SA C-Class

Just need to vent... Experiencing symptoms similar to that of the leaking PCV hose and just call the services agents at two various dealers as well as the Mercedes Benz South Africa call centre and what do you know... no recall or service campaign for the hoses even though they admitted that 'the hoses are perishing'... let alone for the leaking cam sensors...

Surely I can't be the only owner of a M271 here in South Africa experiencing this problem...

You guys in the States have all the luck

Guess I will have to fix them out of my pocket

dbvolz

Wow, that sucks. I hope you get some sort of assistance from MB SA. Maybe Glyn will chime in and be able to offer some advice dealing with MB down there.

Glyn M Ruck

You need to kick merry *** to get anything done. Benz have basically walked away from the cam sensor issue globally so the answer here is to go to the press & make a noise until they fix it. They don't want it in the press. Regarding the PCV hose there is precedent with a recall in place in other parts of the world. Ask them politely to fix it or a lawyers letter will follow.

SA C-Class

Thanks Glyn and dbvolz... yes gonna try and get them to sort the PCV hoses at least... like you said, a precedent has been set with regards to that issue and will have to sort the cam sensors myself... guess we all in the same boat with that one... will just clean all the components connected to the harness and hope for the best... funny thing is though... called for the price of the parts and got quite a shock...

271-051-01-77 - Cam sensor (ea) R440.00 : +/- $44
271-150-27-33 - Isolating wire (ea) R407.00 : +/- $41

How can the isolating wires cost practically just as much as the cam sensor itself

Glyn M Ruck

The pricing is BS - the pigtales are like a $2 part. I never understand Benz. The castor bushes are a known problem so they make them ultra cheap to replace. The cam sensor leak is a known problem - they have the pigtales manufactured in a low cost country - Slovakia - & then they rip you off for a piece of wire.

I would get involved with stirring in the press but I have a 6 so I have no grounds to. The compressor we had in the family (3 heads & multiple sets of cam sensors) is gone replaced by a W204 which I'm watching like a hawk. So far great!

SA C-Class

Thank you sir... but yes heard about the head stories and holding thumbs on that one... the other issues I can deal with but I am almost out of motorplan so just hoping and praying it holds out... well a little while longer before I dump the M271 unit for a 6 cyl, maybe a M112

Glyn M Ruck

I'm not punting my old oil company - but if you only use Caltex Techron fuel & drive the car fairly hard you are unlikely to suffer the head problem. The M271 was designed to run on 95 octane Eurograde - narrow distillation fuel. On less than perfect fuel it builds up deposits - these become incandescent leading to knock & errosion of the head. Our family car belonged to a lady who drove it far too gently. I used to take it for a hard drive and incandescent chunks of carbon would blow out of the exhaust & lie in the road smouldering!!!

SA C-Class

Thank you very much sir... on the right track for now, Caltex service station practically on my door step so I (almost) always fill up there... there car is driven hard from time to time but will try and do it a bit more often... thanks once again for the advice

JTUBB

Talking about diesel to be used. Other than the Caltex punt :-) are there any issues with specific brands? What about the 10ppm that SASOL does?

Glyn M Ruck

All diesel available in Gauteng is Sasol Diesel. Sasol diesel is by it's very nature low sulphur. Sasol is able to extract a narrow stream for themselves which is an excellent product. It however makes the most sense for cars with Cat & particulate filter / regen unit.

Diesel in Gauteng is the best diesel in the country quality wise. It is however slightly lower energy value, lower viscosity & density than coastal diesel. Always run 50ppm or lower suphur diesel in a Benz.

JTUBB

Many thanks Glyn. I just got a new C220 BlueTEC so I think that qualifies in terms of your comments on the Cat & particulate filter / regen unit.