Scraping sound and then ...omg - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mykg4orce · #1 05-13-2005, 12:30 AM

Yep, thats rite. I started up the car and heard a very strange scraping sound. I thought something was rubbing against the fan blades. Well I let it run for a few seconds, then all of a sudden heard a loud pitch sound and saw the fan come to a slow stop!!! while engine was running.

I had to pick up my gf, so I thought I'd chance it, well the car actually ran cooler than it usually does, probably because it wasn't drawing hot air from my poor radiator. I have yet to look at the fan, I know I have to replace the radiator.

What do you this has caused the fan to stop like this. Also, when this happened there was a strange odour that seemed to come from the fan stopping. What could this mean?

190e 2.6L 1990, 277,000KM

DaimlerChrysler · #2 05-13-2005, 07:40 AM

Most likely it was the bearings in the water pump went bad. I had a mint 1968 BMW 2002 that without any warning the bearings in the water pump seized up knocking the fan blade out of alignment causing the fan to dig chucks out of the radiator.

Usually a water pump will leak first, but mine didn't. Just fix it and try not to cry too much!

mykg4orce · #3 05-13-2005, 09:29 AM

So you are saying there is a connection between the water pump and the fan? If the pump is bad then how did my car run at 85 degrees the whole time, even in slow traffic?

schumi · #4 05-13-2005, 09:42 AM

if water pump was bad car would have overheated. sounds like the fan clutch went out.

mykg4orce · #5 05-13-2005, 10:14 AM

I agree...otherwise how would you explain the smell? As I said the car ran fine, at first I thought the car died...but engine was still running, very quietly.

mykg4orce · #6 05-13-2005, 10:14 AM

does anyone have any tips on replacing the fan clutch?

Boudreaux · #7 05-20-2005, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykg4orce

So you are saying there is a connection between the water pump and the fan? If the pump is bad then how did my car run at 85 degrees the whole time, even in slow traffic?

Your car was not running cool because MB displays the temperatures in CELSIUS. When converted, 85 Celsius is actually 185 Farenheit, which is a not super-hot but if left unchecked with a broken cooling part could possibly do further damage.

Good luck.

mykg4orce · #8 05-20-2005, 10:46 AM

All I know is that the normal operating temperature is 85 Degrees, my car was running at about 80-83 range.

Also the fan clutch now seems to work but continues to make noises. The fan spins but I cant be sure it is working properly.

Again I need some insight from people who have replaced their clutch without using this special tool as circled in the attached image two posts up.

gmercoleza · #9 05-20-2005, 11:17 AM

In celsius, 100 degrees is the boiling point of water (much less confusing than Fahrenheit, don't you think?). But you don't just put water in the cooling system; you put a mixture of antifreeze and water which has a slightly higher boiling point, perhaps around 105 to 108. In addition, everything is under high pressure which further raises the boiling point of the mixture to around maybe 115. I don't know about on your car, but on my 300E the "red zone" on the temp gauge is at 120 degrees.

Once the water starts to boil or bubble, you have a gas/liquid mixture rather than just liquid flowing through the cooling jackets. The gas will not absorb heat as quickly as the liquid, and the temperature of the metals shoots through the ceiling quickly, resulting in warpage or other damage. Rapid cooling (like turning the engine off or - worse yet - adding cool water to the cooling system) can cause cracks in the metal, much in the way an ice cube cracks when you drop it in a glass of water. In all cases, the key to avoiding damage is to prevent boiling from occurring in the first place.

As long as your coolant/water mixture is not boiling, you are fine. And 85 celsius is not even near the boiling point.