Diesel Forum Forum for Diesel engine vehicle related discussion
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Another 2010 ML350 Bluetec engine seized

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rating: Thread Rating: 3 votes, 3.67 average.
 
Old Sep 1, 2021 | 03:26 PM
  #651  
kajtek1's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,224
Likes: 1,797
From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Originally Posted by djhagen
One more sad story to add ...


2. engine was sluggish after ... took in for oil change (was changed) and learned the turbo had failed (2 opinions)
.
How much oil drained at the time? Did you send it to lab for testing?
Was AEM performed? The car would be subject to extended warranty.
Reply
Old Sep 1, 2021 | 06:51 PM
  #652  
djhagen's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 22
Likes: 4
2012 GL350 Blue Tec
Regarding 2. I did not get a sample of the oil and don't know if the AEM was performed on this car. It was otherwise out of warranty a long time ago.

Interesting discussion with one of the remanufacturers of these engines ... he sees way more of these coming out of M and GL classes than Sprinters and pointed to the extra heat shielding that M and GL classes have that Sprinters do not. I may remove some of the heat shielding when the engine is out. I will be buying a long block and have the rest transferred.
Reply
Old Sep 1, 2021 | 11:27 PM
  #653  
GoodByeHonda's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 305
Likes: 42
W211 E320 Diesel OM642
What's the cost of a OM642 long block?
Reply
Old Sep 1, 2021 | 11:33 PM
  #654  
djhagen's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 22
Likes: 4
2012 GL350 Blue Tec
I've found a few sources in Texas (I'm in Arizona), and on the low end they are around $7,000. Seems there's no top end, prices up to $15,000. A came across one in Canada and a few in Europe as well but didn't look into them any further.
Reply
Old Sep 1, 2021 | 11:34 PM
  #655  
djhagen's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 22
Likes: 4
2012 GL350 Blue Tec
As a follow-on, given the unpredictable nature of the failures, I've ruled out any used engines, and am not bothering with a rebuild of mine at this point.
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2021 | 10:04 AM
  #656  
kajtek1's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,224
Likes: 1,797
From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Originally Posted by djhagen
Regarding 2. I did not get a sample of the oil and don't know if the AEM was performed on this car. It was otherwise out of warranty a long time ago.

Interesting discussion with one of the remanufacturers of these engines ... he sees way more of these coming out of M and GL classes than Sprinters and pointed to the extra heat shielding that M and GL classes have that Sprinters do not. I may remove some of the heat shielding when the engine is out. I will be buying a long block and have the rest transferred.
https://bluetecupdate.mbusa.com/home
This site will give you info on AEM. If your car had it done. you can try to open the claim.
The same block engines in Sprinters are derated to 168 HP, have 15 l oil pans and DPF double the size. Meaning even they have the same pistons, the engine operate with quite different parameters.
Good luck.
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2021 | 10:11 AM
  #657  
djhagen's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 22
Likes: 4
2012 GL350 Blue Tec
Thanks for the link kajtek1! My GL did not have it done.
Regarding the reduced HP, larger oil capacity, etc of sprinter vans ... those sound like more practical reasons for better engine durability but I do wonder about heat dissipation. Is anyone adding oil inspection/surge tank/other kinds of mitigating equipment?
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2021 | 10:40 AM
  #658  
kajtek1's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,224
Likes: 1,797
From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Sprinters also have quite different cooling system. I did not measure radiator size, but it has to be bigger, than you have engine-driven big fan, with vacuum-operated clutch plus 2 electric fans.
That said, those engines in Sprinters run close to 100% of available HP most of the time, when in SUV you seldom use more than 50%
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2021 | 12:16 PM
  #659  
Diabolis's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 810
From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
The Sprinters are commercial workhorses, so as Kajtek said they run at pretty much full power all of the time. Running them at such a high duty cycle actually results in almost no water vapour ending up in the crankcase because it fully evaporates, thus lowering oxidation that can lead to sludging. The larger oil capacity is to simply allow for a reasonable OCI for the mileage they cover. I don't think cooling had anything to do with the engine failure... when you get oil sludging, it is because the oil was left in for far too long.
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2021 | 02:42 PM
  #660  
kajtek1's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,224
Likes: 1,797
From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Originally Posted by Diabolis
... when you get oil sludging, it is because the oil was left in for far too long.
That would be if that was actual sludge.
The pictures of other engines show that low -mileage oil turned into gelatin, what has to be result of chemical reaction of new emission system and inadequate oil with wrong chemical balance.
Sprinters have bigger oil pans, but then 20k miles oil change intervals.
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2021 | 03:27 PM
  #661  
Diabolis's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 810
From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
Originally Posted by kajtek1
That would be if that was actual sludge.
The pictures of other engines show that low -mileage oil turned into gelatin, what has to be result of chemical reaction of new emission system and inadequate oil with wrong chemical balance.
Sprinters have bigger oil pans, but then 20k miles oil change intervals.
Correct - I am only going by the OP's "...shop noted that there was 'a lot of sludge' even though the oil change was fresh" statement. If there was sludge, oil passages inside the engine could have been partially blocked for who knows how long, during which time some parts of the engine would have had oil starvation significant enough to cause damage and excessive wear until it finally quit when it did. Yes, oil with the wrong formulation can indeed cause it to thicken.
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2021 | 04:41 PM
  #662  
kajtek1's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,224
Likes: 1,797
From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
I generally have bad opinions about mechanics and assuming they are knowledgeable in chemistry would be my last guess. How low-education guy can tell sludge from gelatin?
Reply
Old Sep 3, 2021 | 06:20 PM
  #663  
peter2772000's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,234
Likes: 153
From: Montreal/Cape Coral FL
2012 X6 35i Sport, 2013 ML 350 BT, 2019 4Runner TRD Pro, 2020 CRV-AWD
In the end, it comes down to not enough oil changes and excessive heat. Hmmmm, where'd I hear that before....?
Reply
Old Sep 6, 2021 | 12:03 PM
  #664  
Etienne Lau's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 487
Likes: 114
From: DFW, TX
Ml350 bluetec
Originally Posted by peter2772000
In the end, it comes down to not enough oil changes and excessive heat. Hmmmm, where'd I hear that before....?
Excessive heat? Really, sludge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sludge
Reply
Old Sep 7, 2021 | 10:42 AM
  #665  
Diabolis's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 810
From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
Originally Posted by Etienne Lau
Excessive heat? Really, sludge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sludge
The OM642 cars that have no problems are the ones that are driven hard (as in regularly get up to temperature and stay there) and have frequent oil changes. The Mercedes diesel recall (AEM) among other things adds a HIGHER temperature thermostat that runs the engine even hotter on purpose.

Some people have the need to regurgitate crap they have read on some "conspiracy" site for no other reason than stoking their own ego and/or adding fuel to the fire, without having the slightest clue about what it is they are actually talking about. Peter is one of them.
Reply
Old Sep 7, 2021 | 12:44 PM
  #666  
Etienne Lau's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 487
Likes: 114
From: DFW, TX
Ml350 bluetec
Originally Posted by Diabolis
The OM642 cars that have no problems are the ones that are driven hard (as in regularly get up to temperature and stay there) and have frequent oil changes. The Mercedes diesel recall (AEM) among other things adds a HIGHER temperature thermostat that runs the engine even hotter on purpose.

Some people have the need to regurgitate crap they have read on some "conspiracy" site for no other reason than stoking their own ego and/or adding fuel to the fire, without having the slightest clue about what it is they are actually talking about. Peter is one of them.
Yup he keeps thinking the engines generate too much heat......I have had discussions with him before and he keeps quoting Stephen's Service stuff without actual factual proof of anything. Diesels in general generate less heat that gasoline engines.
Reply
Old Sep 7, 2021 | 02:22 PM
  #667  
dave2001auto's Avatar
Senior Member
10 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 493
Likes: 14
84 300d 2009 e320 bluetec (retired)/, now 2012 E350 4-matic blueefficiency automatic
The most severe heat is when the engine is turned off after the engine/turbo are ran hard. The turbo is almost glowing during a hard drive. The fresh oil to the turbo is stopped when the car is off and left over oil in turbo is over heated. When I get off the highway, I run the car gently before turning it off to have the turbo cool down. Oil is for lubricating and cooling. Sludge is a sign of dirt or excessive heat (polymerization).
commercial sprinters have engine on most of the day, use the cheaper MB approved oil under $4 gal oil and not Johnny’s home brewed $30 quart oil.

Dealers will also take short cuts too. Had a few charges when the service was not done or improper fluids used.

Last edited by dave2001auto; Sep 7, 2021 at 02:25 PM.
Reply
Old Sep 7, 2021 | 05:20 PM
  #668  
peter2772000's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,234
Likes: 153
From: Montreal/Cape Coral FL
2012 X6 35i Sport, 2013 ML 350 BT, 2019 4Runner TRD Pro, 2020 CRV-AWD
Originally Posted by Etienne Lau
Yup he keeps thinking the engines generate too much heat......I have had discussions with him before and he keeps quoting Stephen's Service stuff without actual factual proof of anything. Diesels in general generate less heat that gasoline engines.
There's a shock, Zig and Zag agree.
Reply
Old Sep 7, 2021 | 07:49 PM
  #669  
Diabolis's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 810
From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
Originally Posted by dave2001auto
The most severe heat is when the engine is turned off after the engine/turbo are ran hard. The turbo is almost glowing during a hard drive. The fresh oil to the turbo is stopped when the car is off and left over oil in turbo is over heated. When I get off the highway, I run the car gently before turning it off to have the turbo cool down. Oil is for lubricating and cooling. Sludge is a sign of dirt or excessive heat (polymerization).
commercial sprinters have engine on most of the day, use the cheaper MB approved oil under $4 gal oil and not Johnny’s home brewed $30 quart oil.

Dealers will also take short cuts too. Had a few charges when the service was not done or improper fluids used.
Yes and no. While that may be an issues with a larger, aftermarket turbo in a tuned car that is pushing 2 bar, it is not an issue with an OEM engine. Mercedes takes this into account when designing an engine so that even the most oblivious of drivers will not cause any damage to it by simply shutting off the engine after the car had been run hard. With the OEM turbo, the ~10-15 seconds it takes for someone to park their car in their driveway or garage is more than sufficient to bring the bearing temperature down way below the point where the oil would coke, especially with a modern synthetic oil. If this was an issue with the OM642, we'd be seeing a lot more failed turbos which is definitely not the case. So yes, while you are correct with the assertion that turbo bearings can suffer as a result of cutting off the oil circulation too soon after driving the car hard, in practice this has never been the case with any OM642 turbo I've ever seen or heard of. Inlet seals can fail, actuators can fail, but I've never seen an OM642 turbo with a shot bearing that hasn't done at least 200K kilometers.

The main reason for oil sludging is moisture in the crankcase (which occurs when the oil is not hot enough for the moisture to evaporate) and fuel dilution, which is a known problem in the OM642 when using fuel with a >5% biodiesel content which is what comes out of the pumps in roughly half of the continental US states. Combine that with people who mostly drive the car on short runs (diesels are definitely not the right vehicles for mostly short journeys) and only change the oil at the maximum prescribed intervals, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Reply
Old Sep 7, 2021 | 08:08 PM
  #670  
Etienne Lau's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 487
Likes: 114
From: DFW, TX
Ml350 bluetec
Originally Posted by peter2772000
There's a shock, Zig and Zag agree.
You quote information without facts, and therefore spreading false information. I have asked you for facts and you never provide actual facts.
Reply
Old Sep 8, 2021 | 09:01 AM
  #671  
djhagen's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 22
Likes: 4
2012 GL350 Blue Tec
I may swap an engine out of a 2012 ML350 blue into my 2012 GL350 blue. Anyone know of any 'gotchas' in performing this? Wiring, manifolds, etc that won't connect or align?
Reply
Old Sep 10, 2021 | 05:55 PM
  #672  
peter2772000's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,234
Likes: 153
From: Montreal/Cape Coral FL
2012 X6 35i Sport, 2013 ML 350 BT, 2019 4Runner TRD Pro, 2020 CRV-AWD
Originally Posted by Etienne Lau
You quote information without facts, and therefore spreading false information. I have asked you for facts and you never provide actual facts.
You're absolutely right. Unequivocally and completely. Gawd, you're the pest....er, best. Sorry, Freudian slip.
Reply
Old Sep 10, 2021 | 07:47 PM
  #673  
Diabolis's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 810
From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
Originally Posted by peter2772000
You're absolutely right. Unequivocally and completely. Gawd, you're the pest....er, best. Sorry, Freudian slip.
Someone again forgot to take their Viagra this morning.

There's got to be some forum on Parler or InfoWars where you can vent all you want without fear of looking stupid. Why do you keep trolling here when you obviously have nothing of value to contribute?
Reply
Old Sep 14, 2021 | 07:36 AM
  #674  
krrs's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 17
Likes: 2
2011 E350 Blue Tech /1985 300CT Coupe
krd2023
Hi, I am new to this forum. Why I joined was I saw your problem and wanted to reach out and say a couple general things, and I will followup with a personal reply when I have time to finish my explanations, both legal and technical. First, when you hired the attorney and tried to get response from MB and met with a strong arm push back... basically you were unjustifiably harassing them: when this happens it means their attorney is hiding something, usually, major... and major means here from serious callous disregard as to a duty owed the customer, and or criminal activity by the Company's managers. That is how you should have read the response. Second, there are major issues with the Bluetec diesel and every single one of them was or had to be know by MB and their managers and engineers. The recent settlement of the EPA/private class action on the Bluetec diesel emission system failures are part but not anywhere near the complete known problems. The attorneys handling it for the class were in my opinion, I am not speaking with naivety, violated their duty under Rule 11, Candor to the court, 37 C.F.R. 11.303 [ https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/37/11.303 ], by withholding the other problems beyond MB cheating in the emissions. The court acted outside of its standards of review as to arbitrary-or-capricious and substantial evidence, due to the withholdings as to all the problems from the court. See one of the fundamentals of English-American Common Law is to provide finality in the dispute resolution, finality includes having all known issues settled, that relate to the issues of the complaint, you cannot hold back without either giving up ability to go back later or as to the Court providing finality. I am working on a little writing explaining the issues involved as to the engineering / management failures, and second as to the technical aspects. In the early 1990s, I ran into similar problems with another IC engine running on a high level of exhaust gas recirculation. That was in a research program run by NASA Harvard, Yale, and MIT Universities. I would have thought those involved at MIT, due to the history of that school with the Taylor bros. and their thermal machines research would have figured it all out... but no... same here. Such are the times we live in. I was thinking, you can fine some really nice 2006-2009 era E class cars without these problems and probably the best of the MB diesels the OM606 engine, and you can on even the electronically controlled fuel injector change the injector pump over to a manually controlled simple rack system, as all the electronic versions the rack operating lever of the fully mechanical system, is replaced by an electronically controlled add on bit to the mechanical injection pump. Also these are pre-EPA tier 4 which went in effect in 2010-2011. These can be found in like new condition are available and run in the range of $15Kish used in such condition.
Reply
Old Sep 14, 2021 | 11:17 AM
  #675  
Diabolis's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,745
Likes: 810
From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
Originally Posted by krrs
krd2023
Hi, I am new to this forum. Why I joined was I saw your problem and wanted to reach out and say a couple general things, and I will followup with a personal reply when I have time to finish my explanations, both legal and technical. First, when you hired the attorney and tried to get response from MB and met with a strong arm push back... basically you were unjustifiably harassing them: when this happens it means their attorney is hiding something, usually, major... and major means here from serious callous disregard as to a duty owed the customer, and or criminal activity by the Company's managers. That is how you should have read the response. Second, there are major issues with the Bluetec diesel and every single one of them was or had to be know by MB and their managers and engineers. The recent settlement of the EPA/private class action on the Bluetec diesel emission system failures are part but not anywhere near the complete known problems. The attorneys handling it for the class were in my opinion, I am not speaking with naivety, violated their duty under Rule 11, Candor to the court, 37 C.F.R. 11.303 [ [url]https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/37/11.303 ], by withholding the other problems beyond MB cheating in the emissions. The court acted outside of its standards of review as to arbitrary-or-capricious and substantial evidence, due to the withholdings as to all the problems from the court. See one of the fundamentals of English-American Common Law is to provide finality in the dispute resolution, finality includes having all known issues settled, that relate to the issues of the complaint, you cannot hold back without either giving up ability to go back later or as to the Court providing finality. I am working on a little writing explaining the issues involved as to the engineering / management failures, and second as to the technical aspects. In the early 1990s, I ran into similar problems with another IC engine running on a high level of exhaust gas recirculation. That was in a research program run by NASA Harvard, Yale, and MIT Universities. I would have thought those involved at MIT, due to the history of that school with the Taylor bros. and their thermal machines research would have figured it all out... but no... same here. Such are the times we live in. I was thinking, you can fine some really nice 2006-2009 era E class cars without these problems and probably the best of the MB diesels the OM606 engine, and you can on even the electronically controlled fuel injector change the injector pump over to a manually controlled simple rack system, as all the electronic versions the rack operating lever of the fully mechanical system, is replaced by an electronically controlled add on bit to the mechanical injection pump. Also these are pre-EPA tier 4 which went in effect in 2010-2011. These can be found in like new condition are available and run in the range of $15Kish used in such condition.
Nay, that follows not.

I read about a pitbull attack in Kuala Lumpur. The scientific approach to the examination of phenomena is a defense against the pure emotion of fear. Keep tight hold and continue while there’s time… The sun came up about as often as it went down, in the long run, and a coin showed heads about as often as it showed tails. Then a messenger arrived. We had been sent for. Nothing else happened. Ninety-two coins spun consecutively have come down heads ninety-two consecutive times - and for the last three minutes on the wind of a windless day I have heard the sound of drums and flute. So why is a raven like a writing desk?



Reply


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 3 votes, 3.67 average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:25 AM.