coolant: crankcase drain plug location? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JamesStein · #1 06-22-2004, 02:59 PM

Ok.. I'm a idiot..

The shop manual isn't helping me locate this thing? Where is it?

JamesStein · #2 06-22-2004, 03:07 PM

nevermind I found it

its just in front of the starter on the passenger side of the engine.

TonyFromWestOz · #3 06-23-2004, 08:08 AM

It is amazing what an extra 8 - 10 minutes will do.

coachgeo · #4 06-23-2004, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JamesStein
nevermind I found it

its just in front of the starter on the passenger side of the engine.

Which "it" did you find there? Block coolant drain or the block oil drain.?

JamesStein · #5 06-23-2004, 09:34 AM

Fortunately I found the coolant drain. Unfortunately 45C coolant is still pretty darn warm

.

blacksmoke · #6 06-23-2004, 10:45 AM

remember to run some clean water through the block with the plug out to get much of the crud washed out.

my 240 plugged the hole a few times -had to use a screwdriver to unblock it- while flushing the engine out.

JamesStein · #7 06-23-2004, 11:41 AM

I drained it.. filled it.. ran it to temp... let it cool... drained it.. filled it.. ran to temp let it cool.

What I found that was odd is that I only was able to add a little under 2 gallons to the system when all was said and done.

Does the heater loop really hold nearly a gallon of coolant?

#8 06-23-2004, 11:46 AM

Heater loop and engine block. Have you ever pulled an engine and then dumped the coolant all over?

JamesStein · #9 06-23-2004, 11:52 AM

Thats the thing.. I drained the engine block.

muybweno · #10 06-23-2004, 01:44 PM

well when i drained my coolant from the engine block...i replaced back at least 2 gallons when filling up the engine core just right from the thermostat housing. this is excluding the radiator core...so thats about an additional gallon there...

Read my posts that i did for flushing: "got my parts---> doing the flush"
I posted this just about a couple of days ago.

performed the deoiling process and flushed until coolant is lighty green. Ran the super acid flush from prestone in the engine for about a good 3 days or 300-500 miles of driving; drained from engine block and ran water through there at least 3 times---> water sprayed all over the place when block plug is removed

refilled with clean water from the engine block...about 2 gallons of clean tap water with drain engine cock closed...
refilled the radiator with pure coolant and topped it off with water...please make sure that your thermostat vent bolt is off. When you do this, it is to prevent air pockets forming in the system. Also is a good idea to removed the thermostat while doing this so that the mixture of pure coolant in the radiator and the clean tap water in the engine and A/C parts are mixed well...even at low temperatures ( there wont be a thermostat blocking passage to the engine from the radiator via water pump). Once the radiator is topped off with water, close the vent valve on top of the thermostat and top off again with water in the radiator...

Close it all up and drive for a good 20 min to mix in; let cool and open vent valve on top of thermostat to ensure all air pockets are gone...close that up and top off with water in the radiator.

with this process you should get at least a 45/55 mixture of coolant to water ratio...if you desire..you can add water wetter to lower the operating temperature

with normal temps in the car..you should be generating a little less than 175F or 80C...with steep climbs like how it is here in colorado...you should max out at atleast between 80C and 100C....but never more than 100C---> note that this is with the thermostat off and A/C off in your diesel

IF PROBLEMS PERSIST:
If you are passing 100C or 212F in your car...you either need to removed your radiator and spray the heck out of it...removed the crudd from the radiator fins on the outside...
Or you have a leak somewhere in the car, replace radiator cap or renew your hoses and retighten them...maybe the belt on your water pump/alternator is slipping and not pumping water to the block...or your water pump needs to be changed out---like mine..because i'm loosing pressure at the gasket and i can see a coolant leak from there

all these possiblilities can drastically affect the performance of cooling on your car...

I hope this little tid bit will help ya'lls out on your journey of flushing these bad boys out...good luck and take carez

allen

JamesStein · #11 06-23-2004, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by muybweno
well when i drained my coolant from the engine block...i replaced back at least 2 gallons when filling up the engine core just right from the thermostat housing. this is excluding the radiator core...so thats about an additional gallon there...

And that makes sense.. But I swear after my last clean water flush I poured 1 gallon of water and almost 1 gallon of coolant into the upper hose (disconnected at the radiator) and when I was done, there was water coming out of the radiator.

According to the shop manual the system has a capacity of 11 (units unspecified but I'm assuming liters). Thats a little less than 3 gallons. So I'm a gallon short of coolant somewhere. However, the car now hovers right at 80C so there isn't a huge air bubble in there. So either I was a total space case and forgot to drain the crankcase after the last time, which sadly is a possibilty or the heater loops holds approximately 1 gallon of coolant and it didn't drain when I drained the crankcase and radiator.