It's Not A Good Sign When...

[st13phil]

Can’t you enjoy the acceleration whilst sticking to the speed limits?

It’s difficult. Pedal to the floor for more than 5 seconds and you’re on the wrong side of the highest UK speed limit. And that assumes you start the clock on a standing start...

 

[E55BOF]

Can’t you enjoy the acceleration whilst sticking to the speed limits?

Past experience shows that doesn't always happen. In the E63, I can play with the fast boys (and see off quite a lot of them...). I can resist anything but temptation...

And Crunchy Nut cornflakes, of course.

 

[John]

Can’t you enjoy the acceleration whilst sticking to the speed limits?

Acceleration that means 5 seconds or you are at 70 should be the end of it but you just want to keep going.

That kind of acceleration is slower than the much faster acceleration I had with the E55K which I was also very used to / bored with. To get back the excitement needs a lot more power. Otherwise the excitement comes from the race...

The only time I really use the oomph is speed-matching whilst joining a motorway now. Saying that, I love how the torque is delivered with the TT engines and even very moderate acceleration is satisfying but that's not the same thing at all!

 

[zipdip]

Very bad luck Dennis,I suppose members who decide to buy or even own one of these cars now will think Tier 1 is the best way to go,I am with you sell the car,ok you are worried about your licence,but I know I would never have the same feeling about the car,even though Terry has put all his expertise into rebuilding your engine,for me the feeling would be gone,what a complete crap thing to have happened.

 

[E55BOF]

I pick it up tomorrow, all sorted. Woo Hoo...

Sadly, I also have to pay the bill. Aaargh....

 

[John]

What is the final bill?

 

[Cyclone1]

What is the final bill?

Drumroll.........ouch.

 

[RSTurbo50]

It’s what puts me off buying a car like this, if I got a bill like this then I don’t know what I would do, very few people have £12k spare in the bank. Hope you got it sorted. I think warranty is the way to go with a car like this...

 

[John]

It’s what puts me off buying a car like this, if I got a bill like this then I don’t know what I would do, very few people have £12k spare in the bank. Hope you got it sorted. I think warranty is the way to go with a car like this...

I totally agree with you but it's not that common if you put it in perspective.

It just focuses the mind when it happens to someone you know / know of.

For all the horror stories (and even lesser so but still big bills) which could potentially affect any one of us, there are plenty that have few or no problems.

It's a roulette wheel even when you've chosen a "well-looked after car with good history" but Dennis has been very very unlucky here.

 

[E55BOF]

Well, the final bill came in under £12K (just...). Mind you, as well as the engine rebuild that includes a new thermostat, a new intercooler pump (just to be on the safe side), sorting the sticky pano roof, a gearbox oil change (due anyway) and refilling the aircon (which it also needed), and of course a complete coolant change, engine oil and filter. Most of the delay was caused by waiting for parts.

On the advice of the engine repairers machine shop Terry uses, only one cylinder (No. 5) required reboring and fitting a steel liner (all the others were perfect). All new chains and tensioners were fitted, and the cylinder heads skimmed and refurbished (same machine shop).

All eight conrods were replaced. Only one piston actually required replacement, but since MB won't sell piston rings for this engine separately, and there are no aftermarket ones to be had, all eight pistons and rings had to be replaced (£2k - ouch!).

The bottom end was perfect, so was left alone.

I'd say that going by the amount of wear on this 92K engine, the M157 looks likely to be pretty durable; apart from the conrod problem (!)... Yes, I was unlucky, but with the car on that mileage, most out there will not have done so many miles. I hope this was a one-off event, but I wouldn't bet on it.

So that's that. I blame Merc85, who posted it on this forum. If only it hadn't been dark metallic blue, none of this would have happened...

 

[merc85]

Doh...........

 

[RSTurbo50]

I totally agree with you but it's not that common if you put it in perspective.

It just focuses the mind when it happens to someone you know / know of.

For all the horror stories (and even lesser so but still big bills) which could potentially affect any one of us, there are plenty that have few or no problems.

It's a roulette wheel even when you've chosen a "well-looked after car with good history" but Dennis has been very very unlucky here.

Absolutely but it would always be in the back of my mind that such bills on these cars are possible. I’d have to remortgage my house if this happened to me plus the stress of the cost of repairs etc etc. As said, the OP may have been very very unlucky but is it a chance worth taking?

I’d love a C63 but my budget is around £18k should I decided I sell my M135i and buy one...

 

[MercedesDriver]

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Well, the final bill came in under £12K (just...). Mind you, as well as the engine rebuild that includes a new thermostat, a new intercooler pump (just to be on the safe side), sorting the sticky pano roof, a gearbox oil change (due anyway) and refilling the aircon (which it also needed), and of course a complete coolant change, engine oil and filter. Most of the delay was caused by waiting for parts.

On the advice of the engine repairers machine shop Terry uses, only one cylinder (No. 5) required reboring and fitting a steel liner (all the others were perfect). All new chains and tensioners were fitted, and the cylinder heads skimmed and refurbished (same machine shop).

All eight conrods were replaced. Only one piston actually required replacement, but since MB won't sell piston rings for this engine separately, and there are no aftermarket ones to be had, all eight pistons and rings had to be replaced (£2k - ouch!).

The bottom end was perfect, so was left alone.

I'd say that going by the amount of wear on this 92K engine, the M157 looks likely to be pretty durable; apart from the conrod problem (!)... Yes, I was unlucky, but with the car on that mileage, most out there will not have done so many miles. I hope this was a one-off event, but I wouldn't bet on it.

So that's that. I blame Merc85, who posted it on this forum. If only it hadn't been dark metallic blue, none of this would have happened...

Glad to hear it’s sorted and back together again. Do you know what caused the conrod issue?

 

[E55BOF]

Pretty sure it was a misfire; see particularly posts 29,32 and 38.

 

[John]

Absolutely but it would always be in the back of my mind that such bills on these cars are possible. I’d have to remortgage my house if this happened to me plus the stress of the cost of repairs etc etc. As said, the OP may have been very very unlucky but is it a chance worth taking?

I’d love a C63 but my budget is around £18k should I decided I sell my M135i and buy one...

I'm not telling you anything you don't know here of course but this is just my take on it.

I think under the circumstances you highlight - it doesn't make sense. The potential stress and anxiety of the situation outweighs any enjoyment or benefit. I would never stretch myself to buy a car that can literally kill your finances in a heartbeat in that situation.

I've taken on a mortgage previously which meant we didn't have a pot to piss in at the end of each month and I had a £900 Mundano for 2 years as a result to save money and would not have had anything remotely interesting.

When I bought my E55K, I had concerns about what if it died but I took a gamble, paid over book and bought one in the best shape I could find as this was the most I could do.

As I tell many people I help to buy cars, history and condition are half the battle and the rest is luck!

I decided that if the worst happened and I had to throw away a £20k car, I'd get some money back selling it knackered, I'd stump up for whatever repairs or just break it.

You have to be prepared for this worse-case scenario and I was prepared to lose £20k (in that case) for the enjoyment I knew it would give me - that is your absolute maximum liability.

If the worst happened, I'd then buy something cheap and run around in it until I felt the balance was restored and / or I could afford something else I wanted.

It was always in the very back of my mind the car might pop with my E55 and I even modified it!

In the end, I was lucky albeit I sorted anything that needed doing straight away and had the car for so long that I couldn't give a flying if it died because I got so much enjoyment out of it in hindsight.

As time went on, the easier it was to cope should the worst happen but I never really thought about it after a short initial period and just got on with enjoying it - that's what it is for after all.

I think a big part of it is the value of the car in question - as had been the case for Dennis. He would lose similar money either way annoyingly.

As mine slowly dropped towards £10k, this meant any catastrophic failure was not the end of the world, even though 10 big ones is a lot of money to throw away.

But at the end of the day, cars are my hobby and I would have one anyway which mitigates some of the cost.

I also consider that others spend money on smoking, drinking, gambling, sports, material possessions (watches, designer clothing, model train sets etc. etc.) - of which I only do the occasional drinking (a pint or two a week!).

Some one I work with spends £3k a year on smoking. What has he got to show for that apart from an increased risk of cancer, stroke and an early death? After three years, I could throw my £10k car in the bin and break even with that guy - who also has a car and motorbike.

Now I have a penchant for big £100k Mercs which I buy second hand a lot further down the line. Once the dealer warranty runs out, I rely on my trusted inde to keep costs down and ensure I have a reasonable slush fund - another thing which I think is key. I've suggested £10k on here before but many highlighted how ridiculous it was. However, if you did have a £10k fund, it makes a £12k bill much easier to deal with!

If the absolute worst happened, I'd be in the same boat as Dennis but I would similarly reconsider my future car purchases should I lose too much on these.

But then again, I feel the risk is quite low given what I've seen / heard / read over the years and I feel it is worth it.

 

[MrRight]

Absolutely but it would always be in the back of my mind that such bills on these cars are possible. I’d have to remortgage my house if this happened to me plus the stress of the cost of repairs etc etc. As said, the OP may have been very very unlucky but is it a chance worth taking?

I’d love a C63 but my budget is around £18k should I decided I sell my M135i and buy one...

or just get a quaife lsd for 2k including fitting on the 140i and smile yourself happy going around corners henceforth ...

 

[John]

or just get a quaife lsd for 2k including fitting on the 140i and smile yourself happy going around corners henceforth ...

Chap I used to work with took delivery of his new 19 plate run out 140i yesterday and had a BMW LSD fitted.

I'm looking forward to experiencing that one in the flesh!

 

[219]

I'm not telling you anything you don't know here of course but this is just my take on it.

I think under the circumstances you highlight - it doesn't make sense. The potential stress and anxiety of the situation outweighs any enjoyment or benefit. I would never stretch myself to buy a car that can literally kill your finances in a heartbeat in that situation.

I've taken on a mortgage previously which meant we didn't have a pot to piss in at the end of each month and I had a £900 Mundano for 2 years as a result to save money and would not have had anything remotely interesting.

When I bought my E55K, I had concerns about what if it died but I took a gamble, paid over book and bought one in the best shape I could find as this was the most I could do.

As I tell many people I help to buy cars, history and condition are half the battle and the rest is luck!

I decided that if the worst happened and I had to throw away a £20k car, I'd get some money back selling it knackered, I'd stump up for whatever repairs or just break it.

You have to be prepared for this worse-case scenario and I was prepared to lose £20k (in that case) for the enjoyment I knew it would give me - that is your absolute maximum liability.

If the worst happened, I'd then buy something cheap and run around in it until I felt the balance was restored and / or I could afford something else I wanted.

It was always in the very back of my mind the car might pop with my E55 and I even modified it!

In the end, I was lucky albeit I sorted anything that needed doing straight away and had the car for so long that I couldn't give a flying if it died because I got so much enjoyment out of it in hindsight.

As time went on, the easier it was to cope should the worst happen but I never really thought about it after a short initial period and just got on with enjoying it - that's what it is for after all.

I think a big part of it is the value of the car in question - as had been the case for Dennis. He would lose similar money either way annoyingly.

As mine slowly dropped towards £10k, this meant any catastrophic failure was not the end of the world, even though 10 big ones is a lot of money to throw away.

But at the end of the day, cars are my hobby and I would have one anyway which mitigates some of the cost.

I also consider that others spend money on smoking, drinking, gambling, sports, material possessions (watches, designer clothing, model train sets etc. etc.) - of which I only do the occasional drinking (a pint or two a week!).

Some one I work with spends £3k a year on smoking. What has he got to show for that apart from an increased risk of cancer, stroke and an early death? After three years, I could throw my £10k car in the bin and break even with that guy - who also has a car and motorbike.

Now I have a penchant for big £100k Mercs which I buy second hand a lot further down the line. Once the dealer warranty runs out, I rely on my trusted inde to keep costs down and ensure I have a reasonable slush fund - another thing which I think is key. I've suggested £10k on here before but many highlighted how ridiculous it was. However, if you did have a £10k fund, it makes a £12k bill much easier to deal with!

If the absolute worst happened, I'd be in the same boat as Dennis but I would similarly reconsider my future car purchases should I lose too much on these.

But then again, I feel the risk is quite low given what I've seen / heard / read over the years and I feel it is worth it.

I’m kind of in the same place , I like nice cars but I try not to spend too much on them .
The most I ever spent on a car was the £14K my first W124 cost me 21 years ago , that car lasted me 11 years and I covered 200K in it before selling it for spares .
I also spent five grand on a W114 back in the early 80s , kept it a similar length of time and also got over 200K out of it .
In each case I felt I got my money’s worth , although I’d have felt hard done by if something catastrophic happened early on .
Most cars I buy nowadays tend to be at the pocket money end of the scale : my 500SEL cost me £1300 and lasted me 5 years without missing a beat , covering 100K in that time , I gave it away due to rot underneath which was going to cost a lot to fix . I’ve had three 190s , the most expensive being the 2.6 bought for £500 , all were good cars , still have the third one , bought for £250 , after a few months running it was evident from coolant loss that there were CHG problems ; I sourced a known good 2.3L engine for £200 and fitted it myself , also upgrading brakes and fitting a taller diff .The diff , bought for £75 has turned out to be a duffer so I’m looking for another ( well actually I’ve found one , just need to collect from the Black Isle . So far , between buying , the engine , diff , brakes , new rear springs , tyres , battery , exhaust , Oris detachable towbar, the car owes me a little over a grand but is still worth more than that . Again I’ve had the car 4 or 5 years and had good use out of it ; I have new front wings , rear wheelsrch repair sections, so at some point will get the bodywork sorted as it is sound underneath.
I can’t remember ever selling any of my cars for money , I usually either give them away to friends or family , or swap for something interesting; my troublesome S203 was swapped for my SL , which I’ve now had for 5 years but since none of these cars have a lot of money invested, I can walk away from them at any time and can afford to just go out and buy another . I was offered a W140 a couple of weeks back , tempted but said no as I really need another estate car , been looking at W124s again and W123s , just waiting for the right one to present itself .

 

[Cyclone1]

I'm not telling you anything you don't know here of course but this is just my take on it.

I think under the circumstances you highlight - it doesn't make sense. The potential stress and anxiety of the situation outweighs any enjoyment or benefit. I would never stretch myself to buy a car that can literally kill your finances in a heartbeat in that situation.

I've taken on a mortgage previously which meant we didn't have a pot to piss in at the end of each month and I had a £900 Mundano for 2 years as a result to save money and would not have had anything remotely interesting.

When I bought my E55K, I had concerns about what if it died but I took a gamble, paid over book and bought one in the best shape I could find as this was the most I could do.

As I tell many people I help to buy cars, history and condition are half the battle and the rest is luck!

I decided that if the worst happened and I had to throw away a £20k car, I'd get some money back selling it knackered, I'd stump up for whatever repairs or just break it.

You have to be prepared for this worse-case scenario and I was prepared to lose £20k (in that case) for the enjoyment I knew it would give me - that is your absolute maximum liability.

If the worst happened, I'd then buy something cheap and run around in it until I felt the balance was restored and / or I could afford something else I wanted.

It was always in the very back of my mind the car might pop with my E55 and I even modified it!

In the end, I was lucky albeit I sorted anything that needed doing straight away and had the car for so long that I couldn't give a flying if it died because I got so much enjoyment out of it in hindsight.

As time went on, the easier it was to cope should the worst happen but I never really thought about it after a short initial period and just got on with enjoying it - that's what it is for after all.

I think a big part of it is the value of the car in question - as had been the case for Dennis. He would lose similar money either way annoyingly.

As mine slowly dropped towards £10k, this meant any catastrophic failure was not the end of the world, even though 10 big ones is a lot of money to throw away.

But at the end of the day, cars are my hobby and I would have one anyway which mitigates some of the cost.

I also consider that others spend money on smoking, drinking, gambling, sports, material possessions (watches, designer clothing, model train sets etc. etc.) - of which I only do the occasional drinking (a pint or two a week!).

Some one I work with spends £3k a year on smoking. What has he got to show for that apart from an increased risk of cancer, stroke and an early death? After three years, I could throw my £10k car in the bin and break even with that guy - who also has a car and motorbike.

Now I have a penchant for big £100k Mercs which I buy second hand a lot further down the line. Once the dealer warranty runs out, I rely on my trusted inde to keep costs down and ensure I have a reasonable slush fund - another thing which I think is key. I've suggested £10k on here before but many highlighted how ridiculous it was. However, if you did have a £10k fund, it makes a £12k bill much easier to deal with!

If the absolute worst happened, I'd be in the same boat as Dennis but I would similarly reconsider my future car purchases should I lose too much on these.

But then again, I feel the risk is quite low given what I've seen / heard / read over the years and I feel it is worth it.

Brilliant post!!!

It’s still not clear what the root cause was with the car in question. Therefore it’s difficult to say how common a problem it could become for other M157’s. The OP may have been unlucky with his purchase and like everyone am gutted with what’s he’s had to go through to get the car fixed. It’s painful both financially and as a car enthusiast, but fair play to E55BOF for keeping everyone updated in the circumstances. Great news that the car is sorted and from a reputable garage.

Jules