Shop Ruined My Engine?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Shop Ruined My Engine?
Hi All,
Seeking help from all the gurus here who know way more than I do. This is a long story but I will try to make it as short as possible while still giving you the details.
Have a 2010 GL350 Bluetec. Purchased a year ago and now has just under 140,000 miles. Immediately after buying it I had to replace the air suspension compressor and the oil cooler - did these myself.
Had a slight chain slap on cold starts from the timing chain so took it to a local indie shop who is MB certified and has a great reputation.
They quoted me 1 week and it took just over 3 weeks for me to get the car back. (Keep in mind this is my wife's car and she was days/weeks away from having a baby).
Within a week of picking up the car, my wife was driving and it suddenly started running VERY rough (she described it as if you would downshift while driving and suddenly get jerked by the car). As soon as she was able to get on the shoulder of the road, the car shut off (by itself) and would not start. No A/C, barely off the road, days away from having a baby in near 100 degree and 100% humidity weather...
I had it towed back to the indie shop who diagnosed it as a bad starter. A week later I called for an update and they told me that they could not install the new starter because they could not turn the engine by hand to line everything up.
So the engine is seized, a week after they finished replacing the timing chain (they did the full job, changing tensioners, guides, etc.).
Long story short (kind of) - after 4 weeks with no update I said "get it ready for me to tow to Mercedes, I am having them diagnose it because I think you messed up the timing".
After that, they offered to pull the engine and trans and tear down to diagnose without charging me. Because the engine is seized, they could not turn it to access all bolts and separate the trans, so the engine and trans had to be pulled together. This was the only way to determine what was going on and required to confirm if the timing was bad or not.
A week later (now 5 weeks after the breakdown), they've pulled and separated the two and confirmed the trans is NOT what is seized. It is definitely the engine but they haven't given me any answers yet.
I still suspect that something went wrong with the timing. Anything else would be an incredible coincidence for it to die within a week of this major engine work.
When I asked what they thought it would be if it was NOT the timing, the said a broken rod or bad bearing.
Any thoughts on this? Does anyone have suggestions on what could have caused the engine to seize outside of a bad timing chain job? I plan to visit the shop in person once they tear it down so I can verify what they are telling me. I have a very hard time believing that within a week of them doing a major engine repair like this (which took 3 x longer than they quoted), suddenly something else goes wrong that causes the engine to seize.
Any input or advice on this would be helpful. I don't think that a rod would suddenly go or a bearing when there was zero mechanical issues before other than the chain noise on a cold start. If this ends up being anything other than timing, the car may be toast because it's past the point of being worth paying to fix, after putting thousands into the maintenance over the past year.
Thanks in advance.
Seeking help from all the gurus here who know way more than I do. This is a long story but I will try to make it as short as possible while still giving you the details.
Have a 2010 GL350 Bluetec. Purchased a year ago and now has just under 140,000 miles. Immediately after buying it I had to replace the air suspension compressor and the oil cooler - did these myself.
Had a slight chain slap on cold starts from the timing chain so took it to a local indie shop who is MB certified and has a great reputation.
They quoted me 1 week and it took just over 3 weeks for me to get the car back. (Keep in mind this is my wife's car and she was days/weeks away from having a baby).
Within a week of picking up the car, my wife was driving and it suddenly started running VERY rough (she described it as if you would downshift while driving and suddenly get jerked by the car). As soon as she was able to get on the shoulder of the road, the car shut off (by itself) and would not start. No A/C, barely off the road, days away from having a baby in near 100 degree and 100% humidity weather...
I had it towed back to the indie shop who diagnosed it as a bad starter. A week later I called for an update and they told me that they could not install the new starter because they could not turn the engine by hand to line everything up.
So the engine is seized, a week after they finished replacing the timing chain (they did the full job, changing tensioners, guides, etc.).
Long story short (kind of) - after 4 weeks with no update I said "get it ready for me to tow to Mercedes, I am having them diagnose it because I think you messed up the timing".
After that, they offered to pull the engine and trans and tear down to diagnose without charging me. Because the engine is seized, they could not turn it to access all bolts and separate the trans, so the engine and trans had to be pulled together. This was the only way to determine what was going on and required to confirm if the timing was bad or not.
A week later (now 5 weeks after the breakdown), they've pulled and separated the two and confirmed the trans is NOT what is seized. It is definitely the engine but they haven't given me any answers yet.
I still suspect that something went wrong with the timing. Anything else would be an incredible coincidence for it to die within a week of this major engine work.
When I asked what they thought it would be if it was NOT the timing, the said a broken rod or bad bearing.
Any thoughts on this? Does anyone have suggestions on what could have caused the engine to seize outside of a bad timing chain job? I plan to visit the shop in person once they tear it down so I can verify what they are telling me. I have a very hard time believing that within a week of them doing a major engine repair like this (which took 3 x longer than they quoted), suddenly something else goes wrong that causes the engine to seize.
Any input or advice on this would be helpful. I don't think that a rod would suddenly go or a bearing when there was zero mechanical issues before other than the chain noise on a cold start. If this ends up being anything other than timing, the car may be toast because it's past the point of being worth paying to fix, after putting thousands into the maintenance over the past year.
Thanks in advance.
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Reading into other posts on the same subject, you’ll find that these engines are prone to seizures. It’s almost always caused by oil starvation, which again is caused by leaky seals. It is possible that your Indy disturbed or missed a seal but you would have had a heinous oil leak to tip you off.
that’s my take on it since it ran well for a week as you say.
either way your motor is toast and the diesel GL is not worth putting any money into. If your Indy is responsible and offers you a new motor for a song, take it and sell the car. If you like the platform, get a 450 for around 10k and don’t look back. The gasser ones are reliable and relatively simple.
that’s my take on it since it ran well for a week as you say.
either way your motor is toast and the diesel GL is not worth putting any money into. If your Indy is responsible and offers you a new motor for a song, take it and sell the car. If you like the platform, get a 450 for around 10k and don’t look back. The gasser ones are reliable and relatively simple.
Last edited by Max Blast; 08-27-2020 at 05:19 PM.
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chassis (08-27-2020)
#3
Member
A bad timing could damage the engine (if the GL350 is an interference engine), but it won't cause it to seize unless something physically broke and is obstructing the crankshaft and pistons. The shop should be able to easily determine if a timing problem caused the engine to seized (e.g. bent valves, damaged piston, broken connecting rod, etc.). Insist on verify that.
If the car started up and drove fine for a while after the timing job then the timing was initially set correctly. They may have left something loose like the chain guide, tensioner, etc. that eventually caused the chain to loosen and timing to skip. They should have found out right away in their inspection whether the timing was still in spec by putting it at TDC and looking at the timing marks or if something had actually come lose. Of cause the can't turn it by hand to TDC, but at least a visual of the timing and guides will give them a clue. Insist on verifying if timing chain is intact before full engine disassembly. If timing is off, insist on checking damage valve in the head, damage to piston head and connecting rod or any gouges inside the cylinder.
If it's not due to timing then the other plausible situation is no lubrication Max Blast said. Do you know if there was oil in the engine? May be they did oil change with the timing job (very common) and forgot to refill the oil.
After it stalled and your wife tried to start it, did it crank but no start or it didn't crank at all. Again they can tell by inspection if the oil sump is empty or if the seizure is due to no lubrication.
You best hope is that it's something electrical like a sensor going bad or coming loose but I don't see how that will cause the engine to seize.
BTW: it's not impressive that they diagnosed this as a bad starter. A bad starter doesn't cause an engine to run rough and stall. It's called a STARTER after all...
If the car started up and drove fine for a while after the timing job then the timing was initially set correctly. They may have left something loose like the chain guide, tensioner, etc. that eventually caused the chain to loosen and timing to skip. They should have found out right away in their inspection whether the timing was still in spec by putting it at TDC and looking at the timing marks or if something had actually come lose. Of cause the can't turn it by hand to TDC, but at least a visual of the timing and guides will give them a clue. Insist on verifying if timing chain is intact before full engine disassembly. If timing is off, insist on checking damage valve in the head, damage to piston head and connecting rod or any gouges inside the cylinder.
If it's not due to timing then the other plausible situation is no lubrication Max Blast said. Do you know if there was oil in the engine? May be they did oil change with the timing job (very common) and forgot to refill the oil.
After it stalled and your wife tried to start it, did it crank but no start or it didn't crank at all. Again they can tell by inspection if the oil sump is empty or if the seizure is due to no lubrication.
You best hope is that it's something electrical like a sensor going bad or coming loose but I don't see how that will cause the engine to seize.
BTW: it's not impressive that they diagnosed this as a bad starter. A bad starter doesn't cause an engine to run rough and stall. It's called a STARTER after all...
#4
Senior Member
It's impossible to say without looking at the engine itself. But you are correct that messing up the installation of a new chain and guides could easily cause the engine to not turn. I say 'not turn' rather than 'seize' because if the chain suffered some kind of failure, the engine would not be seized (which I consider to be an issue with pistons or crankshaft/bearings.) It should be easy to ascertain the problem by pulling the front timing cover and taking a look, or by pulling the oil pan to look inside there. But I would start with the timing cover since most times you suffer a catastrophic event after doing a job like that, it's almost always something you did/failed to do during the job. At least that's what always happens when *I* screw something up!
You're in an unfortunate position, in that you're relying on the shop that did the work to be honest, but you're unfortunately going to have to give them the benefit of the doubt until they - or somebody else - finds the root of the issue.
You're in an unfortunate position, in that you're relying on the shop that did the work to be honest, but you're unfortunately going to have to give them the benefit of the doubt until they - or somebody else - finds the root of the issue.
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Reading into other posts on the same subject, you’ll find that these engines are prone to seizures. It’s almost always caused by oil starvation, which again is caused by leaky seals. It is possible that your Indy disturbed or missed a seal but you would have had a heinous oil leak to tip you off.
that’s my take on it since it ran well for a week as you say.
either way your motor is toast and the diesel GL is not worth putting any money into. If your Indy is responsible and offers you a new motor for a song, take it and sell the car. If you like the platform, get a 450 for around 10k and don’t look back. The gasser ones are reliable and relatively simple.
that’s my take on it since it ran well for a week as you say.
either way your motor is toast and the diesel GL is not worth putting any money into. If your Indy is responsible and offers you a new motor for a song, take it and sell the car. If you like the platform, get a 450 for around 10k and don’t look back. The gasser ones are reliable and relatively simple.
Thanks Max Blast. I did not check for oil, never crossed my mind. Though I do know that the invoice shows an oil change following the timing job. They did also indicate to me that after the timing was done, on their initial test drive, they found an oil leak from insufficient RTV on one of the seals so they had to redo it. I tried to convince my wife to go the 450 gas route before spending the money on the timing but she loves this specific car. I should have stuck to my guns on that one as now I'm likely going to end up without a car and without a few thousand dollars spent on the timing...
#6
Junior Member
Thread Starter
A bad timing could damage the engine (if the GL350 is an interference engine), but it won't cause it to seize unless something physically broke and is obstructing the crankshaft and pistons. The shop should be able to easily determine if a timing problem caused the engine to seized (e.g. bent valves, damaged piston, broken connecting rod, etc.). Insist on verify that.
If the car started up and drove fine for a while after the timing job then the timing was initially set correctly. They may have left something loose like the chain guide, tensioner, etc. that eventually caused the chain to loosen and timing to skip. They should have found out right away in their inspection whether the timing was still in spec by putting it at TDC and looking at the timing marks or if something had actually come lose. Of cause the can't turn it by hand to TDC, but at least a visual of the timing and guides will give them a clue. Insist on verifying if timing chain is intact before full engine disassembly. If timing is off, insist on checking damage valve in the head, damage to piston head and connecting rod or any gouges inside the cylinder.
If it's not due to timing then the other plausible situation is no lubrication Max Blast said. Do you know if there was oil in the engine? May be they did oil change with the timing job (very common) and forgot to refill the oil.
After it stalled and your wife tried to start it, did it crank but no start or it didn't crank at all. Again they can tell by inspection if the oil sump is empty or if the seizure is due to no lubrication.
You best hope is that it's something electrical like a sensor going bad or coming loose but I don't see how that will cause the engine to seize.
BTW: it's not impressive that they diagnosed this as a bad starter. A bad starter doesn't cause an engine to run rough and stall. It's called a STARTER after all...
If the car started up and drove fine for a while after the timing job then the timing was initially set correctly. They may have left something loose like the chain guide, tensioner, etc. that eventually caused the chain to loosen and timing to skip. They should have found out right away in their inspection whether the timing was still in spec by putting it at TDC and looking at the timing marks or if something had actually come lose. Of cause the can't turn it by hand to TDC, but at least a visual of the timing and guides will give them a clue. Insist on verifying if timing chain is intact before full engine disassembly. If timing is off, insist on checking damage valve in the head, damage to piston head and connecting rod or any gouges inside the cylinder.
If it's not due to timing then the other plausible situation is no lubrication Max Blast said. Do you know if there was oil in the engine? May be they did oil change with the timing job (very common) and forgot to refill the oil.
After it stalled and your wife tried to start it, did it crank but no start or it didn't crank at all. Again they can tell by inspection if the oil sump is empty or if the seizure is due to no lubrication.
You best hope is that it's something electrical like a sensor going bad or coming loose but I don't see how that will cause the engine to seize.
BTW: it's not impressive that they diagnosed this as a bad starter. A bad starter doesn't cause an engine to run rough and stall. It's called a STARTER after all...
I wondered the same thing - since it drove fine initially, it seemed like the timing was correct so if that's the issue, something wasn't perfectly tight and worked its way loose to then cause an issue.
After it stalled, there was no crank, no start at all. Turned the key and nothing happened.
I agree, in hindsight, I am disappointed they diagnosed it as a bad starter. Apparently all their electrical tests showed everything was good to the starter so they assumed the starter had just gone bad. When I asked, they did not confirm if they actually bench tested the starter after they pulled it off (so no actual verification of the starter being bad).
Because they have to confirm they didn't screw something up, the entire removal and re-installation of the engine will be at no charge but I still have to rely on them to tell me the truth about what happened opposed to claim it is something totally unrelated in order to avoid them replacing the engine at their own expense.
I will keep you all updated, if I have a chance I will by stopping by the shop today or definitely Monday to inspect everything myself. Problem is, they can't rotate the engine to TDC since it's seized, so how do they confirm if the timing is okay other than pulling off covers to check guides/tensioners?
FWIW, they said their initial check of the timing chain (first thing they checked) seemed okay. This was based on checking a tensioner through the oil fill with a special tool and pulling off the oil pan to check the bottom of the chain. Based on it all still being tight, they initially dismissed the timing as being the issue.
#7
Member
Hopefully they do the right thing and fix your engine if it was their fault. If they take the timing cover off they can count the chain links between sprockets to determine if it's still in timing. Take photos if they let you. Engines just don't seize like that. Number one suspicion remains lack of oil if they drained it as part of the timing job. If that was the problem and they haven't told you already (because they removed the oil pan to check the chain tension) then they'll probably not fess up. If it comes to that you can get a second opinion because a good engine mechanic can tell if it failed due to lack of lubrication. Good luck and keep us posted.
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#8
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E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
OM642 engines have a track record of seizing as stated previously. The cause is typically oil starvation and the oil level sensors do not respond due to sludge. There was probably a leak and the car ran out of oil so the engine failed. It may or may not be from their work or negligence. There have been plenty of OM642's that failed similarly to yours and were not necessarily caused by timing chain issues but the timing chain is also a known issue with the OM642s. If they do fix, you would be smart to sell the truck and get something more reliable. With the OM642 track record, you may want to ease off the shop a little and let them determine the cause. If they offer any assistance, I would take it. Finding a running used engine is fairly rare and the rebuilt ones are expensive.
If you decide to fix the engine and keep the GL, make sure to use the proper oil and change ever 3k to 5k miles. The MB recommended oil change interval is one reason this engine has so many issues.
If you decide to fix the engine and keep the GL, make sure to use the proper oil and change ever 3k to 5k miles. The MB recommended oil change interval is one reason this engine has so many issues.
Last edited by BlownV8; 08-30-2020 at 02:56 PM.
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks all.
FYI - it had the slow oil leak from the oil cooler last year but I fixed that and one other seal on the oil filter housing and had zero leaks or oil problems.
The shop did tell me when they were finishing the timing chain job that on their test drive after full re-assembly, there was an oil leak from one of the seals that uses RTV so they needed an extra day to pull that off and reseal.
Everything keeps making me think that the engine locking up is from something they did. I had no signs of oil leaks after picking up but wonder if they just didn't top off or put the right amount of oil back in after the timing job and oil leak which would line up with the suggestions here that the engine seized most likely from oil depravation.
FYI - it had the slow oil leak from the oil cooler last year but I fixed that and one other seal on the oil filter housing and had zero leaks or oil problems.
The shop did tell me when they were finishing the timing chain job that on their test drive after full re-assembly, there was an oil leak from one of the seals that uses RTV so they needed an extra day to pull that off and reseal.
Everything keeps making me think that the engine locking up is from something they did. I had no signs of oil leaks after picking up but wonder if they just didn't top off or put the right amount of oil back in after the timing job and oil leak which would line up with the suggestions here that the engine seized most likely from oil depravation.
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thanks all.
FYI - it had the slow oil leak from the oil cooler last year but I fixed that and one other seal on the oil filter housing and had zero leaks or oil problems.
The shop did tell me when they were finishing the timing chain job that on their test drive after full re-assembly, there was an oil leak from one of the seals that uses RTV so they needed an extra day to pull that off and reseal.
Everything keeps making me think that the engine locking up is from something they did. I had no signs of oil leaks after picking up but wonder if they just didn't top off or put the right amount of oil back in after the timing job and oil leak which would line up with the suggestions here that the engine seized most likely from oil depravation.
FYI - it had the slow oil leak from the oil cooler last year but I fixed that and one other seal on the oil filter housing and had zero leaks or oil problems.
The shop did tell me when they were finishing the timing chain job that on their test drive after full re-assembly, there was an oil leak from one of the seals that uses RTV so they needed an extra day to pull that off and reseal.
Everything keeps making me think that the engine locking up is from something they did. I had no signs of oil leaks after picking up but wonder if they just didn't top off or put the right amount of oil back in after the timing job and oil leak which would line up with the suggestions here that the engine seized most likely from oil depravation.
You're not in the strongest negotiation position exactly, given that this engine type has a disastrous reliability track record and that the proverbial horse is in charge of guarding the grain bucket.
#11
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Well, if you're letting them do the post mortem investigation I'd be surprised if you get a straight answer.
You're not in the strongest negotiation position exactly, given that this engine type has a disastrous reliability track record and that the proverbial horse is in charge of guarding the grain bucket.
You're not in the strongest negotiation position exactly, given that this engine type has a disastrous reliability track record and that the proverbial horse is in charge of guarding the grain bucket.
Yep - I realize that and wish I had thought to check the oil before towing to the shop. Although, from what I understand, there should be evidence of whatever caused the engine to seize and unless they can prove it was unrelated, deductive reasoning still makes me think they had something to do with this. I mean come on, <50 miles after they tear my engine down and put it back together, it seizes up and they try to tell me it is NOT related? I'm not in a good negotiating position but they are also doing this inspection because they knew if they didn't, Mercedes was going to. Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since it was dropped off (AFTER if seized, which was a week after the 3 week timing job). I'm about 48 hours away from hiring an attorney to sort it out and either have them fix the engine or write me a check and they can keep the car...
#12
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Thread Starter
Quick update for anyone interested/curious: I found an attorney who specializes in "car repair dispute law". He confirmed I need another shop to verify the cause of the damage which I will have done in the coming week (car has been at the original shop for 10 weeks and only had valve covers removed). IF it is confirmed that the first shop caused the damage then my attorney will be going after them for reimbursement for the value of the vehicle. Will provide another update once I know more.
PS - the shop who has the car and did the timing job tried to tell me "maybe an injector stuck open and hydrolocked the engine" which seemed far-fetched and when I asked if they'd ever known that to happen the tech confirmed he'd never seen it happen before.
PS - the shop who has the car and did the timing job tried to tell me "maybe an injector stuck open and hydrolocked the engine" which seemed far-fetched and when I asked if they'd ever known that to happen the tech confirmed he'd never seen it happen before.
#13
MBWorld Fanatic!
Hydrolocking is not implausible, but I think you'll spend more in attorney fees than the vehicle is worth in proving it.
If I were in your shoes I would certainly aim for the you win solution of getting the car's value out of that shop, but be prepared for a compromise solution such as the shop providing you a known good engine and you chip in for labor.
If I were in your shoes I would certainly aim for the you win solution of getting the car's value out of that shop, but be prepared for a compromise solution such as the shop providing you a known good engine and you chip in for labor.
#14
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks MaxBlast - why do you say it's implausible? I thought so too, but I can't explain why, it just doesn't make sense to me.
Update: I have now hired an attorney who specializes in "car repair dispute law". Given the situation and the fact that the car has been sitting at the shop who did the work (damage), the local MB dealer said any evidence that would prove their fault would have been hidden by the shop in the 11 weeks they've been sitting on it. The service writer at MB literally said "they won't send it out, knowing it's coming to MB and not hide any evidence of what they did"
So now I'm tagging out and my attorney is jumping in. From here it will just be negotiations of how they will resolve the issue. I'm now just hoping for a check and they can keep the car which is only good for parts thanks to their poor service provided previously. Although I kind of think they should pay me and I should keep the car, otherwise they can recoup some of their expense by parting out the vehicle or scrapping it for $2000 (the quote I got in its current condition).
I'll provide an update once I have more info.
Update: I have now hired an attorney who specializes in "car repair dispute law". Given the situation and the fact that the car has been sitting at the shop who did the work (damage), the local MB dealer said any evidence that would prove their fault would have been hidden by the shop in the 11 weeks they've been sitting on it. The service writer at MB literally said "they won't send it out, knowing it's coming to MB and not hide any evidence of what they did"
So now I'm tagging out and my attorney is jumping in. From here it will just be negotiations of how they will resolve the issue. I'm now just hoping for a check and they can keep the car which is only good for parts thanks to their poor service provided previously. Although I kind of think they should pay me and I should keep the car, otherwise they can recoup some of their expense by parting out the vehicle or scrapping it for $2000 (the quote I got in its current condition).
I'll provide an update once I have more info.
#15
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Quick update - it's been 3 months that my car has been at the shop with no real progress OR updates. I hired an attorney and gave the shop an ultimatum/deadline for "get it fixed/find the problem or it's going to the MB dealer". They didn't answer or return my call the day it was supposed to be towed to MB and two weeks later still haven't called me. Basically feels like they've stolen my car now but at this point it's up to my lawyer to sort out. Will provide an update once I have one.
PS -MB dealer said any evidence of their negligent repair was surely removed/destroyed in the 10 weeks they had the car so they didn't believe there would be any evidence left to find.
PS -MB dealer said any evidence of their negligent repair was surely removed/destroyed in the 10 weeks they had the car so they didn't believe there would be any evidence left to find.
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Yup497 (10-13-2020)
#16
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2007 GL450
Quick update - it's been 3 months that my car has been at the shop with no real progress OR updates. I hired an attorney and gave the shop an ultimatum/deadline for "get it fixed/find the problem or it's going to the MB dealer". They didn't answer or return my call the day it was supposed to be towed to MB and two weeks later still haven't called me. Basically feels like they've stolen my car now but at this point it's up to my lawyer to sort out. Will provide an update once I have one.
PS -MB dealer said any evidence of their negligent repair was surely removed/destroyed in the 10 weeks they had the car so they didn't believe there would be any evidence left to find.
PS -MB dealer said any evidence of their negligent repair was surely removed/destroyed in the 10 weeks they had the car so they didn't believe there would be any evidence left to find.
#17
Resurrection thread time.
The only way I would have taken it back to them and let them touch it, is if they were going to fix it for free, no matter what caused the problem.
If I was a person that was not a mechanic, I would have tried to find some one honest that would check it out, and if it was caused by that shop then start the process of having them fix it.
Most all shops carry insurance for things like that so yes they can pay for the whole ordeal. I know of a shop that trashed a W8 engine years ago and it was their insurance that foot the bill.
So all just keep that in mind.
The only time you would eat something like this is if it was some poor guy moon lighting the job or? Even then that person would likely be more stand up than a shop.
The only way I would have taken it back to them and let them touch it, is if they were going to fix it for free, no matter what caused the problem.
If I was a person that was not a mechanic, I would have tried to find some one honest that would check it out, and if it was caused by that shop then start the process of having them fix it.
Most all shops carry insurance for things like that so yes they can pay for the whole ordeal. I know of a shop that trashed a W8 engine years ago and it was their insurance that foot the bill.
So all just keep that in mind.
The only time you would eat something like this is if it was some poor guy moon lighting the job or? Even then that person would likely be more stand up than a shop.