I have a '95 C280 that is leaking oil from the head gasket above the timing chain tensioner. Does the head gasket need to be replaced or can the head just be cranked down slightly and that will stop the leak (the leak is pretty minor)? If the gasket needs replacing, what are the chances of it leaking again? Are the gaskets any better now than in '95? Also, does this leak decrease the performance or longevity of the engine (I have 86k)?

 

Mercedes is generally using stress bolts for the heads.
That means, that over-torquing the bolt will stress it out and eventually break without giving additional tension on the head and gasket.
I am not sure your model has that kind of bolts, but very likely does. Head gaskets age, like everything else, so unless there is some kind of defect, the new one suppose to fix the problem, even if it is the same quality, like the old one.
You can live with the leak, but depends of the volume, you'll have to check the oil level more often and clean the stains on the driveways.
At some point you might find, that parking Mercedes at the end of the street, because you don't want to leave oil stains at your friends house is quite annoying.

 

Hi Kajtek1, Thanks for the info. The car is under 'some kind' of warranty and my job now is to convince the dealer that the car shouldn't have been sold to me with a leaking head gasket and needs to be fixed. Why should I have to pay for it when it was like this when I purchased the car?

 

I remember the story from other topic. Is your engine 4-cylinder? Took me 2 1/2 HR to replace head gasket on 4-cylinders in the past, so this isn't such a big deal, but what is warranty for? Than cost of the gasket and check with sleepwalker if that wouldn't require all new bolts.
My attorney charge me $150 to write a letter. Check how much it would cost you?

 

Hi again Kajtek1,
My C280 is a 6 cylinder. The warranty is for the vehicle to be 'mechanically operational and sound for a period of... and includes parts and labor.' The car is leaking oil and has exposed wires on the wire harness. I would not define that as 'sound.' If a 4cylinder only took you 2 1/2 hours, I would expect a Mercedes mechanic to be able to fix a 6 cylinder in 4hrs? Plus the wire harness installation (however long that takes). Parts are under $200 (I'm fairly confident). I hope they're on the straight and narrow with me and fix both problems. If they give me any problems, I'll ask them to give me my money back and I'll search for another car somewhere else. Plus, I'll certainly spread the word on their poor customer service. If that doesn't work, I like the attorney idea. Thanks.

 

Got the head gasket repaired under warranty (thankfully) and hopefully won't have any oil leaks for a long time or 70,000miles (whichever comes first). I had a head gasket replaced years ago on my VW and it had to go back in after 2 months to get retightened. I forgot to ask the mechanic if I had to do this with my C280. Anyone know? Thanks.