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There is two types of engine when considering the matter of timing belts and chains...
Non-interference engines.
Interference engines.
Most petrol engines built in the last four decades are interference types and all diesel engines ditto.
An interference engine is where the pistons and valves share the same space making it very important that everything happens at exactly the right time - when the timing belt or chain breaks on an interference engine the best outcome is usually a couple of slightly bent valves because piston to valve contact is inevitable.
With some engines a broken belt or chain is a complete disaster, totally writing off an engine...
The periodic replacement of the timing belt is very important.
you need to say what engine it has ( 4,v6,v8)
a qualified mechanic always treats an engine as intereference fit regardless because either engine can have valve damage when the failure occurs
If you have not broken a belt or chain and you set the timing marks up properly before removing the belt or chain and do not turn crank or cam/s after the belt/chain is removed there will be no damage done
that only occurs when the crank is or cam/s are turned without the connection to each other
I assume it's your timing belt, not a chain, which rarely, if ever snap. Depending on the make of the car and the engine you may, or may not, have serious engine damage.. DO NOT ATTEMPT to start the car, have it towed to your shop of choice. If there is no engine damage a timing belt replacement generally will run you 2 or 3 hundred bucks...if you did serious engine damage you may have to decide if the car if worth the money to have it repaired. What you need to know is whether your car has an "interference" or "non-interference" type engine.. In an interference type engine if the timing belt breaks the valves will "interfere" with the pistons as they travel up if the timing belt breaks, which results in generally catastrophic engine failure.. non-interference engines generally suffer little or no engine damage with a broken timing belt.. I broke a timing belt on my 1990 Toyota Supra going 70mph, but it was a non-interference engine and after having the belt replaced it was fine.. here is a good list someone put together on what type of engine is in your car.. you should find the engine type either marked on the engine or on a label under the hood, or the owners manual.. good luck. http://yourcarangel.com/2014/07/interference-engines-complete-list/
all Mercedes engines in my autolab timing chain book specifically state "do not turn the cam or crank" and some engines require the crank to be at 40 degrees to avoid valve/piston contact. So if you work on the idea that it is an interference engine then there would not be a problem. Changing the chain on all the various engines requires specific tools and procedures and unless you have access to these tools and specifications then it may be best to use accredited Mercedes trained service shops.
You do not specify the engine size in your description. It used to be normal that domestic (US) engines were non-interference, but this is no longer necessarily true. However, even if the engine was a interference type, usually, any damage is limited to valves in the cylinder heads. This does not require complete replacement of the engine. Once you determine the engine size, check to find out of the engine is an interference type. If not, replacement of the timing set should solve the problem. Otherwise, you'll need to tear the engine down to determine the magnitude of repairs needed.
VW gas engines are interference engines. Not sure about the diesel ones. If you have had a timing belt fiasco, then you will have to take the head to a shop. BE SURE they know something about VW engines. I took mine to a reputable engine rebuilder but I had to take it apart again and take the head back because they didn't know to check everything. The first time they replaced bent valves, the second they had to replace valve guides and shave the head. When you get the head back from the shop, turn it upside down and pour water into the combustion chambers. If it leaks out the valves then the head has to go back, it won't work. Your engine will run lean and overheat. Hope this helps.
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