Mercedes-Benz Forum banner

Guys I need serious help. Can I save this 300ce?

1K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  gatorblue92 
#1 ·
Where to start. First off when I start the car it shakes violently and doesn't stop. I can hear multiple rattling thumps in the rear.

When I turn it off, I have to wait about 30 minutes in order to start it up again. If I try to start it up again immediately it will turn, but not start. While it's trying to start, I hear something like air being released from the hood of the car, then it stops turning. When I try to start it again, all I hear is a click.

And on top of all that, there is white smoke coming from the exhaust.


Before the car started shaking a month ago, whenever I stepped on the gas or hit the brake at low speeds, there was always a thump in the rear.

Do any of you think this 300ce is a lost cause or should I suck it up and get this beauty fixed?


I bought it from a guy that bought it back in 1997. The title says the car was purchased in 1997 and the title was issued in 2009. The odometer on the title says 149,000, but the odometer in the car is stuck on 149,000 so who knows how many miles is on the car.

It's a beautiful car and my budget to fix these issues is $1700. Anyone give me some suggestions?
 
See less See more
#2 ·
By "white smoke" do you mean steam or burnt oil smoke?

Rough running and white smoke (steam) often indicates a leaking head gasket. I suggest you have a indi MB repair shop take a look at it.

Tale tell signs (beyond the smoke/steam from exhaust) of a blown head gasket can be -

- coolant missing from the coolant reservoir.
- motor oil mixed into the coolant.
- coolant in the motor oil.
- brown milk shake crud on the inside of the oil filler cap.
 
#6 ·
Anycar can be saved with enough money, or enough skill.


YOU can start by filling out your profile so we know more about your car and your location. The 300CE had three different engines here in the States.

You should start with a comprehensive tuneup and build the LED code reader.
 
#10 ·
20 Benzworld Dollahs...

says Bigbob777 is looking at the windshield washer reservoir and thinking it's the coolant expansion tank.

Those are classic symptoms of a blown head gasket, IMO. :crybaby2: You should find quite a lot of coolant missing, it's being pushed into a cylinder immediately after you turn off the engine and causing the engine not to rotate(on restart) since the cylinder is filled with coolant(won't compress). As the engine sits for a few minutes and cools, the coolant seeps past the piston rings and gets in the oil, so the engine now turns again. I bet your oil dipstick shows an extra 1/2 quart+ of oil.

I'd bet you are overheating, too.

The thump in the rear could be the differential bushings. Or maybe a broken exhaust hangar? Could be a suspension part, or even a bad axle joint. :dunno:

The "tube" you circled in the pics is the connection of the exhaust header and exhaust pipe. Maybe you are pushing that white smoke out a bad gasket at that joint.

Bob, pull the spark plugs, turn over the engine, watch coolant squirt from one of the plugs sockets. WARNING! DO NOT LOOK INSIDE THE SOCKET! Coolant will be under pressure, and could damage an eyeball. Look at the plugs, one or more will probably be wet.

Remove the oil fill cap and examine the inside of the cap. See that chocolate milk scum? That's a mixture of oil/coolant. :nerd

Sure it's worth saving. Will $1700 cover the repairs? Depends on your DIY skills, or the price a QUALIFIED mechanic will charge for such repairs. Just keep your fingers crossed that several other issues don't crop up while the gasket is being replaced.

You MUST find a QUALIFIED mechanic to examine this vehicle, and stop driving it. :teach:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top