photobuddy

Hello

I own a C250/W204 (2013 made, 77K miles) and unfortunately I've been told that the engine has gone bust. The cost to relace with a new engine has been quoted to be around 15K - which obviously is atrociously high. I am trying to find credible sources online to buy the engine and have it be switched out by a local Euro car expert. While one can find a used engine with similar mileage on Ebay for like 4-5k, its a bit scary to buy something like this from a source thats not super credible.

If you have any pointers on where I can buy something like this and any other advice on getting it replaced, would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance

photobuddy

As a side note - The car suddenly stopped while on the freeway! Luckily my son was on the exit ramp already so he was able to pull to the shoulder. Quite scary. This has never happened to me in the 25 years that i have owned 10-12 cars - both Japanese and European. So a huge 👎👎👎👎 to Mercedes, given that its a 2013 car and only 80Kmiles on it. I have had it regularly maintained (though not from the dealership). The dealer said that the chain on top of the engine broken and the parts went into the engine.. so the entire engine has to be replaced!

AAIIIC

www.car-part.com will show you results from junkyards across the country. They show you contact information, so you can call and talk to someone about what sort of warranty they offer (if any). You can ask them if it's a running engine, if they have compression numbers, etc etc, to try to put your mind at ease. It'll be up to you to determine how trustworthy a given parts supplier is. I can understand that spending thousands of bucks on a used engine is a tough decision, but to me that makes more sense than $15k for a new engine; that's probably more than the car would be worth I'm guessing.

As for the failure you experienced, when was the last time the oil was changed? How frequently was the oil level checked since the last time the oil was changed? Did the dealer offer any assessment as to why the chain failed?

If they actually told you "the chain of top of the engine broke" then you should probably take the car somewhere else, since there is no chain on top of the engine. There's a timing chain on the front of the engine.

photobuddy

Thanks much for the points. I will check it out. Yes - getting a new engine installed will cost more than what the car is worth - you are right on. Regarding the language they used about "top of engine" vs "front" - I am not exactly sure. Its quite likely I minced the words. Thanks!

NZ-Merc

I hope you are not intending to install the used engine with out carrying out some preventive maintenance, ie replace the timing chain otherwise you are setting yourself up for same problem.
If it was me I would replace the timing chain and tensioner system rear crankshaft seal, spark plugs, rocker cover gasket and reseal the sump just for starters.

photobuddy

Thanks for your advice NZ-Merc! I was going to leave it to the experts to tell me whats the best route to follow in terms of replacing other things. But this is helpful - I will keep this in mind when I approach potential installers.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to hear this. I would want to know what caused the premature failure of the timing chain.

Is $15k just the price of the engine or does that include installation by the dealer?

You should decide if you want to keep the car or not. Do you really love the car? Do you own the car or is there a loan on it? If there is a loan, what are the terms with regards to repairing the car or paying off the loan? If there is no loan, consider the $15k as a payment toward a new(er) car and what you can sell the car for parts would be.

Odd Piggy

Many times internal engine damage from a broken timing chain is limited to the top end - the valve train, valves and head. This is costly but repairable. Parts going into the engine sounds a bit drastic, but, of course, it may not be. The dealer sells new cars, so it is to their advantage to tell you how bad the damage could be to get you into a new one. Since you are considering a used engine and an outside shop, it would be good to get an indie shop or even a general machine shop to give you an estimate on repairing the engine you have.

AAIIIC

^^^ Yes, very good point.

photobuddy

Thank you all who responded - its much appreciated 🙏. The timing chain actually did not break but has come off the sprockets - thats what the dealer told me today morning. He did say several metallic parts are now "inside the engine". I see the point about them trying to promote their sales or used car sales dept - it is possible! I am consulting with a cpl outside shops to see what they could do.
JettaRed - I do like the car. C250 is the best sedan I have ever driven. It was paid off. in this crazy used/new car market - i'd rather try to get it back in working condition (as long as its not risky). Plan to wait another 2 years for prices to come down a bit and see what happens in the EV world.