1999 Mercedes Benz ML320

I HAVE BEEN AN OWNER OF A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ ML320, BOUGHT USED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. RECENTLY, SOMETHING WENT WRONG ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT STARTED WOBBLING AND MAKING EXTERNAL ENGINE NOISE. SOON, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A NON-METALLIC PART, A RING, THE SIZE OF A PALM WAS FOUND IN MY ENGINE BAY. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MB DEALER, MERCEDES BENZ OF CINCINNATI OHIO AND RECEIVED A QUOTE OF $3700.00. THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME ITS NOT A PROBLEM COMMONLY SEEN BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE AWFULLY TOO POPULAR AS THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS WHEN I DESCRIBED ON THE PHONE. THE MERCEDES E320 ENGINE (SUPPOSEDLY 1998 THROUGH MID 2000) CALLED M112 AS WELL AS THE SAME ENGINE OR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR ENGINE ON C280, ML320, E430 ETC., HAS A HARMONIC BALANCER, A RUBBER RING SANDWICHED BETWEEN 2 METAL PULLEY TO ISOLATE THE ENGINE VIBRATION FROM THE REST OF THE PULLEYS BEING DRIVEN BY THE ENGINE. THIS IS WHAT THE SERPENTINE BELT ROTATES ON.OVER TIME, THE POORLY DESIGNED HARMONIC BALANCER PULLEY FAILS, THE RUBBER RING CRACKS, BREAKS OR FALLS OFF, DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE VEHICLE DRIVING CONDITIONS AND STRESS/LOAD. IT IS TYPICALLY SEEN ON ML320 IN THE RANGE OF 40,000 MILES, BUT IS NOT AS COMMONLY REPORTED AS TYPICALLY IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ON E320, IT TENDS TO BE AROUND 60 ,000 MILES THOUGH, OFTEN IT COULD BE AS LOW AS 25000 MILES. THE ISSUE IS, WHEN THIS PART FAILS, THE ENGINE TIMING BELT COVER , OIL PAN ETC GET SERIOUSLY GOUGED BY THE ROTATING PULLEY. IN MY CASE THE DEALERSHIP, MERCEDES BENZ OF CINCINNATI IS CHARGING $3700.00 FOR THE REPAIRS. OFTEN DEALER PROFESS INNOCENCE OR LACK OF SIMILAR FAILURE (COMMON ACROSS BOARD, EVERY USER IN MY GROUP MENTIONS THAT THE DEALER SAID 'NEVER HEARD OF IT'.) . THE ISSUE BECOME MORE DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE AS WELL, WHEN LESS MECHANICALLY INCLINED PEOPLE JUST KEEP DRIVING UNTIL SOMETHING SMELLS OR MAKES TERRIBLE NOISE ETC., OFTEN RESULTING IN A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD COMPLETE BREAKDOWN AND SEIZE OF THE ENGINE. *LA

HARMONIC BALANCER SEAL CAME LOOSE AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A CONGESTED HIGHWAY AT ~60 MPH! THE LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER(REGAL NISSAN/MERCEDES, HUNTSVILLE, AL, PH #256726-0077) CLAIMED THIS WAS A UNIQUE FAILURE AS FARAS THEY WERE CONCERNED. THE FIX INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF THE OIL PAN WAS ~$900. UPON SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM.*AK

1999 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 SUV. ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN SUDDENLY THE "HARMONIC BALANCER" FAILED (BECAME DETACHED), CAUSING A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER TO THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A DISABLED VEHICLE AND LEAVING MY WIFE AND FAMILY STRANDED. THE "HARMONIC BALANCER" IS THE MAIN PULLEY WHEEL WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE CRANKSHAFT. THIS PULLEY WHEEL IN TURN DRIVES ALL OTHER BELT-DRIVEN ITEMS, SUCH AS POWER STEERING PUMP, AC, ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP, ETC. FIRST, THIS ITEM SHOULD BE SO RESILIENT THAT FAILURE IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE, AND SECOND, BOTH THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND THE DEALER WHO IS REPAIRING IT STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS "NOT AT ALL SURPRISING OR UNCOMMON" ON THE MB ML320 SUV. WHILE NO INJURIES OR DEATHS OCCURRED IN THIS CASE, IT SEEMS THAT IF THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT WERE TO FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE RESULTING LOSS OF POWER COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR. I WILL ALSO ADD THAT WE HAVE VERY CAREFULLY FOLLOWED ALL OF THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. IF THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT IS SUBJECT TO FAILURE, A CHECK SHOULD BE PART OF THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. BUT TO BE DIRECT, THE DESIGN OF THE "HARMONIC BALANCER" IS FAULTY, AND CLEARLY SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE (UPWARDS OF $1500) AND THE RESULTS ARE POTENTIALLY DEADLY. LET'S NOT WAIT FOR AN INJURY OR DEATH TO RESULT BEFORE SOME ACTION IS TAKEN ON THIS! TS

THE FAILURE OF THE CENTER PULLEY RESULTED IN THE ENGINE BELT COMING LOOSE. IT RESULTED IN ALL POWER MECHANISMS (POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES FAILING). THE STEERING WAS VERY HARD TO TURN. THE BELT GOT RIPPED BY THE FAN WHILE IT WAS WORKING. THE FAN ALSO STOPPED WORKING AND ELEVATED THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE. NO VISIBLE INDICATION OF THIS ON THE DASH PANEL. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, THE METAL PULLEY WAS SITTING LOOSE AGAINST THE ENGINE BLOCK. IF THE PULLEY HAD FALLEN DOWN OR HIT THE FUEL LINE, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. MERCEDES DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND IT HAPPENS IN HOT WEATHER. MERCEDES HAS FIXED THIS PROBLEM IN LATER MODELS BUT NOT LETTING OWNERS OF PREVIOUS MODELS KNOW ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM. PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**768016