Freshbrew92

Is this normal?? I am about to go crazy with repairs!!! Never had ANY major issues or problems until the tranny went out. Car had a little over 125K at tranny replacement. I've decided I need to get rid of the car, but I need to get the radiator fixed before I can trade, leak is too obvious....

Oct 2014 - Car stopped on me, no warning, had it towed to shop needs new transmission
Nov 2014 - Routine maintenance (replaced idler pulleys)
Nov 2014 - Coolant low light comes on while driving, car running hot (got coolant hoses and connectors replaced)
Dec 2014 - I notice a faint white smoke radiating from hood and weird smell coming from air vents (Cam plugs and purge valve replaced)
Jan 2015 - Coolant leaking from hood on front driver side - Service advisor says I need: a new radiator, a new water pump and oil-coolant separator (I think that's the name of if)

steveb9771

It is likely low coolant problem in November 2014 was not properly diagnosed and repaired. The faint white smoke you saw was coolant. Unfortunately further damage may have been caused by not promptly correcting the original problem including possibly engine overheating along with damage to your head gaskets. I highly recommend having your vehicle inspected at a DIFFERENT dealer to determine what repairs are needed and the potential cost. I would seek the cost of damages from your dealer for incompetent diagnosis and repair in November.

Mike5215

Yeah, that's normal. Repair whatever is obvious as cheaply as possible and dump it. For your next one (if there is one) find a CPO or a low mileage car and add a 3rd party warranty. A high mileage S out of warranty can eat you alive, and it's entirely possible to get trapped where you have to make a repair or the car is worthless, but the cost of the repair itself isn't recoverable at resale.

Critter

Its too late now but definitely find another Mechanic.
The idiots that worked on your car must have been subsidized to take a small engine course when they got out of reform school or the short bus happened to stop in front of the dealership.
Run from those fools unless you rob banks for a living.
First off the idlers must have been sleeping when they did the transmission fill and checks
Changing hoses and connectors mean they muscled them off , now guess what you have a rad problem.
Service advisor says I need: a new radiator, a new water pump and oil-coolant separator (I think that's the name of if)
Why not change out the heater core while he is spending your money.
Run my friend from those idiots.

CafeRacer87

I agree from Critter, a good independent shop (specifically one that specializes in German cars) will save you THOUSANDS!

Freshbrew92

Ok, so I'm feeling like a real sucker now, lol. Planning to take my car elsewhere for the radiator leak repair. We will them to check out the car for everything else. Silly me thinking that the dealership would actually know how to properly fix their own product. Thanks for your replies! I do plan to dump the car ASAP

Critter

Do not feel bad, not all dealerships are takers, but you seem to have found one that loves to bleed cash from their customers.
Personally would talk to the manager about your exploits with the car, it seems that after the transmission everything when for a dump. The more they touched the more expense was put on you. The idlers must have been "whirling" when they did the trans, sometimes the SA "sees" you coming if you know what I mean. Women seem to find these A ***** more often and pay dearly for their lack of in site in the automotive world.

JonMBZ

Fresh be careful of what you read on the internet. You are doing things correctly. Just because someone says something doesn't mean it's true. The problems with your vehicle could be perfectly legitimate and by someone pointing you into another direction without any specific knowledge or experience with your vehicle or situation could end up costing you more in the future. All I do for a living is work with independent shops and I can tell you first hand most of them do not have the knowledge or capacity to work on these vehicle, especially an S-Class and 9/10 shops use all after-market parts unless unavailable. Even the shops that are specifically Mercedes shops because it makes them more money. I never put anything after-market on my car everything that I have in the past I have come to regret it. I just got a new used vehicle and the car came with aftermarket wipers bosch direct replacement and they chatter the brakes are after-market and the squeak when it's cold I completely replaced all the fluids aftermarket plugs that were installed and my tech said were junk. Even the equipment that is made by the same companies for Mercedes don't hold up to the spec that MB requires so it's all garbage to me. Most of these companies do not have factory SDS machines they are all used cheap Chinese clones running VMware images of the operating systems because they can't afford the real equipment and I wouldn't want them programming my control units with those fake machines. Unless you have a great relationship with the shop and know that his skill level and supply the parts required or make him show you the boxes of the parts with the MB holographic stickers on it I would not go near it. These cars get more complex every year and even the older indie techs with lots of experience no longer have access to the training needed to keep up with these cars. Anyways if you plan to dump the car do whatever you need to, but with your own car you need to take care of it properly maintain it and change all fluids regulary. My 170k C55 never had any major issues and ran hard till the day I totaled it and it cost me only a fraction of what my girls Honda civic cost to fix constantly.