Hello - first post.
I have a 1991 500SEL that refused to start last week (had run as quiet as you could wish and flawlessly up until then - barring every now and then the engine would fail to turn upon start up- suggestion was "missing teeth on starter motor" as a possibility - this was due to be inspected).
Garage took car in to service and get running, said it was the starter motor and set about replacing it - changed that, no start. It was assumed it could be electrics and a seperate electrical engineer was due to look at the car.
Next call I get "the timing has slipped and smashed your valves".
I am told £250 to remove the head and to diagnose the extent of the damage (and warned to expect a bill up to £2000 to replace valves etc - worst case scenario).
Here is my dilemma - the car was turning but not firing before being taken away - sounded like fuel/electrics - ie turned OK but failed to fire. It did try to start now and again but wouldn't.
The garage seem to be saying that the slipped timing was the problem all along - HOWEVER - there was no burning oil/noises etc. when the car was taken. I suggest any damage was done whilst in the care of the garage.
Is this possible? (ie is it possible, with no warning, that the "timing has jumped" and "smashed the valves" could be true?) How likely a scenario is that?
Is it safe to say that the damage was almost certainly caused by the garage? Am I fair in suggesting they should have realised the timing may have slipped BEFORE the valves were damaged?
IF the timing had slipped and damaged the valves would that have been blatantly obvious? (ie remember first a new starter motor was installed so the timing issue seemingly didn't exist at that point in the inspection/diagnosis).
Can timing slip with no warning and damage valves?
Whose fault would you say this is?
I appreciate the difficulty in helping me reach a conclusion, but all opinions and info will help. I can't afford £2000 but without the repair my otherwise perfect 500SEL is dead... Many thanks.
I have a 1991 500SEL that refused to start last week (had run as quiet as you could wish and flawlessly up until then - barring every now and then the engine would fail to turn upon start up- suggestion was "missing teeth on starter motor" as a possibility - this was due to be inspected).
Garage took car in to service and get running, said it was the starter motor and set about replacing it - changed that, no start. It was assumed it could be electrics and a seperate electrical engineer was due to look at the car.
Next call I get "the timing has slipped and smashed your valves".
I am told £250 to remove the head and to diagnose the extent of the damage (and warned to expect a bill up to £2000 to replace valves etc - worst case scenario).
Here is my dilemma - the car was turning but not firing before being taken away - sounded like fuel/electrics - ie turned OK but failed to fire. It did try to start now and again but wouldn't.
The garage seem to be saying that the slipped timing was the problem all along - HOWEVER - there was no burning oil/noises etc. when the car was taken. I suggest any damage was done whilst in the care of the garage.
Is this possible? (ie is it possible, with no warning, that the "timing has jumped" and "smashed the valves" could be true?) How likely a scenario is that?
Is it safe to say that the damage was almost certainly caused by the garage? Am I fair in suggesting they should have realised the timing may have slipped BEFORE the valves were damaged?
IF the timing had slipped and damaged the valves would that have been blatantly obvious? (ie remember first a new starter motor was installed so the timing issue seemingly didn't exist at that point in the inspection/diagnosis).
Can timing slip with no warning and damage valves?
Whose fault would you say this is?
I appreciate the difficulty in helping me reach a conclusion, but all opinions and info will help. I can't afford £2000 but without the repair my otherwise perfect 500SEL is dead... Many thanks.
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