AMG4EmE

My CPO 2008 E350 / W211 just overheated. Just purchased the car about 3 weeks ago.

Was driving today and the Overheating Warning lite came on. Drove it about 3 minutes after the warning light came on to the MB dealer to get the work done and have it corrected... Popped the hood and it seemed that the coolant was leaking and their was spillage in the middle front behind the fan. The car was not spraying steam/coolant as most way overheated cars would...

Anyone have any advice / tips on the overheating of a car? Does the car go through any irrepairable damage? Should I have them check other parts while they are still working on it? What other areas might be of concern that I should have MB check out?

I also planned to keep this car for some time since it is rather new, but have been reading about all kinds of problems that are caused by overheated cars and am becoming very worried.

Thanks in advance,
AMG4EmE

RichardM98

While the car is pretty new, it's not unheard of for the coolant system to spring a leak. It's under a little pressure and if there's a weak point...

The dealer will do a complete inspection as well as fix the cooling system and replenish the coolant. There may be other unrelated issues based on the inspection. Remember they are a for profit business and they want to make your car 'like new'. So you might want to post any of their recommendations out here and see what others think before going ahead.

I think your prompt attention to the warning means that no harm has been done to the car.

When reading old posts about issues with a certain model, bear in mind that these sites are frequented by people looking for help with a problem. 99% of E350 owners aren't out here.

Good luck.

AMG4EmE

Well got a call from MB service and they informed me that some rodent must have crawled into my car and stopped the fan from working causing my overheat.

They informed me that they would have to do the following repairs:
1. Replace the fan.
2. Replace the thermostat.
3. Replace the oil/filter.

They also informed me that this is not covered by my CPO / MB Warranty and that it would cost me something like $2k.

Can anyone please help me?

1. Shouldn't MB cover all the charges for this? Like why the heck would a rodent get into my car and even if one did, would that make it my problem?
2. Since they are saying I need to replace the oil/filter, doesn't that mean I'm more prone to engine problems later on down the line? I just bought my car 3 weeks ago to keep for a while and now I don't even want it...
3. Is there anyway I can return my car?

Thanks in advance,
AMG4EmE

RichardM98

I can understand your frustration.

As far as the repairs -

The fan maybe if the rodent chewed on it. That would make it out of balance and prone to failure.

The thermostat probably since the symptom was overheating but if there is a leak in one of the coolant hoses then the thermostat should be fine. You could ask them to test the thermostat but the labor for that would probably be about the price of a new one. If the thermostat caused the overheating then I think it should be covered by the CPO. At the very least it is a negotiable issue.

The oil and filter may be based upon how long it's been since that was serviced. That would be unrelated to the overheating. Just recommended service which is due.

If you read over your CPO contract I think you'll find that is a warranty for materials and workmanship. Since MB doesn't claim their cars to be 'rodent proof' it wouldn't apply to rodent damage just as it wouldn't apply if someone backed into you and damaged the fan. Small animals climb up into cars at night for safety and warmth. Sometimes with fatal consequences. If you have comprehensive coverage with your auto insurance, I would check with them. It may cover the rodent damage under vandalism by a subhuman. Just kidding about the subhuman part.

As you probably know we have a 'lemon' law in California but I don't think you're anywhere near the threshold for returning the car and getting your money back.

Finally, the $2K sounds awful high. You might call a couple of other dealers in your area and ask for a quote on each of these items. I'd be surprised if it came to $1K when added up.

Good luck.

AMG4EmE

Thanks Richard!

I actually called Beverly Hills MB, the dealership where I purchased the car and spoke to my salesperson. He got me in contact with the service manager for their branch and they are going to tow the car to their dealership and try to resolve there.

I'm still needing help on...

1. Whether or not, regardless of the rodent/animal, whether the CPO / Warranty should cover the charges.
2. Is there anyway I can return the vehicle to MB and get my money back or at least buy a different replacement MB? I bought my car less than a month ago.

Thanks again for the help.
AMG4EmE

sosh

If that is the case I would sincerely doubt if they will take the car back or cover the repairs and they are right as its an unfortunate occurrance but its not their responsibility morally or legally. Perhaps your insurance will cover it. While this is an unusual situation you did continue to drive the car after receiving the warning and had full view of the temp gage which should be scanned. Sorry to say this but I feel that its more your error than the dealers.

AMG4EmE

I received the warning light while on the fast lane of the freeway. I got off the first offramp and drove 2 blocks to the dealer. Really couldn't have stopped much sooner than I did after receiving the warning...

sosh

You certainly could have pulled over to the shoulder and stopped, called for a tow. Yet you not only continued to an off ramp but drove to a dealers after that. What did the red warning say?? Certainly it did not say drive to the dealers. Look the repairs they quoted on are really minor. I would have them do those and hope for the best but there are no assurances that further damage has not been done. Have you contacted your insurance company yet?? By the way changing the thermostadt is the correct thing to do as after an overheat they can fail and they are cheap. Changing the oil is also being proactive as overheated oil loses some of its qualities and when ever the oil is changed its advisable to change the filter.

AMG4EmE

Thanks Sosh.

I really am looking for all input from other people.

I'm just trying to see whether or not I should get stuck with the bill or if my CPO/Warranty should cover it.

Someone else made a good point in a different thread.

The fan rarely turns on and only does so when the car has been driven for a while or driven hard. The MB service advisor informed me the fan had shorted out and that was the reason it needed to be replaced. Wouldn't that mean that most likely a faulty thermostat would have been the cause of the problem? Can a rodent/animal damage a thermostat?

Mechanically retarded so all help appreciated.

Thanks again in advance,
AMG4EmE

sosh

The thermostadt really has not much to do with the fan. It restricts coolant from going into the radiator when the engine is cool and allows it to pass into the radiator for cooling when it is hot. It maintains the coolant at the proper temperature. The fan is controlled by a thermocouple, a switch thats activated by higher temperatures. This turns the fan on in situations when the conditions are such that the radiator needs additional air flow thru it to cool the coolant contained in it. Yes a rodent can damage the wiring to the thermocouple and the fan. It can also block the movement of the fan which is powered by an electric motor. Look the dealer is not responsible. Why not just be cool and accept responsibility for both an occurance that you could not control and your inappropriate decision to keep driving. The distance you drove with the warning in your face while not seeming like a lot to you is sufficient to damage any overheated engine. What would have happened if you ran over a piece of steel and drove to the dealers the same distance with 4 flat tires?? Think the dealer should pay for the tires and the wheel damage?? Well you did a similar thing, now own up to your responsibility and go on with your life!!

AMG4EmE

Anyways finally got everything resolved.

Long story short, while LA Downtown MB had my car, they diagnosed the problem by fixing the problem. Only problem with that was I never authorized the work after receiving the service advisors voicemail on my cell.

I brought this up to their attention and they told me they could put in the shorted out fan and the broken thermostat leaving me with a jacked up car.

After talking to the service advisor, the shop floorman, and the service manager, LA Downtown MB offered to NOT charge labor, 15% discount on the parts, and give me a free oil and filter change. So instead of the approximate $1,500.00 they quoted me in the voicemail, I ended up paying about half that.

I asked to see the shorted out fan and they showed me one with what looked like a light spray of diarrea (sorry for the retarded description... only thing that comes to mind) on some areas on the fan. Who knows whether or not it was a rodent/animal, whether or not it happened to the car before I got it 3 weeks ago, or whatever...

Anyways, cars fixed and I'm satisfied with how everything turned out. PROPS go out to JAKE of LA DOWNTOWN MB for helping me get through it.

Thanks to all that replied and helped me out on this thread as well.
AMG4EmE