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Just recently needed valve covers resealed, cam lobe wear was not an issue for me at 89K. I have no idea how frequently that is an issue for others. The symptoms I believe are a noisy valve train, and degraded performance; I don't know if it cascades into other damage like the head bolt issue can.
Often people who open threads lamenting the damage or destruction of their engine are first time posters (not all of course) who seem to want an online record of their "screwing over" by MB, many times they do not follow up and post the resolution of their problem, and I'm curious how much they pay attention to maintence or signs of trouble that might of mitigated their issue somewhat. These are complicated high performance machines which are often driven very hard, things are going to break and wear out; and the driver and environment are factors. The weak links will become apparent over time, design flaws too.
Im at 80xxx miles on a 2007. I took my car in to mercedes because I've had intermittent "clacking" lifter noise from time to time.
I need all lifters etc, and the both camshafts replaced. I had significant cam lobe wear and markings on the lifters. I opted to have my head bolts replaced as well for peace of mind.
Here are some pictures. It's just a close up of a cam lobe and a lifter but the wear was on all lobes and lifters.
Sorry to read this CarbonHan - so what is the cause of the cam lobe wear to begin with? Is the "clacking" easily heard from idle? Any other telltale signs for this specific issue? TIA.
The tech was explaining that the cam lobes wear from coming in contact with the lifters. I was really surprised at just how much wear the lobes had. The lifters were pretty scuffed up as well.
The "clacking" sound is VERY noticeable. The first time I heard it, I thought I bent a rod. It MAY be a little hard to hear if you're sitting inside the car when you turn the motor on. I'm paranoid so after I start my car I always open my windows and just listen for anything out of the ordinary.
I can't wait for him to send me pictures of the head bolts. I'm betting that they're showing signs of wear.
Originally Posted by mightar
Sorry to read this CarbonHan - so what is the cause of the cam lobe wear to begin with? Is the "clacking" easily heard from idle? Any other telltale signs for this specific issue? TIA.
Is this being covered by aftermarket warranty? If not, is MB covering some of the costs? In either case, how much to address this and replace the head bolts?
The gist of the lawsuit is basically what folks already know - you're on your own once you are out of warranty. Nothing new there...
I have an aftermarket warranty via USAA. The one thing I did NOT know was that there is a CAP on payouts. Had I known this I would've taken my car to my indy instead of the dealership because I only had $9100 left on my policy. I have motor mounts and a cracked sway bar bushings to replace as well that I opted not to have the repair because it would've put my bill WAY north of $15k.
After much negotiating theyre charging me $9100(the remainder of my policy payout) to replace the lifters, cam shafts and head bolts. Getting this done at my indy would've costed about half that. Either way, at least I can drive with peace of mind from now on.
Originally Posted by mightar
I did some google searching and it cites the cam lobe wear as part of the now-dismissed M156 lawsuit:
Is this being covered by aftermarket warranty? If not, is MB covering some of the costs? In either case, how much to address this and replace the head bolts?
The gist of the lawsuit is basically what folks already know - you're on your own once you are out of warranty. Nothing new there...
On the cam lobe wear, it happens frequently on OHC engines with high lift cams and hydraulic lifters that don't utilize hydraulic roller lifters. Hydraulic roller lifters will cure this issue from happening but I'm not sure anyone makes them for the MB engine.
On the cam lobe wear, it happens frequently on OHC engines with high lift cams and hydraulic lifters that don't utilize hydraulic roller lifters. Hydraulic roller lifters will cure this issue from happening but I'm not sure anyone makes them for the MB engine.
USAA uses Black Book to value a car using its VIN. Apparently they valued my car at $18,300 2 years ago when I got the policy. Thats roughly HALF of what I bought the car for. They won't budge on the cap once you've reached it. It was a rude awakening when I found out from my SA I even had a cap on my policy.
I'd call and find out what your cap is just so you know how much you have to work with.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
. Just take care of the ride and enjoy the heck out of it! 
