Abrown3mtg

Ha! I should have clarified.... the street in front of my house floods all the time. I had a vehicle I loved end up totalled as a result. Not intentionally. I always joked that I should never move in case one of my cars decided to have a significant number of issues and it would be a "shame" if it happened again. No suggestion to deliberately commit insurance fraud.

I could not agree more though. This forum is the "go to" for many people when they have diy related questions. By the "you can't afford it" logic, no one here should be trying to save a few bucks by doing things themselves.

Keep us posted OP on what happens. I hope the dealer ends up helping you out!

Quadcammer

no. There is a difference between wanting to learn more about the car and save a few hundred bucks here and there. But given the talk of 7 year loans and bankruptcy, I felt it was an important comment.

At this point, with the limited info we have, I think we've pretty much given the OP all the options he has to fix the engine. That said, once he does, I think its sound advice that he consider a different vehicle.

jahquan3

As people belittle the poor guy for not being able to afford his car allegedly and then others complain about insurance premiums hypothetically going up. The irony of it all in the same thread.

iridium7777

i can't believe some of the comments here, i'd think that if you're buying a product from a business (dealer) that there is an implied expectation in that transaction that due diligence was done prior to selling this product on the dealers side.

my suggestion to you would be:
- relentlessly contact the dealer and speak to someone higher than a sales person about assistance.
- call your state's attorney general and inquire what protection your state offers for used cars. it could be mandatory 30,45,60 day warranty
- file a claim with your attorney general against the dealer if #1 doesn't go anywhere
- call MB and ask for assistance
- call/check BBB for the dealer, tie that into discussion with attorney general if things are sketchy
- take the dealer to small claims court. depending on your state the value may differ (in mine it's 5K) and i'd file it for the full extent that's allowable. go pay automotive attorney $300 consultation fee, get their tips and then file by yourself. the burden of proof is much less and i think it would be reasonably easy to place some blame on a dealer, for a catastrophic failure within 60 days of purchase.

busted benz

Okay, so large sum of money is about to be spent in some manner to install a new engine. There is 1 used diesel engine available in all of the United States. LKQ is the only place I could find for a used engine since not many of these cars are in junkyards just yet. The price for this engine with 55k miles on it is $8,000 shipped. After seeing this engine fail like it did I am worried about the longevity of the 3.0. I have a serious interest in putting a different power plant in the car. For about $11,000 I can purchase a non flood salvage E63. I want to swap the entire drive train, (engine, trans, rear end) into my body. unless there is some strange problem I think this is entirely feasible. With a full donor car I would be able to transfer all of the electronics, with out cutting a single wire. It would be nice if I could program the existing computers but it may be easier in the end to just swap. Has anyone got any insightful input on this? I am fully capable to swap everything. Does anyone know if there are any structural differences between the e63 and the e350?

homeofstone

Yes,..a lot is different some of which is necessary to handle the power and torque. ie, spring rates, the E63 is a wider car, exhaust set up, drive shaft, and rear axles, all of the front and rear suspension, center carrier bearing, rear diff, engine mounts, body bracing, Tach, transmission in E63 is MCT. transmission mounts, different ECM and TCM. oil coolers for engine and transmission which require the E63 front bumper and mounts, larger radiator, interior console for additional settings required for transmission etc.

a4ncar

busted benz, have you looked into getting the engine rebuilt by a reputable local machine shop? How much is the shop charging to remove and install. I am thinking it will be cheaper than the engine from LQK plus you will know your engine is like new as all parts that need replacement. Best of luck, whatever you decide.

busted benz

I can't find anyone who wants to touch the engine to rebuild it. Since all the internal parts will have to come from Germany. Also there are special tools needed to rebuild the motor. Another concern is that oil pathways may stay plugged with sludge. I was originally trying to rebuild the motor. Ill probably just end up getting this motor from LKQ. Unless you guys have herd of anyone who will work on this engine. I would love to make it stronger if possible. However, I think oem parts will be hard enough to come by.

a4ncar

Any machine shop that builds race engines should be able to do so. Look them up for your area, On the engine rebuild, every single piece will be broken down and cleaned. All parts that cannot be machined will have to be replaced.

I have rebuilt 2 Audi A4 1.8T motors for sludge failures in the past at local machine shop in Houston area. I had the engine removed by the mechanic and took the engine to the machine shop for tear down and assessment. Bought most of the the parts online but the machine shop had connections for parts as well. Here is link to some of the parts http://www.autohausaz.com/search/gro...0%26%20Gaskets

Other than digital calibrated torque wrench and special star / triple square bits, nothing else was needed. Keep us posted.

Here is link to a video on engine rebuild

MB/TECH

Authorized Mercedes dealer Scandal:
http://www.courthousenews.com/CNSNEWS/Story/Index/90117