My engine threw a rod and do t know why even the dealer can’t figure it out
we have replaced the turbo, mass sensors, left and right fuel rails , and oil
cooler then engine blew
still have emissions recall to do
need help is find a good working diesel
engine
please help a
blonde girl out in Tn

 

What you mean by engine blew? Like what happened?

 

Lost all power was in limp mode thinking it was the turbocharger again but my husband was in route it the dealer heard a pop and it stopped oil pouring out the bottom of suv

 

You have to give little bit more details. Who worked on the car last before the above incident? Who is working on the car now? Is the car still under warranty? You mentioned in the previous post that lots of parts were replaced, what are the reasons to replace those part?

 

Since you have been working with the dealer, I would see if they could warranty the engine based on the law suite settlement engine warranty. May be some grey area since to get the extended warranty you must get the upgrade first. The engine must be running to get the warranty work done. Hopefully they will work with you and get you a new engine at no cost. The OM642 engines are very problematic as you probably already know.

 

OM642 engines are problematic is they have emissions systems on it. As soon I deleted ALL emission systems (EGR, DEF, swirl motors, DPF) on my car, it started to live a better life and it's flying.

 

Over the years I have worked on several cars that have had their e-controls deleted. All suffered drivability problems of some sort, and replacing those bits returned them to "reliable" status. YMMV but any OBD2 car probably suffers when e-controls are deleted. After all, they are the reasons we get double the power, compared to the pre-DEF cars.

I have never seen anything, other than a few repeat diesel bashers, about poor reliability of OM642 engines. I have several friends with M-B OM642 diesels, all with over 100,000 miles and no problems. In >200,000 miles with mine, the only glitch was a DEF heater, covered by warranty. And it sure "flies," 0-80mph pulling a 6,000# load is stunning.

What is your source for the "problematic" statement?

 

I wasn't stating that OM642 is problematic, I just confirmed from the previous reply from Blown V8.

But if you want an explanation of why do I think that OM642 is problematic I will share my experience.

I bought my ML2015 OM642 in 2017 and it was an awesome car since the DEF heater problems started to occur. The car went in limp mode and I was driving it for 2-3 weeks somewhere until the dealer was to provide an answer to fix it under warranty or me to pay for a new heater. Along with that, the EGR valve starts to create problems, and to be honest I was contemplating doing a DELETE but still, I wasn't sure.
Anyway long story short, I was driving the car on a highway, and with over 110km on board, suddenly all the lights on the dash came out and went off and the car shouted down by itself !!!! Can you imagine that? I had 110-120 km and I lost everything, brakes, lights, steering wheel become stiff. I was able to manage to pull the car over. I pressed the start button and the car started again easily without any back issues. I was shocked.

After this incident I decided to delete everything and since I'm happy as a clam.

 

Actually there are very few reports supporting the statement "OM642 engines are very problematic."
Can you share some actual documentation? Thanks!

 

You can do a search for the OM642 and problems on this site and find your fill. It's been posted to the point of ad nauseum.

 

As far as engines go, the OM642 is one of the most reliable power plants Mercedes has ever made. The engine itself is more reliable than any gasoline engine ever fitted to an ML. Period.

While there have been issues with the exhaust aftertreatment equipment, it's not a problem with the engine. Removing DEF and EGR does nothing for the engine (aside from possibly introducing driveability issues later on). It only saves you money in the short term because you don't have to pay for the repair and you can drive the car without it. It's no different from the seat heaters or your A/C not working... the car will drive without either.

You can do a search for "any-engine-of-your-choice problems" and you'll get tons of hits.

 

Pls define "aside from possibly introducing driveability issues later on"!

 

Yes it has, by the same three people (now 4) who paste their experiences at every available opportunity, like a bulb out thread. So, with several thousand forum members with the OM642, that would put the reliability quite high, don't you think?

 

You're letting some shady character who at best has a very rudimentary understanding of how your OM642 engine management system works tinker with your ECU, which they furthermore don't even properly test (the way most tuners do), let alone warranty anything because it is illegal. Nothing could possibly go wrong there.

If you want specific examples, all you have to do is read some of the DEF / EGR delete threads on this forum.

P.S. SprinterSource and BenzWorld have even more examples.

 

Kind or ironic that you are posting about the reliability in another thread about an OM642 that grenaded itself. The person starting this thread sure does not extol the same virtues of reliability. There are only a few on this forum that defend the engine as reliable. Most that have owned, worked on, or driven the vehicles long enough realized the reliability is a myth.

It's so reliable that MB just had shell out, possibly, hundreds of millions on an extended warranty for an engine placed in cars dating back from 2009 because, again, they are so reliable? Some of the pre BlueTec owners were/are quite upset since they had many of the same failures as the emission equipped OM642's but did not receive the extra coverage or reimbursement for blown oil cooler seals, broken or stretched timing chains, blown engines, spun bearings, faulty swirl motors every 60-80k miles due to intake sludging, injector seal failures, and add clogged emissions components, cracked Adblue tanks and heaters, ETC, ETC. to the emissions equipped models.... Just so we are clear on your definition of reliability, it is one that requires proactively fixing the issues, stated above, before they cause failure like the OP is having?

Not sure if most of the issues are caused by the emissions systems but it certainly seems to contribute to the OM642 list of problems. Some of the early pre-emissions equipped OM642 do seem to be way more reliable but, as equipped, with emissions it's an extremely high maintenance and costly vehicle to maintain and, yes, unreliable.

 

You bring up two main topics.
The first is the emissions settlement, brought to you by the failure of the EPA to abide by two US Supreme Court decisions, 2012 and 2015, that directed the EPA to provide regulatory guidance for manufacturers and OEM suppliers, so they would be able to engineer products that would be in compliance. EPA did not provide that guidance. Bosch and Mercedes did not violate any regulations, because there were none, but the Ambulance Chasers got a Class together and the CARB decided they could take another punch at petro autos, and they succeeded.
The second is a list of things that can fail, but seem to be in a very, very small minority of autos. I can't find the vast amounts of "grenaded" M-B diesels that you speak of. Perhaps you were looking at Dodge pre-DEF engines?

Nevertheless, please provide more than the four examples that are repeated as nauseum. (Actually I have only seen one, but there seem to be more "references" than actual examples.)
You need to convince us that you have actual information, not just the "if I say a falsity often enough, people will begin to believe it" theory of mass disinformation.

Please show us that my 203,000 diesel miles with only a warrantied DEF heater is not the norm. I'm open to changing my opinion, if you can provide substance.
Thanks.

 

There is one blown OM642 engine at the top of this thread.

Another 2010 ML350 Bluetec engine seized - MBWorld.org Forums

ML350 Bluetec Engine Seizure. - MBWorld.org Forums

Engine Seized @ 67k - What is this in my oil? Test included - MBWorld.org Forums

GL 350 Engine Seized. Help Please! - MBWorld.org Forums

Gl350 32k miles blown motor. Warranty denied. - MBWorld.org Forums

2013 E 350 Bluetec BLOWN ENGINE! REPLACEMENT COST? DEALER SAYS $30,000! - MBWorld.org Forums

GL350 Making Brutal Ticking - Help Me Find a Starting Point? - Page 2 - MBWorld.org Forums

Time to throw in the towel? - MBWorld.org Forums

Goodbye Bluetec!! - MBWorld.org Forums

2011 BlueTEC Diesel - MBWorld.org Forums

2010 GL350 AdBlue/DPF nightmare - MBWorld.org Forums

In Need of New Engine - MBWorld.org Forums

Bluetec vs. Gas 4matic: Anyone with experience in both? - MBWorld.org Forums

2014 ML350 BlueTEC - Slidge in the intake - MBWorld.org Forums

Oil Cooler repair and a new timing chain - estimate is $7,000 - true? - MBWorld.org Forums

PROSPECTIVE BUYERS: Before buying a GL, know it’s not all good news - MBWorld.org Forums

The never ending Bluetec saga - MBWorld.org Forums

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https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ty-denied.html

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Great DIY from sak335
https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...placement.html

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https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...e-crashed.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ml#post2993600

 

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter OM642 & OM651 BlueTEC Diesel Issues & Problems | Stephens Service Center - Sacramento's Best Mercedes-Benz Service & Repairs

Mercedes-Benz OM642 engine (australiancar.reviews)

Common Mercedes Diesel Problems | CDI & BlueTec – MB Medic (mercedesmedic.com)

om642 v6 diesel engine failure | Engine | MBClub UK - Bringing together Mercedes Enthusiasts

Exactly how common is the "sludge & sieze" problem on om642's? | Mercedes-Benz Forum (benzworld.org)

Mercedes Benz OM642 V6 Diesel Intake Inlet Manifold Swirl Flap Repair Connecting Runner Rod Fix Kit Install Instructions Guide : 5 Steps - Instructables

 

heheh.... "SMACK"!!!! I'd say you backed up your statements up, BlownV8....

 

Thanks for your research. In reading through the first half of the treads, however, it looks like there are three dominant factors for the reported OM642 problems - lack of maintenance and failed intake seals. Then there are the smarties who think that stripping all e-controls will make everything better, when the opposite is true.
And the failed seals seem to come more from Indie shops or home mechanics that reinstall the seals incorrectly and damage them, leading to various problems, many fatal. Those seals / bad re-installations also led to the swirl flap failures.

The original seal materials led to similar failures, at a seemingly higher rates, on most turbo cars of that era, F150 ecoboost leading the complaints, but many manufacturers have forums speaking of the same failures, from the seals available at the the time. Do a search.

I agree that there should never be an engine problem, or that seals should never be re-installed incorrectly, and that a "trusted brand" like M-B should devise a way to eliminate sloppy mechanic-ing on out-of-warranty engines, but only the great Elon Musk will make such claims.

Other than the early seals (most of which are still just fine, and there is a new improved part if needed) I see very little about "design flaws" that make the diesel "unreliable."
"OMG my wife's car had no oil and the engine died!!! The CEL had only been on for a month."

 

^ This.

And, half of the linked threads have nothing to do with the OM642 diesel. Transfer case gone... blind spot assist not working... just because they happened to someone with a Bluetec, it does not mean that they are in any way related to the Bluetec.

I will readily admit that Mercedes specifying 16,000 km between oil changes on a diesel, and IN PARTICULAR IN THE USA where the biodiesel content makes things considerably worse, is one of the most asinine things that they have ever done. All engine sludging issues and problems due to sludging are from lack of maintenance. In Canada 86% of all ML and GL SUVs sold were diesels, and we are not seeing anywhere near the failures that people south of the border have. The difference? Biodiesel content (or, rather, lack thereof) and more frequent maintenance (oil changes). And, look at the number of Sprinters on the road, the mileage they have travelled and tell me they are unreliable.

Are there any issues specific to the diesels? Sure. The early oil cooler seals were known to fail, and the sheer complexity of the emission control / exhaust gas after-treatment system and components simply means there are a few more things that can and will break down over time. Take any container with a heater and a pump that is constantly exposed to freeze-thaw cycles and it will fail after three or four years. If you put a beer in your freezer, the bottle will shatter the first time it freezes. Bottles are also know to be fragile when dropped. Are beer bottles unreliable?

As for the timing chain, if you think the timing chain on the OM642 is problematic (either the early double-row or the later single-row one), look at the number of failures per 1000 engines on the OM642 diesels and the the number of timing chain failures on ANY of the gasoline engines put in the same cars. All of the gassers are probably worse by a factor of 10.

Sorry, but two dozen people without mechanical sympathy who didn't look after their cars and then whined and moaned about it does not make the diesels unreliable.

 

I am trying to buy a 2013 ML350 BT with about 69k miles(about $20k). Now I am very worry about the problems such like EGR, oil cooler issues. But I am still not sure they are very often or not. Thanks for your suggestions.