Anyone have any experience with the MBE 4000 Mercedes engines? Im looking at buying another truck, Freightliner Columbia, with this engine and have not really heard much about them. I have heard they are the lightest engine and will get 6+ mpg. I was also told that International dealers stock parts for the engine. Is this right? The truck is an 04 and has 520K. $2500 will get me a 2yr/200K warranty. With that being a newer motor and not much info about them, is the warranty worth it or a rip-off? The truck is exactly what im looking for, day cab, wet kit, 200"wb, 22.5's, all amuminum, ect... and I was told should weigh in just under 15K. What do you guys think?

What are you going to pull behind it i had a 05 new columbia with the same motor and a straight 10 speed fuller pulling a flatbed and stepdeck and it was the most underpowered truck i have ever drove. and the fuel sensers were known to go bad in them. which you dont need while trying to come out of denver. just my thoughts but I would say good motor if you could get a 13 speed to help it on the hills.

They are still kind of an unknown factor in the used engine market, because there just aren't a huge amount of them out there. The word on them is pretty decent, but if you need repairs, there are few outside shops with any form of experience with them.

As for the warranty, that;s a real crapshoot. Assuming that you want it for farm use, then you probably will end up with pretty low mileage on the truck over the time, so the 200k is not the issue. I think I would skip the insurance, but I would want a good dyno run on the engine before I bought it. I'd find an independent shop in which I had good confidence to do it, or an engine shop from one of the manufacturers that I paid for independent of the dealership.

Then, depending on the results of the dyno run, I would make the call on the extended warranty.

I agree with the underpowered statement? also ours has about 200k on it and it's had two full sets of injectors in it already. And they are spendy little buggers too. Actually all the parts are spendy. Go price the fuel and oil filters before you buy it. You'll be surprised!

My company I am driving for now has about 400 freightliners and internationals,most are mercedes including the 2007 columbia I am driving now,pull alot of heavy paper loads and currently getting 6.48 mpg on a total of 20330 miles. Gets over 8 empty without your foot in it,I run 5 over the speed limit mostly,except the 70 sp limits,I run 70 to 73 on cruise. Have put over 40000 miles on it with no problems of any kind so far. It is a smart shift automatic,the torgue is set perfect to match the computer and shifting and does a good job for me.

This is what I posted in another thread a few days ago. I have driven a Mercedes MBE 4000 for 3 years.




DO NOT buy a Mercedes engine.

We lease four of them where I drive, and all have had at least 2 turbos, injectors at least twice on one, and once on the others, head gaskets on all 4, electrical problems causing reduced power.

Also, idler pulleys go out regularly, water pumps are a concern. On the EGR engines, the exhaust has a major leak where the EGR pipe slip-joints together on top of the manifold. This causes a lot of exhaust to escape into the cab when stopped and idling, or when backing up with the heat or A/C on.

I drive a 2004 non-EGR engine, but have also driven many 2005-2007 EGR engine trucks when ours are are in for repair (a regular thing) or service, and these problem have happened to almost all of them.

We have had to wait 3 days for water pump belts. No one keeps parts in stock, and they are expensive.

The head gaskets usually go out before 200k. When mine went it was 8 weeks down because the leasing company had 5 other Mercedes down at the same time with bad head gaskets, and Detroit was 3 weeks behind in repairing all the ones coming to them from other companies.

To make a long story short, the fuel savings will soon evaporate into repair bills and down time.

The company we lease from has several hundred Mercedes powered Freightliners and Sterlings, they are trying to sell all of them, and some have never even been put into service.

My truck has about 375k miles, and has been one of the best of the bunch, but it has had 2 turbos, 1 head gasket, 3 oil fill tubes, 1 set of injectors, 2 idler pulleys, 1 fuel temp sensor, 2 sets of water return o-rings, a new complete bell housing, (the early engines came out with motor mount bolts too short, which stripped out, breaking the motor mount, which almost dropped the engine onto the highway). I'm sure there are things I left out.

The engine does run good, gets good fuel mileage, and pulls good at low rpm. I like driving it, as long as I don't have to pay to keep it up.

I forgot to mention that the so called engine brake is a joke as well. I could get better hold back by holding my hand out the window.

yes, we can't forget that! it is miserable

I drove a Western Star with a 450 Mercedes and a 13. Seemed way underpowered, and the engine brake is a complete joke. I would never buy one.

And those boat anchors are supposed to replace the Detroit 60?!?

Gimme a break. Why change what works?

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.