In many cases, and depending on the age, it’s sometimes more cost-effective to part out your Mercedes than to fully rebuild the engine. There’s simply no way to stop this process entirely, but regular maintenance (oil changes, for example) ensure that your engine will degrade as slowly as possible. Like everything with moving parts, vehicle engines degrade over time—even luxury vehicle engines. Gears grind out against each other and bearings eventually thin to a point where it’s dangerous to get on the freeway. A Mercedes-Benz check engine light can mean a variety of things. When the check engine light comes on in your Mercedes-Benz it means that the OBD System (onboard diagnostic system) has detected a problem. A check engine light will alert you to a variety of different issues from major to minor. When you put gas in your car this morning, did you tighten the gas cap? Faulty fuel injectors, blown head gaskets, malfunctioning oxygen sensors, cracked spark plugs, wiring and hoses, your mass air flow sensor… the lists go on, but what you don't want to hear, is that your engine needs repairing, because we all know how expensive that can be. So, when can you know an engine needs to be rebuilt? There are a few indicators, some more severe than others. Some frequently experienced indicators of an engine in poor shape are excessive oil consumption and excessive white smoke in the vehicle’s exhaust. An extreme indicator would be metal shavings in the vehicle’s oil, a sign of parts knocking together and scraping metal off of one another. Most people understand the process of rebuilding a Mercedes engine, but few know the reasons why an engine may need to be rebuilt or removed altogether. If your Mercedes engine is being properly cared for and your vehicle is receiving its scheduled maintenance it should be in good shape. We have the expertise to completely repair or rebuild your Mercedes engine and get your vehicle up and running at its peak performance. CK Auto Exclusive is a certified Santa Rosa Mercedes Benz specialist and we are proud to offer service for all Mercedes-Benz factory scheduled maintenance. When your Mercedes needs professional attention, give it the attention it deserves by contacting CK Auto Exclusive today.