MajorCommonEngine

Mercedes-Benz Vito: Injector 'black death' and CDI diesel faults (W639)

Injector 'black death' and CDI diesel faults (W639) is a common engine fault on the Mercedes-Benz Vito on the 2004–2014 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,200 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 16 documented faults on the Mercedes-Benz Vito.

Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz Vito
Engine: 2.1L / 3.0L
Years: 2004–2014
Fuel: diesel
System: Engine

This page covers the Mercedes-Benz Vito as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Mercedes-Benz Vito faults16 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

What goes wrong

The W639 Vito/Valente's CDI diesels (OM646 four-cylinder and OM642 V6, later OM651) are prone to injector seal failure - the 'black death' - where hardened copper washers let combustion gases and soot bake into a black crust around the injector. Pre-2006 vans are the worst. Caught early it's a seal-and-clean; left long an injector can seize in the head. Very common on hard-worked ex-commercial vans and people movers.

What you would notice

Rhythmic diesel chuffing/ticking at idle
Black tarry crust around an injector base
Rough idle, misfire or hard starting
Diesel smell in or around the van

How to check it

Where to look. Injector bases in the cylinder head

At idle, open the bonnet and listen for a chuffing/ticking at the top of the engine that changes with revs. Look for black tar around the injector bases if visible. On a people mover, check for diesel smell in the cabin. Ask for injector history on an ex-fleet van.

Parts involved: Fuel injector.

What it costs to put right

$1,200 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Have the injectors or seals been done?”
“Any diesel knock or chuffing at idle?”

Now check the Mercedes-Benz Vito you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

tacticengineering.com 7 common Mercedes Vito problems
en.mercedesassistance.com OM651 engine workshop guide

Mercedes-Benz Vito buyer questions

Is injector 'black death' and cdi diesel faults (w639) serious on a Mercedes-Benz Vito?

We rate it major and common on the Mercedes-Benz Vito. The W639 Vito/Valente's CDI diesels (OM646 four-cylinder and OM642 V6, later OM651) are prone to injector seal failure - the 'black death' - where hardened copper washers let combustion gases and soot bake into a black crust around the injector. Pre-2006 vans are the worst. Caught early it's a seal-and-clean; left long an injector can seize in the head. Very common on hard-worked ex-commercial vans and people movers.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mercedes-Benz Vito?

$1,200 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Mercedes-Benz Vito years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2004–2014 Mercedes-Benz Vito. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.