OM656 Failed Vacuum/Oil Pump and loss of braking.

[Phil2]

Well after being told my GLE wouldn’t be fixed for 6 weeks due to back order on parts it’s been fixed already and I have just picked it up. After driving the little loan car for 2 weeks I forgot how smooth the 2.9 litre engine is. I’m still minded to trade it in though and the sales manager has said he would buy it once the part was replaced.
Will get the tip runs out of the way this weekend and decide which way to go.

Sorry to hear about your ongoing troubles Jonathan. I will be waiting for the warning lights to come on each time I drive now.

 

[Phil2]

By the way I did receive a recall notice that said the engine coolant pump could develop a leak and coolant may enter the vacuum system which may result in a fire! Apparently a software update will fix it?!?

 

[Jonathon Heap]

Great news that you have your GLE back, hope its trouble free motoring from now on. Seems that Mercedes are constantly fighting fires at the moment, recalls, £776 million in fines, private claims for the emissions scandal, general warranty claims, lack of 'chips' closing the Brazil factory and cutting production by 49k vehicles. Heard yesterday that it might be 12 more months wait for the Marco Polo, if they resume production at all.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

I keep reading this thread in disbelief who are designing Mercedes engines nowadays accountants who would put a tandem vacuum/oil pump buried away in the sump it’s mind boggling and I really feel it for those who have had the misfortune to buy these cars. As said all you can do is keep the car under warranty this will do serious damage to the brand I certainly won’t be buying into this Mercedes design failure even if they are changed under warranty they are still a terrible liability for an owner.

Come on MB you are better than this!!!

 

[ajlsl600]

I have the same issue, tandem pump failure. I lost power and the box became erratic, no more than 3000rpm, no paddle shift use, low mpg . Car in at Mercedes at the moment waiting for parts. I agree its a safety critical issue, although my braking was not affected. Luckily like the OP my car is just under warranty and the figure estimated for the repair is £4500. I will be selling the car on as soon as it is returned. Mercedes assist diagnosed a faulty exhaust flap, which he thought could be the issue, this alone is £3500 and from what I can find , may not be covered by the warranty.

3.5vk for an "exhaust" flap. Plus 4.5 k to fix tandem pump failure.!! They are having a laugh. You can get something far less complex, for 8k and at least as reliable. The whole motor industry is at raping motorists. And the costs I see are staggering. Prob is makers have us at wettin our self's about the interior toys to the extend that no one stops to consider the shxe throw away, extortionate priced components. Lesson I learnt. Look at mechanical construction first, check the forums then go look the interior toys, many of which some owners never work out how to use.
I never buyin any car where I have to buy a f housing£80 assly to get a £5 thermostat!!! And I will look first.
Clever makers, more fool us..

 

[DSK]

Trouble is a Merc made epic stuff back in the day. As with any brand once well established, it’s too easy easy for it create rubbish and know it will sell easily. Some is deliberate and some is a by product of cost cutting.

Cars are deliberately designed to be worked on in workshops only and designed to break in this day and age. It keeps the cash flowing nicely into the dealers and a manufacturers and when people have had enough, the majority will just buy another.


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[ajlsl600]

My E220 2019 was just out of warranty when engine warning light came a week ago. I immediately booked with Mercedes for a check which costs ca. £300. Yesterday, the diagnosis revealed that there is an oil and coolant leakage to the tandem oil/coolant and vacuum pumps. I was told that this may cause the vacuum brake servo to fail at any moment and thus the brakes. Preliminary estimate of the cost for the repair is in excess of £10k with two months waiting time (as they are fully booked). They explained that they will have to remove the engine to replace the damaged oil/coolant and vacuum pumps and associated components thus it is a 3 or more days job. I do not feel any performance or braking issue with the car but I am now afraid of driving it as I often have to drive on motorways. I have no possibility of paying this much for the repair as I just bought it from the first owner less than 2 months ago. The thing is the car is my livelihood as I drive it as a taxi and it has 300 000km in just 3 years which is normal for a taxi. I live in Sweden and here most taxi cars from other car makers reach 300 000km without problem but Mercedes or Volvo cars are preferred (despite their hefty prices compared to the other brands) as they are believed to go much further without major issues.

I just read a security alert by Mercedes which I believe is to be related to these issues. It is not a recall but I am wondering whether to contact them as this clearly is a 'design' and not a 'wear' issue. What do you think?

Safety Gate: the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products

ec.europa.eu

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Crap design simple and putting components in un acessable locations prob a deliberate dealer "feeding" policy.
But then I a well known cynic

 

[ajlsl600]

Same as, every time you go to sort out prob on. Latest car some tosser has colluded with tool makers so the long suffering mechanic is trudging over to snap off to get robbed for the latest tool to get a fastener out that has been very successfully achieved previously with the tools he already has.. I must have 15,20 k worth over my 40 Yr.

 

[Jonathon Heap]

Despite recently being on the receiving end of 'bad design' from Mercedes. I must say that the previous 6 E class cars I have had, threw up only simple age related issues, drop links, bushes etc , all easily fixed and not a huge cost. My first E class 320CDI covered just under 200k miles, much of which was towing my race car or customer cars, so had quite a 'hard' life. I paid 4K for this car when it was 7 years old, and decided that Mercedes was the brand to buy for my motoring needs and good levels of comfort, tech and economy. So several versions of the 320CDI, then the 350V6 and finally the E400d All Terrain, the latter bought as a run it into the ground, life time car. It has been my best and most expensive car to date, it excels in so many areas. Only the tandem pump and now a water pump issue have blotted its excellent record of my 2 year ownership. Its such a shame that items which have failed have caused major work to fix and time with out my car ( now running to 3 months with the latest issue ). I'm hoping that the design flaw with these parts has been rectified and that the new parts will not be a future issue. I maybe mad, but if my circumstances did not require a change of vehicle, then the All Terrain would be my last car, yes , its that good !
Mercedes do need to look at the key reasons for customers buying their cars, they have the design flair , the cutting edge technology, and great engines, (although the hybrids I have driven never delivered the performance or economy promised ). Dial back in reliability, ease of maintenance and better after sales service and they will be back on top again.

 

[Phil2]

My last 2 E Class have been bullet proof. Ran them up to 80k with only minor wear and tear issues. I bought the GLe thinking it would be the complete car and aside from the reliability issues it does have everything that I could ever want in a car. Unfortunately it’s been off the road for a month since January for repairs and that’s not good enough. Test drove a Jeep Command hybrid yesterday - not impressed. Looking at Lexus NX next week. My wife has had a Lexus hybrid for 5 years and zero problems in that time.

 

[moj91]

The dealers are struggling too (not that anyone has any sympathy for them), they are struggling to get and retain trained staff (probably try paying them better) and are sick of warranty problems which they don't get paid enough for by the manufacturer to rectify.. hence shoddy work because the techs have to rush the jobs because they are given 3 hours to do a 9 hour job. Then there is the looming threat of them loosing their franchises as the manufacturers prepare to follow the Tesla model and do away with dealerships and just sell direct...

On a better note, my E400d seems back to normal since getting it back again, MPG and power are back to 'normal' - no idea what/if the dealer actually did anything (software reflash maybe?) or if the car has just decided to sort itself out... awaiting the coolant pump issues next.

 

[Jabez]

Just to give you guys an update on my Mercedes E220, it took long time but they finally fixed the car and I got it back Friday. They have replaced about 11 parts including the vacuum pump, the oil pump and several hoses and o-rings. They even replaced the main diesel pump (unrelated to the leak I guess). I have to say that the car feels smoother when driving, may be I am just too happy to drive it again after long time. The total cost of repair is ca. €12k but I only paid €4k and rest is paid by Mercedes as Good Will plus €500 discount by the garage. Apparently the €4,5k is for the vacuum and diesel pumps which Mercedes's Good Will did not include.

Thanks DSK for the good wishes, it saved me €8k . Good luck for everybody else with similar issue. Btw, my insurance guys were unwilling to pay the remaining €4k, I guess 'cos they recently paid €1.5k for windshield replacement. I may replace them with another insurer but I haven't decided yet, I don't want to be too greedy.

 

[Jonathon Heap]

Glad you now have the E220 back and are enjoying it again. Unfortunately, maybe, I lost faith in my E400d All Terrain so decided to p/x against a Marco Polo. My original order for a new MP was going to take over a year to arrive, so went used as a stop gap. The service received from Inchcape Loughborough was superb. Lets hope the MP proves to be reliable, its certainly a great car to be in and drive.

 

[Phil2]

Morning All. As an update on the GLE I got it back after the tandem pump replacement and the front suspension was knocking. Took it back in last week and they told me the torsion bars have to be replaced - and they are on a 2 week back order! I decided there and then I was done with it and traded it in for a year old VW Golf that was on the forecourt. I will admit it’s a massive change in quality but it’s less than half the cost and with a 2l diesel it’s a lot of fun to drive and gets a genuine 60+ mpg. It may be a stop-gap for me but after the MB experience I just don’t want the hassle for a while. When I took it back in the dealer showed me the replacement parts that were required for the tandem pump replacement and it ran to 5 pages. It was inevitable something else would go wrong after that amount of work and I’m still amazed they make it so difficult to replace a reasonably modest engine part.

 

[Jonathon Heap]

Its such a shame to read these experiences, all a result of poor design or build quality. Certainly does not enhance Mercedes perceived level of quality. H
There again there are many satisfied owners, with no or very few real issues. Enjoy the Golf Phil2.

 

[moj91]

Mine is back in next week for the recall on the coolant pump valve solenoid thingy. Since getting it back from the above visit(s) the battery and fluid level issues seem to have abated, but now the bonnet keeps saying it is open when it isn't. It has also developed a loud dash rattle and the matte interior trim is flaking off in various places. Yey. Lexus next i think.... MB have f**ked it.

 

[DSK]

You won’t go wrong with a Lexus. I recommend the nx model (ordered) to a family member who was considering an MB equivalent wanting to move on from a Tiguan which again I recommended to him.


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[photon]

My 2018 E200d is with the dealer waiting on the tandem pump replacement. Luckily Mercedes are covering 100% of the cost as goodwill. We have full Mercedes service history, 140,000km.
Its a great car but this has shook my confidence in car so will most likely move it along later this year.
Has the replacement pump been redesigned so we won't face this failure again?

 

[Dchamdal1]

My 2018 E200d is with the dealer waiting on the tandem pump replacement. Luckily Mercedes are covering 100% of the cost as goodwill. We have full Mercedes service history, 140,000km.
Its a great car but this has shook my confidence in car so will most likely move it along later this year.
Has the replacement pump been redesigned so we won't face this failure again?

Hi, I have today been told the same that my tandem oil pump needs to be replaced. I'm awaiting Mercedes to confirm whether it will be covered under warranty as my warranty expired last month believe it or not. It will be a bitter pill to swallow if Mercedes don't cover the costs. Can I ask whether your car was under warranty when the Tandem oil pump was replaced?

 

[photon]

Hi, I have today been told the same that my tandem oil pump needs to be replaced. I'm awaiting Mercedes to confirm whether it will be covered under warranty as my warranty expired last month believe it or not. It will be a bitter pill to swallow if Mercedes don't cover the costs. Can I ask whether your car was under warranty when the Tandem oil pump was replaced?

So I am in the south of Ireland and the car was out of warranty
local Mercedes dealer submitted the warranty claim to Mercedes Ireland and it was actually rejected on a Friday morning
So he contacted Mercedes Germany who told him to re-submit the claim the following Monday
We sweated over it but thankfully it was accepted and 100% covered.
It is a HUGE job, the whole engine must come out and the actual work took about 5 days, we were without the car for maybe 4 weeks between diagnosing, submitting the claim, waiting on parts and the actual work carried out.
I'm told it is a new designed pump they are putting in so should not happen again.