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Flying mercedes

Flying mercedes

Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
Messages
30
Car
E class s212 220cdi manual
Hi All!

I just had the timing chain replaced on my e class 212, 220cdi, it had 136.000 mil. It was very timely to do so. If you have a loud noise when you start the car for a few seconds, it's time to change it. The chain is stretched. Sadly these only have a single chain.

To preserve its life, when you park car, press the handbrake on before you put it in gear or park, so the pressure will be on the handbrake and not on the timing chain.
Also, don't use the start stop system. It's bad for the car,bad for the environment too.

I'm not a mechanic, feel free to contradict me.
 
Flying mercedes said:
Hi All!

I just had the timing chain replaced on my e class 212, 220cdi, it had 136.000 mil. It was very timely to do so. If you have a loud noise when you start the car for a few seconds, it's time to change it. The chain is stretched. Sadly these only have a single chain.

To preserve its life, when you park car, press the handbrake on before you put it in gear or park, so the pressure will be on the handbrake and not on the timing chain.
Also, don't use the start stop system. It's bad for the car,bad for the environment too.

I'm not a mechanic, feel free to contradict me.
Click to expand...
Agree about the start-stop system, but not sure about the handbrake comment! If the engine is running and gear selected, the drive goes to the transmission, hence you feel the 'creep'. The start-stop module on the 205s seems to be short-lived, so like many others here, I feel that's not a bad thing.
 
I just heard this from my mechanic. To me it makes sense.

My one is a manual. So when I park the car, I put it in neutral, put the handbrake on, clutch in (to preserve flywheel), stop engine, select 2nd gear(because weight of the car turnes the engine over in first gear on slope).

Question: For example, you park the car on a slope, the engine holds the car. Where is the pressure if not on the timing chain?
 
If the car is manual , in neutral with the handbrake on then the handbrake is holding the car. If - on the other hand - the car is in gear without the handbrake on the compression in whichever piston(s) are trying to move against closed valves will be holding the car on compression through the drive train. The cam chain/belt will have no effect. Pop the cam belt/chain off a car...it will not roll away if it is in gear.
 
OP, the car should roll easier the 'higher' the gear selected. Example in 1st gear it should be much more difficult to push than if it were in 5th or 6th, and almost impossible in reverse gear.

Thats why when bump starting single cylinder 4 stroke motorcycles (for example) using 2nd or 3rd is the best option. 1st gear will just lock the back wheel while 2nd or 3rd will spin the engine faster in relation to the rear wheel giving the engine more firing strokes per revolution of the rear wheel through the drive train, and giving those pushing it an easier time.!

Same with any manual car with a internal combustion engine. I kind of agree with post #6 (above) but ultimately it is the compressed air in the cylinders with closed valves that is holding the car if it is in neutral with the handbrake off, of course being helped by the gearboxes relationship with the differential.

Timing chain ? Nah.
 
Thank you all for your comments. Looks like many things in the past I was told aren't right .
I find it hard to trust people. For example when main dealer changed my clutch in the past, (it wasn't mine then) they put in the wrong release bearing. So I guess that's why the car was rolling back and not because it was in first gear. My clutch was just changed again last week by an independent mechanic. He realised the problem. Anyway...

Thanks

Cws-its 2010
 
Hi There.
I to had the timing chain changed on my C250 cdi 2012 model OM651 engine. Seems like its a common failure around the 100K mark. I think its a combination of single row chain and the annoying stop start system increasing the number of enigne starts exponetially over the cars life. There is no proof of this but it does seem to be a common theme. I turn off the stop start every time as a precaution. I plan on keeping the car so will budget for another new chain when it gets to 200K miles in a few years just in case. Plenty of time yet though. I do love the car.

I had a loud rattle at start, or sometimes it would start smooth then start to rattle for a few seconds before going quiet.
Well worth doing and wasnt horredously expensive...

If you hear it.. get it done and relax...
 
There is no evidence that stop start causes any issues whatsoever in terms of advanced failure of the timing chains. To also say there is a common failure around the 100k mark is a very big exaggeration, if it were common you would be seeing lots of comments about it. Bet its under 0.1% of the engines.

Agree that if you have signs of failure better to get it done than not, but its certainly not common, and unlikely to have been because of stop start.
 
Mmmmm there will NEVER be any evidence to prove that the stop start system is the issue here? Why would you think there could be? To prove it was the stop start system, a full FMA would be required and thats never going to happen.

However it is something that is suggested regularly and in theory makes some sense but its not proven. if it is or isnt the cause nobody will ever be certain. I like to think of it as when you start pedaling a bike, the initial inertia to start movement exerts stress on the chain. Its only a theory though.

However its no exageratoin about this being a more common problem. But some have cars with no issues what so ever and on intergalactic mileages and some have the issue which seems to be around the 100K mark. Difficult to know. All I know is based on my experience and resarch. Certainly my local specialist purchased "special" tooling (whatever that is) to do the job because they had seen so many before mine...

Make your own mind up but it shouldnt put you off owning a car with this engine, there are lot worse things out there from other makes..
 
There were some chain wear issues on early OM651 engines and the OP's 2010 car fits right in to this bracket, but an issue at 2012 would appear to be unlucky. From whjat I know MB did (internally) acknowledge there were issues and seemed to make running changes to improve the chain drive durability. When you do a search for OM651 chain issues very little comes up and many of the threads revolve around the a handful of instances, but it's become an oft repeated myth that '651 engines suffer early chain wear'..... The OM651 is one of THE most mass-produced engines ever for MB and there are thousands out there with no chain-issues. I still think a lot of it comes down to regular maintenance being missed and oil changes being way overdue or owners being mislead by garages.....
 
I would agree there, and its the main reason why I opted for the OM651 C250cdi. It hasnt dissapointed apart from the chain, which wasnt to bad in the end. I guess I was unlucky..

There are a lot out there. and having owned and driven one for a while now. I see why they are so popular... :)
 
Flying mercedes said:
Hi All!

I just had the timing chain replaced on my e class 212, 220cdi, it had 136.000 mil. It was very timely to do so. If you have a loud noise when you start the car for a few seconds, it's time to change it. The chain is stretched. Sadly these only have a single chain.

To preserve its life, when you park car, press the handbrake on before you put it in gear or park, so the pressure will be on the handbrake and not on the timing chain.
Also, don't use the start stop system. It's bad for the car,bad for the environment too.

I'm not a mechanic, feel free to contradict me.
Click to expand...

The thread title should read know not now.
 
So unfortunately this will now be another thread where people see the opening post and think 'OM651 engines must be avoided due to chain issues' when in reality it's a bullet-proof engine when maintained on-time and by people who actually know and understand what they are doing.
 
Yep thats definately chain rattle its identicle to mine when it went... Not so bad to fix if you know a good indy...
 
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