Detail Summary: 1995 C220 Mercedes major engine problems after cat in engine, belt came off, engine hot for less that 3 minutes, and washed motor- now $3200 repair bill.

On Wed., April 27, 2005, at around 5 p.m. I started my car, it immediately died. I started it again and backed-up, it seemed I had no power steering. I drove approximately 2 miles and the car started running hot. I immediately parked and I called for help. My neighbor opened my hood and there was cat hair, flesh, and blood everywhere. I had had a problem w/ a cat earlier in the year and basically nothing happened. I had taken my car into the service department and had everything checked. The technician said that I should start planning to replace my wiring harness in the next year. After replacing the belt, we washed the motor and then my car would not start without keeping a foot on the gas. I called the merecedes service department (which is around 90 miles from my home) and they said to open my hood, that I had water in the engine, etc. After several days, nothing improved- I borrowed my sister's car and had my car towed to the service department on Thurs., May 12, 2005- the technician called on Fri, May 13 and said "What did you do to this car?- this did not happen because you washed the motor- there is no compression in cylinder 1. We will need to pull the head, etc. Did the car run hot?" I explained that the car was hot for less than 2 to 3 minutes. After doing some searching, I found out that my insurance may cover the damage. So, I called my insurance company- I was told that my insurance did cover damage done by animals. But guess what- my claim was denied today, because the insurance adjuster said that what happened to my car was normal wear and tear. Also, the service technician would not say that the engine running hot was the reason my valve was burnt, etc. I want some advice- please post positive and negative comments. In the end, I will have to pay $3200- for labor and valve being replaced. This also included a new wiring harness. I need advice- is there anyway that I can prove that my car running hot could cause my valve to burn. My car's problems immediately happened after washing the cat's blood, flesh, and hair off of my motor. Could this all be just a coincidence?