Anyone help out here
I have a 99 E320 50k miles, over the last 5k miles a clicking noise has started from the engine. Has the car serviced this week and the dealership say this clicking noise is comoing from the "lifters" . Is this an issue that anyone else has had, and what causes this.?

Car has been serviced by Merc regularly. Bit surprised by this problem amd the quote to repair approx $1300.

 

My 99 C280 with the V6 has a tapping noise also, probably a lifter, but it doesn't burn and oil it run fine and it comes and goes, I hear it in very hot weather, but on cool today like today, nolthing, I'm not sure if it's even a lifter, never botrhered to have it checked out.

 

-defective lifter
-lack of oil at some point

 

Is your engine aluminum? The block and heads or just the heads? If so, it's probably caused by that. Aluminum transmits normal engine clicking sounds better than cast iron. Heat will change this characteristic so the sounds become louder, softer, or absent.

 

Yes your 100% correct the head is alluminium and the block cast iron, at least that is what I assume. But for $43K when brand new, perhaps there is some gold in there. But, between heat and aluminiums tendancy to transmit more noise then iron due to density of the materials, I' not worried about the it at all.