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  #1  
Old 12-30-2003, 04:09 PM
Orkrist
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My first "problem"-water pump

I was on the way to work today and looked at the dash and holy cow my temp gauge was creeping up fast. By the time I pulled over it was maxed! I checked the coolant level, and it was low but not empty, maybe halfway to the fill line. I let it cool down a minute, then I grabbed the coolant out of my trunk, filled it up and started it, and it went right down to 80. I drove home (not far) and it stayed at 80 degrees. I put it in the garage and by the time I was out of the car a huge puddle of coolant had accumulated under the front of the car.

I knew I had a small leak in the pump, but I guess it just finally blew. My mechanic told me to look out for it and we sheduled the repair for January, '04. I just drove it to St. Louis twice for the holidays with no problems, so its really as good as timing gets. I also hope no damage occurred when it briefly overheated! I can't afford that kind of work right now. It goes in the shop for a new water pump, hoses and some bodywork (rust repair) in a few weeks. Until then its in drydock.

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  #2  
Old 12-30-2003, 04:15 PM
GottaDiesel's Avatar
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80? What is the usual temp it should be running at? Isn't 80 low?

Just wonderin'!
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  #3  
Old 12-30-2003, 04:29 PM
Orkrist
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I've heard normal is between 80 and 100 or so. Mine always ran cool, even on the highway, like around 60 - 80. The only time it creeped above 80 was when I really pushed it going uphill on the highway. But, my thermostat was stuck open I think, and the water pump had a very slow dripping leak (now a deluge I'm afraid). So, up, up and away went the needle.
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  #4  
Old 12-30-2003, 05:23 PM
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had that happen!

wow doesn't the gauge go up fast ! prolly didn't hurt anything though if you stopped quickly enough. best thing is that the waterpump does not cost a lot, but lasts for a heck of a long time!
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Last edited by 84300DT; 12-30-2003 at 08:21 PM.
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  #5  
Old 12-30-2003, 05:51 PM
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Actually when the car was new, the normal temperature was 80*C. I get tense when I hear the story about how up to 100*C is normal, and anything below the red zone is ok. This may all be true, but something has degraded if the temperature is much more than a needle width above 80*C as a new MB Diesel, even my 1998 E300D operates at a rock steady 80*C (although this car will rise a bit in hot weather at idle with the A/C on, but not much more than 10*C above its normal rest place, and as soon as the car is moving again, it goes back to its normal temperature).

I would flush the coolant system if you haven't as with MB antifreeze that is kept fresh with a change every two years, you really should not have any issues with pump seals. Once the fluid gets dirty it wears out the seal faces, as they are normally lubricated and cooled by the engine coolant slowly leaking across the seals and then evaporating on the other side. When the coolant is contaminated it drags junk into this space and generates wear grooves and other defects that increase leakage, which then brings more dirt through and so on until you get the pencil sized stream of leakage.

Good luck, Jim
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1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
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1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
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  #6  
Old 12-30-2003, 11:26 PM
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Okrist,

Leave the radiator cap loose until you get the pump replaced. That way the pressure won't force the coolant past the pump seals.

P E H

Last edited by P.E.Haiges; 12-31-2003 at 11:10 AM.
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  #7  
Old 12-31-2003, 02:10 AM
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Good save... could have been worse!

I saw the temp gauge skyrocket like that once (no warning at all)... pulled over immediately and filled, like you did...


but...


another 1/4 mile and people were blinking hi-beams and waving at me....


...and this dark film was accumulating on the windshield...


...I pulled off the highway to a 7-11. I looked under the car to find most of the coolant on its way to kill some fish. I let the car cool down, refilled, checked fluids.... oil low? bought some oil at 7-11. poured it in... heard a noise... a dripping- no- pouring noise... and watched the oil follow the antifreeze toward the curb. cracked the BLOCK! It must have been just barely holding together when I got it... Stupid Jetta.


full story: the car was generously donated by a guy interested in biofuels, but he'd had the exhaust disonnected and reconnected right before I departed for my trip. We'd had it running and driving around no problem, but I didn't make it more than 10 miles (down I 95 outside Philly!) before the coolant hose he had fabricated to allow for coolant heating of the veggie oil burst. I trimmed it back to almost the original shape/size, and by a miracle actually had hose clamps in my pocket and by design a tool kit with me for just this possibility. Hose I could fix. Cracked block... not so much... and so ended the interest in VW diesels...

Lesson Learned!
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  #8  
Old 12-31-2003, 06:20 AM
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Zen And The Art Of Diesel
 
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Shouldnt let one bum VW diesel put you off them, there just as, and quite possibly more, reliable and long lived than the MB diesel is. Not to mention cheaper to fix. I have several million miles spread across a couple of motors.
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  #9  
Old 12-31-2003, 12:21 PM
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Loosen the cap

I tried running with a loose radiator cap so that I could limp home in my 75 300D and it didn't work. The diesel NEEDS the pressure to be able to cool and I was too far from home to make it.

I wound up changing my pump in a parking lot with flashlights. Yecch!

Good luck!

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