[Mercedes] A Cheap copart car

[Kaleb Striplin]

So I had been watching this 2012 e350 bluetec and planned to go look at it at copart before the auction, but didn’t get to. Auction comes up, I’m high bidder reserved not met. Seller makes counter, I offer $1200 and they take it. After fees around $1800. I get it home, car is really really clean, has 1 year old run flats on it, no battery. I throw a battery in it and everything comes to life but no crank, no nothing. I hook Xentry up to it. No codes everything looks like a go to start. I then pull the engine cover, air filter loose on passenger side. A bunch of pipes and sensors hanging loose, looks like they go to the DPF. Yep, DPF missing. Great. I look further and discover the starter is missing. I then look in the trunk and the brand new DPF is there. Car just had the bluetec recall done. 

So, I get it in the shop on the lift, and order a starter for it. Before ordering I put a socket on the crank to make sure it turns, it did. Put starter on and it cranks for a second and acts like it’s going to fire then slows way down and stops. Try it again same thing. Try it again and now it does nothing. 

My original theory as to why it was at the auction was someone was in the middle of replacing the starter. Didn’t finish, it got sold to a website that offers cash for cars (that was who was selling it at copart).

Thinking maybe an injector is stuck open filling a cylinder with fuel I pull glow plugs, nothing. I then put socket on again and I can’t get it to turn at all. I then pull belt thinking something there is locked up, nothing. So engine appears to have locked up. Engine is very very clean, one of the cleanest 642s I have seen both top and bottom. It has oil in it. It just had the recall done not too long ago and is still covered under that warranty. I’m wondering what happened. New theory is PO had this issue, replaced starter, didn’t didn’t fix issue so they pulled starter back off.

Now what do to with said car. Like I said, it’s nice. Maybe I put in on Facebook and try to get my money back out of it as is. Maybe I park it until a wrecked car comes along. I looked on car-part for used engines and most are in the $5-7k range with one out in Va for $2500. I’m starting to see these cars listed for sale under $5k now so the only thing that makes sense is dump it, or park it till a cheap parts car with a good engine turns up. 

Update:

I snaked a camera up inside the inspection hole on the bell housing on the off chance something was going on there. See if these pics come thru. 


Sent from my iPhone
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