Antifreeze resorvoir needs fluid ... W124

[yosshimura]

Its down about 2 inches or so. The radiator warning light was flickering on/off last night, that's how I realized it...

Assuming there are no other problems (car was operating very well within its normal range, so don't foresse any problems), Where could this fluid have gone , how? Or is could there be something definitly wrong ?

Also, being so little,do I just pour in distilled water or mix a small batch of antifreeze / water ?

thanks

[radunegru]

Could be the sensor that is bad. Unplug the wire that is going to the sensor on the bottom of the antifreze tank and clean the electrical contacts. Also how many miles on the car. Head gasket was done on it?
If not, there is a problem.

[pberku]

Originally Posted by radunegru

Could be the sensor that is bad. Unplug the wire that is going to the sensor on the bottom of the antifreze tank and clean the electrical contacts. Also how many miles on the car. Head gasket was done on it?
If not, there is a problem.

His coolant level is down 2", so his sensor is working correctly. Being down 2" is not normal. Definitely a coolant leak somewhere.

Start, by refilling to the proper level using 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water. Than perform with a good visual inspection to find the source of the leak. Go for the obvious, and most likely cause first. Check all hoses, Clamps, water-pump, Radiator, coolant reservoir, Coolant cap, ect, Look for dripping coolant on the floor as well.

Phil

[yosshimura]

I checked below the car 2-3 times last night after a couple of stops I had to make and nothing on the ground. I will check the ground when I get out of work later and check the coolant level as well again.

The senser would go on and off, so maybe senser, but again its "low" on coolant in the reservoir. But to be honest with you I hadn't even looked at coolant level since it was flushed a few months ago .. so who knows if it was almost at that level since then,and now it went down a "hair" and is making the senser go on. I am going to see if it goes on more if I brake (slushing of fluid back and forth)... maybe... Just trying to find the "easier problems" to solve ...

head gasket been done btw.... and again, after the light started flickering yesterday, and I checked the low level in the reservoir, I drove 20-30 miles and no less coolant nore any higher in eng temp

[richard28]

Check your tranny fluid-a cracked tube in the cooler section of the radiator will allow the coolant to mix with the tranny fluid & destroy the tranny. If the tranny fluid at the bottom is milky you've found the problem.

[pberku]

Ok, now that you told us the rest of the story, maybe there is really nothing wrong. Just fill it up and monitor the level for a while.

Phil

[suginami]

It is also not unusual for the tank to develop a crack and leak.

[G-Benz]

Originally Posted by suginami

It is also not unusual for the tank to develop a crack and leak.

Tru dat! I had this issue some years ago, and the cracked tank was the culprit!

[radunegru]

I had a craked tank too.

[yosshimura]

Thanks for all the responses and help!

This am, the upper tank was missing more fluid .... I put in 50/50... about 3/4 gal ... There was no fluid on the ground ... I drove to work temp actually went down from the past couple wks from mid level temp to the notch before.... so fluid must've been missing for that time but not enough to trip the warning light... what an idiot ....

My drive to work was 20 miles, highway speed... so not stop and go... and not a drop missing ARGGHH... Let's see when I get home.... I definiely need to check the tranny fluid and go from there in checking what can be happening....

[BamaMB]

Do you have the heated windshield washer fluid option? My 90 300E had a crack in the coil that is inside the W/W fluid tank. The anti-freeze was able to mix with the W/W fluid and it ended up on the paint after I the squirt the windshield and damaged the paint.

[yosshimura]

I still have to ck the tranny in the am and see if any fluid in there... but I got home temp was low like this am... Thats 44 miles round trip to and from the office... I was even in stop and go for about 5-10 minutes of the trip in the afternoon and no temp increase or fluid loss.. I am at a lost... Glad that no fluid loss now, but something was / is wrong for the prior fluid loss ..

[MTI]

I had a spate of coolant loss recently and was relieved when it wasn't a gasket or block leak . . . it was my aux pump to the heater core.

[onesixthree]

is it possible that the coolant somehow evaporates over time? all our cars were bought new and after about a year of driving, they all were low on coolant. i brought in to the dealer many times but they said no leaks anywhere?

[lee polowczuk]

it almost seems to me he has a radiator cap issue.... and it's seeping out through there......

I had this problem with another car..but that's a long story...turned out it was a hose buried under the intake....it leaked very slowly...and the heat from the engine evaporated it......