Olá!

I have a 2011 R350 BlueTEC. I live in Illinois, but it has always been filled with B5 or less diesel from Sam's Club. I have no idea why, but the wholesale warehouses and a couple of non-franchise gas stations are the only ones that seem to carry B5 or less in my area. I start with that because I have been told by too many people that my engine problems have been caused by the use of B20 diesel. I have NEVER filled this car up with anything but B5 or less. To get to the main point, here is what I am facing: stretched timing chain, leaky oil cooler seals, a sludged engine, suspension leak, and a presumed AdBlue heater failure.

The timing chain is definitely stretched. I know this because the car has a loud rattle at cold starts. The car also has a ticking sound when idling. It rumbles as it is turned off. I've had a dealer and an indie tell me that this would need to be done.

I have oil all over my garage floor. It drips off the car very slowly. The dealer and the indie agree on this as well.

I have not seen this myself. I was told to look into the intake manifold, but I am not handy and don't know how to do this at all. The dealer never mentioned this, but my indie told me it was sludged.

I've been through Airmatic issues. I got this car with the ADS suspension. I have not looked into pricing on this particular vehicle yet.

I assume the AdBlue heater has failed because the car seems to guzzle DEF like crazy. I used to be able to get more than 10k miles per tank. I feel like I am filling it up every 3-5k miles now.

I have already had the NOx sensors replaced, as well as the camshaft position sensors, in years past. Using my little AutoLink scanner, I get a host of codes including: P0341 (Camshaft Position Sensor A), P2454 (Diesel Particulate Filter), P244A (Diesel Particulate Filter), P2453 (Diesel Particulate Filter), P2002 (Diesel Particulate Filter), P203D (Reductant Level Sensor), P20BE (Reductant Heater 'B' Control), P20BD (Reductant Heater 'B' Control), and P203D (Reductant Level Sensor).

Everyone—I mean EVERYONE—has told me that I need to get rid of this car. However, I have not been able to find anything that I like as much as this one. Not to mention, I find the idea of purchasing or leasing another $70-80k car after just 7 years and 90k miles unconscionable. All of our other Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs have been solid machines. Yes, they've been expensive to maintain and have had to have some repairs. However, this level of engine work is entirely unexpected.

In the ideal world, I would like to keep this car. I have an emotional attachment to this vehicle. However, the timing chain and tensioner and oil cooler seals come out to about $5000 alone. I estimate that keeping this car for three years will cost me at least $30,500 in depreciation, next round of tires, maintenance, a s**tty VSC, and IL SoS/fuel/etc., without the AdBlue heater and suspension issues (and assuming nothing else goes wrong). If this goes much higher, it will be less expensive for me to lease an $80k LR Discovery, a vehicle that I was unexpectedly impressed with.

What would you do? Where would you start? Do you think I should get a full write up from the dealer to clarify the costs?

-mb-enthusiast aka Yoni94

 

So this engine has 90k miles?
The chain should not be stretched at this mileage, so I think you might need new tensioner.
For DPF you might want to remove it and send to shop for cleaning. Seem those shops are popping up everywhere.
The oil cooler seals is expensive labor when you don't DIY, but still makes sense to fix it rather sooner or later. New, improved seals should last lifetime.
Shop around for good pricing and doing the seals, you can get fuel filter replaced for no additional labor cost.

 

Not sure if you would be comfortable with this option but why don't you try putting an add on craigslist's asking for someone that's not a licensed mechanic but is very familiar with this job to do it in your homes garage? this would be fraction of the cost...

 

'10-'12 OM642 motors seem to report stretched timing chains more often than other years. I would try the tensioner first. It may or may not need replacing.

Oil cooler seals do go bad. MB says the seals were changed to viton purple seals but I read an orange seal taken out of a '13 motor so...

Your EGR, intake manifold and valves will be carboned up. Next to go is the swirl motor from all the clogging.

PDF cleaning is successful with Liqui Moly PDF cleaner. I had 69 failed regen codes and ran the cleaner twice. Its performing fine now but will smoke like a duster when cleaning it out..

DEF tanks go bad due to corrosive nature of the liquid. There are rebuild kits which are cheaper.

Look around for a good indy to sort it out. I am sorting my '09 GL320 with 69K miles right now and then selling it. It really needs to be addressed every 8-9 years.

 

Are you willing to do the work yourself?

Also do a leak check on the injectors

 

I've never even done an oil change or mounted a tire.

I'm getting this thing looked over next week.

 

You are probably better off getting rid of this and get into something different. This car will not be cheap to keep on the road going forward. Maintenance costs will exceed fuel savings.

 

 

Yeah, I agree with Micah, especially if you leave it stock. Maybe if you were going to egr,dpf,adblue delete right from the start, then maybe. Otherwise no.

 

x3. When you don't DIY, you should never keep modern MB without warranty coverage, or at least very trusted indy (if they exist).

 

How sad that Kajitek is right...

 

Owner asked same questions on another forum and got same advice. But he is attached to car! I asked about the oil used. Blutecs with DPFs have to use MB229.51 or 229.52 or risk plugging DPF, catalysts as well as forming sludge in engine due to frequent regeneration when DPF plugs up. Some mechanics/shops don't seem to know that.

 

My preferred answer is to delete it all now and use some good oil.

 

kajtek. Even if we can do most repairs on these modern cars, it seems we would also need equivalent of dealer software for diagnosis. Plus WIS/EPC. And many parts are dealer only. On top of that, I have read something about some parts requiring authentication by connecting car to some sort of daimler portal? I don't know what that is about. Regardless, not so easy to DIY on these car as with old cars. Wish I had tried to find a low mileage W126 from 89-91 instead of new diesel.

 

Patience, patience.
I happen to be former owner of first generation of digital car. Back in 1998 nobody hear about MAF, or CPS and fellow owners used to leave $2-3.000 at shops year after year, only becouse mechanics learn the technology on customer wallet and the parts were not only very expensive, but did not last.
I happen to pay $450 for pedal position sensor for W210 years ago, while on new cars, even with dollar loosing its value - you don't need to spend much more than $100
SCN coding is another way of market gouging and you already paying for it when buying milk and bread, but there is movement to stop it at https://repair.org/stand-up/
I have even found UK company who will do DPF delete if there is no easier way.
So yes, new cars do require more education and more money, but then they will stop themselves when you drive into accident, or will guide you how to park, or will adjust CC speed when driving in traffic.
The self-driving feature seem to be on hold after few mishaps, but I am sure ready for it as routine 8 hr drive from Vegas to San Francisco is getting boring.

 

My indie is going to inspect it over the next several days and give me a write-up. Depending on the pricing, I'll know whether to trade it, sell it, or repair it. If anyone is interested in the car, feel free to message me. If I get rid of it, I'd like it to go to someone who is interested in fixing it. It's way too cool to end up with the credit challenged or junked.

I am not sure how some of you can justify bypassing the emissions system. This is supposed to be a clean diesel. I wanted this car for the efficiency, torque, and lower CO2 emissions.

 

I still have one of those. Changed MAF after trying cleaning a few times. Still good 15 yrs later! Been a good car really (E320)

Whatever, it makes DIY or Indy repairs to some items more difficult.

They are here in Canada too. I read of at least one GLK250 owner who had his car "tuned" to remove DPF and entire Bluetec system. Truckers are doing it too. But in US it could cost big $$$:

PS: Are you using 229.51/52 in your E250? My dealer use 229.5 on my 2014 for 3 years before realizing mistake

 

Sometimes you just don't have the choice.
I placed the order and paid $3000 for rebuild DPF. The order should take 2 months to arrive. I waited 5 months and the part never left Stuttgart when MB USA could not help with getting it.
I am still playing with the old one - doing double regenerations and it seem to help, but DPF is wearable and when you can't buy replacement, what else?
Even with DPF delete - the car still pollute less than 320cdi diesels or 99% of vehicles on US roads.

 

Mine's going in Monday for DEF/DPF and & EGR delete. Local shop with a great reputation. From what I understand, the DPF delete is the priciest mod at somewhere between $1000 & $1300 CAN. The other stuff is part of a programming charge at around $600 CAN.

Not even doing it for more performance, as was the case when I was a younger hot-rodder. This is simply to avoid yet another $3k bill (@ 20k miles) for a DEF repair. And, 'cause I'm running oil other than that recommended by MB, I can expect my DPF to plug up sooner. Finally, I don't need swirl valve issues, hence the EGR delete.

 

Is this for the 2014 E250 or another car? Federal Warranty was 8yrs/80k miles? It includes catalysts and DPF. (Even in USA )

 

My E250 BT has over 180k. The records show DPF replacement at 120k, but that looks fishy as you can't buy DPF in USA and the record shows different part number than I have on the car.

 

Maybe they have them in Canada? This place has OE Mercedes parts (at a discount): https://www.exoparts.com/parts-look-up/ (put diesel particulate filter in search box. You will have to email them for pricing.

 

One of Canadian members already check it for me.
Trust me, I check whole English, Polish an Russian speaking World and nobody is having DPF for my car. There is few more parts I can't get neither.
For smaller part I was able to track it in China, but my Mandarin sucks and they did not have English option.

 

 

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