Quote:
Originally posted by vwbuge
Sorry Tank,
Never heard of any "chunks of gunk" getting into any turbo or motor to cause it to fail. I'm not a fan of the trap oxidizer but I'm not an opponent either. Never caused me to second guess my baby. 295,000 and going strong.....trap ox and all.
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VWbuge, did you ever watch Saturday Night Live when they had the Hanz and Franz skit, where they would dress up in muscle suits and talk like Arnold Schwarzenegger? One of them would say, "listen to me now and believe me later". You can listen to me now and believe me later, but you do have one of the cars that was originally fitted with the trap oxidizer, and I'd take it to the dealer to see if it has been replaced. The dealer even may pay for it.
The Trap Oxidizer problem is real and damage happens just as Tank described.
I coincidentally was looking at my past issues of the Star Magazine, and last night just happened to read an article in the March / April 1997 issue about the infamous Trap Oxidizer.
Frank King, the long time technical editor of the Star Magazine, wrote a long two page article on this Trap Oxidizer.
He basically says that it was introduced in 1985 on California versions of models with 617.592 and 617.591 diesel engines, and was also done in 1986 to California cars with 603.961 engines. In 1987, use of trap oxidizers was extended to cars with diesel engines 603.960 and 603.961 in all 50 states.
"The component was a filter known as a trap oxidizer, designed to meet California emission standards. Located between the exhaust manifold and the turbocharger, the trap oxidizer is a monolithic labyrinth of ceramic rods housed in a steel cylinder.
Due to the extreme range of temperatures to which the trap oxidizer was subjected and the vibration inherent in the application, the ceramic monolith did not have the expected service life. Sometimes pieces of the ceramic, ranging in size from dust to chunks, broke off and were blown into the turbocharger. The abrasive ceramic particles could damage the turbo blades. As a result, Mercedes-Benz instituted an extended exchange or warranty policy. Owners of affected cars were protected from repair expense due to trap oxidizer failures.
Mercedes Benz developed a new device called an oxidation catalyst with sufficient durability to replace the trap oxidizer.
Owners who have had the job done report a noticeable performance improvement after installation of the oxidation catalyst, probably due to the decrease in exhaust back pressure."