Help please, start up noise on W204 C250 CGI

[malluboy77]

So here I am. I had my W203 C180 for 140k with the engine management never lighting up. Now a year on and 10k miles into with my W204 C250 CGI (48K on the clock).

I had a rather rough start up (rather sounds like diesel and soon settles down) with no EML yesterday. Today it became more obvious and EML came on too, link to the video is given below. The noise is not there with stop start. Olly's is fully booked until next week to plug it in. Sleepless night until then for me.

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Is it the dreaded timing chain/cam shaft? Would I wreck the engine if I drive it?

 

[markjay]

Well if it's the M271 engine then there's always a risk that it's the dreaded timing gear issue... though at this low mileage it would very rare.

It could also be something simple like starved hydraulic lifters.

When was the engine oil last changed? Did the garage use 229.3/229.5 oil? What viscosity was used - 0W-40? And what is the oil level like?

Hydraulic lifters issues can be sorted with Wynns additive.... blocked top engine breather could also be a problem... but I would not do anything before reading the fault codes.

 

[malluboy77]

Thanks Markjay. The car has been fully serviced as per schedule and last one was within 3000 miles. Complete MB history except the last one which was at Olly's.

I really hope it is something curable!

 

[markjay]

If Olly serviced it... then it will definitely have the correct oil type.

Would be interesting to see what the fault codes are.

 

[malluboy77]

Yes, I am sure so. The car has always been serviced ahead of schedule and it has always been time rather than mileage. The engine noise does appear strikingly similar to exhaust cam shaft gear failure on youtube. I shall keep posted.

 

[philsmerc]

I had the same issue not long after getting my (3 year old) C250 CGI S204 a few years back. The dealership fixed under their warranty (a sensor?) but it quickly happened again. I seem to remember that they then changed the sensor "carrier" but as under warranty, I never got an invoice to show what they'd done. It didn't reoccur in the 2.5 years of subsequent ownership.

 

[malluboy77]

Thanks

 

[monteith.jason]

What year is your car? I have a 2011 one with 42k and all quiet so far, hope to try and prevent this in the future

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[markjay]

What year is your car? I have a 2011 one with 42k and all quiet so far, hope to try and prevent this in the future

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

I think you will find this issue is not a common one...

I sold my 2006 C180K (with the M271 engine) when it was 11 years old and with 55,000 miles on the clock to a fellow forum member, the car never missed a beat and from what I hear still going strong.

Engine faults can always occur, but if well-maintained and not allowed to rack-up too many miles, they are quite reliable.

 

[malluboy77]

Mine is 2012. My previous one was a W203 and i had it from 62k to 145k over 7 years without any engine issues at all. It seems that the timing cam issue is more of a problem on the CGI engines than the Compressor ones. The car is waiting to go in tomorrow, I shall update once the diagnosis is confirmed.

 

[markjay]

....It seems that the timing cam issue is more of a problem on the CGI engines than the Compressor ones. ....

I think you'll find it's the other way around... the Turbocharged M271 CGI engines are newer than the Supercharger Kompressor engines. One would hope that by 2012 MB finally sorted this issue - given that the M271 has been around since 2003...

 

[SteveFromAvantgarde]

These engines are stretching chains like no tomorrow. They have this multilink, but still single duplex chain. I have done 3 now.

 

[markjay]

These engines are stretching chains like no tomorrow. They have this multilink, but still single duplex chain. I have done 3 now.

Do you recall what mileage they had?

 

[markjay]

...One would hope that by 2012 MB finally sorted this issue - given that the M271 has been around since 2003...

Guess not

See post below from Terry's (#5), and from Auto-mobile (#7):

2012 W204 C180 (M271) cam adjuster @ 39K ??

 

[SteveFromAvantgarde]

Do you recall what mileage they had?

70k ish

If you have a look at my instagram page @avantgarde_mb there is a couple of photos with one of these engines in bits from a chain that slipped and did the valves in.

 

[malluboy77]

It seems there are CGI engines going kaput from 30k mileage going through the net with proper service history. Failure on the W203s looked like they were largely due to poor maintenance whilst it is real shame that the these are certainly failing prematurely on the CGIs. Mine was serviced annually at 6k, 16k, 24k, 36k and 46k. I purchased the car with 36k on it and service history was the main attraction for me. Arghh..

 

[ernie]

Is the chain confirmed as the problem?

 

[Aletank]

Next doors Son in Law has got a 9 month old CLA 250 CGI Petrol, that sounds like a diesel to me, so whether these are a noisy engine anyway ?

 

[SteveFromAvantgarde]

On the early 271's the main problem was poor oil quality causing the camshaft variatiors to seize, this then stretched the chain. It was rare to have an outright chain stretch without the actual issue being the cam gears.

On the updated engine they use a different chain, its like 5 blocks of teeth as a plate all linked together, these are outright stretching and snapping the chain guides. To check them you have to remove the high pressure fuel pump, remove the rocker cover and turn it over by hand, if you get a loud clack when you turn it over and the cams don't line up, you need a new chain.

 

[malluboy77]

Is the chain confirmed as the problem?

Waited nhs to hear from the garage