OM642 350 CDI - you should check this part out

[lordlee]

Having recently had a slight issue of the car suffering intermittent power loss so I had it scanned at our excellent local indy STAR in Caversham. Typical that nothing came up. Anyway we thought the worst and that it could be gearbox related but Ian at STAR said it was more likely engine related as the gearbox would leave a stored code if it had become faulty. I decided to do some old school home mechanics and wanted to check the MAF sensors out. As I took the the assembly off where the MAF sensors lived I also removed the air filters which had picked up some summer debris. The was easily removed so on to the cleaning the MAF sensors out - in their infinite wisdom MB decided that the twin MAF sensors should be non-removable and form part of a £500 plus piece of plastic. Fortunately in some respects as I removed this I could see an orangey red seal that looked like this...

(Library Pic)

This seal was failing and just starting to let oil through. A thorough clean of everything with a non solvent degreaser around that area and a healthy spray of switch cleaner on to the MAF sensors has the car running beautifully again. The seal was £2.40 or so and the guy at the dealership said it was an extremely common part to be replaced.
So if you have this engine or the earlier 320 CDI then my advice is to check this part and replace it every couple of years - its a 10 minute job at most and is incredibly easy to do. If you don't attend to it and it is leaking then the oil will contaminate the swirl flap motor and you'll have a £500 or so fix required.
Thought I'd share this anyway...

 

[OneForTheRoad]

£2.40 ??

 

[91dm]

Great information, do you have the part number for the seal, be useful for people?

 

[HITECH]

Its always good to check that seal on a regular basis because with heat and winter freezing it starts to break up after a while. Then little slivers breaking up off the seal get sucked into the turbo resulting in a hiss/whistle noise. Yes its a quick easy thing to replace.

 

[Jonesy161]

I don’t have this engine, but this is a great tip and just about sums up the value of the club.
Well done lordlee.

 

[thebiglad]

Does this apply to the 270 cdi as well ????

 

[OneForTheRoad]

No its a £13 part for the om642 v6 engine.

 

[DSM10000]

Having recently had a slight issue of the car suffering intermittent power loss so I had it scanned at our excellent local indy STAR in Caversham. Typical that nothing came up. Anyway we thought the worst and that it could be gearbox related but Ian at STAR said it was more likely engine related as the gearbox would leave a stored code if it had become faulty. I decided to do some old school home mechanics and wanted to check the MAF sensors out. As I took the the assembly off where the MAF sensors lived I also removed the air filters which had picked up some summer debris. The was easily removed so on to the cleaning the MAF sensors out - in their infinite wisdom MB decided that the twin MAF sensors should be non-removable and form part of a £500 plus piece of plastic. Fortunately in some respects as I removed this I could see an orangey red seal that looked like this...

(Library Pic)

This seal was failing and just starting to let oil through. A thorough clean of everything with a non solvent degreaser around that area and a healthy spray of switch cleaner on to the MAF sensors has the car running beautifully again. The seal was £2.40 or so and the guy at the dealership said it was an extremely common part to be replaced.
So if you have this engine or the earlier 320 CDI then my advice is to check this part and replace it every couple of years - its a 10 minute job at most and is incredibly easy to do. If you don't attend to it and it is leaking then the oil will contaminate the swirl flap motor and you'll have a £500 or so fix required.
Thought I'd share this anyway...[/QUOTE

Part number for the V6 please?

 

[mercmancdi]

There’s another we orange flange one as well in there if I can remember right , worth renewing it as well while your doing it along with the air filters.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Genuine Mercedes-Benz OM642 Red Turbo & Breather Intake Seal Kit NEW | eBay

 

[KeithJG]

I use this Dealer for my oil etc. and very good service but read carefully all the print:

This ad says for VARIOUS OM642 engines the orange seal for my engine was £38!!....it is the updated seal the older one MAY be cheaper but leaks more easily......my dearer one does not degrade at all.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Can't be right . its £2.40

 

[mercmancdi]

Can't be right . its £2.40

What seal did you pay £2.40 for
Was it the small orange one or the big orange one.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

What seal did you pay £2.40 for
Was it the small orange one or the big orange one.

If you read the first post. The op said the big turbo seal was £2.40

 

[mercmancdi]

If you read the first post. The op said the big turbo seal was £2.40

Ok missed that ,but where do you get them for that price.
Cheapest online I can see is around
£ 15

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Ok missed that ,but where do you get them for that price.
Cheapest online I can see is around
£ 15

You can't.

 

[mercmancdi]

Ok for the 2 orange one,s from M B
Main dealer is £19.02.

 

[m80]

Be careful fitting the new fatter seal to older 320 V6's.
The air filter isn't designed to take it and the new seal can cause the surrounf to break.

The new seal will go but needs some support of the jubillee clip when pushing back on.

 

[mercmancdi]

Be careful fitting the new fatter seal to older 320 V6's.
The air filter isn't designed to take it and the new seal can cause the surrounf to break.

The new seal will go but needs some support of the jubillee clip when pushing back on.

Yes thanks , the last ones I fitted was to an 05 and I think it had the
tabs on it .
Don’t know if they need done but changing filters so will do them for the sake of £20 while I am there .

 

[OneForTheRoad]

i smeared my seal with a bit of lube as getting the flat bat back on was tricky.