable gains.

What’s your experience with models containing the M156? Are you considering buying a C63 AMG or E63 AMG equipped with the M156?
Let us know in the comments below!
Filed Under: Mercedes

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