Freightliners with Benz motor

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Mrfasttrack, Dec 13, 2012.

  1. Mrfasttrack

    Mrfasttrack Light Load Member

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    Aug 12, 2010
    Georgia
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    Looking at a pair of 09 freight liners with the Benz motor in them. Have no experience with these motors, just curious what everyone thinks? Looking at the trucks in Georgia, but noticed they were origanally sold at freightliner of Toronto Canada. Anything I should be looking for, or to be worried about.

    thanks...
     
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  3. jbourque

    jbourque Heavy Load Member

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    Oct 25, 2012
    south english iowa
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    yes the motor,and they have quit making them. the company i worked for had two of them, worked ok in the midwest but running out west with a heavy load the fuel mileage was extra bad. also they had a single head for each piston, usually had coolant leaking around each head, not good. if you go to auctions those trucks equipped with those motors are selling extra cheap. lots of luck
     
  4. whitemule

    whitemule Bobtail Member

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    Dec 13, 2012
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    mb owns frieght liner for a long time. their hd motrs for either on or off road i would never again have, i mean i retired from driveing when i left carretta .got my captains license and a 48 foot charter boat, the standard engines were man engines which are MB"S ,i had so much trouble 3years later i had to have them pulled and repowered with c18 cats. no trouble since .boat wise i'm not alone, several guys i know have done the same and one captain has a 125 footer with 4 v12's for power, swaping out for a repower was a 400k job.
     
  5. snowman01

    snowman01 Road Train Member

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    Sep 27, 2011
    North Carolina
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    I have not heard many good things about those motors. The torque was not good at all was a common complaint. I think even Swift complained about them and that should tell you everything you need to know about them.
     
  6. nikmirbre

    nikmirbre Road Train Member

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    Jul 27, 2011
    High Point NC
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    There is a reason if you look at similiar trucks with similiar miles and specs but one has a detroit and one has a benz....theres a reason why that one with the benz motor is cheaper. I remember before i bought this truck 2 years ago, how cheap the Freightliner Columbias were with the benz engines in them........
     
  7. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Rancho Mirage, Ca.
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    I had one with Henderson in'o5, not the best .
     
  8. carwreck

    carwreck Light Load Member

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    Feb 11, 2010
    Chicago, IL
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    I have an 04 Freightliner with MB engine. it's 470HP. I'm the second owner of this truck and the previous owner (Leasing company) had kept up on maintenance and taken good care of it. So far it has served me quite well. No problems what so ever with the engine and it pulls stronger than a detroit 500 with similar truck configurations. I searched for reviews from trusted sources before I made the purchase and was pleased with what I read/heard. This truck averages about 6.5-7MPG even with a heavy load. I like this truck!
     
  9. cadillacdude1975

    cadillacdude1975 Road Train Member

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    Mar 20, 2010
    Chattanooga, TN
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    i drove one for a few months. it was a lease truck set at 74 and it had a super 10. it was also a single sleeper flat top and it got BAD and i mean BAD fuel mileage. around 4 mpg on average.

    it had dual stacks and man did it sound good. the jakes sounded off nice as well, but the fuel mileage was the deal breaker.
     
  10. 25(2)+2

    25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Sep 18, 2006
    the road less travelled
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    09 was about the end of them being sold here, if it was an MBE 4000. Should have had all of the updates from the factory to address problems other than fuel mileage including head gaskets. Some shops could fix them, others not so much.


    Lightweight, but not designed to last as long as a big block, it also cost less than a Series 60 new. I don't know if fuel mileage was ever improved from the factory, I got around 5 something with one going out east driving it as fast as it would go through PA and NJ, governed at 72. It did better with a little lighter than a full load in the box, This was with a 2005 with 10 speed Ultra-shift.

    The trans was definitely on my wouldn't touch one for any reason, ever, list. The engine wasn't that bad.
     
    snowman01 Thanks this.
  11. snowman01

    snowman01 Road Train Member

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    Sep 27, 2011
    North Carolina
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    thats something that I had heard about them that I had forgotten. That they were meant for medium duty trucks but not really for the North American market although they were lighter than the cummins or dd. I don't know if that was true but it may have been
     
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