My engine hydrolocked - needs to be completely replaced! I am devastated. The estimate to replace from the dealer was $29,000 for a completely new engine!
The car was just in for its routine "A" service - drove off the lot and 114 miles later (2 days) my car became unoperable and had to be towed back to the dealer.
Shouldn't this motor be one that would be more reliable? Any ideas as to what would have caused this?
I believe in taking my car to the Mercedes Dealer for ALL my recommended services. It has never missed a service and I treat this car like a "Child".....

The engine has 100,000 miles on it - but aren't these cars with the handbuilt German engine suppost to be more reliable that this?

Any suggestions, insight, assistance or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

The dealer is not offering much support.

Thank you,

trae1012

 

Hydrolocked means either

engine was filled with water via air intake

engine was filled with raw gasoline via air intake

engine was filled with motor oil via air intake.

Unlike air/fuel mixture, liquids cannot be compressed.

Driving your car under water or failing to maintain properly is not a reliability problem. Even then, 10-year old stuff can certainly fail and yours sounds maybe like an intercooler leak.

 

Mercedes-Benz will be 100 years old in 2001. If you had to pick one model that symbolizes the marque's image, the E430 would be it. Although there is a tradition of sporty and blazing fast cars, the E-Class is the best seller. And it says "Mercedes" in the way most people understand.

 

Did the engine lockup while driving or when you tried to start it?
If it lockedup while driving then you more then likly have bent parts and it needs to be replaced ,if it locked up over night and then you tried to start it, you might not have much damage and it can be fixed