You can call it performance

You can blame the Owner

You can Blame the Diesel

you can blame the oil

you can ask Owners to Wash Sludge because Dealer is not competent??? Or change oil every 2000 miles or better yet change oil every 500 miles which is Guarnteed way to avoid Sludge(maybe??l)....


It is Still 100% a LEMON.!!

as I Said GOD WILLING Mercedes will Pay for this Soon!!

they Treated their owners like Garbage and I will never Trust that Company again.

as more engines fail, you will see the Lawsuits or Compensation.
but for Now

BLAME THE OWNER ...MODUS OPERANDI OF Company!!

 

It's certainly not a lemon. Many million Km users around the world would laugh at that assertion. MBUSA handled the situation badly in areas where there were refineries making borderline diesel. As I said earlier a move to 229.5 would assure it would not happen but would shorten life of cats & regen units.

The oil companies in the US are in a difficult position. Consumers want cheap fuel. To upgrade the refineries to Euro 5 & 6 will be expensive & lead to a fuel price rise. Between a rock & a hard place.

 

You made my point.

What you just said is this engine when switched from CDI (can last a Million mile...I agree was a great engine, i still own CDI GL320) last made in 2008 switched over to AdBluetec Garbage in 2009 and later is 100% American LEMON....BUT BUT IS 100% European Orange Juice!

AMAZING!!

I Will sell my home Quit my job learn a European language and Move to Europe so i can Have Privilge of driving the Bluetec engine without it Sludging like Cement at 50k...no 80k...no 100k no 130k (me)...its just luck of the Draw when it decides to Lockup.

KRD2023, ME, guy in Canada, others here are all to blame for buying Cheap diesel, and not changing oil every 200 miles, why not 20 miles oil changes????

I know it is not your fault. Do not take my response against you.

I blame and hold responsible for this Losses Mercedes Benz Diesel.

They lost me as a buyer and im sure many more who will soon have their engines Lock up.

Time Reveals all Lies!!!!

Thank you.

Mercesdes Bluetec Diesel is 100% Lemon
Never buy it!!!

 

To SmileDr996

i also have an 08 CDI engine which looks inside as clean as the day it was built and has 147,000 miles .....

the CDI does NOT sludge...it is one of the Best diesel engine made....

the Problems of Sludging like Cement happened in 2009 and later when ADblue was added and engine changed to accommodate emmission requirements.....MB just did not engineer the engine to Prevent sludging in US market....maybe it is diesel maybe oil maybe they SHOULD HAVE DONE THEIR JOB and created a Dependable Engine...

instead they blame Everything under sun except themselves....

no wonder they are losing loyal customers...

but If you move to Europe....you can drive a newer Bluetec with no sludging issue....(But you will have the billion other issues discussed elsewhere...But no sludge)

Mercedes Bluetec Diesel engine is 100% a Lemon.

 

Nonsense! And Benz has just enjoyed the company's best sales quarter in it's history.

 

Here is a review of a 2011 GL350 Owner posted on Edmunds.....typical review afte 1 year of use....

i Know I KNOW.....NONSENSE. ME, KRD2023, others, Rebuilders in Youtube video are All crazy Nuts who Know ZERO ABOUT CARS and Morons who dont buy Premium Diesel and Change their oil every 20 miles of Driving or Create our own Mixture of Oils to Fix the HORRENDOUS BLUETEC Engineering Lemon!!

just one of many reviews.....oh I Know the next Accusiation....COLUSUON!!!!

from Edumnds Customer Reviews....See for yourself on edmunds.com reviews 2011 gl 350.

"Worst vehicle ever! Better get real good warranty!
By Brian on 03/14/16 23:15 PM (PDT)

Vehicle

2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Diesel GL350 BlueTEC 4dr SUV AWD
Perfomance Tires (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

Fell in love with the looks of this vehicle. We had a VW Passat TDI but needed a bigger vehicle, and this seemed perfect. We wanted the diesel for the torque and fuel economy. Very soon after buying it (used with 69,000 miles) we began having problem after problem. Key fob quit working and then mysteriously began working again and now quit again, front wheel bearing went, had it fixed, then had to bring it back after they said they needed to replace it again, got it back and the other one went, then the air strut which began popping over every bump soon after buying it. Motor mounts went, steering column module went bad, transmission valve body had to be replaced, and it still revs and slams into second gear the first time take off in cold weather. Oil cooler seals leak, dealer supposedly changed them but they began leaking again. Never noticed the leak until AFTER they changed them bit it is a common problem. Cost: almost $3,000. AdBlue tank heater went bad, $2,000. Glow plug control module went bad, sway bar bushings and links went bad, tailgate sometimes doesn't close unless you hit the button several times or lock and then u lock with the key fob if you close it with the fob. Can't fold the second row seat back down because the seatbelt gets stuck and I have to unbolt it from the bottom to raise the seat back up. Vehicle now has 83,000 miles. Our Land Rover LR3 never gave us any problems except for an air compressor thay went out and a wheel bearing, which I easilly tackled myself. Fuel economy is dismal for a diesel. Best I can get on the highway is 22 mpg with the cruise set at 75. Cebeer console is poorly designed. You can't put anything in it. Cargo cover is poorly designed. You can't use it without scratching the sides of the vehicle, and the seatbelt snag on it making it a pain to get it into the grooves. I could go on. the LR3 also rode so much smoother, and the headlights were 100 times better, especially the high beams. Cargo carrying was also better even though the GL is much larger. The air suspension also raised and lowered very quickly on the LR3. Takes forever to raise on this vehicle. If you buy one get ready to become good friends with the service people. On the bright side you'll get to test drive alot of cars because at least they give you a loaner car. I can't get rid of this thing either because despite the fact that I got a good deal below book value, it depreciated like a rock. I regret buying this car. I've had BMW's, Land Rovers amd another Mercedes, and while Land Rovers are supposed to be unreliable, this Mercedes is way way worse than any Land Rover I've ever owned, even my 2002 and 2003 discovery II. There are other things I've had to get repaired bUT since there are so many I can't remember them all. I will rejoice the day I can finally get rid of this. Never again will I buy another Mercedes Benz.
Close"

MERCEDES Bluetec engine is 100% A LEMON

many more reviews like that and Worst!!

 

Yes ~ you get the odd bad vehicle from all companies. Now stop repeating yourself & dominating this thread or your posts will be deleted. You have had your bitter say! Repeating something does not make it so. A friend recently bought a new Landrover Discovery HSE. Engine seized at 12,000Km both front & rear axles have been replaced.

 

Glyn,
. Actually, what you're seeing here and elsewhere is a natural consequence of MBUSA neglecting to fairly address a known sludging issue. We'll observe with keen interest to see if you actually work to delete comments that you disagree with, or delete supporting comments that share similar experiences as mine and in a thread I started.

 

I'm the most patient moderator on this forum. I let people have their say as long as it is not personal. Mikemd has had his say. Another repeat & it will be deleted. What is up already stands! When I personally enter a discussion I leave my gun & holster at the door.

I have agreed that MBUSA could have handled the relatively few cases better. I will reserve my well known views on the Tuscaloosa plant for another day.

 

Has anyone with this engine, who changes their own oil, ever had an engine seize up or even sludge up. Mercedes has said that the problem is caused by infrequent oil changes. The pictures of slugged up seized engines I have seen look like they have never, or nearly never, had an oil change. I understand that the owners say they paid for frequent oil changes. It is my belief that the dealer or indi. that was paid for the oil change, did not do it. If someone who changes his own oil has an engine seize, I will have to rework my opinion.

 

What I've got from this topic (it is long one) is that the engine in question was serviced by MB dealer. The subject was never investigated or explained to the end, but it is hard to believe dealer did not change the oil several times in the row.
My educated guess is that dealer used oil they had in barrel, who was design for older engines, while I concluded it is the engine with AddBlue that is extremely sensitive to wrong oils.
And again, I had 2008 Bluetec who had no signs of sludge when taken apart at 180k miles and I think I used Mobil 1 ESP oil for last couple of changes, what is not the highest recommendation even with no AddBlue

 

If someone just pulled a dipstick now & again they would know they were heading for trouble.

 

To Nelbur and Kajtek

2008 engine is CDI and No adblue fluid is needed. I have it in a GL320 and it is NEVER had any sludge.

2009 and later use Adblue and engine changed to accomadate that emmission requirement.....Some here say its oil or diesel problem. (maybe) causing sludge in the adblue bluetec.

I can not Imagine an engine to be so sensitive to oil or diesel like that. To me this is a problem of design of engine to make it that sensitive.

no way a dealer would take money for oil change and NOT change it....very hard to believe.

if that is risk you want take as owner, its your choice.

i have taken it and lost about 20k dollars and as above so did several others.

good luck.

 

There are so many Bluetec engines around the world that have run a million plus Km that it's not a design issue. The Urea (Adblue) addition to exhaust gas is a good thing. It lowers NOx emissions. As an example nobody says that Caterpillar engines are poorly designed because they still are & have always been fuel sulphur sensitive. You run higher TBN oils to suit the local fuel conditions.

 

Instead of deleting what people write (Of course if it is not suitable for children to see then it needs deleting.), maybe logically try to determine the cause of the sludging. I have spent lot of time reading these forums, and seeing how the manufacture tries to weasel out of accepting responsibility for various problems that have affected the various vehicles and engines. And how some warranties have been denied to some. The problem is not just with Mercedes either there have been sludgeing problems with other makes engines as well. Since I've been out of the diesel field for awhile now, I wonder how many large highway truck engines have a sludge problem? I've seen some video's of some of the smaller cummins engines with sludge. The dark tar like sludge does not look like it is moisture caused but more like a combination of polymers affected by high pressure parts and heat like coking as well as some combustion products dilution.
This video shows what looks like the polymers, which are similar to plastic, that are used in all multi viscosity oils, solidifying like a plastic ish material. My cure for this is lose the multi grade oil, or at least try with a straight weight to see if it runs clear. And use what the big trucks and bulldozers use for oil as well.

https://www.chevronlubricants.com/en...il-sae-40.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Q4FBKrNYY


Here is another one.

 

To Exhaustgases.

look at Youtube video i posted about the Gl350 bluetec rebuild in canada...

do you believe an owner would pay 20,000 dollars to rebuild engine but NOT pay to change oil???

look at the Caking and Ash deposits inside shown in Video

it is Horrendous and it happened to many of us here in forum.....

we were accused of being unlucky, buying cheap fuel, not changing our oil like we are idiotic to do that, etc.......

thats why i said it is design problem maybe more likely in USA but still not responsibility of the owner.

i own a cdi 2008 and it stil has no sludge.

 

It is not necessary to repeat in a taunting fashion that the " Bluetec Engine is 100% a LEMON!!! " when all global indications are to the contrary. It is misleading. This is a global forum.

Benz USA have not handled this well. This will have been thoroughly researched by now & they could have been forthcoming with the findings which I have little doubt relate to fuel. Hence no issues with Euro 5 fuels or Japanese narrow cut diesel, or Sasol diesel as an example. The US, being such a litigious society, they probably decided not to release findings ~ a big mistake in my book. Treatment of the relatively few customers with issues could have been a lot better.

I am a tribologist by training having worked for a very large multinational oilco in a global capacity for most of my life. It is unlikely in this case that the VI Improver has any bearing on the situation although a small amount might be tied up in the resultant sludge. To gain Benz 229.51/52 & 229.5 approval requires the use of very high VI synthetic base oil. As a result the VI Improver dose in these mutiviscosity oils is extremely low. In fact you can achieve a 15W-30 with no VI Improver at all.

One of the issues is that 229.51/52 oils (only difference is a chlorine limit for recycling) have a maximum ash limit of 0.8% imposed to protect the exhaust emissions gear & extend it's life. Thus a balancing act as it limits additive treat & thus detergency & dispersioncy of the oil. As I have said earlier in this thread I have no doubt that the 229.5 version of this oil, which has up to double the additive treat would have cured the issue in the relatively small incidents of sludging.

Triggers for sludging can be a very complex regime. Hence the "Black sludge" epidemic in the early 80's that hit most automotive manufacturers.

 

Good questions. I would like to add:
Was the oil spec & brand approved by MB?
What was the source of the oil?

 

The take away for North American diesel cars(ROW now since all diesels have adblue, PDF and EGR systems) is to have more frequent oil changes and keep short distance drives to a min allowing PDF regen. 20K mile oil change service levels is a joke despite all claim of regularly serviced vehicle at dealership.

 

Yes ~ 10K miles or 15K Km's would be far more sensible for these engines running on less than the best fuels. Pulling the dipstick once in a while, which is the owners responsibility, is also a good idea.

The Dallas ML Bluetec that I mention earlier in the thread that is serviced by Park Place spends most of it's time doing the normal shopping runs & we can find zero sign of oil degradation or sludging. Both being oilco people we were hoping to induce the start of oil deterioration within a wide safety margin but without any success. Oil is perfect. This vehicle was so highly spec'd that a 6 month wait was required for it's build at a final price of just under $100K ~ so it is a little "precious" Only issue was a leaking transmission cooler pipe O ring where it enters the transmission at about 20K miles.

EDIT: My friend & ex colleague has always supplied his own Benz approved oil to Park Place so that we have a known & controlled base line. The vehicle is being serviced to the Assyst so there have been occasions when it has been serviced on time rather than mileage. I should note that Park Place is a very good dealership (from my time living in Dallas) and there was never any suspicion of them not using the correct oil or not in fact changing the oil.

 

VW/Audi/Porsche diesels have adjusted to 5K mile oil service intervals.

 

Interesting! From what? That is pretty extreme. They might have higher power density. It also depends on sump size & how much you stress the oil charge.

 

Have a cayenne diesel. Went from 10K OCI to 5K. VW and Audi with the same motor remained at 10. I change my GL OM642 at 7.5K intervals.

All DIY so not a big deal.

 

OK thanks. So halving the drain interval as I suggested earlier in the thread is probably sensible. It will make a huge difference to oil stress! I know VAG had some issues with the Cayenne. Also with DI Gasoline version. Inlet fouling. (I have some awful Images)

 

Interesting.

In the last two years I have owned 2008 E320 BlueTec and it's been my observation that the iron content in used motor oil has started to increase noticeably at around 7,000 miles!

Pretty sure it's due to timing chain wear, but so far the tensioner position is fine (165,000 miles).

I've had Lab analyzis done on Pentosin High Performance II and Liqui Moly Top Tec 4200 so far, and will sample the current Pennzoil Platinum Euro L in few days.
No sludge whatsoever.

My driving is almost all long highway trips.