Drowned S202 runs again - but it's a bit rough

[dpmstevens]

Hello,
So I managed to drive my 2000 C200K into quite a lot of water two weeks ago, but after much dismantling and cleaning, it runs. And drives - the gearbox shift module and TCM units seem to have survived. So far...

But it sounds like it's missing on a cylinder - it idles like a V8, and although it's not uneven it definitely isn't right. The engine vibrates more than it did. The exhaust note, in particular, is very different. It seems to drive okay - no discernible power loss, although I have only taken it 200 yards up the eoad,

During the clean up I removed all the intake pipework, the supercharger cover, the intercooler, rad, air-con condenser, MAF and all pipework/throttle assemblies up to the intake manifold. The water reached the top of the bumper, but did not flood the ignition system. Water did get into the cylinders - the plugs were wet.

I also pulled the plugs - they all look fine. The Check Engine light is on. I have disconnected each coil pack and with cylinders 1, 2 and 3 deactivated in turn it makes no difference. With 4 disconnected, the idle speed rises a little, although it still sounds like it's missing.

I've uploaded a video of it running with all the cylinders connected and one with cylinder 4 disconnected so you can get an idea of what it sounds like. Have a look here Mercedes W202 M111 C200K engine running with all cylinders connected - YouTube and here http://youtu.be/3cmlSsqXszs

What I don't understand is that if 4 was faulty, then disconnecting it shouldn't make any difference, right?

Hoping someone may have some ideas about what to look at next. I'm all for testing components rather than blindly replacing, too.

Cheers
Dan

 

[grober]

A" hydrauliced" engine usually means a bent conrod or exhaust valves or even a mistimed camshaft. You can do a cylinder compression test but all that will tell you something is wrong not exactly what is wrong . For that its an engine strip down I'm afraid.

 

[greyboy]

Bent conrod, almost certainly

 

[thecolonel]

yes your right, if say coil pack 4 was at fault, the engine will remain lumpy once its disconnected. if say cyl 4 was at fault, and you disconnect cyl 3 and the engine gets worse, it shows in principal that 3 was a good unit.

Normally with a hydrauliced engine, it wont run, end of. Getting some water in the cylinders isnt too bad, its all about the speed and pressure it went in at and the overall volume. A mist of water is not good, but the engine should run on, a lot of standing water or spray sucked in the cylinders is bad!

did you enter the water at speed or behind another vehicle or another car went past causing a wash? did the engine cut out straight after, stall (not a good sign), splutter to a stop or just fail to restart later on (shows water ingress into the electrics usually).

Hard to help without the finer details.

Again, normally with a catastrophic failure / kaput engine from water damage there will be oil peeing out somewhere as the crank case or head will end up breaking.

I would hold out hope that if it runs, its not had a piston/valve impact or a cracked block - maybe

PS - until further diag, I wouldnt continue to drive the car!

 

[martyz]

Check your plugs to see if one is wet,or any difference to others,should be blonde colour
if the engine is fueling and running correctly.

 

[jamesfuller]

It doesn't take much water to bend a con rod! I have known two engines that have still been driven in this state, one for 2000 miles!

 

[panason1c]

My pennies worth....... bent con-rod.. )-:

 

[BlackC55]

+1

 

[Auto-mobile]

As stated in your other thread, if you drove through water and it cut out its probably to late.

 

[dpmstevens]

Ah. And that was the answer I was hoping not to get. I was amazed it started at all, let alone selected any gears. It's not being driven at all at the moment.

Right, so seeing how the thing runs a bit smoother with cylinder four off, is it at all reasonable to suspect that the bent rod could be on that cylinder?

(And thanks for your help. Much appreciated. Now I have to decide if the car is worth saving...)
Cheers
Dan

 

[guydewdney]

If you had a spare engine kicking about, it might be worth it.?

One year wrong, but prob same engine?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e8314578c

 

[John Jones Jr]

My gut feeling is to stick it on eBay and move on.

 

[martyz]

My gut feeling is to stick it on eBay and move on.

my mekanik sez it nead leed or sumit cheep tu fix,aint got na time tu du

 

[dpmstevens]

Mine too. It was a fairly cheap car, and although it was mechanically very good - used 500ml of oil in 12,000 miles, started and ran so smoothly and reliably, the transmission shifted easily and quickly - it isn't worth repairing. Sad, I know. Oh well, time to start looking again.
Cheers
Dan

 

[thecolonel]

how did you get on with this? any updates on actual damage or still suspicions?