I have a 2013ML500 with the M278 and the C43 with the M276. Ml has 225,000km on it. Just done major service at 200,000. I think the early 276 had some cam issues. The one we have seems to be rock solid at 100,000km.
Great cars.

 

I have a 2013ML500 with the M278 and the C43 with the M276. Ml has 225,000km on it. Just done major service at 200,000. I think the early 276 had some cam issues. The one we have seems to be rock solid at 100,000km.
Great cars.

This is good to hear. So you got 125K miles with no real issues before the service. I may look at some later W166 models then. Thank you.

 

I have the M276/DEALA 30 (2016 GLE). There known to have a very small dripping from both the timing cover due to it's coating from the factory. It just need to be sanded down, clean and reseal. The trans kind of jerks from 2-3rd gear., get stuck in high RPM before the gear change. It only does this when I'm in full open throttle and it happen rarely. Not sure it's due to the flow of oil getting into the journal, transmission temperature or even dirty oil in the Torque converter. I have done trans fluid change but never did the Tq converter fluid.

I had a CLK with a M113 motor (5.0L V8). I had it for 14 years. I traded it for the GLE. Then recently got a E55 to add to my fleet. I miss the M113 motor and I could not pass it up (I was not even looking for another vehicle).

 

Balance shafts made of soft metal on earlier 272s, check for misalignment of the cam sprockets to check this plenty of YouTube videos and forum posts on this and crank sensors go out plus cam cover leaks, cam chain stretch are some of the issues that I have heard of balance shaft is an engine out job.

 

We have a 2018 GLE400 with the M276 DE 30 AL version. It's been problem free however it definitely has the carbon build up common issue. The engine oil always turns black before the next oil change as if it's a diesel. That's always been happening to that car although it's mostly highway driven 90% of the time.

 

Ok, I've found a 2015 350 with the M276 with great maintenance records. Based on what I'm reading, I think I can assume this engine has the upgraded camshaft drive and check valves and doesn't have the balance shaft issues. Am I wrong? The vehicle seems a bit costly at $21,900 with about 65K miles. Any thoughts on the cost and value? I'm hoping to have the vehicle for at least 5-8 years. I've had my ML320 since 2002 and it still runs well. Looks like a dog with clearcoat coming off and broken interior plastics. But the drivetrain is a beast.

I'm thinking the biggest engine issue will be the coking due to DI. Has anyone performed an intake pull to clean the valves? If so, how long and difficult. I've worked on the M112 engine and pulling the intake wasn't too bad. Also, from amusa comments, the timing cover oil leak could be an issue and maybe a transmission shift issue. Any one else run into this? If I get the vehicle, I'll immediately pull the intake and clean the valves. Thoughts on that? What else might I fix or change out right away if I do the valve cleaning?

I did find a 2004 ML500 with the M113 with only 81K miles. Maybe that is a better option? Thoughts?

Also, how do you all feel about the quality of the features in the W166. Am I looking at some potential high cost fixes with the electronics? One thing I like about my W163 2002 ML320 is the lack of advanced systems.

Thanks again for your feedback.

 

Ok, I've found a 2015 350 with the M276 with great maintenance records. Based on what I'm reading, I think I can assume this engine has the upgraded camshaft drive and check valves and doesn't have the balance shaft issues. Am I wrong? The vehicle seems a bit costly at $21,900 with about 65K miles. Any thoughts on the cost and value? I'm hoping to have the vehicle for at least 5-8 years. I've had my ML320 since 2002 and it still runs well. Looks like a dog with clearcoat coming off and broken interior plastics. But the drivetrain is a beast.

I'm thinking the biggest engine issue will be the coking due to DI. Has anyone performed an intake pull to clean the valves? If so, how long and difficult. I've worked on the M112 engine and pulling the intake wasn't too bad. Also, from amusa comments, the timing cover oil leak could be an issue and maybe a transmission shift issue. Any one else run into this? If I get the vehicle, I'll immediately pull the intake and clean the valves. Thoughts on that? What else might I fix or change out right away if I do the valve cleaning?

I did find a 2004 ML500 with the M113 with only 81K miles. Maybe that is a better option? Thoughts?

Also, how do you all feel about the quality of the features in the W166. Am I looking at some potential high cost fixes with the electronics? One thing I like about my W163 2002 ML320 is the lack of advanced systems.

Thanks again for your feedback.

I have a 15 ML 350 276 engine. They pretty much fixed all the issues by 2015. My indy mechanic says he has never seen carbon build up problems with the 276 engines. I would go with the 3.5 over the 400. BTW my daughter is still driving her 99k ML 320 with over 280k on it. Mostly on Mobil 1 0-40 some 5-40. Price is a little high but so is everything else.

 

One more question. How are the catalytic converters on the 2015 for longevity? I had to replace my 2002 ML320 cats around 95K miles. The cats disintegrated and stalled the engine. Not fun!

 

danriddelltp64a[/B]]Ok, I've found a 2015 350 with the M276 with great maintenance records. Based on what I'm reading, I think I can assume this engine has the upgraded camshaft drive and check valves and doesn't have the balance shaft issues. Am I wrong? The vehicle seems a bit costly at $21,900 with about 65K miles. Any thoughts on the cost and value? I'm hoping to have the vehicle for at least 5-8 years. I've had my ML320 since 2002 and it still runs well. Looks like a dog with clearcoat coming off and broken interior plastics. But the drivetrain is a beast.

The 2015 was better but still a few have the VCT issues. I think they solved most of it in 2016 though some have turned up. 2012-2014 were terrible though.

 

My wife's 2015 ML350 turned 115 k miles this month,Only engine issues have been a noisy fanbelt tensioner, replaced in 10 minutes, and a tiny oil ooze above the alternator.
So far so good
DG

 

Hey all, some thoughts from my work on these cars. I'm out of Miami and I deal with these m276 engines really often, and just had one in the shop with a coolant leak.

On those camshaft adjusters, when these start to go, a good sign is you hear a rattling noise from the engine when you first start it up when cold. It might only last a few seconds... As things get worse, you could notice issues with the Variable Valve Timing VVT system, which might throw a check engine light or cause rough idling. In more serious cases, it can even lead to an extended crank on start (engine takes longer than usual to start) or, sometimes, but not often, a no-start. These adjusters are definitely a sore spot on earlier M276s, though later versions had improvements.

On Coolant leaks, if you're seeing coolant levels drop, the usual suspects for us mechanics apply to the M276. Check for leaks from cracked hoses. Also, gaskets (like the thermostat housing gasket or water pump gasket) can degrade and start to weep. And, the radiator itself or its connections can develop leaks. Sometimes it's a slow seep... other times more obvious.

Oil leaks into the camshaft position sensors, this one's a bit more specific than just general oil leaks from, say, the timing covers. What can happen is oil can actually wick its way into the electrical connector of the camshaft position sensors, and sometimes even travel up the wiring harness. This causes electrical malfunctions, throws codes, and leads to major drivability issues. If you're dealing with ghost electrical problems or codes related to cam position, it's worth checking these sensors and their connectors for oil contamination.

Worn drive belt or tensioner pulleys, this is pretty standard maintenance for all cars, and the M276 is no exception. If you start hearing squeaking or chirping noises from the engine bay, especially on startup or when accelerating, it could be a worn drive belt. But often, it's the tensioner or idler pulleys whose bearings are failing. If these seize up or the belt slips badly, you can lose power steering, alternator function, and water pump operation, so it's good to get them checked if they're noisy.

Faulty PCV valve; if it fails (e.g., gets stuck open or closed), you might notice a few things. This can include increased oil consumption (because the engine might start sucking oil into the intake), rough idles, oil leaks (pressure build-up), or even vacuum leaks which can trigger a CEL. It's a relatively small part but can cause some annoying symptoms.

Hope this helps!

 

Merhaba, 2012 model e350 m276'ya sahibim. Motor uyarı ışığı yandı. Servis zincir dişli setinin değiştirilmesi gerektiğini söylüyor. Sabah çalıştığında ses normal. Sabah çalıştığında 1 saniye geç başlıyor ve bazen titriyor. Sizce sorun nedir? Işık şu anda yanmıyor.

 

For my 2013 GL450 with the M278 engine I use in the oil, 20% by volume, so about 1.8 Quarts, a product called Hyperlube, sold by Rislone. It used to be Hilton's Hyperlube, I have been using this product since the mid-1980s. Rislone bought out Hilton, and I've talked with them and they say the product is 100% unchanged. It's perfect, so no reason to change it. For any of these engines, no matter what oil you use, hyperlube will help to lubricate it better. Which especially in the M278, not sure about the M276, is really crucial because the M278s are reportedly having sometimes an issue with the cylinder walls of cylinder #1 or thereabouts, having not been coated right during manufacture. My GL450 is mere days away from reaching its milestone of 200,000 miles! Happy motoring.