W124 220 ENGINE Head Gasket +

[lisacha]

Hi there

Can anyone tell me roughly how much a replace Head Gasket would be on 1993 220 Estate? The car also has a loose Exhaust Cooling cover, again is that an expensive fix?

Cheers

Lisa
:wink:

 

[Oxmerc]

head gasket

hi lisa,

I had a head gasket replaced on my w124 e220 late last year. It cost £45 for the gasket set, but the labour charge was wrapped up with a service and some other work, which was done at a Merc specialist in Caversham, Reading. I would imagine it might cost getting on for about £200 all in. I gather this is a fairly common fault on the e220. I don't know about the other job.

I hope this helps.

Fergus

 

[tom7035]

Hi Lisa.
If cost is a worry for you (as it always is for me), stay well clear of a Mercedes Dealership for the work. They take £100 just to change a set of spark plugs!
Use a Merc specialist if you can, but any independent garage can do this work. It will also entail them having the cylinder head checked and, if necessary 'skimmed' at a machine shop. (This corrects any 'warping' of the head which may have played a part in the gasket failure in the first place). It entails a little extra cost but is crucial.
Can't give you an exact answer re. costs, but get a couple of estimates from your local garages. It isn't the most major of repair jobs though!
Someone else might come in who has just had this kind of work done.
Good luck, Tom.

 

[Bolide]

Replacement head gasket

The gasket itself is cheap. Labour will depend on what else has to be done

You have to ask why it needs a cylinder head gasket: if the garage saw the tell-tale signs when servicing it you might not have to have the head skimmed, but then again you'd be well advised to

If you need a gasket because the car overheated catastrophically, blew all the coolant out and you kept driving it till it stopped then a replacement engine is probably simplest

The real situation probably lies somewhere between the two. Unfortunately you will need to authorise a certain amount of investigative work to establish what is required. Do that and get a quote for the work including labour, machining & parts. Then call Mercman in Southampton and ask for a price on a replacement E220 engine. Depending on the mileage your car's done that may be a better (that is, quicker & cheaper) solution all round


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[lisacha]

Thanks guys.

So do you think that its worth getting this repaired. There can't be much resale value in a 1993 car can there? Its a shame as it is otherwise very reliable.

Over to you to decide!

 

[tom7035]

Lisa, if the car is otherwise sound you can't scrap it for a blown head gasket!
What Bolide says is quite true but very pessimistic I think and he's looking at it from a very professional point of view. Mine is also a 1993 model but I never consider its resale value, I just love the enjoyment it gives me. My good lady drives a brand new Mazda 3 but she's welcome to it, I much prefer my old MB!
In your position, I'd be the optimist and have the gasket job done. Don't you have a friend who knows a man who knows, etc.? Any competent DIY mechanic can do the job at home even, don't even need to get underneath the car! (Except of course to drain the old engine oil on completion of the work).
Good luck, Tom.

 

[paulcallender]

Plenty of cars blow their head gaskets and the owners stump up the money to get it fixed. I think you could classify yourself as "unlucky" but its not a write-off. I'd echo previous comments - DIY is the way to go here. The W124 is the last of the Mercedes which are maintainable without recourse to (expensive) diagnostic stuff, later cars had more and more electronic gizmos and the engine got gradually more dependent on the ECU to run at all.

 

[lisacha]

Dare I invite anyone on here to offer to do the work for me? Does anyone know a suitable mobile mechanic in the Home Counties that could fix to preserve the life of the car. I am daunted by the £2000 noted earlier, but if its low hundreds I will get it done and keep the car going.

 

[paulcallender]

Whereabouts are you? Has it completely blown (need to transport the car) or are you just down on power?

 

[lisacha]

Its not blown, the car drives fine. It is leaking however and hence I have no idea if (or when) it will blow.

We are in Herts.

 

[Bolide]

Head gasket

Lisacha


Be brutally honest here: does the car deserve you spending £xxx for a new cylinder head gasket? Would it be simpler to replace the engine? Or replace the car?

What is the cost £xxx - do you have a quote?

You have to take this kind of view to see if it's a viable option to fix. I understand having an attachment to these cars (I should do - I'm at year 9 with one of mine) but most of us have to be realistic. Pessimistic? Maybe, but hopefully pragmatic, too

If the car's a good 'un, and the quote isn't too scary, then fix it. But there are plenty of good W124s around - too many to be sinking good money into a car that doesn't deserve it

You've told us nothing about the car (mileage, spec, how long you've had it, how much you've spent on it already, etc) so we're pretty much in the dark and can't really help that effectively


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[paulcallender]

If it were nearer, I'd offer....

 

[lisacha]

I expect a quote tomorrow and am dreading it.

On the last service it said Head Gasket leaking in various places.

We purchased the car with this damage. Stupid perhaps, but otherwise the car is perfect and the price was right.

I think I will have to pay whatever, however I was wondering whether there is figure (x hours labour) that I can negociate with.

We would happily drive it elsewhere in the country to get a better deal.

If this is a fairly common problem at 149k there must be a ball park figure known.

 

[Bolide]

Head gasket

Call Ivan at Automerc in Wood Green, North London and talk it through with him. He'll give you a straightforward explanation & a likely cost

Automerc are on 020 8340 2966. I recommend them 100%


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[996jimbo]

Of course any car (or second hand engine for that matter) you buy in replacement may need work doing. I reckon a couple of hundred quid should be enough, assuming no other problems. We had an old Saab 900 turbo which blew the head gasket / exhaust heat shield and needed a replacement exhaust manifold. The labour certainly wasn't massive and by the sound of it wasn't any less complicated than yours.

Surely someone will give you a fair quote over the phone? A head gasket job on an engine should be pretty estimatable I'd have thought. If a quote starts to nudge towards the £500 mark then maybe it would be worth calling it a day, but you can easily spend a couple of hundred on a car just for minor things, so if that sorts it, I'd go with it.