steve sl550

Hi Randall,

Great that they are covering this.

BUT

I'm sure you and all of us would like to know the following so can you please ask them:
1)WHY this happened
2)Are they seeing this on a number of 231's
3)Is there a recall

Hopefully CR is looking at this thread as well and will chime in with his thoughts.

Again pls ask the dealer the 3 questions above and let us all know their responses.

Tx, Steve

rmorin49

1. Seals failed.
2. Have seen it on some cars.
3. No recall.

Mine is a V6. Don't know if the above applies to the V8.

Car has 31k miles.

rmorin49

Here's a copy of the invoice from today's visit.

I haven't a clue about the central lock issue. I didn't see it until I got home.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

From the invoice (which is a great price, by the way), the cylinder heads are NOT seeping, the valve covers (cylinder head covers) are leaking. This is a relatively simple fix, but time consuming considering all that needs to be done to remove the valve covers and reapply sealant. Leaking valve covers make the engine messy and allows some oil to escape, but it’s not catastrophic.

A “seeping” cylinder head would imply a blown head gasket, which is catastrophic.

rmorin49

Good to know. Thanks.

RonNSoCal

My independent mechanic is quoting around $500 for a trans oil and filter change. Add the rear end oil change, a regular oil change, cabin filter and lube/treat seals on top and I am up to $1150, provided no new problem is found. No one ever said owning a Mercedes is cheap but I am sure it is a bargain compared to a Porsche or Ferrari!

rmorin49

The engine oil and filter is pretty simple. I have a friend with a lift. This really helps especially if you drain the oil. You do have to remove a shield to access the drain plug. Oil filter is readily accessible and easy to replace. The rear diff is also easy IF you have something to pump the new gear oil into the fill hole. Do NOT drain the diff until you remove the top plug to ensure you can refill. It is an easy job if you have access to a lift. Otherwise it can be somewhat of a pain IMHO. I paid a dealer to do the tranny fluid change. It can be messy.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

$500 is not bad for the tranny job. DIY kits run about $200 anyway and you do need some special tools to do the job right. As far as another $650 for the other stuff, I guess it depends on how much you like your mechanic. I will say, changing the cabin filter might be the toughest job for an old fart. I know it was for me and I'm a young(er) fart.

ThatsMyDawg

FYI if you call the Mercedes Benz customer service line for the company and give them your vin# they will tell you all recalls available for your car if any. They can also make sure that you, or whoever the owner is (you, your spouse) is listed in their records as the owner. On two occasions a former vehicle owner was still listed when I had called them. I have also found out what the original list price of my particular car w/ my options was listed for.
I call them each time I purchase a Benz. It's interesting to me to speak with them about my cars. Yes, some info you can find out online, but just sharing here..