Head gasket blown?

[The German Flower Pot]

1994 e320 coupe 24v auto

problem ...

driving around and oil light comes on the goes off after about 10 seconds, then would flicker on then off

whole day i did about 40 miles like this but 90% of the time it was off

parked up at night with a few mates and was a bit cold so turned car on for the heaters

after 2 mins the engines fans came on so i thought it was a bit weird and turned the car off

1 hour later drove 15 miles home on twisty roads doing from 30mph to 70mph but not thrashing it at all, was also a cold night

got 1 mile from home, stopped attraffic lights and herd a gurgling noise and saw some smoke from under bonnet, had a quick look and decided to drive the 1 mile home at 15 mph

all day the water temp did not get above half way even when there was smoke from the engine and the oil pressure guage went from 3 to 2.5 when car was stopped and idlying at traffic lights

bare with me almost done

got home and parked up & turned engine off

very loud gurgling and loads of smoke

creamy engine crap all over drivers door sill, drivers door and a big puddle starting to form behind drivers side front wheel

lifted bonnet after a 3 min wait for smoke to die down

water bottle full of cream

around wheel arch side of engine (drivers side) full of cream

none at all around the foam on the under side of the bonnet

was dark, cold and fed up so lef tthe car like that

went out today and saw the following

no cream at all of water on the engine dip stick

took of engine oil cap and zero cream or water

looked inside hole and again no cream

car starts and runs fine for the 1 min i ran it for

also its oil into the water system not the other way around


so 1 mechanic says its a blown head gasket and wants £850 and that does not include sending the head to be pressure tested or indeed scimmed if needed

1 says its the oil cooler tank has blown and leaked oil into the radiator as he said having no cream in the engine, oil cap or dip stick


so if you have managed to stay awake to the end what are your thoughts


typicall as ive just saved £1,000 to get my '95 e320 coupe turbo technics set up im not stuck with 2 non runners!

its not the money that is the problem its the right diagnosis

any help would be very gratefully recieved

 

[jibcl500]

I supprised you identified there was problem and yet drove the car, looks like you had a major head gasket blow, £850 I dont thinks unreasonable considering the cleanup work required. Head could be cracked but thats what a pressure tests for.
Simple job to do yourself really and would only cost about £150 tops, is he a MB specialist or just a garage, ask if he knows the proccedure for replacing the chain tensioner. Be aware incorrect fitment of the tensioner will snap the sprocket off the inlet camshaft!!!

jib

 

[Bolide]

If your car has an engine oil/water heat exchanger then I'd say mechanic #1 was right. But I don't think it does. Decent diagnosis, though

Mechanic #2 is probably spot on though some things point to it not being a cylinder head gasket failure

Fortunately/unfortunately I think you've made it academic. I'd say that by cooking the engine you've made it a 99% certainty that the CHG will need replacing. After replacing it you'll soon find what other damage was done

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[The German Flower Pot]

Bolide, im cluless when it come to engines and tuff so thanks for your reply but what do you mean in simple terms

is it the head gasket or the oil cooler in your oponion?

what is the CHG?

and what other damage were you possibly hinting at

as for continuing to drive it as the water & oil levels were normal i was not going to park up on the huntingdon ring road at 10.30pm and wait an hour for a breakdown truck to come see me and thought as its only smoke and a bit gurgly id drive the 1 mile home slowly

if it had been crunching or rattling or somthing that would be pointing to a broken item then id have stopped but ive had a radiator leake before and had no choice but to drive it so 1 mile would not have been a big deal

as for the chain thing my mechanic friend and my other friend who owns his own garage both said they wont touch it as its chain driven so looks like it will goto dave at bensten motors in st ives as i kind of know and trust them there

oh 1 more thing has my car got an oil cooler?

thanks to both of your for your help

 

[television]

CHG cylinder head gaskit

 

[jibcl500]

German

I didnt realise you where so close, I near Ely, what about C&V in swaversey, they are MB specialists.

jib

 

[The German Flower Pot]

jib

i know of them as they have nice older mercs for sale so ill ring them too

cheers

danny

 

[jibcl500]

Bought the wifes SLK from there, nice people to do business with, the service chaps there are very good.

jib

 

[Uncle Benz]

For oil to get in to the cooling system, but not vice-versa, there must be a failure in the sealing between an oil pressure gallery and the cooling system. In my experience, this is rarely from the head gasket (but not impossible). There is only one oil pressure path through the head gasket, and the chances of this bit only failing are slim. A crack in the head or block is more likely. Oil/water intercooler is also a possible if your car has one. Do not just get your head gasket replaced unless it is positively identified as the culprit for this fault. A crack/pressure test of the head is vital. Just bolting back together without finding why will end in tears. I have been there.....

 

[television]

I have to second Uncle benz advice, its fact

 

[The German Flower Pot]

excellent advice

so would any of you be kind enough to just summarise the possible problems and or the order to check stuff as ive read it all 3 times and am not confident that ive really got it

if it were football or the basics of how to build a computer or how the solar system works then id get it instantly but me and engines just dont get on

im going to ring cv diesels tommorow and see what they say

ive got a friend who rang me who works for an engine rebuilding company and he said they could look at it

but what i want is some company to come to the car, take it away and then come back in a week with it all fixed and working again and bill me without them doing un-nescessary work or not doing what needs doing

thanks again

 

[jibcl500]

Your mate doesnt work for ivor searle does he?

CV should give you a break down of the problem if you request it, there is also another MB specialist based in ELY but its just that little bit further.
jib

 

[The German Flower Pot]

well my 2 cars left today coincidentaly

the grey/black one has gone to CV Cars in swaversea to have the headgasket problem sorted

and

the silver one is loaded up on the pikeys trailer ready to goto turbo technics this week

so my drive is empty of mercs!

people will think ive moved

probably going to be without both cars for 2 weeks and wont get much change out of £1,500 to fix them both

 

[jibcl500]

Well if the come back fixed for £1500 at least you then have two very nice MB's to play with. I remember selling a 911 some years ago and the buyer arranged for a low loader to collect it, the neighbours thought the 911 had been repossessed!!!!!!!! Took months to clear that one up.

jib

 

[kth286]

Uncle Benz and others

Oil getting into the water is exactly what happens on these engines normally when the head gasket goes.

At the very rear of the gasket, water and oil channels pass very close together, and it is indeed here that the gasket develops a crossover between these channels, and oil goes into the coolant.

In addition to replacing the head gasket, the cooling system must be thoroughly cleaned, otherwise oil will saturate the cooling system hoses, making them soft and prone to bursting.

Use Mercedes alkaline cooling system cleaner part number 001 986 21 71 follow the instructions and ensure the heater is on when cleaning.

Needs a Merc specialist that understands this problem or you will get further problems down the line.

 

[The German Flower Pot]

the garage is a merc specalist and usually only sells mercs and are very good

got a phone call this morning and they said its one of the worst head gasket blows he has ever seen

even though he has not removed the head yet

not sure how he tells that but he is the expert not me

 

[jibcl500]

Which specialist did you take it to in the end?

jib

 

[The German Flower Pot]

http://www.candvcars.co.uk/contact.php

 

[jibcl500]

good choice, local to you also, Ive just taken in a 1995 SL500 thats just come from there.

jib

 

[The German Flower Pot]

i told them i was recomended to go there from a bloke who bought a clk for his wife fom them

he said ah good