I own a 190e 2.3 1987
Recently i have notice oil going into my coolant resevior. The cap is gooky.
I believe that the coolant is mixing with oil but i cant detect where or how this problem is occuing, and how it's geting into the coolant line and into the resevior.

Please help and advise.

Thank you.

Head gasket time.
Onless somebody goofed by putting oil in the engine coolant reservoir, the only other pssibility is that your head gasket is due for replacement.
Sorry, I would have liked to give you better news.
jackd

Do you think its a costly job, if that's the prblem? How long can i drive the car in that condition if its the head gasket?
My car is a manual transmission, could it possibly be that the radiator is damaged and has caused oil to mix together with the anti-freeze?
Is the head gasket replacement job a job that an average mechanically inclined guy like me able to do with ease or do i need some special tools to do it? Also would I have to replace the radiator if oil has been running thru it?
Finally what is one of the main reasons why something like this occurs?

A design weakness leaving a very thin piece of head gasket to erode away, accelerated in the presence of old coolant is the cause. Oil in the coolant will deteriorate your coolant hoses - all ours 'weeped' and had to be replaced. One of them, twice in a month.

I did the hoses myself, but had the gasket replaced at a shop. $1800 including a complete head overhaul, chain service, etc. Took repeated Tide flushes for the shop to remove all traces of the oil.

Steve

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'91 MB 190E 2.3
'08 RAV4 Ltd 3.5
'83 Lazy Daze m'home 5.7

The best product I've found for cleaning oil from the cooling system is "Shout " laundry detergent. Sometimes the best thing is to replace the coolant expansion tank after flushing the system because it is very difficult to get clean. Also be sure to clean the coolant overflow tank inside the right fender if the car is equipped with one. If the car is driven for any length of time with oil in the system you will have to replace all coolant hoses because the oil makes them deteriorate terribly.

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Mercedes Benz Master Tech - Retired

What an interesting confluence of situations and people!

I just noticed oil in my coolant tank the other day and my car is at this moment getting a new head gasket at....Mr. MB, a recommended indie in Tarzana, CA.

My car, 1991 300CE, about 124,000 miles, M104 engine.

I had been checking the coolant rather closely after a recent repair of a leaking coolant hose (the nasty little one under the intake manifold, connecting the block to the oil filter housing) and immediately noticed the oil stains in the coolant tank.

It is going to be about $1600. You can drive the car but as mentioned, all your coolant hoses will need replacing (tech said about $500 worth of hoses). I caught it pretty early, only a little scum in the tank. Tech said some cars come in with a 1/2" of oil floating in the coolant tank. Tech said it does take repeated flushing to get the oil out of the system.

From what I understand, there are external and internal head gasket failures common to the M104. Most people experience the external leaking oil out the right rear. Less common is the internal leak, typically brought on by an episode of overheating. My car did get very hot in July after a thermostat failure. I pulled over before pegging the needle but that may have been just enough.

Did you have a recent overheating?

glenmore
1991 300CE

This sounds very serious i believe i'm going to adress this issue right away. Don't want any major mechanical failure.

My mechanic had me check the dip stick to see if it was creamy or not,it was'nt creamy at all.
I took off the cap for the camshaft cover and the cap looked normal. He said that a good sign that its not the head gasket. But im still confused of why oil would be in my coolant overflow tank?

The headgasket is damaged between an oil and water jacket. The oil passage having more pressure than the the water passage will allow oil into the coolant and not coolant into the oil. I would start shopping for a good indy to replace the hadgasket.

paul

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Paul Roberts
Mercedes Centrum Inc.
Bellevue,WA.

My 1989 300CE with 160K has never had the head gasket replaced. There is no oil in coolant, slight leak on right side. Are there any other signs/signals I should watch for? Should I have this work done anyway to prevent getting stranded sometime?

The car has had great maintenance and has never overheated.

My mechanic had me check the dip stick to see if it was creamy or not,it was'nt creamy at all. I took off the cap for the camshaft cover and the cap looked normal. He said that a good sign that its not the head gasket. But im still confused of why oil would be in my coolant overflow tank?

It is typical of the Benz headgasket failure to show no signs of coolant in the oil. Ours did not.

Steve

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'91 MB 190E 2.3
'08 RAV4 Ltd 3.5
'83 Lazy Daze m'home 5.7

This is a common problem in the 91, 92 and 93 104 engines the bad news is that it recurrs about every 100k miles ( more often if you overheat even once) it is an engineering problem related to the design of the engine and that is why MBZ is stonewalling the customers Ther fix was to change the engine design after 93 ( can anyone here remember the early 380's and their problems??) MBZ IMHO has been not called to task in a court of law on its engineering goofups for far too long. ---John

have done a lot of research on 190e w201 and found that if thermo switch is not working and magnetic fan does not turn on the engine overheats and eventually destroys head gasket and radiator fill ups with oil and it is a common problem all related to thermo switch failure these cars run hot.

The images show damage to gasket and head and thermo switch which cost $21.00 from :- https://www.***************/index.html

a compression test and a leak down test did not reveal any problems because the damage was water jacket to oil ways

have replaced head gasket, new thermal switch and new radiator hoses and thermostat.

washed out radiator with washing up liquid then did same to rest of cooling system 3 times by running car to running temperature for several minutes allowing engine to cool down replacing water each time and finally filled cooling system with distilled water and Castrol corrosion inhibitor / cooling agent.

And my friends Baby Benz 190e w201 1.8 ltr runs like a dream. hope this helps Sydney from Australia

The blue car is my 1964 220sb engine rebuilt by me as was most of the restoration

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The secret to longevity is to change the coolant every 2 years using Mercedes Coolant and good quality water in the appropriate mix.

Look at any motor vehicle forum and what is the most common complaint - overheating!

Oooh now I can read it...

Aren't they wax operated?
I just broke one of mine
so I had it replaced
Mine was in the intake manifold
so there may be many did thermal switches

Interesting as car had close to oeverheating problems
Never saw any oil in coolant res
not least before they put in a new radiator

Then I saw some scum floatimg
Not sure what that was?
Hoping its not oil

Will have to check that again
Hope it didn't happen recently

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83 500 SEC Euro 198K