Harmonic balancer (crankshaft pulley) recall in the US on M112 V6 engines.Why not UK?

I have a '98 C240 which has one of the dodgy crankshaft pulleys. The part number which you can see on the pulley is A112 035 00 00. Apparently this number along with A112 035 06 00 was subject to a recall in the States due to the outer metal rim coming off the inner one... there is an elastomer sandwich in between. This may puncture the sump and the timing cover.Details of this recall are here:

http://www.whnet.com/4x4/pix/SC2005020003.pdf

The recall is due to "a supplier quality problem"!

How likely is Mercedes UK to replace this item as it is a well known sub standard quallity problem?

What is the correct part number for replacement?

How much is the pulley?

Any comments would be appreciated!

[Steve_Perry]

I've asked (via email to DC CS) and I've been told that no recall exists in the UK.

Even when I've mentioned the recall in the US, I just got a blanket response, no recall in the EU therefore no recall in the UK.

I've asked my local dealership Service Team Leader to visually inspect the harmonic balancer whenever the car is in for service and once when in for repair when a fan belt pulley tensioner bearing failed causing the fan belt to self destruct.

Try a forum search on harmonic or balancer. It's been discussed before.

S.

I've sent Honest John the Telegraph's motoring correspondent an email about this...

www.honestjohn.co.uk

I am trying to figure out from VOSA's website how to notify them of this problem to force a recall!

[Steve_Perry]

Originally Posted by stargazerplus

I've sent Honest John the Telegraph's motoring correspondent an email about this...

www.honestjohn.co.uk

I am trying to figure out from VOSA's website how to notify them of this problem to force a recall!

Good luck! Other than some good will from my local dealer in specifically checking the balancer for wear 'n tear DC didn't want to know as they reckoned what's applicable in the US doesn't directly translate to the EU.

*EDIT* BTW This topic should be in the engine section Moving...

S.

I would expect no less from MBUK... What is obvious is that MB USA has stated that there IS a manufacturing defect in these pulleys. One might be able to use the small claims court.... it would be an interesting case as we have documentary evidence from the horse's mouth about the defect!

This actually is a safety related issue.... ie a one kg metal frisbee rotating at 4000 rpm launches itself free beneath the bonnet of the car... punctures sump, oil over motorway, multiple pile up etc.... VOSA is all about risk assessment and this is unlikely to happen. The poor customer is going to get stung.

Personally, like you Steve, I will be keeping a close eye on the defective pulley on my C240. It is easy to see and as long as the visible rubber surface looks flat and has no signs of cracking then it is probably OK... I have seen one that is about to go and it looks like the rubber has split between the two metal rings....

Here is a picture of a dying pulley...

[Steve_Perry]

Originally Posted by stargazerplus

... Personally, like you Steve, I will be keeping a close eye on the defective pulley on my C240. It is easy to see and as long as the visible rubber surface looks flat and has no signs of cracking then it is probably OK... I have seen one that is about to go and it looks like the rubber has split between the two metal rings.... ie it looks like a cut through tree stump with concentric rings, but instead of three rings - metal/rubber/metal there appear to be four - metal/rubber/rubber/metal.

Does this make sense? It is easy to see the pulley with a torch and if the rubber looks ok, it probably is!

Makes perfect sense, as I say you're preaching to the converted here. Check out this earlier thread...
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthrea...light=harmonic

Where uumode posts a couple of great images to illustrate the problem.


As mentioned above a forum search for harmonic should yield some posts from like minded members.

S.

[Dieselman]

Originally Posted by stargazerplus

I would expect no less from MBUK... What is obvious is that MB USA has stated that there IS a manufacturing defect in these pulleys. One might be able to use the small claims court.... it would be an interesting case as we have documentary evidence from the horse's mouth about the defect!

This actually is a safety related issue.... ie a one kg metal frisbee rotating at 4000 rpm launches itself free beneath the bonnet of the car... punctures sump, oil over motorway, multiple pile up etc.... VOSA is all about risk assessment and this is unlikely to happen. The poor customer is going to get stung.

Personally, like you Steve, I will be keeping a close eye on the defective pulley on my C240. It is easy to see and as long as the visible rubber surface looks flat and has no signs of cracking then it is probably OK... I have seen one that is about to go and it looks like the rubber has split between the two metal rings....

The pulleys don't usually come off, they just deform and rub the timing case. It would be hard to see how this would be a safety related issue requireing a recall.

Here is the response by Honest John:

Many thanks. Have condensed and added to car by car breakdown.
Suggest you send the USA notice to http://www.vosa.gov.uk. which
orders all UK safety recalls. This wasn't a safety recall. It was a
manufacturer to franchise TSB.

HJ

I have contacted VOSA but no response as yet. DCUK as I expected were very unhelpful but got a bit hot under the collar when I mentioned to them that HJ was adding this to his car by car breakdown section.

Doug

[C240 Owner]

Hi , just adding to the thread as i've just found this forum and would like to share my experience about my Harmonic Pulley self-destructing .
My Pulley Number is A112 030 0000 which was a re-call in USA but Mercedes UK don't want to know one bit and say no problem it was just Mercedes cars sold to the USA that were affected ! Funny my Pulley is the same number and chassis number that falls into the re-call region...
Must be an American Built Mercedes .....
Added a picture to show the Damage & pulley number .
If anyone got a positive response from MBUK please post on this thread how you got on ... Thanks

[fredfloggle]

American Mercs run on 60Hz , not 50 Hz , hence the recall .

Sorry ...

[Dieselman]

Originally Posted by C240 Owner

Added a picture to show the Damage & pulley number .

I can't see any damage, just the expired pulley. Is there more??

[C240 Owner]

Thanks for your help . I can understand a htz difference but still a bad batch of pulleys that fall apart were fitted , so a re-call on one lot is as good as another just it would cost Mercedes alot to exchange the whole of Europe's mercedes i guess ....

The damage i can point out Dieselman is the rubber binding with in the pulley is half hanging out snapped . Highlighted it in pic for you .

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...52007152-1.jpg