yeah maybe. Either way don't take anything from that dealership. You live in LA, there are so many dealerships here that if you don't like what one is saying, you can just go to a different one.

 

Karo, sorry - I went to bed at the wrong time. Eric is correct. A leakdown test takes effort & workshop time because they have to do it cylinder by cylinder & get each cylinder to TDC. Mechanics don't even like changing 12 plugs & they all run away when a V12 twin plug comes into the shop.

They are actually lucky - on a twin plug cylinder head they can blow compressed air in one plug hole while they measure the leakdown from the other. Just keep at them. You are going to pay quite a lot to have a leakdown test done because it takes time.

I think that Benz has suffered a bad batch of rings and/or pistons - it's happened to them before and Toyota on the 21R engine & Honda & BMW & Porsche that I know of. The first people the OEMs complain to is the oil companies because our "oils are too good" - you go figure. In the case of Benz they can't complain because they approved the damn stuff

The last time Benz had this problem it was rings being too hard with MOS2 coating & modern oils. The ring face is slightly tapered new so it touches the bore in a narrow little contact area at the top of the ring. As it beds in it achieves contact with the bore across the full thickness of the ring. Last time they fitted pre-profiled rings to fix it (ie - pre worn rings effectively)

Toyota's problem was piston to bore clearance & so it goes on.
Good luck

 

BTW - you drive your car hard so I doubt it is a break in problem in the true sense of the word. With modern oils it's people who baby their car too much during beak in that can end up with slightly glazed/polished bores & suffer oil usage.

In an ideal world you would run a break in oil for 1000 miles then change to the premium stuff. With long drain & minimum servicing none of the OEMs want to do this any more.

If it's not the old problem - I think that Benz have probably suffered a batch of soft rings that do not maintain sufficient pressure against the bore or a bore finishing problem. Alusil bores require a special honing technique & chemical treatment to expose the silica embedded in the aluminium. They might have messed up but I'm speculating.

 

+1. Damn, Karo, sounds like you are getting the same quality service I received This kind of service is what I would expect from a Honda dealer. This cost cutting BS, really is hurting MB. Good luck, and like Glyn said, you just have to stand your ground and be persistent. That is how I got all my warranty issues fixed. I wouldn't take no for an answer.

 

Sorry for the late reply, didn't get an email.

I bought the car used in Feb of 09. I have a feeling the car was a lease and it was an older woman driver.
In the owners manual I found a car registration and it had a woman's name on it and was registered to a company. My driver side aluminum trim has little dents. I am thinking this woman had on jewelry and every time she would open the door her jewelry would hit the aluminum trim on the door and leave small hole like dents.
When I bought the car it had rounded up 23k miles on it. I have a feeling this lady babied the car this is why I am having this problem.
I also have a feeling that the car had this problem way before. When I bought the car I before the oil change twice I added a quart of oil. Thinking ok maybe the dealer didn't put enough. Now that I know all this and know from full to the light coming on it's 2 qts I have a feeling I burned 2 qts then I added one and when I got the message I decided to change the oil.

So in reality I burned 4 quarts but I say 3 because I dont really know how much was in there.

Then after the oil change within 4,600 miles I added 3 quarts total. So for sure I am have a problem. It's just I didn't know much about the oil light or else I would have taken it in right then and there.

I am confident that the leakdown test will show positive results for me (not MB).

Eric recommended a place. I will take it there one more time and then if no results I will pay for a leakdown test and if anything get a couple and maybe talk to a lawyer if they don't take care of this.

What do you guys think?



It's sad John, because at one point I literally started hating Mercedes. I told myself I'm going to sell the car and get a Japanese car. Then I started to think it's not the car but rather the service. This is why people don't buy Mercedes anymore. I don't think it's the car but the service you get.

In business you learn if there is a problem you customer is upset. If you fix the problem promptly and effectively then you will generate more business because you customer saw there was a problem and it had been handled well.

I don't know who to blame is it the dealer or Mercedes themselves.

Is it the dealer thinking I rather do easy jobs and get paid rather than doing hard jobs and getting paid? That dealer that I go to always has business and are they picking easy jobs to do rather than the complicated ones?

Or is it Mercedes themselves telling these dealers not to accept certain warranty claims? I just don't know anymore and I kind of see Mercedes differently now.

Back then I use to say Mercedes is the best and get into arguments (not fights but a little verbal argument without yelling or anything) trying to back up Mercedes. Now if the subject comes up I might agree both sides and give Japanese cars a little more points.

My last hope is to go see the guy Eric told me to go see and hope ofr the best.

 

Don't give up hope Karo - Let's get this issue sorted at MBs expense & move on & enjoy the car. I can't believe how much I still enjoy mine & if I had a 350 man I would hang on to it.
I'm lucky - I've had no real problems & the service manager at my dealer is great. Being handled properly makes all the difference as you correctly say. I think the 350 engine in the 203 made for a pretty special car. You won't like driving boring Japanese after a Merc.

 

BTW - leakdown test is the only way to go. If they had done this right up front you would have solved the problem by now. Dealers Grrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

hey Karo don't get discouraged. ALL cars have thier problems. With that said, you know I've moved quite a bit and service really really depends on the dealership and the management at that particular dealership. I've had a very wide range of experiences from great to just average. Again, you have the luxury of just going somewhere else.

Make sure you state your case and don't start off agressively and put the other dealership on the defensive. Let them do thier tests even if they may seem like they are replicating work. Present your problem and let them come to a conclusion.

 

Update:

I called an SA that Eric reffered me to (MJ's SA). The guy got back to me today (he was out sick). He seemed like a very cool guy. He also spilled some beans, he said he has never seen the M272 3.5 consume oil and if it is then I most likely have a problem. He was stright up with me and told me that they have to do a "Oil Consumption Test" and said to come by eighter way so we can get this DOCUMENTED. The guy sounds very legit and I'm starting to not feel discouraged anymore. He said "We have to pull out all the oil and weight it to the exact weight required add it in and then we will do an oil consumption. If it is consuming oil we will take care of it".

This was such a relief. Also my SA called me and told me to contact him. Ya, right like I am ever going to take it there again. The idiots broke the bottom cover (the arm on the right side). I believe this was done when they pulled out the tranny.

Anyway I will keep you guys updated. (tomorrow is my appointment)

 

That's awesome!!! You can thank MJ for the referral though, my car hasn't seen or needed any work from the dealership since I moved to SoCal. Hope everything works out ok Karo, seems like you might be in good hands now though.

 

Finally. Things are looking up. Hope they get it straightened out for you.

Ed

 

good to hear karo...
hope everything works out well tomorrow...

 

Thanks to everyone I have concluded that yes indeed I do have a problem.

Thanks to Glyn I have learned what a "Leakdown Test" is and will use that as a backup plan.

Thanks to Eric I met MJ who referred me to Matt (SA).

Thanks to this forum because I would have never met any of you guys

Thanks to my pops who found this car which I purchased and decided to join the forum.

Thanks to Mercedes for making the w203.

Thanks to parenting who have done a fabulous job of raised you wise members.

It's amazing how the smallest thing will change the future huh?

Thanks again everyone,

Words cant explain how greatful I am to everyones contributions to solving my problem

 

It is amazing when you find a sa that cares about you and will actually listen to what you say and do whatever you tell them too.

Good Luck Karo this has been way to long a process for you. it will be interesting what they find wrong and after it is fixed you should go back to your old dealer and rub their face in it.

 

hahaha...My original SA left me a message to call him back. I think MBUSA got in contact with him and discussed the "not documenting" issue. I'll call him back when and hopefully the problem get's fixed.


I know they will find a problem and it will consume oil. I just hope MB doesn't reject it. From what I understand they have to log all the info and submit it to MB so they can give the ok on the engine work.

I have a feeling it will work because Matt (new SA) told me how he has never heard of the M272 3.5 consuming oil. So it's not a common problem.

I'm soo nervious

 

Don't be nervous - no need - just be quiet & persistent.
Good luck!

 

Thanks Glyn,

Also I checked the oil today last time and it was a little between min and max. So I am for sure burning oil so that's guaranteed.

I also learned how to work with the transmission. You have to tame these 7G transmissions. Now it's super responsive and is always at high gear. All I did was give it a little gas so it downshifts and kept the pushing that gear. Now it holds the gears.

All I have to do is get the oil consumption taken care of and I can start loving my baby lool

Update coming tomorrow.

 

The 7G - when correct, as yours now is, requires a little bit of a learning curve - both you & the transmission. You need to drive deliberately & smoothly. If you want three quarter throttle - shove the gas pedal & hold it there - let the tranny do the rest. Then the two of you will get on much better.

People who try & play ZZ Top with the throttle pedal all day will not be so lucky. Some drivers don't even seem to realise the way they yo-yo the throttle all the time. The 7G does not give of it's best with this sort of erratic driving.

 

Update:

The dealer is going to do an overnight consumption test

I just hope the guy who is going to do the test has a heavier foot than me

The guy is pretty legit. He told me again straight up that I shouldn't even be adding a quart that soon. Even within 3k miles if I add a quart then he said I believe there is something wrong with the engine. He said the only car that he accepts that burning oil is fine is the AMG 6.2 engine.

He also told me that Mercedes expects all engines to burn oil but the key word is "excessive".

He was also very knowledgeable and told me exactly how I expected them to do the test. He said they drain all the oil out and put a certain weight. Then the drive the car for 200 miles at various speeds and then pull out the oil and then weigh it again. Based on that they input the weight and miles and determine how bad the oil consumption is.

I also got a call from MBUSA and you should have seen how the representatives tone had changed. At first when I said about "Weighing the Oil" she said "I have never heard of anything like that". When she called I said "So did you educate yourself on the oil consumption test? Did what I say match to how your techs do the test?" she didn't say anything. Then I told her straight up that "The manual that I was talking about which you said if it's not on the MB website then it's not official well it's actually WIS Workshop Information System and this is what your techs follow". Basically she was telling me she spoke with the Service Manager and spoke with my SA and for me to go back so they can do the Oil Consumption test.

I told her I took it to a new dealer.

More updates coming soon.

 

 

Karo - seeing that this guy seems to know what he's doing & also what he needs to do to satisfy Merc requirements for an engine repair claim - you must go along with him but ask him why they don't do a leakdown test up front - I would like to hear his answer.

 

I just called him to ask about the leakdown test. He said that we have to follow MB standards and also the consumption test is more accurate. He said oil might be in the valve or something like that can't remember and it wont be accurate. Sometimes people get good readings but it's really bad.

 

Yeah - I guess Benz want to know how much oil it's using first not where it is loosing it.

You have to go along with them. They are ze Jurmans & you vill follow procedure ya

As long as they pay - who cares!

 

--------

Ya, as long as they do their tests and hopefully find something i am happy. He also made a note to do a multi point vehicle inspection.

He said it might be done Tuesday because they will do the test Monday and it's an overnight test (Saturday today).

Worth the 34 miles drive

 

Excessive oil consumption is your legitimate and well founded complaint.
The leak down test only helps the technician to verify its source.

Rings or valves? Makes no difference. Enjoy your new engine.