Timing chain issue on W221 S350 CDI (MY 2009)

[markjay]

A friend living in Paris has a 2009 W221 S350 CDI with the OM642.930 V6 Diesel engine.

The car was stood for 6 months. Upon starting it, it sounded rough so he drove it straight to the local MB dealer in Paris.

The dealer is saying that the timing chain has stretched, and the engine will need new timing chain and tensioners. According to him, the dealer did not mention any damage to valves or pistons.

He was quoted €8,000 for the job. To my mind this would have been reasonable if it involved head removal and valve replacement, but it seems excessive for just timing chain and tensioner, even considering MB dealer labours costs.

The dealer says that he can drive his car away if he signs a waiver re any further damage, which is just bullying, it's his car and he can drive it away any time, waiver or no waiver. But of course the right thing to do will be to take it away on a low-loader, not drive it.

www.ebay.fr shows second-hand engines for around €3,000-€4,000. Sounds like a better option (plus fitting) i.e. if it does turn-out that there's valve or piston damage.

What does the forum think?

BTW, according to my friend the car is worth around €10,000.

 

[91dm]

The engine was perfectly ok when he left it up?

I think you would have to seriously consider repairing it given the value and what you would get for the car is?

 

[markjay]

The car drove OK on the way to the dealer, but there was a strong rattling noise. .

The dealer said that because the engine wasn't running for a few months, the chain must have seized and the first pull by the starter motor released it, by also gave it a significant stretch.

They said that there was no engine damage. They tried replacing the tensioners and adjusting the chain, but they said that even with the new tensioners adjusted to the max, the chain is still too loose and will need to be replaced.

They also said that while he was driving the car to them, they can not guarantee that the engine won't seize if he tries restarting it now, because having replaced the tensioners then obviously they can't adjust the timing on the engine back to 'how it was'.

They want €320 for the job done so far (diagnostic and repair attempt), which to be honest is not unreasonable.

They also said that the reason for the high cost is that on the S350 with the OM642 it's an engine-out job.

But I believe that a specialist may know how to replace the chain with the engine in-situ? e.g. in the old days we used to connect the new chain to the old chain and just pull it through... this sort of thing.

Anyway, he is going to see if he can find a specialist that will collect the car form the MB dealer on a low-loader.

 

[91dm]

I would definitely get a second opinion, I have never heard of a chain seizing in such a short space of time. Without hearing the engine or seeing it, it's hard to say what could have happened.

 

[grober]

Paris MB main dealer= all the money. Advice in Paris would be the same as here--shop around for quotes from some respected indies. What's the mileage on the car?

 

[markjay]

Paris MB main dealer= all the money. Advice in Paris would be the same as here--shop around for quotes from some respected indies. What's the mileage on the car?

No idea, can ask him tomorrow, but probably over 100k. He was driving it all over Europe at the time, including to the UK on a few ocassions. It's just that he's been away from Paris for 6 months and the car was just parked in the building's underground car park.