Valve Covers + Front Gaskets were replaced on Jan 24 2019 at MB Dealership to the tune of $1450, I had my car at the dealership last week (Jan 16 2020) for Gas tank replacement (Under Extended Warranty) and the MB tech showed me leak again in the engine, exact same valve cover Gasket + front gasket leak also tells me that the Rear Main seal is leaking as well.
Are the valve covers that third class quality that they leak twice in one year?
No, the valve covers aren't poor quality. The dealership should have warranted their work, and replaced it. My Indy shop warranted my valve covers, cam adjuster gaskets and they haven't leaked since they were replaced in 2018.
Keep in mind that your car is now 13 yrs old, and things will leak and break, and will require replacing. That is just the nature of things with aging vehicles. I would talk to the service manager at that dealership and complain that this should be warranted.
If not then offer you some type of incentive off the cost of the repair. Personally, I would stop taking your car to the stealership, unless you have an extended warrantee. Find a independent MB shop in your area, it will save you a lot of money.
No, the valve covers aren't poor quality. The dealership should have warranted their work, and replaced it. My Indy shop warranted my valve covers, cam adjuster gaskets and they haven't leaked since they were replaced in 2018.
Keep in mind that your car is now 13 yrs old, and things will leak and break, and will require replacing. That is just the nature of things with aging vehicles. I would talk to the service manager at that dealership and complain that this should be warranted.
If not then offer you some type of incentive off the cost of the repair. Personally, I would stop taking your car to the stealership, unless you have an extended warrantee. Find a independent MB shop in your area, it will save you a lot of money.
Yes, that is the plan, will call the dealership, and i have a Indy who i will have this work done.
The valve cover gaskets are cheap <= $60 per set. And you can purchase them from FCP Euro, and their warranted for life. If they fail, FCP Euro will replace them free of charge, just send in the old parts for a replacement.
We have a same year and model E63.
your head lights are crystal clear, i have started to get the light cloud effect on mine, only visible if you look very closely.
I have replaced the faded/tarnished lens covers with new replacement covers, then had the new lenses wrapped in paint protection film (PPF) to protect them from rocks and UV rays.
Their are cleaning kits available, to bring your faded lights back to high luster. But I decided replacing them was the better option for me. But you will have to take your headlight apart, so there is some work involved.
But I have the fog lights and the high beams lights covered in PPF as well.
This is when I had the entire front of the car wrapped in PPF including the front splitter.
Very nice Interior! that Alcantera sterig wheel was stock or you installed yourself?
Definitely not stock, I had this wheel custom made by Ledermanz Grigul Design in Latvia.
Cost me $700 including shipping, and the carbon fiber interior was $750, took 2 months to custom make it.
And the carbon fiber instrument cluster was $350. I also had the stereo system addressed as well, with new speakers/amps/subwoofer and a digital sound processor installed.
And you don't want to know how much that cost me. A few years ago, I had the car paint corrected and ceramic coated, that alone contributes to how good the paint looks.
Most OEM MB parts including gaskets carry a 2 year warranty when purchased at the dealership. This includes the labor to replace them as well. MBUSA will reimburse the dealer for the part and labor just as if your car was under factory warranty.
Thank you for the clarification, so my gaskets are purchased directly from the dealer. So I'm covered for at least another year. And my shop also guarantees their parts installation for a year.
This is a funny story, when I first had my valve cover gaskets replaced everything was fine for a few weeks. Then we discovered a leak, but unbeknownst to us it wasn't the actual valve covers, but the cam adjuster housing gaskets.
The oil was running down the side of the adjuster housing onto the valve cover, so we replaced valve covers gaskets again. Later another leak, but this time we did our homework to determined exactly where the leak started.
We sprayed and wiped down everything with brake cleaner, then hit everything with compressed air. Remember brake cleaner is flammable, so apply due diligence. We let the engine run, and discovered the leak.
The leak was coming from the cam adjuster gaskets, and we replaced everything cam adjuster gasket/valve cover gaskets at the same time, no more leaks since then.
When you replace the valve cover gaskets, you should have the cam adjuster housing gaskets done as well. This will save you time and money. The genuine gasket cost around $6, and it only take less than 15 minutes to get it done, each side. Once the valve cover is removed, just remove the 4 screws on the front and snap in the new gasket. The driver side will be a little more difficult because there is not much room.
It goes without saying, our AMG 07' E63 were $95K+ when new for a reason. I am fortunate to have a garage to do my own work and when I come across issue beyond my ability (ie-Intake Manifold, both Heads/valves, F & R AirSprings) I've removed them to have them rebuilt. In the end, its such a great ride with performance that hangs with the best of them!!!
First Stop was to have a Huge Smiley Face Gouge and the whole front end repainted. Fresh Face!! Upon getting the car home, the RPM's were hitting 1200 at idle, so out came the Intake Manifold before I even got the WIS!! Newly Rebuilt Heads. 8 of 16 Intake Valves were bent!! Racing Brake Rotors/Pads, still going strong!! When the Rear Main blew, out came the Tranny!! I should have sent out the TCM as a preventative Measure because a month later the Speed Sensor Magnet needed repair leaving me stranded at the side of the road!! Rear Main Seal Replaced! Removed the entire Subframe to replace all the Bushings for the Subframe to Car as well as those of the Arms (see shiny Poly KMAC replacement bushings), the Rear of the Differential, the front Diff Carrier to Subframe, wheel carrier to Torque Arm Bushings!! Rear Subframe Installed with new UPD Rear Toe Arms. Notice all the alignment marks I made making sure to install those huge bushings just where they needed to be!! I finally got the Steering Wheel and the Gear Shift Knob redone with new leather by a local guy!!
Mine has been replaced 3 times under warranty. My indy says the actual cover is warped and that's why it is not sealing properly. anyone heard of this problem before?
Mine has been replaced 3 times under warranty. My indy says the actual cover is warped and that's why it is not sealing properly. anyone heard of this problem before?
While not impossible, I'd doubt it. I'd ask him to prove it to you.
These valve covers are notoriously hard to seal properly. The victor reinz gaskets don't work well (
); get the Genuine Mercedes ones, and use in conjunction with permatex copper RTV. I followed a tutorial on YT and it hasn't leaked in a few years. Tasos Moschatos also has a fantastic video on detailing how to do the passenger side, I'll try to find and paste the link.
I have a CLS55 AMG and also had issues with the rocker cover gaskets. I started with Febi, then Victor Reinz and in the end I bought MB OE gaskets. Should have bought these straight away, as the price point isnt that different from known 3rd parties
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A few years ago, I had the car paint corrected and ceramic coated, that alone contributes to how good the paint looks.
