My only suggestion is to find an honest, reliable mechanic to do the repair at a lower cost that the dealer.
#Timing belt vs timing chain waranties manual#
I have never seen an owner's manual go that far out for the first service on anything. A quick check of MB forums shows that the chain should be replaced at about 150,000 miles to prevent the condition you have now. Look up timing chain replacement and you will find that they need replacing when there is a problem with it. Belts usually are listed as needing replacement at 70-100,000 miles. Timing chains are like timing belts in that they do wear out, but are not listed as needing replacement like belts because they should last longer. They would consider stretching as normal wear, not a failure. If the warranty provider considers the timing belt to be an internally lubricated part, it would have to break to be covered. Failure of an internally lubricated part means failure. Before I learned this I had 2 of them, and neither ever paid for anything that I thought was covered. Ideas or suggestions?Īll extended powertrain warranties that I have ever seen have this kind of exclusion, and will in fact require that the engine be inspected when apart before committing to payment for a failure, to verify that it's covered. Driving around in a vehicle with a stretched timing chain is nerve-wracking. Shelling out $9,500 in repairs on a $16,000 car also strikes me as irresponsible. Purchasing or leasing a new vehicle is not a realistic option at this time. If I am having trouble with the vehicle because of this, how is it not a failure? How can the provider argue that this is a maintenance item if the manufacturer and dealer say that it is not a maintenance item? The VSC says that the policy covers the failure of internally lubricated parts. I am significantly underwater if I sell to Carmax, about $7,000 underwater. I thought that was the entire point of purchasing a VSC! To make matters worse, because I refinanced the vehicle two years ago, I am slightly underwater. Many things on a vehicle should last a lifetime, but should they fail, they are not covered outside of the manufacturer's warranty period. There is no way that Mercedes-Benz USA is going to accept responsibility for an out-of-warranty vehicle. When I explained to them that the timing chain is regarded by Mercedes-Benz as something that should last a lifetime (and is therefore not included in the maintenance booklet), they told me that Mercedes-Benz would be responsible for replacement. This engine is in the neighborhood of $30,000 to replace. My maximum benefit is $12,500 or actual cash value.
If the timing chain slips or breaks, the engine is a total loss. However, I recently called the provider with a hypothetical and I was told that a stretched timing chain was a maintenance item, while a failed timing chain was covered by the VSC. I have an extended powertrain warranty (VSC) on the vehicle. In its current state, the car is apparently only worth between $9,000 and $12,000, even though this vehicle was ordered fully loaded and purchased for over $70,000 in 2011. These failures are all too common with this powertrain and are not a result of poor maintenance. Unfortunately, this along with some of the other issues related to the oil cooler seals, this vehicle needs $6,000-$9,500 worth of work. The check engine light comes on periodically because of this. My timing chain is stretched to the point of trouble starting, loud racket on cold start-up, and ticking noise when idling. I am having significant problems with my only 7-year-old Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC diesel.
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