The 6.3-liter V8 engine Mercedes M156 was produced at a plant in Germany from 2006 to 2015 and was installed on AMG versions of such models as C‑Class, CL‑Class, E‑Class, S‑Class, SL‑Class. There was a version of this engine with a dry sump for sports cars under the symbol M159.
The V8-family includes: M113 E43, M113 E50, M113 E55, M119 E42, M119 E50, M119 E60, M156, M157, M177, M273, M278.
Specifications M156 E63
| Production years | 2006 – 2015 |
| Displacement, cc | 6208 |
| Fuel system | injector |
| Power output, hp | 457 – 525 |
| Torque output, Nm | 600 – 630 |
| Cylinder block | aluminum V8 |
| Block head | aluminum 32v |
| Cylinder bore, mm | 102.2 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 94.6 |
| Compression ratio | 11.3 |
| Features | DOHC |
| Hydraulic lifters | yes |
| Timing drive | chain |
| Phase regulator | on all shafts |
| Turbocharging | no |
| Recommended engine oil | 0W-40 |
| Engine oil capacity, liter | 9.0 |
| Fuel type | petrol |
| Euro standards | EURO 4/5 |
| Fuel consumption, L/100 km (for Mercedes E63 AMG 2008) — city — highway — combined |
22.3 9.8 14.3 |
| Engine lifespan, km | ~250 000 |
| Weight, kg | 199 |
The engine was installed on:
- Mercedes C-Class W204 in 2007 – 2015;
- Mercedes CL-Class C216 in 2006 – 2010;
- Mercedes CLK-Class C209 in 2006 – 2010;
- Mercedes CLS-Class W219 in 2006 – 2010;
- Mercedes E-Class W211 in 2006 – 2009; E-Class W212 in 2009 – 2011;
- Mercedes ML-Class W164 in 2006 – 2010;
- Mercedes R-Class W251 in 2006 – 2007;
- Mercedes S-Class W221 in 2006 – 2010;
- Mercedes SL-Class R230 in 2008 – 2011.
Disadvantages of the Mercedes M156 engine
- The most well-known problem with these engines is low camshaft life;
- This even led to a class action lawsuit by the owners, which was rejected;
- The main culprit for this is considered to be the wedge of the plunger pair in hydraulic compensators;
- In some cases, the valves disintegrate from the impact and fall directly into the cylinders;
- Another known weak point here is the short-lived head bolts;
- Before 2011, units had rotted bolt heads, which led to antifreeze leaks;
- And problems with rapid wear of camshaft sprockets affect all engines until 2015.
