Upper Radiator hose keeps leaking
 

Just a few days ago i was picking my brother up and when i got there something told me to look at my heat gauge it was at 120c:eek:...At that second i screamed ----------....So i went to check and sure enough my upper hose had fallin off, green goo every where, what a mess...So i let it cool fixed to hose and filled my resovior with water and went back home. I ordered a new hose from carquest. 2days later i get it install it, it worked for a day then to my suprise again it blew off...Now i decided to buy some new metal hose fasteners, it's been working so far (onlys been 2days)...If this dosn't fix the problem what do u guys suggest. All this just to save $60 on installation..

Thanks in advance:D :D

You need to take a good look at the radiator neck where the hose attaches. Make sure that it is all there. The hose will not stay on the neck if most of it is broken off.

It's also possible that your head gasket is failing, and pressurising the coolant. Hence blowing both hoses off.

How many miles since the gasket was last changed?

E200 Wagon 1994 108k miles.

The original radiators failed (broke off) at the neck. A newer version is steel reinforced. Engatwork advice is he first, and immediate stepand will most likely mean installing a new radiator. It is surprising it lasted this long. Ed

Bazzman-
I really have no idea when it was changed last, my dad gave this car to me and he never kept very good records on the car. Oh and u said "Blowing off both hoses" im not having any problems with the lower hose, just where the upper one connects to the engine.

Ed Richardson-
It's not the radiator, it's where the hose connects to the engine not the hose connecting to the radiator.

Thanks again guys:D :D

Chris,

Sorry, when I said blowing both hoses off, I meant blowing the top hose off twice. The original firstly, then your replacement.
I agree, I would make sense if all of the hoses were blowing off.
One other way you might check for the head gasket scenario, is by running the car from cold with the pressure cap off.
Often, as the car warms up, the coolant can overflow from the coolant neck. Be careful here - the coolant can spurt out suddenly.
If this is the case it lends weight to the gasket thing.
You can tell I've gone through this a few months ago!:D

There are several threads that may help you further.
Good luck, hope it's not the gasket.

Barry

E200 Wagon 1994 108k miles.

After reading your original post again (properly!), I think it could well be as simple as your hose clip, as I see you didn't replace it 1st time.

Storm in a teacup?:D

Also, ref my point above about running the car with no pressure cap, I mean run it just at idle, with the bonnet -opps - hood up. Do not run it on the road!

Cheers

Barry

Everything seems fine, after replacing that tie i have noticed no more green spots around the engine bay...I'll get that gasket replaced once i can afford to pop a new radiator in it (has a very small leak).

Thanks for all your help:D :D

AHHHH!!!! It happened again:mad:... I was infront of my friends house and just messin around, popped it into N and reevved to like 3-4000rpm....POP!!! Coolent shot everywhere...So really I just laughed and said were leavin in 10min...SO i fixed it then later that night it started leaking again so once more i fixed it...Oh is ur car supposed to get hotter when its standing still, my temp gauge goes up when im in traffic more often now, it scares me:eek:...While i was at the gas station, one of the employees told me u may need to replace the thermostat, how hard is that? could i do it?

Thanks for all ur help :D :D

Hi Chris

May be the 'stat, but I doubt it.

Sorry mate, I think your head gasket may have begun to pressurise the coolant.

You might want to try the 'stat though, as it is very easy and cheap to do. The Haynes books are good at this level.
Check out the radiator/expansion cap first though. It may be something as simple as that not releasing pressure at the correct time.
BTW, The 'stat lives in a housing at the end of the top hose.

But if you are blowing off hoses then my money's on the head gasket.

Keep us posted.
Barry

E200 Wagon 1994 108k miles.

Thanks for all your guys help so far, i have a few more questions and then i'll be finished with a running benz ;)

1. How much would u estimate a head gasket job would cost?
2. Where is the Radiator/expantion cap?
3. Should i get it pressured tested before i do any of this?

Thanks again:D :D

Oh and do I need greese for the new O Ring?

As for cost, in the UK a main dealer would charge about £1200 for a head gasket ( about US$1800), but a local specialist would be less.

The location of the rad/expansion cap depends, but it's where you'd normally add coolant/water. Some cars have an expansion tank near the RH (looking towards the front of the car) side of the engine area, near the suspension turret. Others have just a cap on top of the radiator. In England all 300E cars (I think) have an expansion tank. About a quart plastic container size.

But you need to get it checked out first. M-B dealers and local M-B specialists can fit an assembly on top of the radiator cap. The unit contains a liquid that changes colour/color (either us Brits or you Yanks can't spell;) if exhaust gases are present in the coolant. I suspect this is the case with your car, but you need it checked out first. I mean maybe before you fit any more parts.

The "O" ring, I guess you mean on the stat housing? You may need a tiny smear of lube but plain old H2O should do the trick.

Good luck

Barry

heh, sorry to bother u again but i found out that the valves were refinished at 75k and the car right now is 137k, could that have been the reason y it cracked, how often do u need to get it done?....Oh i put in a new thermostat and didn't really help much.
Oh and how would i know if the cap is releasing pressure or not?
Thanks :D :D

Chris

From what I read in the posts here, 75k-100k for a head gasket isn't uncommon.
But, IMHO, first things first. Get the coolant checked out by the "sniffer" tool mentioned above, to see if you have waste gases in the coolant.

cheers
Barry

E200 Wagon 1994 108k miles.