I was driving today and the coolant light came on and then coolant started coming out all over the place and there was some smoke. I immediately parked on the side of the street and turned off the car. After 30 minutes I topped off the coolant with approxiamtely 2 liters/2.1 quarts and drove home. The whole drive home the temperature was in the normal zone. It was all highway driving for about 5km/3.1 miles. I opened the hood when I got home and noticed coolant on the air filter canister and mostly on the driver's side. There is nothing on the passenger side. It is very hard to see what is underneath. I took some pictures in my driveway and some coolant that came out when I parked:





Skid Plate from the front


Skid Plate from the front


The radiator and waterpump were replaced by the previous owner. What could the problem be?

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

First, the green color looks like the cheap coolant. Change that. Second, have you checked the "usual suspects" . . . ie, the overflow tank cap, the hoses, especially the radiator to water pump hose, and the thermostat housing?

What kind of coolant should I buy? I just topped off with some ordinary coolant that is supposed to be safe for aluminium, because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to drive the car or have to tow it.

Overflow tak cap look great. Bone dry. There was no coolant around that whole side of the car.

I looked at all the hoses I could see and didn't see any problems there.
Thermosat housing is dry also.




#3 Upper Radiator Hose - looks ok
#1 Lower Radiator Hose - looks ok
#6 Overflow Hose - looks ok
#5 Expansion Tank Hose - looks ok
#15 Radiator Cap - looks ok

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

Man, where have you been?? There has been a thread going on for 2 days "what kind of coolant to use". Just scroll down. I now know more than I ever wanted to... You should know you can never put anything normal into one of these cars. Luckily the tires take normal air (maybe not the german tires).

Mike

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

Hey Mike,

I totally missed it. Both of my cars broke down today and I just posted the thread before I read any of the new ones. Sorry about that.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

That big of a coolant loss should be very easy to find just by a quick visual inspection of the engine bay area.

If the car is hot while you investigate, you can probably also audibly pin-point its origin by simply listening for the location of release of coolant pressure.

Chance are good that its one of the following:

- A Radiator hose,
- The Radiator,
- The neck of the radiator. (Where tghe top radiator hose connects)


Phil

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'95 E300 Diesel, 264,000 Miles. [Sold it]

Water pump.

You will find a small amount of coolant at the bottom weep hole (you will have to use a dental mirror to see it) and will find coolant dripping off the oil pan about half way down. The coolant leaks out of the pump, down the front of the engine, and down the side of the block along the oil pan and drips off there.

Yours is leaking badly hot, I'd not drive it until you can replace it. If you MUST, you will have to drive with the tank cap loose (unless it drips more then....) and keep a close eye on the temp guage. No slow heavy traffic driving, either!

Do not overheat the engine....

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

The radiator hoses look alright and the neck of the radiator is fine also. If there is a problem with the radiator then maybe it's from the bottom where I can't see right now.

The previous owner replaced the waterpump which has been in the car for no more than 2 years. The radiator was also replaced. The car was in storage for a long time.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

Thanks for the advice. I won't let it overheat for sure. The temperature guage was perfect the whole time when I topped off the coolant and drove home.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

I agree with Peter. If things are dry on top and as wet on the bottom as the photos show, it's either a lower hose connection or water pump. I'd bet on the pump. The loosened cap suggested earlier is to prevent pressure build up - something you don't need under these circumstances.

The green coolant should be changed, but unless it was mixed disproportionately..ie 70% coolant; 30% water, it had nothing to do with causing any sort of overheating. Even if it was mixed this thick, it didn't take out the pump.

Get a new one.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Can you take some digital pictures of the engine bay area and post them. The more the better.

Phil

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'95 E300 Diesel, 264,000 Miles. [Sold it]

My left corner light is missing (flew off the car a while back) and when the coolant firat exploded it came out from the corner light opening and flew back on the hood and windshield. So when I came home, I washed the car and cleaned the engine bay right away. I only have 3 pics right now that were taken after I cleaned up the engine bay. Most of the coolant was on the air cleaner canister and the hood pad above it

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

My guess is either the elbow that connects to the overflow tank has a crack or the upper neck is starting to come off. Maybe it's perspective but the flare of the upper neck doesn't look parallel to the radiator.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Which one is the upper neck?

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz

Since your coolant ended-up on top of the air cleaner, then here are some other things to check.

- Long hose betwen the radiator and the expansion coolant tank
- The nipple on the radiator to which the above hose connects
- Monovalve hoses
- Auxiliary water pump hoses
- Heater hoses
- Hoses leading to the heater inside the washer reservoir

More pictures if possible.

By the way, where do you live in Canada. I live in Montreal


Phil

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'95 E300 Diesel, 264,000 Miles. [Sold it]