2006 S65 W220
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 5
Likes: 2
2006 S65
2006 S65 W220
Relatively new V12 owner. Heard some sloshing in car upon startup, heat won't come up for awhile (and blows cold air) until car reaches about 80 or so.. Evidence of air in coolant system (going up/downhill, temp gauge will increase or decrease by 30-40 degrees). Over the summer, upon leaving a light, whenever that sloshing noise was heard, A/C would momentarily cut out then come back on. Symptoms improve once car warms up to 80 or so. Noted a "coolant check level" indicator on dash. 84,000 miles
Replaced water pump, belts etc to the tune of $6,000 as per indy shop rec recently. Had same symptoms with no change after returning car to them immediately. Now they want to change the head gaskets which will be $$$$$. I wanted to get a second opinion from another indy shop that has competency in dealing with Mercedes V12s somewhere in the mid-atlantic (NY/NJ/CT/DE/MD/VA etc).
Thoughts on a sealer that could fix the issue? Would hate to spend another $15,000 when was perhaps just a coolant cap all along, say.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Dave
Replaced water pump, belts etc to the tune of $6,000 as per indy shop rec recently. Had same symptoms with no change after returning car to them immediately. Now they want to change the head gaskets which will be $$$$$. I wanted to get a second opinion from another indy shop that has competency in dealing with Mercedes V12s somewhere in the mid-atlantic (NY/NJ/CT/DE/MD/VA etc).
Thoughts on a sealer that could fix the issue? Would hate to spend another $15,000 when was perhaps just a coolant cap all along, say.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Dave
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 14,692
Likes: 4,584
From: unbegrenzt
2017 GLE350 4MATIC
Relatively new V12 owner. Heard some sloshing in car upon startup, heat won't come up for awhile (and blows cold air) until car reaches about 80 or so.. Evidence of air in coolant system (going up/downhill, temp gauge will increase or decrease by 30-40 degrees). Over the summer, upon leaving a light, whenever that sloshing noise was heard, A/C would momentarily cut out then come back on. Symptoms improve once car warms up to 80 or so. Noted a "coolant check level" indicator on dash. 84,000 miles
Replaced water pump, belts etc to the tune of $6,000 as per indy shop rec recently. Had same symptoms with no change after returning car to them immediately. Now they want to change the head gaskets which will be $$$$$. I wanted to get a second opinion from another indy shop that has competency in dealing with Mercedes V12s somewhere in the mid-atlantic (NY/NJ/CT/DE/MD/VA etc).
Thoughts on a sealer that could fix the issue? Would hate to spend another $15,000 when was perhaps just a coolant cap all along, say.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Dave
Replaced water pump, belts etc to the tune of $6,000 as per indy shop rec recently. Had same symptoms with no change after returning car to them immediately. Now they want to change the head gaskets which will be $$$$$. I wanted to get a second opinion from another indy shop that has competency in dealing with Mercedes V12s somewhere in the mid-atlantic (NY/NJ/CT/DE/MD/VA etc).
Thoughts on a sealer that could fix the issue? Would hate to spend another $15,000 when was perhaps just a coolant cap all along, say.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Dave
Steps to diagnose failed head gasket:
- loss of coolant over time
- steam from tailpipe
- sweet smell from tailpipe
- rough idle
- chocolate milkshake sludge under oil fill cap
- bubbles in coolant reservoir
- oil film in coolant reservoir
- coolant in oil upon draining @ oil change
- exhaust smell from inside coolant reservoir
- “washed” piston crowns
- “washed” spark plugs
- cylinder compression low
- coolant seepage down outside of engine block
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 5
Likes: 2
2006 S65
Don't use a sealer, find the root cause and address it.
Steps to diagnose failed head gasket:
- loss of coolant over time
- steam from tailpipe
- sweet smell from tailpipe
- rough idle
- chocolate milkshake sludge under oil fill cap
- bubbles in coolant reservoir
- oil film in coolant reservoir
- coolant in oil upon draining @ oil change
- exhaust smell from inside coolant reservoir
- “washed” piston crowns
- “washed” spark plugs
- cylinder compression low
- coolant seepage down outside of engine block
Steps to diagnose failed head gasket:
- loss of coolant over time
- steam from tailpipe
- sweet smell from tailpipe
- rough idle
- chocolate milkshake sludge under oil fill cap
- bubbles in coolant reservoir
- oil film in coolant reservoir
- coolant in oil upon draining @ oil change
- exhaust smell from inside coolant reservoir
- “washed” piston crowns
- “washed” spark plugs
- cylinder compression low
- coolant seepage down outside of engine block
Dave
Member
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 162
Likes: 15
'03 S55 AMG / '09 E550 4-Matic / '08 E350 4-Matic
I would get a second opinion from another shop.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 14,692
Likes: 4,584
From: unbegrenzt
2017 GLE350 4MATIC
What is your next step?
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Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 5
Likes: 2
2006 S65
Need a second opinion from someone on the east coast. I’m not confident this is a head gasket issue, and I’m not sure this shop knows what the next steps are.
Dave
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Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 5
Likes: 2
2006 S65
Update: Estimate from shop is $13,500…. They claim 40 hrs labor to pull engine and then (quoted from email below)Replace:
“- Head gaskets (both banks) along with all other associated seals/gaskets/clamps removed to gain access for repairs
- Engine oil cooler located in the middle of the engine
- All turbo coolant and oil hose seals on the engine
- Timing chain and tensioner
- Front and rear main oil seals
- Upper oil pan gasket
- Oil control valve gasket
- Alternator coolant gaskets (yes, the car has a water-cooled alternator)
- Motor mounts (cannot be replaced without dropping the engine)
- We can also do spark plugs at the same time at a small additional cost”
At $175/hr labor the delta doesn’t add up to $6,500 in parts. Something isn’t adding up (and there isn’t an itemized estimate).
Also wasn’t aware one needed to drop the engine to replace motor mounts (I’ve seen videos to the contrary).
Would like another opinion and estimate from a different east coast shop that specializes or is competent in Mercedes V12s. Suggestions appreciated. Would happily ship car.
Dave
“- Head gaskets (both banks) along with all other associated seals/gaskets/clamps removed to gain access for repairs
- Engine oil cooler located in the middle of the engine
- All turbo coolant and oil hose seals on the engine
- Timing chain and tensioner
- Front and rear main oil seals
- Upper oil pan gasket
- Oil control valve gasket
- Alternator coolant gaskets (yes, the car has a water-cooled alternator)
- Motor mounts (cannot be replaced without dropping the engine)
- We can also do spark plugs at the same time at a small additional cost”
At $175/hr labor the delta doesn’t add up to $6,500 in parts. Something isn’t adding up (and there isn’t an itemized estimate).
Also wasn’t aware one needed to drop the engine to replace motor mounts (I’ve seen videos to the contrary).
Would like another opinion and estimate from a different east coast shop that specializes or is competent in Mercedes V12s. Suggestions appreciated. Would happily ship car.
Dave
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 14,692
Likes: 4,584
From: unbegrenzt
2017 GLE350 4MATIC
Update: Estimate from shop is $13,500…. They claim 40 hrs labor to pull engine and then (quoted from email below)Replace:
“- Head gaskets (both banks) along with all other associated seals/gaskets/clamps removed to gain access for repairs
- Engine oil cooler located in the middle of the engine
- All turbo coolant and oil hose seals on the engine
- Timing chain and tensioner
- Front and rear main oil seals
- Upper oil pan gasket
- Oil control valve gasket
- Alternator coolant gaskets (yes, the car has a water-cooled alternator)
- Motor mounts (cannot be replaced without dropping the engine)
- We can also do spark plugs at the same time at a small additional cost”
At $175/hr labor the delta doesn’t add up to $6,500 in parts. Something isn’t adding up (and there isn’t an itemized estimate).
Also wasn’t aware one needed to drop the engine to replace motor mounts (I’ve seen videos to the contrary).
Would like another opinion and estimate from a different east coast shop that specializes or is competent in Mercedes V12s. Suggestions appreciated. Would happily ship car.
Dave
“- Head gaskets (both banks) along with all other associated seals/gaskets/clamps removed to gain access for repairs
- Engine oil cooler located in the middle of the engine
- All turbo coolant and oil hose seals on the engine
- Timing chain and tensioner
- Front and rear main oil seals
- Upper oil pan gasket
- Oil control valve gasket
- Alternator coolant gaskets (yes, the car has a water-cooled alternator)
- Motor mounts (cannot be replaced without dropping the engine)
- We can also do spark plugs at the same time at a small additional cost”
At $175/hr labor the delta doesn’t add up to $6,500 in parts. Something isn’t adding up (and there isn’t an itemized estimate).
Also wasn’t aware one needed to drop the engine to replace motor mounts (I’ve seen videos to the contrary).
Would like another opinion and estimate from a different east coast shop that specializes or is competent in Mercedes V12s. Suggestions appreciated. Would happily ship car.
Dave
"Combustion in the cooling system" can only happen in one way. Combustion gases from the cylinder are entering the cooling system. Most commonly this happens via failed cylinder head gaskets.
It may be a painfully expensive endeavor for you to replace head gaskets. Based on the information you have give us, failed cylinder head gasket seems one of the leading contenders for the root cause.
You can increase the level of certainty on this by conducting each of the tests listed above in post #4, and giving a line-item-by-line-item response of your findings to us. Or you can ship it to another indy for a second opinion.
