i700plus

Was driving my 2010 E550 5.5 V8 car to work this morning and was accelerating normally after a red light. All of a sudden BOOM! I hear a loud bang and what sounds like grinding coming from the front of the engine bay. My check engine light started flashing and the car immediately shut off.

I was able to coast it to a parking spot but after I got out there was a trail of oil/coolant pouring out from under the engine.. Just had my B service done less than 5k ago at a dealership and they said everything was perfect! The car has about 70,000 Miles on it and has had service done at every interval needed. I don't drive the car hard and its performed flawless since I bought it in March of last year with just over 55k on the odometer.

I'm at a loss now what to do. Depending on if its totaled or not and since it wasn't CPO I'm going to be out of pocket at least 8k likely more.. I'll keep everyone updated what the dealership says but I'm not optimistic..

jahquan3

That really sux and scares me since I'm at about 127k right now. Like you I've been keeping up with my services since I've got the vehicle but you just never know about the previous owner as with my case as well.
The part that makes it scary is the "it performed flawless" prior to this incident.
Good luck and definitely keep us in the loop.

aquinob

Sorry for the sucky news. Did you pop the hood and try to see what might have happened?

Mike450

Oh boy, that's not good. Nothing abnormal before this?

Tossing a rod like that is usually preceded by some sort of noise, CEL, or other major event.

I'd start my investigation as to the cause at that oil change. Good luck.

i700plus

Yep, not a hint of anything before it happened. No whining or odd engine noise and everyone tells me I'm always paranoid about my cars so it completely caught me off guard. Car has sounded and performed flawlessly since the last B service completed in November and had the motor mounts replaced.


Dealer just started to look at it as I was picking up the rental this afternoon so I should hear back later today/tomorrow morning.

JSch

Are you sure it is a blown engine.. Sounds like a broken belt that damaged the cooling/ oil cooler.

Good luck!

i700plus

Engine wasn't covered in oil but it was definitely leaking from somewhere near the front as I could see it splashed up on the belts and was smoking from hitting the exhaust a bit. When the loud pop occurred the CEL started flashing and I lost power right away and got the coolant message, It sounded like something was spinning and grinding inside of the engine (bearings/BB noise) as it quit. I even checked my garage to see if something started leaking recently but not a drop of oil or anything so it must have been a catastrophic failure that blew a hole in the block somewhere.

i700plus

I can only hope.. I need to stop looking at threads on here I'm just scaring myself

SEC1939

a blown rod this day & age is rare. Once you know for sure it may be worth getting MB regional corp involved.

belarus27

woah this is scary , please keep us updated.

thefisch

that's not good to see oil and coolant together. fingers crossed for you. keep us updated. kind of worried as my 2011 has about the same miles.

Any signs of leaks on garage floor or parking lot previously? When did you last check fluid levels? Did the oil look normal dark brown, not milky?

i700plus

No signs of leaking on floor at work or at home, Checked oil levels a couple weeks back and it was perfect from the B service that was completed about 4000 miles ago. No sputtering or otherwise any problems and when I purchased the car last year it was 1 owner who upgraded to an S class and kept all service records with that same dealer so it had proof of maintenance all the way back to when it was purchased in 2010. It truly was immaculate and performed amazingly, Just had it out yesterday as it has been about 60 out every day which is rare for Wisconsin!

thefisch

At least you have a baseline on the fluids to know there wasn't a problem before. I also assume the oil was a normal color? If coolant has been mixing in through a cracked engine block or blown head gasket, it will make the oil look milky. But then you'd notice coolant loss also.

g4benz

That came out of nowhere especially if the dealer confirmed everything was in good working order ..

I hope it's not the engine ..keep us posted

i700plus

Yeah the oil on the ground was so clear it looked like water, Looked very new and not burnt or milky. The only way I knew there was coolant loss was you could see it mixed in the trail to where the car was parked and I smelled it when I opened the hood. The only message in the assyst menu was "Low Coolant Level"

thefisch

Are you sure there was oil on the ground? Could it just be coolant and perhaps your water pump or radiator hose blew? Did you or the tow guy check the color of the fluid? Not that I would expect you checked oil level before they towed it. Maybe I am just hoping of better scenarios for you.

i700plus

Yeah there was definitely oil. The smell of it burning on the exhaust was distinct and my pants/shoes still are covered in it from walking around it.

i700plus

Just got a call back.. They said I threw two rods. The service advisor said he has never seen this before in his career. He said he has to talk to the service manager about something MB corporate can do however isn't optimistic since I'm the second owner.

He said its upwards of 30k to fix the car. Its totaled...

Peachy

Wow, that suuuuuuuucks

belarus27

This is crazy

thefisch

That is just brutal. Car is only 7 years old with only 70k miles on it. And you've owned it for only a year. Did you buy from the dealer who has it now?

i700plus

Yes. Plus all service and the last service/oil change was all done at that same place. Umansky MotorCars of Milwaukee North

Diesel #2

Well you should cross your fingers that the car does come out totaled so your insurance company will pay off your loan and you can get a new car with a mere $1000 deductible or whatever your deductible is.

If it does not come out totaled then you will come out of pocket for the repairs because it seems like you are out of warranty and do not have extended warranty right?

homeofstone

Insurance companies do not cover a blown engine unless it is due to a crash or vandalism. An extended warranty on the vehicle would cover this. Unless there is some special insurance coverage tied to the car loan then the outstanding balance on the loan is still owed. If the car is voluntarily repossessed then the loan company can sue for any deficit due to the blown engine.

Abrown3mtg

WOW.... I'm so sorry to hear that. I definitely am curious to hear if they can find the cause.... did a belt go, something lock up and then the engine blew, something internal went first, etc.... be good to know for preventative maintenance. I'm only at 48k but want mine to last far beyond 70