I have a 1998 Mercedes C230. I bought it new and always took good care of it. It is in good shape but last week it stalled on the highway. I was close to the dealer and so got it towed there. They say that the coolant leaked into the engine and the top part of the engine has to be changed.
Here is my question. The blue book value of the car is about $7000 and they are asking me for $9000 to repair the engine and the head gasket etc. Is it worth spending more than the blue book value on a 9 year old car ? My car only has 92000miles on it. I am bummed out because its a Mercedes it is supposed to last much longer than that.
Any advice?
Some more info would help.
You state the vehicle “stalled out” and now it needs a head gasket.
Did this vehicle stall out due to overheating and your continued operation of the vehicle?
If it was overheating, then exactly how long was it overheating?
$9000 to do the head gasket and change the oil? Think its way to much, I don’t care what kind of car it is. I would ask around mechanic shops how much they would charge to do the same job. I sure don’t think it will come to that.
Get a 2nd opinion on the diagnosis and the price for the repair. I know it is a MB, but the price sounds real high. Call around first for a head job quote and then after asking around for a decent mechanic have the car towed there.
Thank you for your response…but it is not just the head gasket and oil change…they say it needs cylinder head, head gasket, valvestem seals for head, 8 exhaust valves, 8 intake valves, polybelt and coolant pump…
so what do you think? I have no idea what all these parts are…Thanks
Thank you for your response…I have been trying to find a decent mechanic but it is so confusing…everyone says a different thing…
Have they taken your car apart?
If not how do they know it needs a head and valves?
~Michael
I still don’t see $9000 in everything that you have mentioned, unless the parts are made of gold, and still then.
I just don’t see that a warped head will do all of that kind of damage. Especially on an MB, the way they have engineered that engine.
How about some info on this?
Did the car overheat and did you continue to operate it until it “stalled”?
As Dartman mentiones, has the engine been disassembled to some degree?
If the cylinder head is trashed due to overheating it could very well cost this much on a Benz if they get a new cylinder head.
Recycle a used engine from a salvaged C-230. Many salvage yards will do the swap or steer you towards someone who will. For MUCH less then $7000. Google “used Mercedes parts” and amaze yourself…
It sounds like you need to replace the head due to overheating (did you overheat the engine, they really don’t like that?). However, $9000 sounds too high for a 230 head replacement, including the parts you’ve listed.
I assume you have taken the car to a dealer, if so, I would try to find some independent benz shops in your area and get a price for a head replacement. I would guess the labor will be around $1000-2000 and the parts shouldn’t be more than $2000-3000, so I don’t really see the cost being more than $4000-5000 at an independent shop. The $9000 price is closer to the cost of a complete engine rebuild.
I would fix it for $4000-5000, compared to the replacement cost of the vehicle; but I do think the dealer is trying to overcharge you. I don’t know where you are located, but look for an independent shop that specializes in benz, or at least euro cars, you do not want a general repair shop to do this work. If you want to get some recommendations for a shop in your area, check with these guys: