E Klasse diesel engine issues

Whoa, those are some classic symptoms! I had almost the exact same thing happen with my E Klasse. Rough running, stalling, the whole shebang. I bet you're right about that intake manifold. Scorching is super common. When that gasket leak starts, it messes with the whole air fuel mixture. Did you notice any hissing sounds coming from the engine bay, or maybe a slight whistling? That's usually a dead giveaway.

No hissing or whistling that I've noticed, but with the engine noise, it might be hard to hear. How did you confirm it was the intake manifold on yours? What went wrong, and did it also throw codes related to engine misfire?

The codes definitely pointed to an engine misfire and issues with manifold pressure. We did a smoke test and it was obvious the intake manifold was leaking like crazy. The mechanic showed me the old manifold the gaskets were completely shot, brittle and cracked from the heat. Honestly, it's almost a guaranteed failure point on these engines. I'd say get it to a workshop to confirm, but I'm willing to bet that's exactly what's causing your problems. The eventual repair cost was 1180€.

Thanks for the insight! I appreciate you sharing your experience. I'll book it in at the workshop to get the intake manifold checked and probably replaced. Sounds like that's the most likely culprit. Hopefully, that'll sort out the engine misfire and get everything running smoothly again.