Thanks.

Do the fan clutches on the OM617 leak also?

I'm religious about cooling system maintenance and always use MB antifreeze, BTW. Really saw the benefits on the trip last week (2,500 miles in 5 days) where the engine would pull like the proverbial horse up steep mountain passes, while registering a modest increase in coolant temperature from 87C to 89C, a/c off.

Taking her up to 4,750 rpm (105 mph), with a little more on tap, on a level road, saw no increase in coolant temperature.

I'm on my third water pump (201k) and use one with the MB logo, preferring to believe tales of aftermarket pumps being less effective, although I have seen no compelling proof of this.

Come to think of it, I now have over 250k km during my ownership so I guess I'm eligible for the lapel pin. Got the grille badge with 153k miles on the odo (250k km).