Balance Shaft & Idler Gear Failure

If you own a 2005-2007 Mercedes-Benz with the M272 V6 or the M273 V8, you are possibly looking at a failure of your balance shaft or idler gear. The M272 has the balance shaftand the M273 has the gear, as V8 engines are more balanced and don't require counterweighted shafts on the timing chain drive. The problem with these parts is that during manufacturing, the gears were not hardened properly and after exposure to heat and wear and tear, the gear teeth wear down excessively. When the teeth are worn down enough for the Cam timing to recognize it. Your cars check engine light will come on and you will have codes 1200-Constant adjustment of exhaust camshaft of right cylinder bank in direction 'Retarded' (P0017) , and 1208-Constant adjustment of intake camshaft of right cylinder bank in direction 'Retarded' (P0016) . These engines utilize and variable timing that can compensate the timing up to 40 degrees of rotation. What this means is that for a while after the failure occurs, your car will seem to be fine and run normally because the computer is able to compensate for the wear at this point. As time and miles go by, the gears will wear more and more and the engine will develop a rattle noise from the front cover area of the engine. Due to the significant cost of this repair, many people delay getting the work done, We recommend that you remedy this problem as soon as you are able to keep further damage from occurring. Prolonged driving can damage the timing chain guides, of which, some require complete removal of the cylinder head to replace, this makes an already expensive repair worse. Here at Blue Ridge Auto Werks in Marshall, NC  we can perform this repair with factory parts and knowledge at a fraction of the cost the dealership charges. We are close enough to Weaverville, and Asheville, to make it worth the drive.  If your check engine light is on, give us a call and schedule a time for us to check it out. We are here to keep your Mercedes-Benz running and able to be enjoyed for years to come.