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Famous Erik

So what now?

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So, my engine in my 450 smart died today. Seized up, cause still unknown.Mechanic said a rebuilt engine would be 8 grand, and a new one 18 grand.Should I sell the car for parts? Park it and wait for a crashed smart with an intact engine?Quietly weep in my beer?

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Write to Mercedes and tell them you'd like a cost sharing on the new engine, maybe suggesting they pick up on 75% of the cost.

How many km? What happened? Don't let an indie mechanic mess with it before you know if M-B Canada will assist with a repair.

Rebuilt long blocks are available in Europe for 1400 Euros ($2200) including 19% sales tax, which should be avoidable on export. The engine weighs about 50 kg without turbo etc, so air freight would be reasonable (a few hundred Euros). See: smart-service.de

The engine from M-Benz is about $12,000 including installation, according to |Eddie|Eddie|Eddie|, who also has one with a blown engine.

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Mercedes don't sell enough parts to do a complete rebuild for the cdi. So if someone sell you a rebuild engine is kind of false. Unless they can find aftermarket rebuild parts. I can supply new cdi long block for $8000. Low miles from wreck cars usually can be obtained between $4-5000.00 complete with manifolds, turbo and all. Recently just help a happy camper in Alberta.

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Cause unknown. 144 thousand klicks. It was running fine 30 seconds before it seized. slight rattling sound and loss of power. I pulled over and stalled abruptly and spit out some black smoke.I'm headed to Winnipeg this weekend and I will be speaking with the dealership and yelling and crying alot. Maybe it will do some good.

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That's way to early for an engine to fail!!I just took my 1982 300SD TurboDiesel (206,000 miles,330,000 kms) out of mothballs after sporadic use the last 4 years and it runs like a top.Please keep us updated on this one.

Edited by smart142

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Cause unknown. 144 thousand klicks. It was running fine 30 seconds before it seized. slight rattling sound and loss of power. I pulled over and stalled abruptly and spit out some black smoke.

I'm headed to Winnipeg this weekend and I will be speaking with the dealership and yelling and crying alot. Maybe it will do some good.

But you live in Dryden - why would you talk to someone in Winnipeg?

I can't... even begin to fathom how frustrated you must be. Awful :( Could it be something like a piston ring that unseated and jammed the piston against the side of the cylinder? That might just require replacing the sleeve in the engine block and piston head. Fingers crossed?!

You could consider the smartuki kit...? Consider it a rising phoenix?

-Iain

Edited by Duck

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I'm concerned about that "18 grand" estimate. That's at least 50% higher than a dealership already known for overcharging charged. So that's like... how would they say it in german... "ubercharged".A lot of modern engines are smarter than some mechanics give them credit for. Your sudden "seizure" could have been something minor breaking (by design) protecting something major. Seek a 2nd opinion. That's not to say the first assessment isn't right... but no harm in asking.If it is hooped... for $18k, yeah do what Iain suggests and have some fun! Or be responsible (yawn) and take Mike's advice and get a crate from Europe for a fraction of the price. 50kgs is expensive using a courier so possibly contact a freight forwarder in your area that can assist with slow-boating it (if you can wait) and that should save a bunch.Best of luck! - Steven

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I'm concerned about that "18 grand" estimate. That's at least 50% higher than a dealership already known for overcharging charged. So that's like... how would they say it in german... "ubercharged".A lot of modern engines are smarter than some mechanics give them credit for. Your sudden "seizure" could have been something minor breaking (by design) protecting something major. Seek a 2nd opinion. That's not to say the first assessment isn't right... but no harm in asking.If it is hooped... for $18k, yeah do what Iain suggests and have some fun! Or be responsible (yawn) and take Mike's advice and get a crate from Europe for a fraction of the price. 50kgs is expensive using a courier so possibly contact a freight forwarder in your area that can assist with slow-boating it (if you can wait) and that should save a bunch.Best of luck! - Steven

The 18g is complete and total crap. What i can't understand is, what blew up so badly that nothing can be salvaged? It sounds to me an awful lot like they want to get you to pay for a new engine so they don't have to figure out how to replace a main engine bearing, or something similar.

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That, unfortunately, is a very common problem. :/ I'm usually the first to defend dealerships (there are a few really good ones out there!), but yeah - the attitude at any large place (in any industry) is to just replace "the whole thing" rather than spend the time and effort to figure out what's wrong.-Iain

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Wow, I've never heard this before!!! It's quite common for the 599cc gasoline engines to die completely, they tend to be a bit too fragile. The 698cc gasoline engine is much more reliable and the diesel engines are supposed to be the most reliable, never heard about one giving up completely.

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That, unfortunately, is a very common problem. :/ I'm usually the first to defend dealerships (there are a few really good ones out there!), but yeah - the attitude at any large place (in any industry) is to just replace "the whole thing" rather than spend the time and effort to figure out what's wrong.-Iain

In my experience (I work at one of those large dealerships) the tech will always diagnose any mechanical engine malfunction and quote both the parts and labour to repair the engine, and quote a reman engine to compare the costs. Usually the parts to repair it is less than 1/2 of what a new/reman engine would cost, but the excess labour to repair rather than replace usually means it costs more to repair than it does to replace. We do this with transmissions and transfer cases as well. It sounds like you're only getting a quote for one side of things, which means they haven't done a proper diagnosis.It also might not be the engine (mainly because I don't have enough information in this thread to make an appropriate conclusion that it is indeed the engine). My gut tells me it will be an electrical problem (melted connector/computer failure type of thing) which can be a real pain to diagnose. Imagine if they replaced the engine on your dime to find out the ECM for the engine needed replacing, which was the actual problem. IMHO, they want to throw parts at it to fix it, and they want to start with the engine.Fingers crossed for ya!!

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I wonder if it's the same thing that happened to Bil. He didn't have to replace the engine, but the malfunction had the same effect.

Edit: whoops - scratch that. I just checked the post, and Bil's was different.

Edited by Gent

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I have a feeling you might be jumping to conclusions as well. I had an experience where my step brothers truck died in a similar fashion. He put a wrench on the crank and couldn't turn the motor over so he diagnosed it as seized. Fortunatly before replacing the engine he removed the belts and found out it was just an alternator that seized completly and the motor was fine, but because the belts were still on, nothing would run or move.You should probably get a second or third opinion.Billy

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Just clear up things. I took my smart to a private mechanic who has worked on smarts before. My closest dealership is 4 hours away in Winnipeg.He told me that he can't get the engine to move at all. I will consult with him again about fixing options and speak with the dealership.It will cost me time and money to get the car to Winnipeg, so I don't want to take it unless there is something they can do.I'll keep everyone informed.

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Not at 144,000 km. But joining CAA Premium right about now might make sense.

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Not at 144,000 km. But joining CAA Premium right about now might make sense.

Roadside assistance.smartmove Assistance provides owners with roadside assistance information and a full range of service benefits for four years, with unlimited mileage, from the date of purchase.

From Thesmart.caMG

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Consider if you can find a local with a flat bed trailer. Doesn't take much to tow a smart, just a healthy vehicle capable of towing a small trailer and a trailer big enough for a pair of snow mobiles. Then use the tow hook to winch the smart up (or some healthy teens/young men) and save the cost of professional towing. Be sure to tie it down well. Uhaul rents trailers too.

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Ah 4 years, well that's OK then. Still getting into CAA Premium would be a good idea. I have 3 months of this towing service left.....

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Hmm...There was another Edmontonian whose smart crapped out in the same manner.A light comes on of some type, and in a few moments... Engine's blown!It had 93,000km on it.They replaced the motor, and sold the car IIRC.But they would not post on here anything about what happened. Despite MB being less than helpful for them regarding options.Eddie

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Are we speculating that there is some ... flaw or adverse unusual condition in the engine that kills it, but which has not been ... sufficiently disclosed to allow the rest of us to either act preemptively to prevent, or to notice some sequence of alerts and warnings and act following those flashing lights to keep the engine from going boom?

Not saying that isn't the case but, even though the CDi is electronically sophisticated, still the diesel engine is quite a simple kit.

But I DO believe that MB/smart's policy of restricting owners' knowledge about their own cars (case in point: no comprehensive service manual) is verging on unethical.

B :sun:

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I talked to MB in Winnipeg on Friday. They are suprised by the turn of events and are asking my mechanic to check a few possiblilities and then bring the car to Winnipeg if need be. They are also asking for my service records that were not done through MB. It seemed that MB/smart would consider some sympathy.Thanks everyone for your support and ideas.My outlook is better than it was a few days ago.

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