350SD smokes like crazy - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#16 10-31-2002, 08:06 PM

Seals of any kind can go out early.. or last for years... Turbo seals are running on the exhaust side and intakeside.. with lots of oil between to keep them cool and oiled... I have had them last 100000 miles and have lost them with 200 miles.. No way to know... but replacing them is tough work as the bearings may also be gone or got to hot.. The turbo may turn up 10000 to perhaps 50000 rpm or more.... does not take much to screw one up.. Its always best to just replace the turbo.. with a new or rebuilt.. depending what you can find in your area..

Ken

haasman · #17 10-31-2002, 11:52 PM

You bought an engine through your local MBZ dealer. They supply warranties with these purchases.

Speak to the Service Advisor and tell him you have been "warned" of unacceptable vehicle emissions. (Of course you don't have to say who warned you .... you ge the idea). If the SA balks or continues to give you anything but solid and clear answers, speak to the Service Manager.

If they still balk at your requests, ask for the name and number of the Mercedes-Benz District Service Manager. If the local dealer doesn't respond to this threat of escalation, then call the DSM.

Tell him what's going on. If this person doesn't help escalate the problem, then call the National Mercedes-Benz Customer Service people. You can reach them at: 800-367-6372 or by email at: CACINTERNET@MBUSA.COM.

Keep us posted ...

Haasman

#18 11-01-2002, 12:02 AM

400E, i have been thinking the same thing. even though this is a new factory caged engine i think that we have a bum engine. actually my mileage is incorrect. as i recall the engine has 34,000 miles on it, so we are getting close to the end of the warranty. i strongly feel that we have a bum engine.

Ken, since the engine is on warranty and if it is the turbo seals the dealer should and WILL replace the turbo, or at least put in new bearings if that is at all possible.

Haasman, can you email me more clearly about your idea. i am somewhat confused. my email is thudm1@hotmail.com.

thanks everyone for your help in getting this resolved.

joe p · #19 11-01-2002, 08:40 AM

Does it skip at idle? If so, time to run a hot compression test. However, this is not always that accurate. The only way to know for sure if it has a bent rod is pull the head and measure deck height. This really is only a issue with the 92 models mill's.

Joe

#20 11-01-2002, 11:04 AM

In reading all this again.. I have to wonder if we are talking about the same thing.. What is Smokes like crazy.. All Diesels smoke some.. they are not clean burn cars.. Turbo cars smoke less than the non turbo but still smoke some... Smokes like crazy to me is that it puts down a cloud of smoke that the person behind you can not see where they are going... and leaves a cloud of smoke that you can see for blocks.. Its a cloud of smoke that looks like a heavy fog... Thats what a bad seal in a turbo looks like.. As far as just seeing some smoke from a diesel after its been setting at a stop sign for a while.. Thats common.. I have to wonder if we are talking about the same thing..

Ken

#21 11-01-2002, 12:46 PM

joe, this engine is a new reman from MB, but i am thnking we have a bum engine. we don't know, and dealer isn't being very helpful at the moment. when it misses at idle it will do it for a good 30 secs when it starts up. engine is still at about 40-60 degrees centigrade.

Ken, i think we are thinking of the same thing. when we stand on the throttle it lets out a huge cloud of smoke. it looks like a cloud or as you said a thick fog and people vanish behind. in "normal" driving you can see light blue smoke (not diesel smoke) coming from the exhaust. if i follow the car i can see where i am going just fine, but if the throttle gets stepped on hard i would not be able to see where i am going.

i know that if you do a lot of driving around town and then go on the freeway and step on it you are going to belch out some smoke, but what i remember from the old engine when this would happen is that the smoke would dissipate rather quickly, and would be more like a trail from the car, not a big cloud. and on this engine you can be driving ar freeway speeds, 50 and above for quite a long time, step on it the smoke is like a thick fog (not a trail of smoke from the car) and it just sits there and doesn't go away. i know i am repeating myself, but i am trying to make this as clear as possible.

i do know that not every engine is the same, but this seems really odd to me. and the car is burning a lot of oil. at least i consider 1 quart for every 1000 miles a lot. and my dad's other diesel mercedes have never burned oil. well his 50s (not sure what year it was, way before my time though) 190D burned oil, but that was when the engine was shot.

thanks for all the response on this.