Clark Kent

Gentlemen, I could use your help. My M156 engine (2010 C63) experienced a fatal event just over a week ago and it is essentially not repairable - meaning not cost effective to do so. I had two different shops diagnose the car and both are leaning towards a crank bearing disintegration. The thread discussing this is in the W204 forum . . .
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...e-failure.html

The M156 definitely has its well known weaknesses (headbolts, cams, cam adjusters, lifters) and although my failure may or may not be related to any of those, the consensus is that the lower end of the M156 is quite sturdy and so my situation is an anomaly. I feel that my engine and my time with my beloved C63 has met a premature demise. That said, I find facing the dilemma having to buy a new engine/prep/installation or walk away from my track oriented now paperweight to be a distressing situation.

I am requesting your assistance should you have any AMG contacts that would be willing to discuss with me the possibility of MB/AMG making a goodwill gesture and contributing to the resurrection of my car. As I am not in the same financial strata as this audience and I would be appreciative of some corporate help from MB USA - such as has been done for headbolt failures.

I know a number of you are arriving in Austin (where I live) for the Driving Academy this weekend. I too am quite experienced at CoTA. I have nearly 20 days of track events with 4-5 sessions per day under my belt there and I loathe the thought of not going back for more.

I feel that I have been a superb AMG ambassador at that track as plenty of more track capable cars have been caught and passed allowing those drivers an opportunity to enjoy the exhaust note of the 6.208L NA V8 - and I would hope that representatives of AMG or other contacts that you may have would be proud to have me back out there doing my best to always catch and pass the next driver ahead of me.

Thanks in advance,
David

shardul

iTrader: (1)

Truth be told you are not going to get any goodwill assistance from MB.

guynamedsean

I'm really sorry to hear about your car but why would MB help you on a used, probably modified, track driven, out of warranty car? Let's say they did help you, then people like us that actually buy the new cars would really be paying for it, wouldn't we?

AMG 17GT

Even if he had a warranty ​​, it could have been voided by the track use.

How many any miles on Car?

Vic55

I have never heard of MB doing such goodwill on a, technically, 8 year old car that has been modded and tracked and is also out of warranty from the manufacturer. I would just remember the good times with the car and start your next project. I know this is not what you wanted to read along with the others above but its the reality I fear. Sorry for your troubles as well.

Clark Kent

Shardul - I never got to install the billet idler pulleys I bought not too long ago I had some other work planned and was waiting to lump the two tasks together.

Thanks everyone for your input. I am aware of, and in agreement to, the issues pointed out regarding 8 years old, out of warranty, track use . . . all valid points and I knew that up front. My main point being 'real world advertising' for AMG. For the number of days I've been at CoTA I am often the only AMG there. Hundreds of other cars. One AMG. I have seen others once, maybe twice, and I know of one GT-S driver consistently participating now. But mostly it's just me. And for that I'm taking a stab in the dark for some corporate help getting back out there.

I am not claiming the car failed me or AMG fell short in any way or is culpable in any way. The Driving Academy is hosted at CoTA this weekend as you all know. What's the main point of this event? To disseminate the track capability and driving experience of an AMG product - to a captive audience. I feel I help do the very same thing all year round, to a larger, non-customer audience. As an instructor for one of the track day organizers, I take paying customers out on track for a (near) full speed session of 25/30 minutes. As the passenger watches us go around (some) Porsches, M3's, Camaros, Mustangs, an occasional R8, all Miatas .... - but NEVER a McLaren I bet I put the AMG product in good light. And for that, I'd be happy to accept some help from them.

thebishman

Clark Kent

Thanks Bish. I certainly wasn't asking or expecting an engine replacement as that's too much for me to accept. I was thinking more in the line of a sponsorship to help get me back out there and then they can feel free to use my back window for logo/advertising. Sort of like the Winding Road Racing sponsored cars I see out there all of the time. But I would expect the majority of the expense to fall on me like it should. Sponsorship would alleviate the liability that you and I both thought of.

I have been utilizing a link offered by another W204 forum member to search for engines just as you stated. Even if the just right engine isn't available right now I can wait and just keep my AMG paperweight in the garage. As you can imagine, I want a post headbolt/lifter/cam issue engine. So 2012+ to be safe. Or 2011.5 if I have access to the engine number to run it's production date.

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions.