Quote:
Originally Posted by cgranju
Are these head gasket failures to the extent that they would be warrantied or even covered in a recall (post warranty...i'm guessing i'm on my own, but i'm also an experienced DIYer w/ most of the right tools + friends who have good diagnostic equipment & service manuals)
|
No, no recall of the head gaskets, but the problems were mainly on the earlier M104 engines ('93-'95). There were surely some '96 E320's that had head gasket leaks if I had to guess.
My 1993 300E (3.2) "E320" had the original head gasket up until about 127,000 miles. It developed a leak at the right rear corner of the head gasket, which is where they usually leak. I let it just leak for about a year, but it got so bad that it leaked on the exhaust manifold. When my mechanic had it up on the lift, the whole under carriage was covered in oil.
In any event, these head gaskets fail so that oil leaks externally. It's not a failure where the coolant mixes with the oil, causing other problems.
So look for a leak. If it's not, it either means it's been changed or it might not ever leak.