My son was delivering pizzas and noticed while hitting a bump that there was some noise, some rattling, then major imbalance vibration followed by a loss of coolant.

I brought a trailer and picked up the car at Papa Johns where he was working and noticed he was missing 2 out of 9 or so fan blades on his engine's mechanical fan. I have no idea how this happened, but I'm assuming it just happened. I at first figured road debris got caught in the fan but there's a shield plate under the car near where the fan operates. So I'm at a loss as to how this could have happened other than that it just happened.

Unfortunately the blades hit the radiator and put a couple holes in it. This is on a w210 for what it's worth.

Anyone else have a similar problem?

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-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

Yeah, I’d lay money on your fan clutch is bad. Whatever is left grab the fan blade, shake it front to back and you’ll have a ton of play.

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
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I've experienced this when I hit a really bad bump on a dirt road. Ended up replacing the radiator and fan. Also if the front, lower part of the car has hit something before it will push the lower support of the radiator towards the engine resulting in reduced clearance between the radiator and fan. It is easy enough to pull back away from engine.

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Jim

Yes that is something that plagues 124s and 210s, the bottom radiator support hangs down really low. It sits lower than many parking bumpers and most curbs where you pull into businesses. If it is pushed back it will cause the fan to hit the radiator.

I used a scissors jack from a Honda to get mine straightened back out after I pulled too far forward once. Expensive mistake, new radiator, new fan.

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both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

I’ve had it happen on my w210 turbo. Fan clutch seized up and fan broke off into the radiator. Fan parts everywhere. I put an Efan in after that and never looked back.

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1993 e300
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2001 Ducati 748
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Chances are he pulled too far forward and hit a parking bumper or something and pushed the lower radiator support back which hit the fan.

Ok update to this mystery.

The problem was not at all with the w210 design or quality of parts. It was a previous mechanics poor workmanship. Whoever replaced the radiator in the past, failed to install 3 of the 4 mounting supports (only had 1 lower frame grommet and zero of two top radiator to bracket clamps). So it was basically floating and could bounce around. I'm guessing someone did infact also hit a parking block or something because the frame mount below the radiator was bent upward. I had to pound out the bends in the sides of the support bracket with a sledge hammer to even get the old radiator out.

So, new fan and new radiator and the mounts to keep it from bouncing around and making contact with the fan and now this should never happen again.

Problem solved!

__________________
-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.