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1991 Mercedes 300 ce 24 - head gasket failed


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sufianmalik
New User

Aug 14, 2010, 6:06 AM

Post #1 of 6 (2959 views)
post icon 1991 Mercedes 300 ce 24 - head gasket failed Sign In

This is a complicated one and i don't know who to turn to. I drive a low mileage (approx 50k) 1991 Mercedes 300 ce 24. Anyway, a few months ago the head gasket failed and i took it to a garage for repair. The car was repaired given the all clear and then a few days later it started overheating again, i took it back to the garage and they said it was normal for it to overheat (over 100c). I carried on driving and it went to 110C and i knew something was wrong so took it back and they told me that the viscous fan was too weak and i paid for a new one to be fitted. A few days later it started overheating again and so i tried burping the engine myself after reading something on google, still overheating i managed to keep it cool by blasting my fan heaters in the hope that this would keep me going until i got it back to the garage.

A few days later, the car started to shudder as it hit around 60/70 with cylinder misfires and then soon after i realised that smoke was now coming from the back seats. The front controls soon went (rev counter, temp guage, oil guage etc). AA towed the car to the garage and after the garage looked at the car they said the electrical wiring needed changing which i got them to do and then they said i needed a new catalytic convertor which after they started work has ended up being the whole exhaust system. The car is still misfiring and shuddering. The garage then said that they they were gonna get the car tested and have come back to me saying that the ECU sensor readings are wrong and require further analysis. I'm at the end of my tether!! I drove this car for 18000miles without a single probem! The amount of money i've spent so far could have bought me another car. Was it the garages fault that the electrical wiring and exhaust system needed replacing? Would oveheating have caused this? Your independant advise would be appreciated...

1) Went in for a head gaskget
2) bought a viscous fan
3) electrical wiring had to replaced
4) catatylic convertor replaced
5) mid and rear box replaced (not told about this until they had changed the cat

Your advice and comments would be appreciated. This has been ongoing since May!!


(This post was edited by carjunky on Aug 20, 2010, 10:05 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 14, 2010, 6:18 AM

Post #2 of 6 (2955 views)
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You problems started with a blown head gasket. Operating a car with a blown head gasket will pump coolant and raw fuel into the exhaust system and the catalytic converter which will destroy it, so no, they had nothing to do with the exhaust failure and that is a common result after a blown head gasket. Your electrical issues could be anything at all and they could have been there for some time and may have even been the original cause of the blown head gasket since you have made no indication that the cause was ever found or corrected.
You have admitted to continued driving an overheating car " in the hope that this would keep me going until i got it back to the garage." That statement alone will leave you to blame for anything that happens from this point on.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sufianmalik
New User

Aug 14, 2010, 6:28 AM

Post #3 of 6 (2949 views)
Re: Help!! Sign In

thanks for your reply.

first of all, the head gasket was repaired back in may/june whilst the exhaust system presumably failed more recently. I appreciate that the cat can go as a result of HG but this replacement was done recently (last week of July)

Also, what about the fact that the garage sent me away while the car was still overheating? If the car is overheating and i start blasting the heaters when it starts to go above operating temp, would that still cause damage?

They told me the exhaust system was causing the overheating, the wires burning and also the cyclinder misfires. After changing the exhaust system, the cylinder misfire and exhaust system is still hotting up. How do i know that the exhaust system really did need changing?

They want to do some more analysis on the ECU sensors as this could be the problem...how do i know i'm not going to spend another couple of hundrend pounds for nothing?

once again thanks for your advice


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 14, 2010, 6:46 AM

Post #4 of 6 (2946 views)
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So far I haven't seen anything that you have spent "for nothing". The plugged up converter is an accumulative thing and you can bet the blown head gasket contributed to it greatly along with the more recent misfire problems. You could very well have more expensive issues still not found yet but it's your decision of when to stop putting money into it.

Just for your knowledge....... turning the heater on does very little. On some vehicles that the heat is controlled by a water valve, turning it on introduces another half gallon of coolant not already heated up but that effect will only help for a few minutes and then your back where you started from. If your heater is controlled by an air door like most all are now, turning the heat on will be of no help at all.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sufianmalik
New User

Aug 14, 2010, 8:30 AM

Post #5 of 6 (2938 views)
Re: Help!! Sign In

although i appreciate that this isn't for nothing, i do not have a fully functioning car either.

What originally turned out to be a head gaskget has opened a can of worms. i was not warned of any repercussions after the head gasket repair and whether it is actually worth repairing as i've probably spent enough to put a deposit on another car if not actually buy one outright - approx 3000usd?!

I'm assuming by your tone and way you write and also your technical knowledge that you are a mechanic or a garage owner? I implore you to advise your ignorant customers who don't know any better the worst case scenario. As i said, i could have bought another one of these cars with the money i've spent.

As for my garage, i still believe they are partly negligent for turning me away after the head gasket had been repaired and the car was still overheating and with them down playing this. They also failed to repair the shuddering and the misfire and instead i have a new exhaust system. Whilst i appreciate that the exhaust system is possibly damaged after head gasket failure, i'm sure that is not always the case as i may have been advised to change it as the same time as the head gasket? Nor does it not explain why i was able to drive the car after the head gasket had been repaired and only now has it come up with an issue.

So my next question, how do you determine whether the exhaust system has failed and the cat, back box, mid box need replacing?

Also, what else could go wrong?

What's all this talk about getting the sensor's checked? Is it expensive?!

Thanks


(This post was edited by sufianmalik on Aug 14, 2010, 8:31 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 14, 2010, 10:46 AM

Post #6 of 6 (2927 views)
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Yes i am a shop owner and a certified Master Technician as you can see the ASE patch posted next to every response.



I'm not there to inspect your car to tell you what else may go wrong and not all things are foreseeable anyway. As I already stated. The converter problem is an accumulated problem. no one really knows just how much coolant and/or fuel has passed through it already and for that matter there would be no reason to suggest changing one until it exhibits problems. Many times it doesn't. Personally, I do try to inform a customer of what a worst case scenario might be but some things happen so rarely, it's just foolish to scare a customer with warnings like that. There is always the other side of the coin with a customer too, that they are going to accuse you of selling them or setting them up for something that isn't needed. Many times the shop is caught in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. The bottom line is that it's the owners decision and it's their responsibility to ask the right questions before making a decision. I do agree with you on the fact that they should have looked at the car when you complained about overheating. That could have been serious and could be their fault.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Aug 14, 2010, 10:47 AM)






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