Take a guess at my new M156 equipped car. A little hint, it's white on black.

I have 15 friends who own the m156 AMG cars with this engine. No problems at all like what you are describing here. Me personally, I have a 2008 CLS 63 AMG 6.3 . Absolutely awesome car with absolutely no problems. The secret: Regular oil Changes, Every 5 years, replace Spark Plugs and Wires and Coil Packs. No bolt problems. Awesome Vehicle. Totally reliable and great at High Speed . I converted this car to 650 HP Naturally Aspirated. 0 to 60 in 2.79 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 10.179 seconds at a speed of 132.658 mph

this channel is a wealth of knowledge to Mercedes owners or future owners, keep up the quality work Alex! thanks

This was one of my favorite videos so far. I really appreciate insight into the real life issues with these cars. There aren't many people doing what you do. Thank you!

I own one of these and have to say had a couples of issues mentioned. I also think that a 500 hp engine on a sedan is a lot. It’s supercar level power so you need to be prepared to spend a lot of money in preventive maintenance. My car has almost 50kmiles and puts a smile on my face every day. That comes at a cost. If you are worried get an extended warranty.

Check out Tasos Machatos from the UAE. He has many videos about lifter and camshaft lobe failures. He tends to think it is an oiling issue as they aren’t always ceased.

Absolutely great content, I love learning more about these things, and you truly are great at teaching, thank you. Subscribed also props to throwing shade at BMW

Love this video...am so glad you actually went in depth & covered all these known issues with the M156, there are lots of misinformed car "youtubers" out there giving out false information saying this engine has absolutely no issues. I'm on my 2nd C63, my '09 with only 40k miles had lots of problems. My 2013 with 60k miles has noisy lifters constantly though I love the car for everything you've mentioned in the end.

Great video. Former C63 owner here. Had the headbolts, lifters, and injectors replaced preventatively. I’d also recommend the plastic idler pulleys get replaced with some type of billet pulleys.

Omg thank you for this video!!!!! Mine is an 07 w211 E63 with 126,000 miles. I have had none of these problems but they guy I bought it from kept meticulous maintenance records and kept it dealer maintained from new. I know how lucky I am with all of the problems this engine has.

These issues are easy repairs that don’t just present themselves out of no where leaving you on the side of the road. It’s a 6.2L engine that is capable of over 500hp in 2007

Great vid Alex! I just got done watching a tear down of a failed one of these. It showed so many things you talked about. Thank you!!

REally happy to see this video and finally know the ins and out of this engine!

aaaand even after all of this, I STILL WANT IT

After watching this, I am very proud of my $6K S63 with 175K miles. Old video, still helping guys like me today! Happy New Year!

This is a GREAT idea for a video series ! Another GREAT video !!

Wonderful video alex! Very well researched and interesting af! Please make more videos like this one

I have a 2013 C63AMG and love it! The sound and pull makes me smile ear to ear. Pick the latest models you can with this engine.

M113 for the win! Mine still runs smooth after 220k miles

Great video love the informative information you provide

Great stuff Alex!

Great points Alex but I'm still offended lol! I love the m156! My w211 I bought with ARP studs already done. My w221 S63 doesn't have them but with almost 100k miles I would already see signs of head bolt stretch. A lot of the lifter, tappet, bucket, adjuster noises/sounds are related to oil.. since these engines burn oil with lots of higher rpm driving most people don't top off and continue to abuse causing accelerated wear on those oil dependent parts. With consistent oil changes and keeping the proper level those damages can be prevented. Don't forget the intake gasket leaks which seems to be pretty common and even the intake manifold itself have had cases of corrosion which creates a nightmare on diagnosing. OH... and pulleys are designed poorly for being such a high revving engine. As always, love the videos! Keep up the great work!

Pump those m156 videos out so we can start preventative maintenance from home plz!

Fantastic video! Thank you for pulling back the curtain and showing us the Wizard of Stuttgart. He really needs to up his quality control and durability/reliability testing!

Great Edit with the Lil Boosie Cilp.......love how this channel has grown

Great video Alex just one more issue with them, the intake manifolds leak air, especially the plate the throttle bodies bolt up to, not sure what material its made of but it literally corrodes and causes holes that leak air causing a lean condition, it’s an easy fix as there are quite a few companies offering aluminum replacements for it. Just did one last week. Have another one coming in with broken head bolts that needs attention, that one is getting a blower while I’m at it!

Congrats on hitting 150’ k subs , on your way up buddy! Well done !!cant wait for the next vid

On of the best episode Alex good job!waiting on more episodes like this about other engines

Great concept! More of these videos!

Looking forward to future videos! I myself did exactly what your taking about. I got a great deal on a 2010 E63. I’ve changed the head bolts and the hydraulic followers myself.(valves) but the cams looked good. So they stayed. I’ll continue to keep an eye on them going forward. But the performance is great. I’m looking to add some more power as well. 👍👍👍👍

Awesome content! I love your channel and your attention to detail!

Cant wait to watch you fix this into amazingness!

Love the vids. You inspired me to get back into the mb diesel game. I got an 05 320 cdi and the engine looks new. Amazing car

Interesting... I haven't heard of the fuel injector issue. Good info overall.

"Would suck up an animal if it could" 😄😄 Loved it!

Interesting video Alex , I'm getting my E320 CDI in the next couple of months and I can't wait buddy 😁😃👍

Thank Alex for another informative video! I can’t wait to see the new Mercedes!🐟

First 10 minutes you had me about to write up my craigslist listing on my early model e63. Last 5 minutes you had me closing my craigslist window. Also love this video series where you walk us through the pitfalls of owing bargain German muscle cars with expensive parts.

I have a 2009 CLS 63 amg with the earlier M156 6.2 V8 which has the silver-grey aluminum valve covers and it is supposed to be one of those M156's that is affected by the head bolt issues etc... but my car runs strong and has covered 35,723 miles with no problems or misfires of any kind. It could be the lower mileage... but I read somewhere on the Internet that someone's M156 suffered the head bolt issue at only 17,000 miles !!! It just goes to show. I love the sound of the M156, you just cannot beat this sound and the power delivery is great ! M156 is a legend :)

Great video. Very informative & I'll use this information whilst I decide whether to sell my current car for a C63.

Thanks for making a video on this engine

I have a 2013 Z06 LS7. So far, so good. I'm nearing 70Kmiles with no indications of excessive valve guide wear. I get the oil sampled at the oil changes at Blackstone Labs. So far, there's been no wearable metals detected in the oil. Especially with titanium. I've read the valve drop issues were mostly involved with 2008-2010 engines. In Feb of 2011, GM told Linamar Machining to start doing a 100% inspection process on their heads. Seems to've worked. This engine in a sub 3200 lb car is absolutely terrifying at full chat above 4800. And it's smooth as silk. I absolutely love it. Hot Rod magazine purchased a long block crate LS7 for a project. After break-in, they ran base numbers. Installed, a bone stock LS7 does about 520-525 bhp and 490 lb-ft. And I average 22-24 mpg, and past 2 oil changes, no additional oil in 10Kmiles on each change. It's a real treat to drive.

My first car is a 2013 and I had it for 4 months and now watching this video, I'm definitely buying the extended warranty now

My engine went last August on my 2007 E63, when coolant display showed I turned it off. Had a top engine rebuilt and runs light new. Engine went when I hit 83k miles. Great show Alex.

Thanks a lot for the info!

Thank You so much for this review. You have saved me so much time and money because I really wanted an m156 engine.

Mercedes is going to make you take this video down. Great video.

I usually like older MBs best, but this R230 SL body style (before the facelifts!) looks so so good, I love it. Amazing car.

Currently own two M156s and one M159, a facelift ML63, C63 507, and a SLS GT Coupe. Only the ML63 required the upgraded the head bolts. Upgraded the SLS and ML63 lifters to the Black Series ones. Got my C63 used at 10,000 miles, and has an injector fail at 11,500 miles, but luckily all of them were replaced under warranty. I had an 09 SL63 which I replaced the lifters on multiple times which was odd, but I think that was even before the SLS Black Series existed. Great vid, pretty much sums up all the issues. Something random is that the ML63 chug oil like crazy... gotta add a quart every thousand miles. It’s been like that with the two ML63s I’ve had, but I’m told it’s normal. Love my cars, and this engine. All about that preventative maintenance, and preparation to replace things!

I have had my W211 for a little over year and it's still more reliable than my wife's 2012 E70 Bimmer. Super stoked to see what you do to this engine in hopes of replicating it myself.

Congratulations on 150k!!! On your way to a million and maybe doing this full time!

Brother, thank you! I’m a big Benz aficionado and in the market for a C63 507 edition. Thanks to your video, I know what to check for now. Have a good one and may 2020 bring you more health, wealth & happiness to come

Alex, good to see you recording in Glenview on Lake Ave. Keep the great content coming.

Wish you had made this video last year. After a bad experience of trying to buy an e55, I had an great opportunity for an 08 e63 in Dec of 2018. I never felt so intimidated of an engine before. After putting 3k in work in trying to get it back to stock, I was afraid to push it because of the issues you noted reading all forums. Loved the look; amenities, and sound of raw power. Other than the constant brake squeal with new pads and lube; what really pushed me over was the fact of this grease smell that came from the rear end that permeated the cabin if I left the windows open when driving. I speculated it had to do with drive train but even a European specialty shop could not diagnose or probably didn’t even want to bother with. After putting up with and out so much money I just had to sale it for the safety of my family. First experience with Mercedes but probably my last as I came from a line of Toyota cars. I have never seen issues such as these before on any forums or Mercedes videos. I was done.

Nice Knowledge you have about the 6.3 liter engine which has 6.2 liters :))

You did the Volg very well, broke my heart a little but really good to know👍

awesome video....would love if you did one on the m157

Ah those things can be replaced by yourself and boom a reliable engine. I notice a missing door panel lol

Ive had two w204 C63s, about 60k miles between both of them w/bolt ons. No issues butbi was always on top of maintenance.

This is why your channel is so awesome alex!!! Im planning on getting a SL63 AMG... I knew about the head bolts but I just learned more about this engine I had no clue about...

@legitstreetcars This video was great!!! Please do a 4.2L RS Video like it?,

That Lil Boosie plug had me dead!!! Too funny

The c 63 is my favorite 2 door car ever! The 6.2 is a magical engine it sounds like no other,revs hard and and pulls forever! The issues are fixable but if you change oil very regularly i believe most issues will be avoided! Nothing great comes easy and any race engine is not hugely reliable! Id like to no if the falty parts used were actually lighter to help performance! But any race car engine needs to be highly cared for if you want a reliable everyday car buy the appropriate vehicle! If you want excitement buy a sports car but you will have to look after it!! Nothing comes for free!

Great video -makes me glad I purchased the 55AMG instead! Dude though, keep those hands on the wheel when driving, don’t want you to prang it up on live feed!

Well done ( like always ) 👍

You mentioned a zinc additive for reducing wear. It can help, but the newest oils like the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, and Pentosin High Performance 1, 2, and 3 are using an entirely different batch of additives now and they perform very well in a broad range of lubrication tests - Even better than the high-zinc SJ and SM oils.

The CL63 is a beautiful car tho. My uncle has a 2012 CL550, gorgeous car

So good video!

Love the sound! (Also what Ferrari managed to do with the 812 superfast is insane, 800hp naturaly aspirated)

When the "M" logo shows up talking about rod bearing wear HAHAHAHA. Well done Alex, another great video. My bet is you went with a late first gen CLS 63, with the head bolts already done.

Love the engine and the fact it’s NA. Like with full bolt ons, it will make 490whp NA. Sucks it had head bolt issues

Holy shit - you know your stuff - old school big block - we love it!!

Great Video..I'm nervous about my car now but it has the M159. I was told by people that the engine was "bulletproof" I am wondering, did they fix the issues that you mentioned for the M159 engine?

So glad my 3 AMGs are older models with the legendary M113!!!

The only other issue I think is worth noting is the engines that had the plastic black valve covers - iirc all engines after 2010 is they WILL crack and leak oil at some point. Its in fact that common, that a lot of dealerships and aftermarket shops are always sold out of them and its usually a 2-3week wait to get new ones. Good news is, they are VERY easy to replace if you have little engine knowledge :)

550 SL. AMG. My favorite car. I’m looking to buy one next. What ever year 40 or 50 grand will buy me. This will be my last car. Glad I found you on you tube. I’ll be watching your videos to see how I can fix these cars. Thanks for you videos. Keep them coming.

The sound this thing makes is just perfect

Yes. Start showing the preventative maintenance videos. I want to get an S63. 600 horses and a like amount of torque in an S class will be a beast.

You missed the intake manifold gasket. My car went 215 kmi before the valve bucket problem. 2007 E63 bought new

Great video. I really miss my 2009 C63. I sold it because the cam adjusters started to fail and I was still on the stock headbolts.

Alex, How are you enjoying the car now? Very interesting video, I haven't had any of these problems yet on 2010 with 73K miles.

Hey Alex, great work on the video. I'm happy my snapped head bolts have made it to internet fame. The bolt picture with the red arrow is my car 2008 C63 from Canada with a failure at 57,000km. I also speculate that the failure point was in the second picture with the red lines on the bolt cross section and is why they have done away with that type of bolt going forward. I have more pics and vids if your interested to see them Andrew Amg on facebook. Maybe it's time to make a video on why the OM642 is even worse engine then the M156.

Thanks for posting this, now M156 owners will purge themselves of their C63’s so I can buy two!

Great video! Just purchased the CL63 45k miles. Absolutely loved this car and I hate to get out of it. My SS Camaro was my daily, but has quickly become my 2nd car LOL!!!. So much power and fully loaded luxury. What a fucken car. And now that they've stop making the S63, this will become once of the great AMG vintage cars on the road. Nothing like it.

Great vid, thank you. Your Camshaft adjuster bulletin link is bad. Grateful if you can fix. Thanks 👍

Great info! I've been eyeing a ML63 for some time, but things bout them do scare me. How are the ML550's engines for reliability? New sub and just found you so I haven't been through all your content yet, I'm sure you've covered the 5.5L at some point.

I plan on buying a 2013-2015 C63 , figure buying the last two years of the M156 since the kinks have all been worked out.

I am a Benz tech (independent shops only) for the past 25 years. I remember these same kind of issues on the old M103 straight 6 , as well as some on the old M117 V8's. And the OM 601, 602, 603 dizzel engines. Soft cams, and followers, rocker arms,etc.. I love Mercedes cars, and have owned a number of them over the last 20 years. I always wondered how they could let these kind of things slip by, and wondered if it was an issue with their sub contract companies not following specs. (i have heard that was the case in a number of instances). Like your videos, and you are even teaching an old dog like me a thing or two!

Great, informative video and a look what's behind the glamour and PR fluff of AMG. That said, I am a little surprised that this big n/a V8 has so many inherent issues. A friend of mine had the CLS 55 AMG and that was a money pit, supercharger bearing gone at 80,000 kms (about 50,000 miles) $5k AUD to fix (from MB dealer)..this was after a complete failure of the AIRMATIC suspension $10K AUD to replace all 4 corners about 3 months earlier. Best car to look at, drive and listen to, worst car to maintain and repair.

I want to update from the CLS55 to CLS63 but u definitely scared me a bit lol ..

damn this freaked me out about the 63 engine

The issue with the cam followers and cam lobes was twofold, metal hardness of cam lobe material as well as a well known lubrication issue from oiling holes that were too small, clogged or not drilled out/machined properly. Excellent video- thanks!

Fun fact Mercedes still uses the 6.3l NA V8 in its AMG GT3 race car

1:24 "Cheapest in the country type deal" . . . Hoovie has entered the chat room . . .

Is it just me or is that SL driver side door missing interior door panel?

I have an 09 SL63 AMG. It is a super car! One of the fastest best handling cars I’ve ever driven. No issues with engine. Only the usual others with time. Like convertible stuff. I love it but like some others here have said. Its cost a little to own it and care for it.

Didnt know SL63 had autopilot..😎😂 great video, and awesome engines!!

I have an 07' E63... I do love the car, but it has definitely not been a low maintenance car. Mine has almost 120k miles now. Bought it at 55k as a one owner car with clean title and in near perfect condition. So far, I've had the airmatic airbags go out and replaced with Arnott (highly recommend Arnott as opposed to OEM!), replaced radiator, engine mounts, pcv valve, intake manifold gaskets, radiator hoses, heater control valve, control arms, ball joints, radiator reservoir tank, 3 cams, all 32 lifters, and the transmission and torque converter, all out of necessity. As preventative maintenance I did have the headbolts done but they had not yet failed after 118k miles. As I write this, my car is at the local dealer for some of the items on this list including the transmission swap (went with a Renntech build), headbolts, cams, and lifters. My original transmission completely failed at 118k miles or so, however this being my first high performance car, it was admittedly my fault. I didnt service the transmission every 30-40k miles as one should so I accept that as my own fault. Valve body/conductor plate failure is common as well in the early model amg's with the 722.9 trans. When the car is running at optimal performance, it's an amazing car, and if you can afford the maintenance, it's definitely worth owning one. I've probably spent $30k or more on maintenance in the 3.5 years since I bought mine, and I am a big DIY guy for most stuff. If I'd had the dealer do everything, would've been easily over $50k by now. These cars tend to chew through brakes and rear tires in the blink of an eye, so that's important to keep in mind also. All in all it's been a great pleasure owning mine though... when it's working. 😂

Was wondering when skillshare would get in touch. You've officially made it. Only the best channels have skillshare as a sponsor.

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