engine overheating question
 

hi... someone please me with this one please. i have a 93 mercedes 300se (w140) that over heated on me today because it was low of water. will the first engine over heat damage the engine. i add water and everything looks fine. if so what are the signs to look for thanks for the help.

Possible that it warped the cylinder head. Watch for signs of a blown head gasket.
Do you know why it was low, and did you add coolant + water?

Don't just add water, add mercedes coolant 50/50 mix.
Or better yet, if you lost alot of water, find the problem, maybe the plastic neck that rubber hose attaches to, and fix it and refill fresh.

give more details. did you run the car long overheating or was it just a momentary rise in temp before you shut it off???


maybe no damage if short duration overheat.

The phrase "over heated" is used very loosely and I've seen overheating threads where the writer said it was above 100C! Note that MB defines that as specifically into the red-speckled area above 120C.

Saying that I hope your engine temp didn't actually go to 120C or above but we don't know what you think is overheating?? So first things first: what temp did it show?

In a hot, summer climate, a 40/60% (af/distilled water) will help ensure the coolest engine operating temperature possible.

That's a definite maybe. The questions are how hot and for how long. If you didn't get to 120 C you're probably ok. If you got the temp gauge pinned, but shut it down right away, there's a very good chance you're still okay. If it pinned and stayed that way for a while, you might be looking at problems.

Keep an eye on the temperature and coolant level, find out why it got low in the first place, and monitor for any unusual behavior.