Engine cover not properly attached..?

[molgrips]

It's a CLS 250 with OM651 4 cylinder engine. I've been hearing a bit of a shudder on start/stop operation since I had it, so I've been looking around the engine and I noticed that the engine cover was vibrating a lot on the left. Turns out that grommet on the left hand side isn't actually fitting onto the knobble it's meant to, meaning that the whole left hand side is flapping up and down and hitting the air intake pipe when it stops and starts.

Not only that, but underneath you can clearly see where the cover has been pressed onto the gubbins on the top of the engine, particularly the wire that goes to what I think is the crankshaft position sensor. It's got a bit of insulation rubbed off and there's a corresponding mark on the felt on the underside of the cover.

However, it appears to be the original part and the part number checks out against mbepc.net. It's almost as if something on top of the engine has been replaced with something slightly different, or re-fitted badly after a fix. I've bodged it by adding some more of those engine cover grommets to raise it up a bit and I'm relying on the pin at the front to hold it down.

Anyone else have a similar problem?

 

[Larkone]

Worth checking the engine mounts are not failing which might cause issues with the engine cover moving.

 

[molgrips]

I've changed them a few thousand miles ago.

 

[Oleks1992]

It's a CLS 250 with OM651 4 cylinder engine. I've been hearing a bit of a shudder on start/stop operation since I had it, so I've been looking around the engine and I noticed that the engine cover was vibrating a lot on the left. Turns out that grommet on the left hand side isn't actually fitting onto the knobble it's meant to, meaning that the whole left hand side is flapping up and down and hitting the air intake pipe when it stops and starts.

Not only that, but underneath you can clearly see where the cover has been pressed onto the gubbins on the top of the engine, particularly the wire that goes to what I think is the crankshaft position sensor. It's got a bit of insulation rubbed off and there's a corresponding mark on the felt on the underside of the cover.

However, it appears to be the original part and the part number checks out against mbepc.net. It's almost as if something on top of the engine has been replaced with something slightly different, or re-fitted badly after a fix. I've bodged it by adding some more of those engine cover grommets to raise it up a bit and I'm relying on the pin at the front to hold it down.

Anyone else have a similar problem?

Those are rubber buffers that clip into the cover, they're quiet cheap from Mercedes and I replaced loads of them

 

[Gazwould]

They seem quite robust , common failure item ?

 

[Oleks1992]

They seem quite robust , common failure item ?

Yeah is where people push too hard on the cover and split the socket where the locators go into

 

[JoCa]

O keep seeing the 5 rubbers grommets underneath the cover that buffer the cover. I need the rubbers that you slide the cover into on the back before locking it in the front with that plastic screw (?not really a screw)
Are those rubbers different? I can only find the set of 5.
Any help here guys? I'd really appreciate

 

[johnsco]

The engine cover on my OM642 is (and has always been) rather ill-fitting.
I replaced the little cushion thingies that fit on the under-side of the cover and I have adjusted the screw-adjusters on top of the engine.
Even now - It's good enough ...... BUT ONLY-JUST !
I had similar problems with the engine cover on my W210 (facelift) E430.
It was always ill-fitting.
Maybe it's a feature of older MBs.
Maybe the engine covers distort after a few years of intense heat.
That's certainly what it looks like.
I'm reluctant to buy another, as it may be no better.

 

[sautah]

you can buy new grommets. I had an issue with incorrectly replaced metal injector pipes that stuck up too high and woudln't leyt the engine cover sit in place.....