Hello everyone. I'm a newbie here, I have a 96 s500 with a blown head gasket. From my car experience it would be cheaper to just get a new engine. What year can i/should i drop in it? Thanks in advance!

 

You can put in a engine from years 96-99 in your car with no problems. There are no oustandingly bad years for that S500 (W140) in those years or really none since 1992-1999. But those prior to 1994 had a tad more horsepower but was detuned in in 1994 for environmental and new OBDII upgrades.

 

Fix the old one, there are different engine computers during the years, rebuilt engines are not cheap! the early ones had distributors, the later ones had coilpacks

 

Well there is a correction to my post. Someone gave me this benz and said it was an s500 and a 96. Well it's a 94 S420, (I actually like this body style better) but the seats in the 96-99 look better.

 

Well a new engine for that car will cost easy over $5,000 for a rebuilt one for the engine alone and that's if ya find a good deal.If the rest of the engine is not toast, get quotes around. Not sure why I didnt mention that before. oh well. In the mercedes world sometimes it's cheaper to get the old one fixed than getting a new one unless ya have one of those exploding timing chain things happen then, a new engine may beis better since it's usually toast anyways.

 

can you specifically identify what happen why you say the head gasket is blown, if it is just the gasket, just have the gasket replace why change the whole engine. wish people who need opinion on their benz be more specific so pro mechanics can digest their issue with best opinion and repair proceedures.

 

"Cool" (sorry have to confess i'm not sure of your actual name), is a new cylinder gasket really a major issue or not...other than the high labour hours and the risk that some of the bolts are ceased or they find something else wrong inside......if its fixed before it blows?

My 1997 S class (according to my local service center who service it) has a tiny tiny bit of oil seeping around where the gasket is, but they tell me that its really nothing to worry about.......the car has gone almost 140k miles, and they say its perfectly normal for a tiny bit of oil to leak when the engine has done 100k+ miles...and the oil is not at all milky when you take the cap off and look in.......

Any thoughts? Are the right....a non issue if its just a tiny tiny bit of oil?

Many thanks,
James

 

Go big with it and get a Kleeman, Rentech, AMG or Brabus motor.Im just kidding that would cost a lot even thoue you could do it. I would start searching around Mercedes sites and classified. Maybe you can find a wrecked car but with a good motor. Or try EBAY?

 

Dont swap it, fix it!!! I just did the head gaskets on my cl600, if you need help feel free to pm me and we can talk. Alway up to help a fellow member.