M276

[rckimbrell]

Hey Everyone: I have a 2013 E350 Coupe with the M276 engine. The car's production date was 7/6/12 and it has 60,000 miles on it. I bought it new and, while I don't have any issues, did MB ever do a recall to resolve the problem with the secondary timing chains rattling during start up (attached notice)? Is the M276 engine a reliable engine? Thanks and Regards, Bob

 

[Jukie]

As far as I can be certain a recall was never issued for either the M276 or the M157. There are plenty of forum members who will be able to provide a definite answer.

 

[markjay]

Recalls are generally reserved for safety and legal issues.... other things just get a WIS document, but not a Recall.

 

[markjay]

The difference is (apart from the fact that the manufacturers are obliged by law to issue a Recall for safety-related issues) that a recall is free even after the warranty period expired. And, with a Recall, all potentially-affected cars get fixed regardless, but when under warranty only those cars that actually fail get fixed. So you can see why manufacturers are issuing Recalls very sparingly.

 

[grober]

Mercedes-Benz M276 engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[fabes]

I checked when I bought mine and found no o/s recalls.

Not heard of this one
When was it issued?

 

[rckimbrell]

Thanks all. Appreciate the feedback.

Fabes, the notice is attached to my thread above and it was issued 7/16/13. When you look up recalls on the car, only the Takata air bag is listed....that took forever to get competed.

If I can ever be of help, let me know.

 

[rckimbrell]

Oh, on the M276 engine, anything bad to report on the engine itself?

 

[grober]

Home Mercedes M276 3.0/3.5L Engine

Mercedes M276 3.0/3.5L Engine Review

The Mercedes-Benz M276 is a series of 3.0-liter and 3.5-liter gasoline V6 engines with direct fuel injection system. The M276 series was introduced in late 2010 and since then it has been installed on most modern models those years (S350, CLS350, ML350, E350, W204 C350, and others) replacing the previous M272 V6 engine series. Most engines in the new series are turbocharged and only 3.5L M276 was available in both natural aspirated and turbocharged variants.
The M276 series began in 2010 from a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter version (M276 DE 35) that was introduced first on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 CGI BlueEfficiency. The M276 3.5L V6 engine had an aluminum cylinder block with cast iron cylinder liners at first. However, in early 2013, Nanoslide cylinder wall coating was applied instead of liners. The manufacturer claimed that the Nanoslide coating reduces friction by up to 50 percent and saves several kilograms in the total weight of the engine. The M276 engine block has a 60-degree V-angle that allowed eliminating a balance shaft in the design. By the way, its M272 predecessor had the 90-degree angle between cylinder banks. Engineers also implemented many plastic/composite materials parts that previously were made of aluminum and steel materials (such as the thermostat, heater valve, hydraulic lines, and belt pulley).
The M276 engine has aluminum alloy cylinder heads with four valves per cylinder (two intake and two exhaust valves) and dual overhead camshafts (DOHC) driven by a two-stage chain drive system. There are three gear chains, each of which is equipped with hydraulic tensioner. Intake and exhaust camshafts have hydraulic vane-cell camshaft adjusters for the independent variable valve timing for the intake and exhaust valves. Valves are actuated by low-friction roller cam followers. The engine also includes a third-generation direct injection system with piezo-electrically controlled injectors. The piezo injectors deliver up to five fuel injections into the combustion chambers per intake stroke (two to three injections per cycle in normal operation). The low-pressure pump (4.5 to 6.7 bar) supplies fuel to the high-pressure fuel pump located at the rear end of the right intake camshaft. Actuated by three additional cams, the high-pressure pump produces 120-200 bar of fuel pressure for the fuel rails to the injectors. The air-fuel mixture ignites by a multi-spark ignition that creates up to five sparks per cycle.
Naturally aspirated 3.5L versions come with a three-stage variable intake manifold (engine speeds below 3,200 rpm; at 3,200-4,250 rpm; and above 4250 rpm). The M276 engine also features a vane-type, demand-controlled oil pump, an optimized water pump, and a variable alternator.
The 3.0-liter version was released in 2013. The M276 DE 30 LA engine uses the same architecture of the 3.5L V6, but with a reduced bore and stroke at 88 mm x 82.1 mm (3.46 in x 3.23 in). Also, this DELA30 engine was turbocharged with twin IHI turbochargers. Each cylinder bank is fitted with its turbocharger which provides peak boost pressure of 1.8 bar (26.1 psi). For 2015-2016, Mercedes offered a higher output version - DE30LA AMG. The compression ratio was lowered to 10.5:1 and turbochargers were tuned on higher boost. This engine delivered 362 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque.
In 2014, Mercedes introduced a biturbo version of the NA 3.5L M276 V6 - the M276 DELA35 or DE35LA engine. This new engine became the successor for the DE30LA. Like the 3.0-liter twin-turbo M276 engine, the DE 35 LA engine also features a 10.7:1 compression ratio, direct injection, and twin IHI turbochargers. Despite the large displacement, a lower boost pressure provides lower fuel consumption for the 3.5L engine compared to its 3.0L predecessor.



Engine Specs
Manufacturer

Daimler AG

Production years

2010-present

Cylinder block material

Aluminum

Cylinder head material

Aluminum

Fuel type

Gasoline

Fuel system

Direct Injection

Configuration

V

Number of cylinders

6

Valves per cylinder

4

Valvetrain layout

DOHC

Bore, mm

88.0 mm (3.46 in) - 3.0L
92.9 mm (3.66 in) – 3.5L

Stroke, mm

82.1 mm (3.23 in) - 3.0L
86.0 mm (3.39 in) – 3.5L

Displacement, cc

2,996 cc (182.8 cu in)
3,498 cc (213.4 cu in)

Type of internal combustion engine

Four-stroke, naturally aspirated/turbocharged

Compression Ratio

10.7:1 - M276 DE35LA and M276 DE30LA
12.0:1 - M276 DE 35 red.
12.2:1 - M276 DE 35

Power, hp

272-367 hp (200-270 kW)/5,000-6,000 - M276 3.0 version
252-333 hp (185-245 kW)/6,000-6,500 - M276 3.5 version

Torque, lb ft

295-384 lb-ft (400-520 Nm)/1,300-4,000 - M276 3.0 version 251-354 lb-ft (340-480 Nm)/1,200-5,200 - M276 3.5 version

Engine weight

-

Firing order

-

Engine oil weight

MB 229.5/229.51, SAE 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30, 5W-40

Engine oil capacity, liter

6.5 l (6.9 qt)

Oil change interval, mile

9,000 (15,000 km) / 12 months

Applications

CLS 300, CLS 350, CLS 400, ML 350, ML 400, GL 400, C 350, C 400, C 450 AMG, E 300, E350, E 400, S 350, S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID, SL 400, R 400, GLE 400 Coupe, GLE 450 AMG (Coupe), S 400 4MATIC Coupe, ML 300 4MATIC, GLK 350, SLK 350.



Mercedes M276 Engine Problems and Reliability
The M276 V6s are good, reliable engines with not so many issues. The most problematic place is a two-stage chain drive system of the engine. This system had some issues with insufficient oil supplied for the chains, which causes them to wear quickly. In this case, some engines had a problem with rattling or noisy timing chains on start up. Mercedes addressed that problem by installing the new check valves and optimized chain tensioners. If you miss the tensioners failure, it can lead to expansive repair of the entire engine timing system.
Remember that direct injection nozzles are sensitive to fuel quality. Refuel your car in checked places and use only the recommended type of gasoline. Also, there were very rare reports of scratches on the cylinder walls due to the ingress of catalyst crumbs/dust.
The approximate lifespan for the turbocharged 3.0-liter and 3.5-liter versions is 160,000-180,000 miles (250,000-290,000 km). Naturally aspirated versions usually reach 200k miles mark. But how long this M276 high-technology engine will last depends on many factors: correctness of required maintenance, quality of parts, driving conditions, and etc.