🚗 Classic Fault — Mercedes-Benz W115 (1968–1976)
Valve cover oil leak — M115 engine
💰 Estimated Repair Cost
$15 – $40 USD
Parts and labour estimate
🔧 Tools Required
Socket set, torque wrench, gasket scraper, degreaser
📋 Overview
Oil weeping or dripping from the valve cover gasket. Extremely common on all M115 engines over 100,000 km. The original cork gasket dries and shrinks with age.
🩺 Symptoms
- Oil smell from engine bay
- visible oil residue on top of engine
- burning oil smell after driving
- oil drips on ground after parking
🔍 Possible Causes
- Aged or cracked cork valve cover gasket
- loose valve cover bolts
- warped valve cover
- damaged spark plug tube seals
🛠️ Diagnosis Steps
- Clean engine top and identify leak source.
- Check if valve cover bolts are at correct torque 8 Nm.
- Remove valve cover.
- Clean mating surfaces.
- Replace gasket.
✅ Most Confirmed Fix
Replace valve cover gasket with quality silicone cork set. Clean surfaces. Torque bolts to 8 Nm.
91% of users confirm this fix worked (47 reports)
🏷️ Parts Needed
M115 valve cover gasket set; spark plug tube seals
🩺 Related Symptoms
🔗 Other Mercedes-Benz W115 Faults
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