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My Mercedes dealer recently told me my 2014 C300 4Matic (around 65k miles) was leaking oil from the cylinder head assembly (inspection report below). The dealer quoted around $1,100 for the repair.
Excuse my ignorance for everything under the hood, but how can I verify the severity of the issue? Can I remove the cover and look for oil stains? My car doesn't leak significantly and there is no oil smell from the engine bay. I don't entirely trust the dealer when he says this needs "immediate attention". I am planning to maybe upgrade next year, so I'd like to know how long I can put this off or repair it in a more cost effective way.
Also, does $1,100 sound reasonable? I am considering taking it to an independent sales shop to save some $$ - is this something I can trust an independent dealer to handle well? Never been to one before so I am a bit apprehensive about having an indy dealer handle engine repairs on my vehicle. Thanks!
I have no idea what a cylinder head re-seal is. It only can leak at a couple places. Externally the valve cover or the head gasket. Internally around the valves.
That snippet in the post says nothing about what they found. I am guessing that they found a head gasket leaking, which can be a big deal, but normally comes with other symptoms, such as running rough, burning oil, coolant in the oil or burning coolant.
I would take it to an independent shop to look at. They can confirm the diagnosis and quote it. They will likely be cheaper just due to labor rates (in my experience about 1/2). Based on your "my ignorance for everything under the hood" to check it yourself would require some tools and skills that you probably don't have, but can learn if you want to :-)
Thanks for that - I have some trust issues with this dealer in particular because he has recommended work that was not needed in the past. I'm having no issues in running the car. It runs smooth and there are no odors or other issues, which is why I'm skeptical of the severity of this issue.
I was hoping to figure out where to look to spot any leaks myself, but it sounds like this is something that requires more than just removing the engine cover and peering around the engine bay?
I am willing to experiment a little bit myself, but probably not anything beyond the diagnosis...
W204 C200, BMW E30 M3, 1980Gt Mini, Toyota Corona, KTM 200 EXC.
+1 for valve cover gaskets and the price quoted is in the getting ripped off category.
Have a good look from under the hood and see if you can see any oily areas maybe take some photos to post on here, also check underneath if you can to see any oil dripping from under the splash guard.
If it is not dripping and not smelling It may be not bad at all and depending on how many miles you do possibly defer repairs until replacement vehicle arrives.
You can buy a lot of oil for 1,100 to fix something which is leaking 10 cents worth of oil between oil changes.
+1 for valve cover gaskets and the price quoted is in the getting ripped off category.
Have a good look from under the hood and see if you can see any oily areas maybe take some photos to post on here, also check underneath if you can to see any oil dripping from under the splash guard.
If it is not dripping and not smelling It may be not bad at all and depending on how many miles you do possibly defer repairs until replacement vehicle arrives.
You can buy a lot of oil for 1,100 to fix something which is leaking 10 cents worth of oil between oil changes.
1,100 comes to about 6-6.5hrs in my area. How much does warranty pay to the tech? If it’s both I don’t think that’s too bad but that depends. One of my valve covers started leaking at around the same mileage but warranty covered it. Ended up getting a new valve cover put in. OP should be able to see the leak with a flash light, just take off the plastic engine covers that can hide it. I routinely check for leaks, I like keeping my car in good condition.
I am 100% sure your leak comes from the front cylinder head timing covers (not to be confused with the main front timing cover). It is one of the most common leaks on the M276 engines and M278 engines. Pretty much left and right front cylinder head covers need to be removed and resealed along with replacement of the aluminum bolts. Make sure you use the Mercedes Benz black sealant and clean both mating surfaces properly.
I popped the hood today and checked around for leaks. I'm not going to lie, I can't tell the various engine components apart, but I think I found the leak the dealer quoted for...
There was oil around the red highlighted component below (only on drivers side, passenger side had some around the cap but I think that was just spillage)
Closer photo: I think the leak is originating the part circled in red below and seeping down:
Even Closer Photo: I think this is where the oil is accumulating from the leak on the top part, or maybe this is another leak:
I didn't take any pictures of the passenger side component, but there didn't seem to be any leaks on that side apart from around the oil cap, which I am assuming is spillage.
It will be a while before I can take to an independent shop to get looked at - should I be worried about driving it in the meanwhile?
Also, can someone PLEASE educate me about what this leak is so I don't sound like a complete idiot when I'm talking to the indy shop? Any and all comments welcome.
Also, what would be a reasonable amount for an indy shop to repair this? Thanks for all the comments so far, they've been great (and no one's made fun of my lack of car knowledge yet!)
Thanks for that - do both have to be resealed? From what I can tell (pictures above) the leak is only on one side... Also, is $1,100 too much for this job?
I quite sure it’s the valve cover leaking. Cylinder head would not give a leak up there. You do not need to do both sides. I’m sure you can go to a specialist and get it done for less. IMO I don’t think it’s too bad, when mine was leaking (drvr side) oil literally was slowly dripping down the front to the P/S pump onto the undercover. If it’s just some seepage don’t worry too much and look for a quality shop you’re comfortable with having fix it. Don’t rush, It looks like you have time, too many hacks out there that do poor work and break things.
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