Car has 90k on it and is very clean. recently it started leaving anitfreeze puddles in the driveway. They are a couple ounces, not a flood. I have looked under it as well as my mechanic and the head gaskets are dry. Water pump is dry(weephole clean). We put a pressure test on it for over an hour at 15psi and NOTHING, not a drip. There are stains in the rear on the bottom of the bellhousing and front of the pan. It looks as if it may have a leak behind the bellhousing like a freeze plug or something. The rest of the freeze plugs look literally brand new. The car only puddles about 2-3 times a week and it puddles in the rear of the engine kinda on the driver's side.

Funny thing is this: It only does it when it is hot like after a 1/2 hour run+. I did one last night and parked it. 2 hours later I came out and the driveway was dry. This morning I have a puddle. What gives? Seems like it only happens after it cools for some hours, etc. Is there a place in the rear of the block to leak from? Are there any hoses or senders that are back there that could leak? What could leak spiratically like that?

Also It is my wife's car so I don't drive it very often. The temp needle is about 80 on the highway and creeps up close to the 100 mark in traffic. Is this normal? That is where my 560SEC ran but not sure about this E420.

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I'm not familiar with this car but I did have annoying coolant leak on my 190D that turned out to be the heater control valve. It was a slow leak that ended up in a drain tube from the compartment where the valve is located. I had visions of freeze plugs, heater core, etc. Turned out to be a really simple $25 fix. I mention this to encourage you to look for possibilities outside the standard engine "box". Good luck.

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Tom Savage
Vienna, WV
1984 300D Euro
1995 S320

bump!

My 190e 2.6 leaked coolant briefly then stopped, my mech did the pressure test too, he checked it out and said it was a leaking waterpump but I noticed the car was no longer dripping coolant so I left it alone.

My E420 temp gauge goes up to 100-105 after just 5 minutes of idling, it bothers me but I'm kind of used to it bcuz my 190E used to do the same thing until a mech I took it to did something to make it stop, unfortunately I didn't bother to find out what he did back then since I just wanted the temp gauge to stay at 80, this was 5 years ago when I first bought my 190e and did not know this was considered normal in a Benz.

I've been told the high temp is normal but it still bugs me anyway, there are ways to fix it such as making the fans come on earlier since they don't kick in till 115 degrees but I don't want to tamper with this engine.

Let me know if you are interested in ways of lowering the temp and I can send you the link, sorry I couldn't be more help with the coolant issue.

i also have a coolant leak on my 190e2.6, and it happens after I turn off the engine. I have traced it to the heater valve - initially I thought that it was just a loose hose on the valve, and after tightening it, I still got the leak. After inspecting it a second time, I found out that the valve itself was leaking.

i believe it happens after I turn off the engine because the engine is hot and continues to transfer heat to the coolant after you turn it off, and because the coolant is no longer circulating, pressure increases and makes the heater valve leak.

Where is the heater valve located? Does anyone know if it is the same on a 420E?

speaking of leaks, I heard that bars leak is an acceptable stop leak that will not damage cooling system or engine. Anyone use this and reccomend it?

I have seen Bars clog water pumps before and with the price of a MB water pump, no way. I tried some of that Wynns stuff that only coagulates when it hits air(as in a leak). If system is good, she'll stay thin so no issues with waterpumps, etc.

Where is the heater control valve on the 190E 2.6, mine started leaking again.

Thanks