Changed my coolant today, cheated... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Hatterasguy · #1 04-15-2008, 10:37 PM

I have been doing this MB thing for a while now, and time is tight so I am all for saving time, and making maintenace easy. Easy is good!

So I took the day off and did my bi-anual coolant change; now if you know the 603 you know it has coolant drain's on the block, and if you are good you can get just about all 10.6 quarts out. However after one look at those plugs 4 years ago I saw NFW that they were coming out without heat and possible a drill. Plus I have to get under the car which sucks. So I used to pull all the hoses off and than live with leaking hoses for a few days as they sealed themselves back up, and I tightened the clamps here and their. Also draining the system totaly sucks, you can get air bubble's. But I got over 10 quarts out.

So today I just undid the drain plug at the bottom of the radiator, and took off the expansion tank cap. I got 8 quarts, thats pretty damn good and the best part is that it was quick and easy! 4 quarts of OE coolant back in, and 3.5 of distilled water; I'm sure the last bit will be sucked in tonight so I can add the rest tomarrow.

I don't really see the need to go nuts and get those last 2.6 quarts, since I change it every two years they will come out eventualy.

So this will be my 603 short cut tip number #1.

When changing the coolant throw away the FSM, just undo the radiator plug and call it good.

Next week oil changes, how not to OCD about them.

vstech · #2 04-15-2008, 10:47 PM

while I applaud your decision to change the coolant this way, isn't the problem with this that scale and rust collect in the bowels of the block?
while it's fine for us that regularly change coolant, to only drain the rad... the rest of you need to pull that plug in the block.
I have never seen the plug in a 603, but in a 617, the plug is simple to pull, smooth and easy. pull it.

pawoSD · #3 04-15-2008, 10:51 PM

I change mine the exact same way.

cphilip · #4 04-15-2008, 11:02 PM

I cheated even further and went up to the local Oil change place and borrowed their vacuum system... but I was needing to get Green of unknown type out. So I vacuumed out all I could, then replaced with water, twice, then pulled that out and pumped in the Yellow Gold goody Zerex stuff mixed with DD water at 50:50. It uses the overflow tank to input or even the lower return hose to the radiator from there I found even easier ... Went pretty quick, maybe a half hour total... car idling all the time... Didn't get but 11 quarts of mix back in though. Must be a couple quarts of water escaped the process. But I guess I will top off with pure stuff through the Summer (up to a quart) and recheck level in the Fall before starting back on placing mix in the overflow tank from then on. I just need another quart of pure to get what the book says is the volume equivalent of a 50:50 mix in there.

lietuviai · #5 04-15-2008, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

I have never seen the plug in a 603, but in a 617, the plug is simple to pull, smooth and easy. pull it.

You're talking about that plug that's on the passenger side of the engine right?
The one that's sort of above the engine mount that you have jack the car up and contort your arm into that tight passage between the center cross member and the alternator along with a 19MM wrench? Yeah, it's easy if you have a multi jointed arm that's as skinny as twig.

Hatterasguy · #6 04-15-2008, 11:23 PM

Yeah I already did the flush thing, coolant always looks clean, radiator and hoses are only a few years old...not to worried about scale.

On the 603 its not hard to get at, 617 must be harder though because you have the starter on that side.

vstech · #7 04-15-2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lietuviai

You're talking about that plug that's on the passenger side of the engine right?
The one that's sort of above the engine mount that you have jack the car up and contort your arm into that tight passage between the center cross member and the alternator along with a 19MM wrench? Yeah, it's easy if you have a multi jointed arm that's as skinny as twig.

um, no.
I am talking about the plug that is infront of the starter that is easily reached with a 17 mm could be 19... it's been a few months since I pulled it... socket on the end of an 8" extension from behind the front passenger side wheel... messy, but simple to pull. it's never seized for some reason. pretty easy to pull. even simpler if you have an impact wrench so you don't get drenched with coolant.
just remember to put the washer back on the bolt.

lietuviai · #8 04-15-2008, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

um, no.
I am talking about the plug that is infront of the starter that is easily reached with a 17 mm could be 19... it's been a few months since I pulled it... socket on the end of an 8" extension from behind the front passenger side wheel... messy, but simple to pull. it's never seized for some reason. pretty easy to pull. even simpler if you have an impact wrench so you don't get drenched with coolant.
just remember to put the washer back on the bolt.

Hmm, I never tried that approach. I've always tried from the front.
Washer? What washer?!?

OlBrenner · #9 04-15-2008, 11:49 PM

On all of my previous cars i've always just drained the radiator (ignoring the block drain) and run hose water through it while running and leaving the upper radiator hose disconnected to flush out the coolant. Then just refill with 50:50 coolant of choice. Probably not the best way to do it, but I never had a problem.