HELP NEEDED TODAY - Engine Problem - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Bob Albrecht · #1 11-08-2005, 09:47 AM

Hi Everyone,
I need to know a good shop for MB diesels in Baltimore, and a possible diagnosis.

My car: 1991 MB 350SD, 58K miles, an immaculate 126. Uses about 1 quart of oil/3000 miles (obviously I don't need to add any between changes), so no "rod bending" yet.

It has been using tiny amounts of coolant. Maybe a pint in 1000 miles.

I filled up he coolant before a road trip from Charlottesville to Princeton. This morning on I95 in Baltimore the coolant level light came on, a minute later I noticed the temp going way up and started to pull over and the engine stopped and I coasted to the side of the road. When I got out and looked the front drivers-side wheel and wheel well were COVERED with oil. I thecked the oil and it didn't measure on the stick. The stick was "popped out" or the tube. There was no coolant in the oil.

I had it towed and got a rental car.

My guess is that it is a head gasket?

What do you think?

Where is a good independent place to take my MB in Baltimore?

Is there a less-expensive way to transport it to Charlottesville?

Thanks,

Bob Albrecht
434-249-1747

Bob Albrecht · #2 11-08-2005, 09:49 AM

There was vey little oil in the engine compartment, just the wheel well????

boneheaddoctor · #3 11-08-2005, 09:58 AM

If you have a guy you trust in Charlotesville you could rent a Uhaul truck and a car trailer...one way. Tell them you are hauling a honda...not a Benz.

Otherwise you will have to wait for the Baltimore people who can recomend a shop. I can't help on that end.

Bob Albrecht · #4 11-08-2005, 10:16 AM

Any ideas on what might have happened?

-BOB-

boneheaddoctor · #5 11-08-2005, 10:22 AM

If it blew out the dipstick tube thats scarey...(last time I had that happen a piston broke on a 1954 Willys)...add to the fact it spewed all that oil.....it COULD be simple...but it COULD be something serious also. Hard to guess by what little info we have at this time....hopefully someone will come up with a recomendation for an Indy up that way....

Angel · #6 11-08-2005, 12:44 PM

I've never seen a 350SDL motor, so I'll stab in the dark

1) is there a chance that the oil got on the temperature sender and caused it to read incorrectly ? - this is probably a best case scenario.

2) Oil doesnt sound like a problem, yeah, you made a mess, and the stick was loose, but unless you **watched** the engine pop the dipstick out, I've had cars that run and made oil pressure just fine with oil low out of sight on the dipstick (we all know not to make a habit of this). If you didnt notice low oil pressure before (light ? Gauge?) your oil should be okay.

3)Did you stop the engine, or did it stop itself (i.e - seize)? This isnt clear from your narrative.

4) The method to diagnose a broken head/gasket is the "1)have a cold engine, 2)run for 2 minutes, 3)shut off,4) see if the coolant line is solid/pressurized" - should be described better elsewhere on this site, if the head is bad, it'll pressurize the coolant tube very quickly (due to combustion/exhaust leaking into the coolant. The only failed head gaskets I've seen start as an oil leak down the side of the engine.

tenknots · #7 11-08-2005, 12:52 PM

Is it possible it was the oil cooler lines?

kerry · #8 11-08-2005, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenknots

Is it possible it was the oil cooler lines?

I concur, this is a possibility if it has an oil cooler. Indeed, I'd suspect it is the likely culprit. It would account for the location of the oil.
If it is the oil lines and the job is too tricky to tackle with the car in its current location, you could unscrew the oil lines, plug the holes, fill with oil and drive it home and replace the oil lines there.

boneheaddoctor · #9 11-08-2005, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry edwards

I concur, this is a possibility if it has an oil cooler. Indeed, I'd suspect it is the likely culprit. It would account for the location of the oil.
If it is the oil lines and the job is too tricky to tackle with the car in its current location, you could unscrew the oil lines, plug the holes, fill with oil and drive it home and replace the oil lines there.

on the 603 wouldn't pluging the oil lines plug the path of engine oil...and wouldn't fabricating some sort of loop be preferible...

kerry · #10 11-08-2005, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

on the 603 wouldn't pluging the oil lines plug the path of engine oil...and wouldn't fabricating some sort of loop be preferible...

Don't know much about the 603 so I assumed that there would be a bypass for cold oil and it would just plug the cooling circuit. Guesswork and speculation on my part. Looping might be better if you could use an existing good line to replace the bad one.

boneheaddoctor · #11 11-08-2005, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry edwards

Don't know much about the 603 so I assumed that there would be a bypass for cold oil and it would just plug the cooling circuit. Guesswork and speculation on my part. Looping might be better if you could use an existing good line to replace the bad one.

My concern was even it it had a thermostat that redirected oil it would casue a major restriction to total blockage...I too am no OM603 expert but like to err on the side of caution on things like this.

Brian Carlton · #12 11-08-2005, 05:12 PM

With oil covering the entire driver's side fenderwell, it's almost certainly the oil cooler. The cooler sits down low on the driver's side and any failure of a hose, or the cooler itself, would send oil all over the wheel well.

The question is how long did the engine run without oil?

If it shut down on it's own, that's not a good sign.

kerry · #13 11-08-2005, 05:29 PM

I had missed the part about the engine stopping. Not a good sign. Have you tried turning the engine over with the starter since this happened? Don't spend a lot on transporting the car until you either learn that the engine is still good, or decide that you're willing to replace it.
Another argument for audible low oil pressure alarms.

sixto · #14 11-08-2005, 05:51 PM

Seems like multiple failures - engine ran hot, oil cooler failed. More specifically, the oil cooler was probably iffy for a while but you hadn't put enough load on the engine to require full flow though the cooler. When the cooling system gave up (head gasket?), the increased heat into the oil sent more flow than the iffy oil cooler could handle. But I never correctly guess the endings of CSI

The 603 oil cooler lines don't have threaded fittings on the filter block. The hard lines end in flanges which are bolted to the filter block. You'd have to destroy both hoses to bypass the oil cooler.

Is it possible for a relief valve failure to send excessive pressure to the oil cooler? Those oil cooler lines are huge. I doubt the pump can sustain high pressure in the cooling loop without other seals and gaskets giving up as well.

First thing to do is check if the engine will turn by hand. If it does then do a compression check.

Sixto
87 300SDL

MS Fowler · #15 11-08-2005, 07:01 PM

I would recommend you contact Cignati auto repair. They are located just off the exit for Rte 24 East--Edgewood, about 12 miles above the Baltimore Beltway. Not exactly "cheap" but very respected, and honorable. Sorry, I don't have a phone number. I can tell you where they are--at the end of the ramp ( Rte 24 East) stay to the right. Turn right at the first light and then your first right. Cignati's will be on the left side of the first building. Its easy to spot as there will be some NICE cars, mostly M-Bs but the occasional Rolls, or Lambo.