I had some white smoke puffing out of the exhaust while my car was heating up in traffic. Damn fans kicked in but temps still rised......

Does the white smoke mean anything??

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190e 2.6 1990. 300,000 KM
C230 K 2000, 130,000 KM

White smoke (steam, does not hang around or drift) while warming in cooler weather = water vapor, probably normal.

Steam while warming in warmer weather can be water vapor, probably normal.

White smoke (steam, but may hang around longer and drift like smoke) after running some miles and at operating temperature = water vapor, but possible from coolant entering combustion chamber, not normal, possible head gasket.

Which describe your experience best?

Best Regards,
Jim

No no this was in hot weather, car was around 110 degrees, i was low on oil also, I saw very thin smoke just once, it disappated quickly, but it wasnt like the steam that hangs for a little while.....

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190e 2.6 1990. 300,000 KM
C230 K 2000, 130,000 KM

Jim, what I dont understand is that, lets say it is the head gasket. But when the dual aux fans come on, the coolant in the radiator should be cooled right away? No? And if thats correct, when the coolant makes it's way back into the engine block it should bring the temps down. How is it possible for the temp to just keep rising....even with the fans on? It just doesnt make sense. Leads me to believe that it could have something to do with the radiator not performing the way its suppose to. All I can recall is that, when I bought the car it would overheat, not boil over tho.... Then I changed the coolant and replaced my aux electric fans, I had the car working fine. It would heat up to 105 degrees then the fans would kick in then the temps would come down. I could spend hours in rush hour traffic.

Then one day I decided to remove the condenser and aux fan assembly, so that I could sand down and paint the aux fan assembly/frame. Because it was beginning to rust in some spots. Anyways when I re-assembled the system, it didnt worked like it used to. Dont know what has happened.


BTW, I see some oil residue in the area indicated in the picture attached (circled area). This is on the left side of the engine, below the valve cover, around the area where there is a large hexagonal shaped indentation in a raised round metal surface (thats the best way I can describe it). I always see oil residue here.... I can touch it and smell that its oil. I am sure oil is leaking out of here.


There is no sign of oil in my coolant, and no sign of coolant/water in my oil.

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190e 2.6 1990. 300,000 KM
C230 K 2000, 130,000 KM

A head gasket can put a lot of 'heat' into the coolant. It can also result in a lot of pressure in the cooling system, and a loss of coolant. However, check for all of the symptoms of a head gasket before deciding to replace it. Are you losing coolant?
OK, many things here. Yes, the radiator is a very important component, and if it is restricted, plugged, or somehow does not flow as it should, you will see 'overheating' and other symptoms. However, depending on the outside air temperature, heating to 105, then cooling off with the electric fans may be normal slow speed operation. We should also discuss the mechanical cooling fan.

For now a few more details, please
What is the car model/year/engine?
Do you know if the fan clutch is electric or hydraulic? If it is electric, have you ever felt it engage?
Are you losing coolant?

Best Regards,
Jim

This oil is leaking from the upper timing cover gasket... a common problem with these engines.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K

Jim,

The car is a 1990 190e 2.6 with 276,000KM (convert to miles) on it.

The fan clutch looks like the picture attached, I'm not sure whether to call it electric or hydraulic.( i just got this pic of ebay, but it looks identical to it)

As far as losing coolant, I am not too sure. Should I be expecting a drastic drain in my coolant right after engine overheating? Well all the times my car has over heated I have never seen the coolant light come on, and when the car cools down the coolant level in the expansion tank seems to be the same as it was before.

A head gasket replacement seems like quite an expensive project...

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190e 2.6 1990. 300,000 KM
C230 K 2000, 130,000 KM

We have a Pope!

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Bill Wood - Retired Webmaster
My Personal Website
1998 Mercedes E430
2010 Toyota Sequoia
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Thanks for the information. First, your clutch looks to be a viscous, or hydraulic drive. When cold it should spin quite easily when the engine is stopped, and not 'follow' the engine rpm when speeded up.

When warm/hot, it should not spin as easily when stopped, and should 'follow' engine rpm and sound quite a bit louder when rpms increase, as it is now drawing more air through the radiator. There may be a noticeable drag on the engine when it is warm. Does this happen? If not, this could contribute to the engine temperature increase, as the fan is not drawing air through the radiator as fast as it should.
If you have a head gasket leak, there will be some loss of coolant. BUT, from what you describe, you are running hotter, but not really overheating, which occurs at or above the red marks on gauge at 120C. If your temperatures do not get this high, and you are experiencing no real loss of coolant, I will suggest that you have an under-performing system, rather than a failed system.

Let's see how the system of water pump, thermostat, engine fan and radiator are performing. We know the auxiliary fans are working...

Is your temperature normal, around 80C, at speed? If so, the thermostat is probably OK, as is the water pump. They are pumping, anc controling, but the return temperature is not low enough, so the radiator should be inspected.

Your radiator may require a good exterior cleaning. There are a LOT of small air passages, and they can clog easily with dirt, bugs and debris. Washing with a forceful stream of water, from the rear, may dislodge most of this. It is best done after removing the radiator.

Your radiator may also require a good interior cleaning. A quick check by hand of the radiator is to feel parts of the front as it warms up, to estimate if it is warming evenly. (Don't try from the back, the fan may bite you!) If there are obvious hotter and colder areas, there could be some restrictions inside that are cutting down on water flow. A cleaning/flushing may work, or it may require a replacement.

Yes, it is, and it is probably one of the last reasons for an engine to run warm or overheat. Let's eliminate all other reasons first.

Best Regards,
Jim

Your input is very valuable Jim. What you have described about the fan is true. When hot it doesnt want to spin freely, the opposite when cold. When driving down the highway my temp needle is slight.....ly above the 80degree mark. As soon as I exit the highway, temp goes to about 82 or 84 degrees, well below the center line. And It takes quite a bit of hard and slow driving to bring the temps upto center line. Then if i can get into some open road the temps will drop, but once I pass the point where the electric fans kick in, the temps just keep rising, unless I put it into Neutral and rev the engine to about 4000. Which I won't be doing anymore.

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190e 2.6 1990. 300,000 KM
C230 K 2000, 130,000 KM

I am going to suggest you check the radiator thoroughly for blockage, both outside and inside, since this now sounds like it is the most likekly problem. Your mechanical and electrical fans seem to be operating well, and you can maintain temperature at speed, but not well below open road speed. That would tell me that the radiator is only able to keep up with a LOT of air blowing through it, which means that it has lost some cooling area. The blockage could be external, internal, or both. It might be something you can clear, and might be too late and a new radiator might be in your future. Check the radiator, get a second opinon if you can, and let us know.

Best Regards,
Jim

haha! that was the first thing that came to my mind when i read the heading.

Always suspect a leaking transmission vacuum modulator
when nothing else makes sense. Just pull off the hose connecting the intake manifold to the transmission vacuum modulator (either end) and use a cotton swab to check for any trace of transmission fluid inside the hose. There should not be any. If oil is found, replace the modulator, it is leaking.

where is the modulator located on the 201?

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190e 2.6 1990. 300,000 KM
C230 K 2000, 130,000 KM