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Advice on repairing M272 Balance Shaft/Timing Chain

44K views 158 replies 18 participants last post by  West 
#1 ·
Well, it looks like it's finally happening.

After 2 years of ownership reaching just over 200,000kms on the car, my 2007 C280 finally illuminated with the P0016 code: Camshaft Position Correlation - Bank 1 sensor A. The code goes off regularly but the computer always manages to pick it back up. This is also accompanied by P0012 and P0025.

Basically any affected M272 owner's nightmare, and I can't imagine this code just being a coincidentally bad sensor unrelated to the major balance shaft issue. I guess my question is now what should I do if it ends up being the dreaded issue? An obvious option is ditch the car, but I don't think I could sell it to someone in good conscience knowing the engine is on it's way out, and it's been a perfect car for me otherwise.

The other option is actually going ahead and fixing it. Is it even worth it to try and fix? The issue seems like it must be doing minimal damage to the engine if any so far since it runs fine. The repair costs the price of what I'd pay for a new (to me) vehicle, but in the end I'd have my car I'm familiar with where I'd no longer worry about this issue instead of a new car with new potential/unknown problems. I'd imagine a fixed m272 would be relatively reliable as well?

Didn't know about the balance shaft issue in the w203 prior to buying or I would have just got a C300 or something, but I'm kind of stuck with the car now and not in the same financial situation I was 2 years ago. If anyone has experience with this issue feel free to give feedback, likewise if anyone knows any good shops in Ontario, Canada who can do the repair at a decent price definitely feel free to let me know.
 
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#2 ·
As I see it, you have a few options. One, if you are not required to pass a vehicle emissions test or inspection, then just rive it until it fails. The VVT system can compensate. You may hear some timing chain noise, but it will likely last tens of thousands of miles or more before the chain actually fails. Two, you can get it fixed. If you DIY, you're still looking at over US$1,000 in parts.
 
#4 ·
Hmm, I'm not required any inspections where I live unless I were to sell the car. Driving it until it dies could be an option I suppose, but I travel a lot for work so the unpredictability is concerning to me. I'd love to DIY the job, however I've never done serious work to a vehicle before and I imagine this isn't the job to start with.

I reckon there's no chance Mercedes would be interested in helping cover parts of repairing this defect?
 
#3 ·
I'm sorry to hear about your issue. I am on exactly the same boat as you. I've actually decided to fix the car and already ordered the parts. The Genuine Mercedes Benz Balance Shaft Repair Kit will run you about $362 for parts from AutoHausAZ.com and Timing Chain Kit is about $300. You will need your fluids and head gasket, etc. Parts could be had for around $1,000. The expensive part is the labor! Good luck trying to find a shop that will do it for less than $4,000. I'm trying to get someone who is a Mercedes Benz mechanic to do it as a side-job. He's still quoting me $2,500 just for the labor.
 
#5 ·
It's a shame the defective parts are so hard to get to. Would be a cheap and worthwhile fix if it weren't for how terribly long it took. I've heard of people mentioning shops relatively close to me that have done the full repair for just over $3000, but I only read those on forum posts from several years ago and who knows if the shops are still doing it. I want to do it myself, but considering I've never taken out an engine I don't think it's a viable option lol
 
#6 ·
Did this to my 2006 a couple years ago, not an easy job. Engine removal was the easiest part. Cam / chain phasing is not easy or simple. I also changed the oil pump while I had the pan off along with a new tensioner, water pump and thermostat. The 272 is a crap engine period! Overly complicated, low HP and problematic. Less than a year later intake took a crap, common issue again. My 06 has just over 100k and being a Mercedes one would think issue like these should not be going on. Oh by the way 6 months after balance shaft repair the engine at cold start makes a loud rattle noise for a second or two. Mercedes service dept claims this is normal. WTF! I would not put any money in these cars,trade it sell it burn it, get rid of it and cut your loss. Stuck with mine, to much $$ invested to dump.
 
#7 ·
The 272 is a crap engine period! Overly complicated, low HP and problematic.
I understand the tremendous frustration with the balance shaft issue, but I (and most in the 164) forum would disagree with this blanket statement. I have two vehicles with M272's and they have, and continue to perform wonderfully. Luckily, neither were affected by the balance shaft problem. My ML350's M272 is at 230,000 miles (370,000 km) and still going strong.

I have some experience the starting rattle. I have found that on my ML it happens when the oil level is anything less than full. If the level drops to the half way point between "Fill" and "Full", I start to hear the rattle again. My theory is that the pump rapidly drains the pan and momentarily runs dry before the oil has a chance to return. I have zero proof of course and may be way off, but I DO know that when I hear that rattle, that's my cue to add 1/2 quart of oil. And when I do, the startup rattle goes away.
 
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#8 ·
Sorry sir your "theory" is wrong, the pan is never empty of oil unless your lets say 5 qts low. I concur it may be an oil starvation issue at first start but this would not explain why after first start and at time minutes later there is no rattle. Let it sit for a couple hours and rattle she does. You have been lucky, most have not. There are way better and more reliable engines, my 2002 c240 has a built proof v6, 350k never one mechanical issue.
 
#11 ·
Sorry sir your "theory" is wrong, the pan is never empty of oil unless your lets say 5 qts low. I concur it may be an oil starvation issue at first start but this would not explain why after first start and at time minutes later there is no rattle.
Coincidentally, it just happened again yesterday. I heard the rattle for the first time in months and added 1/2qt of oil. This morning, she started up quietly.
 
#10 ·
There are already a few shops such as EV West that convert ice cars to electric power. And the W203 would be a great candidate for an E conversion, in that it is a very nice looking and performing automobile that sold reasonably well and has a typical weakness in the engine. It's also not a terribly heavy car. In the next few years I look for these conversion shops to be more common, and even DIY conversion kits to be available for certain cars. There are already kit's for the VW Beetle (of course), and 80s mini-trucks.
 
#13 · (Edited)
QUOTE: I've actually decided to fix the car and already ordered the parts. The Genuine Mercedes Benz Balance Shaft Repair Kit will run you about $362 for parts from AutoHausAZ.com and Timing Chain Kit is about $300. You will need your fluids and head gasket, etc. UNQUOTE.
You will also need new headbolts and some other bolts. Torque is by torqueing to a specified value and then turning the wrench 90 degrees further. This stretches the bolt a quarter of the thread pitch and that can only be done once. If done one more time the bolt can pass its maximum elasticity and not keep its tension.
Don´t ask me how I know but I can tell it is a lot of work to replace the head gaskets too.
 
#17 ·
My C230 balance shaft was replaced by Mercedes at 118k. Cost me 3200 since they picked up part of the repair cost. I drove it about 25k miles with the check engine light on. Mercedes told me the balance shaft gear was down to the nubs and would have failed soon. One week after I got it back the check engine light came on again. Brought it back and they replaced all 4 camshaft adjusters. Now two years later and the adjuster at bad again. It will probably be cheaper to swap the engine since you have so many miles on it. You may be able to find an engine fairly cheap and with a good VIN number so it won't have the balance shaft issue..
 
#18 ·
hmm... I've considered getting a new engine considering I also have intake manifold codes but I have no idea where I'd be able to find one for a decent price. I've never had to swap an engine on any of my cars before (owned a 190E before this), but I imagine the labour is cheaper than rebuilding the m272? Would an '08-'11 engine from a C300 still be right for a w203?
 
#19 ·
Do a Google search. The engines seem to be around $1500. Just make sure you don't get one in the range of the defective VIN numbers and look for a 2007. The disassembly of the engine to replace the engine is pretty labor intensive. Never had an engine replaced in a MB but you can check with some local shops how much the r and r would be vs balance shaft replacement.
 
#20 ·
I replaced the balance shaft myself.
I did not have access to WIS so I used the wrong sealant and had to do the job all over again 1000 miles later as the engine started leaking everything everywhere.
There are some special tools required that I made myself, I have a well equipped garage.
I have been repairing cars all my life but this is by far the most complicated engine I ever seen, worse than even the Mazerati V6.
There are no shortcuts, you need to disassemble the engine totally, crankshaft with pistons was the only thing left in the block when I got access to the shaft. Even a big metal part behind the flywheel had to be removed. The guiderails for the camshaft were damaged and they can not be replaced without removing the heads which requires new headbolts tightened in a sequence, first torquewrench and then degree disc.
If You can find a later engine not affected by the balance shaft issue my advice is, go for it.
The balance shaft replacement requires a lot of skill not easy to find even among professional car repairmen.
 
#21 ·
Thanks for the insight. I'm actually taking my car in next week to have my mechanic inspect the cam positions to verify, although I'm prepared to hear I have the balance shaft issue because of the serial # and the P0016 code. I feel like my only real option is fixing the vehicle, since I couldn't in good heart sell it to anyone and it's in fantastic shape otherwise -plus I love driving it.

My biggest concern is finding a new engine if not repairing it. I'm not entirely sure where to look and I imagine "for parts" cars just take an absolute beating sitting in the Canadian winter. I read somewhere that a later m272 from a C300 is still compatible with my C280 which I'd think to be a safer bet than going with a 2007 production engine even outside the serial range, but who knows.
 
#23 ·
Bit of a follow up for anyone reading: So despite the codes, I had my local MB tech do the standard tests for the balance shaft gear and everything seemed to be in order and line up perfect as far as cam adjusters and timing marks were concerned. Tech has seen a few vehicles with the issue and says mine doesn't seem to be the same case at this point, so that's a bit of a relief for now.

Changing the solenoids/sensors in a few days and if codes don't return then I suppose I'm in the clear for now.
 
#27 ·
Ugh, despite being a totally reliable car to me it is simultaneously a nightmare with these codes. Do you imagine I just have super pre-mature symptoms of balance shaft wear, or could it be timing chain stretch? ECU issue? I assume the gear would wear out in this car eventually anyway, but if the gear wasn't made of defective material I'd think between 300,000-500,000kms is when I'd start seeing signs of wear and not ~200,000km.
 
#28 ·
It could be chain stretch, but that is very unusual. If your car's engine is in the known range for potential balance shaft sprocket failure, then I'd put my money on that being the problem. And you are correct - that sprocket (as with all mechanical parts) will wear out over time even if it isn't defective. But probably not before 300,000 or even 500,000 kms.
 
#34 ·
Yeah, marks lined up at the specified angle. Honestly so stumped. I never had the sensors themselves changed (just magnets), so maybe I'll do that and if the code persists then I guess I'll just keep driving until something more obvious shows up. I don't have any symptoms while driving either like misfires, rattling or vibrations and I take it on very long trips. Just the P0016 code. So confusing.

I wonder if I'd be able to get the service history from a Mercedes dealership. Would be curious to see if the job had already been done by the owner before me (According to Mercedes, they only had it serviced by them) and that's the reason why things are acting strange.
 
#35 ·
You can likely drive a very long time with "balance shaft" failure. The VVT system can compensate for the slack in the chain and the engine will run just fine (though you won't pass an emissions check with active faults, if that is required in your area). Eventually, it will begin to destroy the timing chain and it will break, and at that point, the engine is likely toast. But this would likely take 10K miles or more.
 
#36 ·
When the balance shaft gear is worn far enough to cause the check engine light to come on you will easily be able to see the marks are off with the camshaft solinoids removed. When the balance shaft is really going you will get P0016 and P0017 together. What codes do you have now? One way to check what's really happening is to get a scanner that can read the camshaft timing position (degrees). You can then see what the actual cam degrees are and what the timing system is actually doing. If you put the car in drive and give the car some gas as the RPMs increase you will see the cam timing change. Both banks should agree with each other. You may have a wiring issue with the solinoid wiring, that is also a problem with these cars.
 
#38 ·
When I check my OBDII scanner the only codes I get are P0016 and P2005 (intake manifold, that one is whatever) and I usually have pending codes for both. The car has had weird electrical hiccups in the past so at this point I wouldn't be too surprised if that was causing it, but also I would be surprised if my balance shaft wasn't going since it is an affected M272 with over 200,000kms on it. How much does one of those scanners run someone typically? I don't know how willing I am to invest in one specifically for this car.
 
#37 ·
Here are my photos



Im on the exact boat but my bank one cam marks are slightly off. Im only getting p0016. My engine is supposedly past the affected range. I do feel a loss of power on the highway going uphill. Check engine does go away when lightly driven around town or so. I currently have 146k, have tried swapping both cam magnet and cam position sensor (switched on the same bank). Car isnt work much, id rather sell it for a loss to a mechanic or run it to the ground?
 
#42 ·
The chain run is - From crankshaft - Inlet cam #2 (lh bank) - Balance shaft - Inlet cam #1 (rh bank) - Via chain tensioner to crankshaft.
Your bank 2 marks look good but bank 1 looks off the mark. That would indicate a stretched chain or a balance shaft failure.
Your pulse wheels are of the old type There are modified pulse wheels that are less prone to give fault codes. They come with a balance shaft repair kit. I have attached photos of the new wheels for bank #1.
If it is a balance shaft You will know when the time has come, the sound is unmistakeable.
If it is a stretched chain, new pulsewheels might remove the warnings and you can drive on for a while, how long I do not know.
 

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#39 ·
Yeah your one bank is definitely slightly off. Honestly, nobody is willing to pay a dollar for one of these cars with the balance shaft issue so it's basically fix it, engine swap or stick with it. I haven't seen a 2000s C class in as good cosmetic (and generally mechanical) as mine in person and I paid a good amount for it a couple years ago, so I'm trying to get what I can out of it - but it depends what the car is worth to you. I wouldn't be any farther ahead for the ~$1000 someone may pay me for it so I'm just trying to enjoy it until I can't anymore.
 
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