With 100k miles on the 63s or more which is a nightmare and same situation as I’m in now basically. I would have 100% gone for a 6.2 AMG but none were available and at the time was not too sure about the regular maintenance costs with AMG tax. I know a lot more now than a couple years ago. I’d grab it in a heartbeat as it’s a future absolute classic. The 550 maintains the rest like a standard e350. Same transmission etc. but at this point I’m sure it’s more than a wash
Glad you decided to keep yours. I had mine since new, and have been modifying it since 2018 since it began its daily driving duties. If you have questions about it let me know.
Nice man! Yeah love these things. ECU tuned and looking into a Morendi TCU tune next month. These cars are a beautiful blend of AMG and comfort. Maintains like a e350 everywhere else but the engine. What sort of miles do you have on yours? What mods have you done? How’s engine health?
@@mrapter7 Downpipes, Stage 2 Renntech, Brembo rotors with NAO pads (direct from Brembo), Air suspension height control. I am at 124k miles. And I have the only US E550 with ILS coded in a preface lift.
@ChrisAchiles ILS or ILS plus? My prefacelift has ILS but not Plus, as coding in requires hardware addons - not just coding. ILS+ is only available on facelift headlight units as well. What kind of power do you put down or is it rated for? Do you have everything else coded in as well? Agility mode, better throttle response, etc
@@mrapter7 Mine literally says Intelligent light system on the cluster, and it goes thru the whole check up of ILS when being coded in. If it says active curve illumination, then ILS is not enabled. th-cam.com/video/UomxFhuEIRw/w-d-xo.html Right now is making about 520WHP. It a daily so nothing too crazy. I also own an S213 E63, that is the weekend car.
Same problem here, 550 wagon 2012, dealer mantained, 100k miles, engine stuck... total rebuild, 25K. The company that did the rebuild get steel sleeves in the block and they did a couple of this engines a month....
love the video and the car man!! Hopefully the 5.4L doesn’t have the same amount of issues since it’s running no boost, but we’ll see how my stallion holds up! Lovely rims, wouldn’t change them for sh*t.!!!
Sad to learn about Mobil 1. I’ve had my W212 V6 for more than a decade. I’ve always used Liqui Moly Leichlauf Hightec 5w40 with Ceratec on every oil change.
low compression, chewed up camshafts, metal coursing thru the engine oil and misfires would disagree lmao. Good to know you haven’t had this experience, but I’m certainly not the first with this engine
I do have one - and I’ve been waiting till this year to make a video as I’ve had it for about a year now - it’s about half the price as DMP car design - and it’s identical hardware. Really an interesting take on how DMP may be drop shipping people stuff for egregious pricing. Hoping to film something this weekend or next! Got a lot in the pipeline
@mrapter7 would you mind sharing more info on it? Would love to get my hands on one also love the channel I got my e550 this weekend and found your channel today and find the content very useful
@nightaxe7 glad I can help thanks so much for watching! I love these platforms - if they are a bit finicky. That being said I’d love to do a short on it this week, hopefully tomorrow. I’ll field some questions so I make sure my next full video answers what you guys want to know! Follow me on IG as well, @KoreanSeats I post content there daily!
So, Which oil would you recommend after saying that Mobil 1 isn't the best despite Mercedes adding it to its specification oil. Am asking because I have same e550.
How does Amsoil European Formula with Liquid Moly Ceratec added to each oil change compare to using LM alone?? Also, thanks for the content. If you look at all the amenities the Mercedes 550 has and you try to find a car these days in this 💩💩💩💩 economy, your $25,000 engine change is justified imo. Buying another used Mercedes could be inheriting someone else's problems so you're good now👍🏼
I actualy spent 12k to change all of the top end, camshaft, adjusters, rockers, chain, and more... my car is at 140k miles, it is the newer one (2014 model so updated engine), as much at it was a dumb thing to do I hope to see how long it will last now. the mechanic said that my compression and cylinder walls were fine, I need to make an appt for trans oil change. regardless thanks for sharing your story, my chamsaft had the same scoring too. this engine has so much potential if it was done right. in the UAE they metal sleeve it and change rings and apparently it lasts a lifetime after that.
That’s the thing - if the walls are really fine, and you have confirmed for yourself that there is no compression issues, you’re probably fine for the future. I came 14k out of pocket for this repair and I was looking at about 10k + to repair the top end - so same situation. The extra 4k was a no brainer for a motor with 100k miles less & warranty. If you don’t have Xentry installed by Amir, get it done asap. You can run a software compression test that times the cylinder rotation during testing. (Cuts fuel, just starter) and it should show RPM - anywhere within 5-10rpm variance is super good. My cyl 5 was at 280 when the others were 210-215. Worth doing and is free and can be done anywhere with Xentry. You do have a better revision, and better walls but not impervious. If you had to rebuild at a later date now that the top end is taken care of, I would do it and sleeve the cylinders with a good material as you mentioned. That, with updated top end, can’t see why it wouldn’t last a long time with proper maintenance.
I bought my 2014 E63S about 11 months ago with a little under 98k, replacing my totaled 04 E55. I bought it private party from the original owner which I thought was pretty cool. All dealer service, although that means 10k oil changes which is a little concerning. And probably not the best oil. I put a little over 5k on it and it sits (in my garage for the winter) at around 103k. Zero mods. I intend to do a Blackstone oil analysis soon which will give me an initial idea about any issues. I feel like I don't have a handle on some of the many things that can go wrong on these, internally. Oh, I did unplug my oil solenoid because that's my thread on the W212 AMG forum. The injectors can carbon up and slowly lean out a cylinder, which seems to be where the scoring can come from, and I haven't figured out a way to test that. What's this check valve? One last thing - I paid $27,500 for the car which I thought was a pretty good deal. But it is NOT a daily (kind of a semi-daily in the 3 good driving seasons, though). I have an 07 S550 which has been phenomenal as my real daily.
Damn dude could’ve bought a low mileage example instead. Or a e63. That sucks, these cars really are for rich people unless you know how to repair stuff yourself.
My w218 cls550 is a 2014 but produced 09/2013 I have the split cooling with the high temp and low temp reservoirs I got the vehicle at 48k miles the service history was good unfortunately I have rebuild title bc I bought it from auction (rear ended) and I love the car I’m at 70k now after two years and I still have the tick 😭
Unless you have the AMG 157 nothing is forged, however 2015+ get better cylinder walls and cams. At 70k miles, unplug your oil solenoid (google m278 solenoid mod) it’s a recent discovery that can help the poor lubrication death these engines face. Do a compression test to check health of the engine but no, I wouldn’t tune any engine that’s ticking. You may have some of that top end wear I was talking about due to poor lube. A lot of times this can be repaired with one camshaft and some lifters but YMMV. If it’s a tick like I had with RPM, then it’s cam related / lifter / valve train. If it’s a startup rattle or tick that’s something else but not as serious and should be repaired asap
Impressive! First gen m278 then. Could you detail major things you’ve gotten done for us? Timing chain update, tensioners, checkvalves, any major overhauls or service aside from what’s in the book?
@@mrapter7 I’ve owned it since 150k had the updated timing chain when I bought it. I’ve done tons. Engine mounts, heater valves under intake, cleaned valves while there, full transmission service, diff services, cv re seal, headlight lenses, cam sensors so oil won’t back up the harness, lower control arms, sway bar links, E63 front struts and air manifold under rear bumper, air compressor filter, liquid moly oil changes every 6k, air filters, new radiator, new transmission cooler, CarPlay box for factory nav, new prints for cam magnets, new oil pan o rings and oil level sensor, alignment from MB Austin. I may be missing something. I have down pipes never put them on. I also have the 10 spoke e63 wheels. But it is currently for sale.
Oils like LiquiMoly & motul are the MOST popular in Germany, Made there. A place like FCPEuro.com offers an easy way to buy oil change kits for these cars. LM has better shear protection, better adhesion, and performs at the designated temps better than Mobil 1 in almost every test I’ve seen demonstrated. Higher quality overall, and like I said is the go-to for euro brands all over Europe. Mobil 1 has shown to thin out at its higher 40 weight, unlike the 40 weight in LM. They also offer awesome protection additives that are proven to work long term, like Ceratec, which helps ceramic coat internal pieces for an oil change or two, further reducing friction. Plus if you buy a kit from FCP, you can return your used oil for a new kit for free. Seriously!
@@mrapter7 Ok that makes sense. I have a 2012 E350, so maybe not exactly the same as yours, but similar themes I think. I just changed my oil with 5w40 mobil 1 european, but I'll make the switch next time, I'm also planning on keeping my interval to 5k miles. I'm sort of dumfounded by the return the oil thing. I know FCP has a lifetime warranty on parts, but that seems like a loophole that will get plugged pretty quickly ... about the time they start getting shipments of used oil and filters. Has this been going on for a while?
Yes, I’m sure there is some kickback on recycling the oil or repurposing it, same with filters. I’m not sure the business model but they’ve been doing very well for a while. I used 0w40 and 5w40 Mobil 1 and this I think contributed to excessive top end wear, that and no checkvalves for a long time. Stick with Benz OE as it performs well, or go with LM and know it’s the absolute best possible oil for your car. I go about 4-5k per change as well, I think that’s great. Lab tests show no difference in breakdown on synthetic oils until almost at least 7k but better safe than sorry!
@@mrapter7 Two questions: 1. What do you mean by the car not having check valves? I have a 2012 E550, so does that mean our early gen m278s didnt come with check valves from the factory? 2. Just to clarify about the oil, 5w40 oil is still good as long as its Liqui Moly and not Mobil 1?
@ralph02136 I don’t like Mobil 1 in these engines personally. Liquimoly, Castrol, penzoil are all great brands to get a euro spec oil. Liquimoly they FCP just offers free oil replacement kits so fundamentally $0 oil changes as I live 40 min from their warehouse. No, our cars do not have the check valve. This is something they add in from a TSB or on the newer 2014+ engines. Search TH-cam for w212 check valve. You’ll find a short official looking video to show how it’s done - not a tutorial but helps visualize. The check valve prevents oil from draining from the top end when off. Without this, over time you’ll hear rougher starts, chain slap, even a slight knocking sound on setup. Lack of this oil on startup has a chance to take out cam adjusters and tensioners over time. I have found that parking on a hill, like downhill, effectively stops oil from fully draining. When my old engine had this issue, when I parked nose down, I rarely had a noise at startup. I park sorts downhill now anyways, but a $20 set of harbor freight ramps can achieve the same thing. Goofy ahh fix but it kinda works in my head
Sure you can! A light tune stage 1 is a great option for no hardware changes - and has lasted tons of time on the properly cared engine. Unfortunately my 100k engine already had some creeping issues. Fortunately there is no documented issues with a stage 1 tune and normal driving. Beating on it? Yeah definitely makes it worse with a tune!
I felt so bad listening to how much you dumped into the car and said "he deserves this sub" 😅
My man. That’s about the only way this car is gonna be worth it. Your sub = Warm Heart. Follow me on the gram for more shenanigans @KoreanSeats
Damn bro, for that total price you could’ve gotten a prefacelift E63 or even a facelift E63S 🥲 but glad to see her back in action.
With 100k miles on the 63s or more which is a nightmare and same situation as I’m in now basically. I would have 100% gone for a 6.2 AMG but none were available and at the time was not too sure about the regular maintenance costs with AMG tax.
I know a lot more now than a couple years ago. I’d grab it in a heartbeat as it’s a future absolute classic.
The 550 maintains the rest like a standard e350. Same transmission etc. but at this point I’m sure it’s more than a wash
Don't let that discourage you, I would and will do the same to mine when it happens. Keep up the great content!
Thank you!
great content, keep making videos and hope your get a lot of miles now with it. at least u got a nice car
Appreciate the words! And yes, not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for the place I’m at, especially with little things like a car
Great video
Glad you decided to keep yours. I had mine since new, and have been modifying it since 2018 since it began its daily driving duties. If you have questions about it let me know.
Nice man! Yeah love these things. ECU tuned and looking into a Morendi TCU tune next month.
These cars are a beautiful blend of AMG and comfort. Maintains like a e350 everywhere else but the engine.
What sort of miles do you have on yours? What mods have you done? How’s engine health?
@@mrapter7 Downpipes, Stage 2 Renntech, Brembo rotors with NAO pads (direct from Brembo), Air suspension height control. I am at 124k miles. And I have the only US E550 with ILS coded in a preface lift.
@ChrisAchiles ILS or ILS plus? My prefacelift has ILS but not Plus, as coding in requires hardware addons - not just coding. ILS+ is only available on facelift headlight units as well.
What kind of power do you put down or is it rated for? Do you have everything else coded in as well? Agility mode, better throttle response, etc
@@mrapter7 Mine literally says Intelligent light system on the cluster, and it goes thru the whole check up of ILS when being coded in. If it says active curve illumination, then ILS is not enabled.
th-cam.com/video/UomxFhuEIRw/w-d-xo.html
Right now is making about 520WHP. It a daily so nothing too crazy.
I also own an S213 E63, that is the weekend car.
Same problem here, 550 wagon 2012, dealer mantained, 100k miles, engine stuck... total rebuild, 25K. The company that did the rebuild get steel sleeves in the block and they did a couple of this engines a month....
If the rest of the engine was fine steel sleeves are the best way to go as it eliminates one of the fault points.
love the video and the car man!! Hopefully the 5.4L doesn’t have the same amount of issues since it’s running no boost, but we’ll see how my stallion holds up! Lovely rims, wouldn’t change them for sh*t.!!!
You mean 5.5? The m237 is a great motor! Port injected and strong. Take care of her and it will last well over 200k
Sad to learn about Mobil 1. I’ve had my W212 V6 for more than a decade. I’ve always used Liqui Moly Leichlauf Hightec 5w40 with Ceratec on every oil change.
I've been around these cars for years, and I'm sorry to say that you've spent tens of thousands of dollars that you didn't have to.
low compression, chewed up camshafts, metal coursing thru the engine oil and misfires would disagree lmao. Good to know you haven’t had this experience, but I’m certainly not the first with this engine
Have you unplugged your oil pressure solenoid? I did on both my M278s. Pressure now rises linearly with RPM.
Yessir! Will be doing a long term review of this. Been about 6 months and 8k miles
Do you have a review on aftermarket radios for the w212 I just got mine and would like android auto
I do have one - and I’ve been waiting till this year to make a video as I’ve had it for about a year now - it’s about half the price as DMP car design - and it’s identical hardware. Really an interesting take on how DMP may be drop shipping people stuff for egregious pricing. Hoping to film something this weekend or next! Got a lot in the pipeline
@mrapter7 would you mind sharing more info on it? Would love to get my hands on one also love the channel I got my e550 this weekend and found your channel today and find the content very useful
@nightaxe7 glad I can help thanks so much for watching! I love these platforms - if they are a bit finicky.
That being said I’d love to do a short on it this week, hopefully tomorrow. I’ll field some questions so I make sure my next full video answers what you guys want to know! Follow me on IG as well, @KoreanSeats I post content there daily!
So, Which oil would you recommend after saying that Mobil 1 isn't the best despite Mercedes adding it to its specification oil. Am asking because I have same e550.
Liqui Moly Molygen 5w40 is what I run in my E63S and was also what I suggested to Luke. Definitely a much better oil.
Yes LM is my go to now
How does Amsoil European Formula with Liquid Moly Ceratec added to each oil change compare to using LM alone?? Also, thanks for the content. If you look at all the amenities the Mercedes 550 has and you try to find a car these days in this 💩💩💩💩 economy, your $25,000 engine change is justified imo. Buying another used Mercedes could be inheriting someone else's problems so you're good now👍🏼
About to pull the trigger on a Weistec Stage 1 tune for my 2012 s550 with 70k miles🤔
I actualy spent 12k to change all of the top end, camshaft, adjusters, rockers, chain, and more... my car is at 140k miles, it is the newer one (2014 model so updated engine), as much at it was a dumb thing to do I hope to see how long it will last now. the mechanic said that my compression and cylinder walls were fine, I need to make an appt for trans oil change. regardless thanks for sharing your story, my chamsaft had the same scoring too. this engine has so much potential if it was done right. in the UAE they metal sleeve it and change rings and apparently it lasts a lifetime after that.
That’s the thing - if the walls are really fine, and you have confirmed for yourself that there is no compression issues, you’re probably fine for the future. I came 14k out of pocket for this repair and I was looking at about 10k + to repair the top end - so same situation. The extra 4k was a no brainer for a motor with 100k miles less & warranty.
If you don’t have Xentry installed by Amir, get it done asap. You can run a software compression test that times the cylinder rotation during testing. (Cuts fuel, just starter) and it should show RPM - anywhere within 5-10rpm variance is super good.
My cyl 5 was at 280 when the others were 210-215. Worth doing and is free and can be done anywhere with Xentry.
You do have a better revision, and better walls but not impervious. If you had to rebuild at a later date now that the top end is taken care of, I would do it and sleeve the cylinders with a good material as you mentioned. That, with updated top end, can’t see why it wouldn’t last a long time with proper maintenance.
You have an SUV?
@@Phuong_Nguyen_ E class
I bought my 2014 E63S about 11 months ago with a little under 98k, replacing my totaled 04 E55. I bought it private party from the original owner which I thought was pretty cool. All dealer service, although that means 10k oil changes which is a little concerning. And probably not the best oil. I put a little over 5k on it and it sits (in my garage for the winter) at around 103k. Zero mods. I intend to do a Blackstone oil analysis soon which will give me an initial idea about any issues. I feel like I don't have a handle on some of the many things that can go wrong on these, internally. Oh, I did unplug my oil solenoid because that's my thread on the W212 AMG forum. The injectors can carbon up and slowly lean out a cylinder, which seems to be where the scoring can come from, and I haven't figured out a way to test that. What's this check valve? One last thing - I paid $27,500 for the car which I thought was a pretty good deal. But it is NOT a daily (kind of a semi-daily in the 3 good driving seasons, though). I have an 07 S550 which has been phenomenal as my real daily.
Damn dude could’ve bought a low mileage example instead. Or a e63. That sucks, these cars really are for rich people unless you know how to repair stuff yourself.
Rich is…subjective
Private seller sold you the car so how did you get the warranty?
Asking as I want. Warranty too on a e550
My w218 cls550 is a 2014 but produced 09/2013 I have the split cooling with the high temp and low temp reservoirs I got the vehicle at 48k miles the service history was good unfortunately I have rebuild title bc I bought it from auction (rear ended) and I love the car I’m at 70k now after two years and I still have the tick 😭
I’ve also read that the crank and rods in the newer motors are forged but the pistons aren’t is that true if you could confirm
And do you think I should do trans/filter, diff, fluids and seals before I tune
Unless you have the AMG 157 nothing is forged, however 2015+ get better cylinder walls and cams.
At 70k miles, unplug your oil solenoid (google m278 solenoid mod) it’s a recent discovery that can help the poor lubrication death these engines face.
Do a compression test to check health of the engine but no, I wouldn’t tune any engine that’s ticking. You may have some of that top end wear I was talking about due to poor lube. A lot of times this can be repaired with one camshaft and some lifters but YMMV.
If it’s a tick like I had with RPM, then it’s cam related / lifter / valve train.
If it’s a startup rattle or tick that’s something else but not as serious and should be repaired asap
Can you let me know what warranty did you buy?
Sure, I went thru USWC for my warranty. Didn’t have too many issues with them. Would buy again
By my 2012 E550 with 172k mikes. Runs beautifully’!
Impressive! First gen m278 then. Could you detail major things you’ve gotten done for us?
Timing chain update, tensioners, checkvalves, any major overhauls or service aside from what’s in the book?
@@mrapter7 I’ve owned it since 150k had the updated timing chain when I bought it. I’ve done tons. Engine mounts, heater valves under intake, cleaned valves while there, full transmission service, diff services, cv re seal, headlight lenses, cam sensors so oil won’t back up the harness, lower control arms, sway bar links, E63 front struts and air manifold under rear bumper, air compressor filter, liquid moly oil changes every 6k, air filters, new radiator, new transmission cooler, CarPlay box for factory nav, new prints for cam magnets, new oil pan o rings and oil level sensor, alignment from MB Austin. I may be missing something.
I have down pipes never put them on. I also have the 10 spoke e63 wheels. But it is currently for sale.
@@ryanharte528 how much u want for it
Yeah have you borescoped or compression tested it?
@@shaheer9130 10k
Cls 63s and e63’s are sun 30k right now might as well get a real amg 😂
Both with close to 100k miles + AMG tax on everything? Not for a daily lmao
How many miles the car had when u first bought it ?
Engine had 108k on it with good records for the most part.
So what is the best oil?
Oils like LiquiMoly & motul are the MOST popular in Germany, Made there. A place like FCPEuro.com offers an easy way to buy oil change kits for these cars.
LM has better shear protection, better adhesion, and performs at the designated temps better than Mobil 1 in almost every test I’ve seen demonstrated. Higher quality overall, and like I said is the go-to for euro brands all over Europe.
Mobil 1 has shown to thin out at its higher 40 weight, unlike the 40 weight in LM.
They also offer awesome protection additives that are proven to work long term, like Ceratec, which helps ceramic coat internal pieces for an oil change or two, further reducing friction.
Plus if you buy a kit from FCP, you can return your used oil for a new kit for free. Seriously!
@@mrapter7 Ok that makes sense. I have a 2012 E350, so maybe not exactly the same as yours, but similar themes I think. I just changed my oil with 5w40 mobil 1 european, but I'll make the switch next time, I'm also planning on keeping my interval to 5k miles.
I'm sort of dumfounded by the return the oil thing. I know FCP has a lifetime warranty on parts, but that seems like a loophole that will get plugged pretty quickly ... about the time they start getting shipments of used oil and filters. Has this been going on for a while?
Yes, I’m sure there is some kickback on recycling the oil or repurposing it, same with filters. I’m not sure the business model but they’ve been doing very well for a while.
I used 0w40 and 5w40 Mobil 1 and this I think contributed to excessive top end wear, that and no checkvalves for a long time.
Stick with Benz OE as it performs well, or go with LM and know it’s the absolute best possible oil for your car. I go about 4-5k per change as well, I think that’s great.
Lab tests show no difference in breakdown on synthetic oils until almost at least 7k but better safe than sorry!
@@mrapter7 Two questions:
1. What do you mean by the car not having check valves? I have a 2012 E550, so does that mean our early gen m278s didnt come with check valves from the factory?
2. Just to clarify about the oil, 5w40 oil is still good as long as its Liqui Moly and not Mobil 1?
@ralph02136 I don’t like Mobil 1 in these engines personally. Liquimoly, Castrol, penzoil are all great brands to get a euro spec oil. Liquimoly they FCP just offers free oil replacement kits so fundamentally $0 oil changes as I live 40 min from their warehouse.
No, our cars do not have the check valve. This is something they add in from a TSB or on the newer 2014+ engines. Search TH-cam for w212 check valve. You’ll find a short official looking video to show how it’s done - not a tutorial but helps visualize.
The check valve prevents oil from draining from the top end when off. Without this, over time you’ll hear rougher starts, chain slap, even a slight knocking sound on setup. Lack of this oil on startup has a chance to take out cam adjusters and tensioners over time.
I have found that parking on a hill, like downhill, effectively stops oil from fully draining. When my old engine had this issue, when I parked nose down, I rarely had a noise at startup.
I park sorts downhill now anyways, but a $20 set of harbor freight ramps can achieve the same thing. Goofy ahh fix but it kinda works in my head
Does this apply to the m273 ?
No, the m273 is pretty solid! No crazy inherent issues like the 276,278 and 157
M278 is Junk
As a power delivery machine it’s pretty great. In all other aspects like maintenance, repairs and longevity, absolutely it’s ass
You can’t tune the car without changing internals.
Sure you can! A light tune stage 1 is a great option for no hardware changes - and has lasted tons of time on the properly cared engine.
Unfortunately my 100k engine already had some creeping issues. Fortunately there is no documented issues with a stage 1 tune and normal driving.
Beating on it? Yeah definitely makes it worse with a tune!