NHTSA Complaint #761289 — 1990 MERCEDES BENZ 300

I DROP MY CAR TO THE SERVICE STATION FOR SMOG CHECK, NEXT DAY I CALLED MECHANIC,TO SEE IF MY CAR IS DONE. HE SAID NO IT STILL HAVE A HIGH READING ON HYDRO EMISSION. HE SAID HE WILL TRY TO INJECT WATER AND OR SOME KIND OF CHEMICAL INTO THE ENGINE TO REJUVENATE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. NEXT DAY HE CALLED ME AND SAID THAT MY CAR NEEDS A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HE SAID I CAN HAVE ONE PUT IN FOR $480.00. I SAID IT'S TOO HIGH. I TOLD HIM I WIL HAVE MY OTHER MECHANIC FROM CALIFORNIA MUFFLER INSTALL ONE ON IT. WHEN I WENT TO PICK MY CAR IN HIS SHOP I NOTICED THE VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I ASKED HIM WHAT IS THAT NOISE, HE SAID IT'S SOME KIND OF CARBON DESPOSITE LOGDE IN THE PISTON. IT SHOULD GO AWAY. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE CALIFORINA MUFFLER SHOP AND HAD A CATALYTIC CONVERTER INSTALLED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK FOR RE-TEST AT TEXACO STATION, AND AGAIN IT FAILED. I INSISTED THAT HE SCREWED NU MY ENGINE AND SAID NO. HE ASKED ALL HIS MECHANIC FRIENDS THAT NOISE WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY. UPSET ABOUT THE SITUATION I TOLD THE MECHANIC. YOU OWE ME AN ENGINE, HE SAID HE CAN NOT HELP ME BECAUSE HE IS A COMMISION MECHANIC, I HAVE TO BRING MY COMPLAIN TO THE OWNER OF THE STATION. SO I CONFRONTED THE OWNER, HE TOLD MY YOU GOT PROBLEM, HAVE YOUR LAWYER TALK TO MY LAWYER. MEANTIME I HAD MY MERCEDES MECHANIC LOOK INTO HTE NOISE PROBLEM. HE WENT AND DROP THE OIL PAN AND FOUND ALL KINDS OF METAL FILINGS IN IT. HE ALSO TOLD ME #4 PISTON IS THE ONE MAKING THE NOISE. I HAD THEM DROP THE WHOLE ENGINE AND OPENED IT UP. SURE ENOUGH THE #4 PISTON PUSH ROD WAS BENT. PISTON SKIRT WAS HITTING THE CAM SHAFT MAKING THE LOUND NOISE, THAT BY NOW YOU CAN BARELY HEAR IT ANY EXCEPT IF YOU DRIVE THE CAR AND GO INTO TUNNEL OR NEXT TO CONCRETE WALL THAT YOU HEAR THE NOISE. NO WONDER IT WON'T PASS SMOG RE-TEST WHEN BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO HIS SHOP.MY CAR IS STILL AT THE MERCEDES BENZ MECH. IN TORRANCE AUTO HOUSE IN TORRANCE, CA. WAITING FOR AN ENGINE. IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE LAST DECEMBER LAST YEAR. *