Changing coolant at 10 years - should I change the radiator?

[zipdip]

Well reading this thread I thought leave well alone,but by the time I had finished I thought well for the cost it is not much after all it is a Mercedes and lets face it we do not start to blink until the bill is around £500,so a relatively cheap repair/renew job and in better weather not to hard to complete ,so go for it,if nothing else we might get a thread about how the op spent a entire week end trying to remove a sheered bolt

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Well reading this thread I thought leave well alone,but by the time I had finished I thought well for the cost it is not much after all it is a Mercedes and lets face it we do not start to blink until the bill is around £500,so a relatively cheap repair/renew job and in better weather not to hard to complete ,so go for it,if nothing else we might get a thread about how the op spent a entire week end trying to remove a sheered bolt

I would say change it as well - as soon as you've considered whether to or not, Sod's Law has been activated regardless!

 

[MrGreedy]

Well reading this thread I thought leave well alone,but by the time I had finished I thought well for the cost it is not much after all it is a Mercedes and lets face it we do not start to blink until the bill is around £500,so a relatively cheap repair/renew job and in better weather not to hard to complete ,so go for it,if nothing else we might get a thread about how the op spent a entire week end trying to remove a sheered bolt

Had the stuck bolt on the bumper already. There are two bolts on the front bumper either side of the grill position, and the nut is a fixed in-situ square jobby hidden under the bumper and retained in place by plastic. Well of course, the plastic is not up to the job and the nut was just turning so I had to carefully dremel the old bolt and nut out, and I've replaced it with a normal nut, bolt and washer. I just needed to get a flexi head 1/4" ratchet on the nut underneath.

 

[MrGreedy]

Any tips on this job?

Bumper is fully removed, as is all the plastic and slam panel at the front, under trays and cooling fan already off.

It looks like there are a couple of transmission fluid lines going into the RHS (driver's) of the back of the rad. I'm assuming I can disconnect these, plug as best I can, catch any transmission fluid and top up through the ATF dipstick hole with the same quantity of 236.15 from Merc dealers?

 

[phobos]

Any tips on this job?

Bumper is fully removed, as is all the plastic and slam panel at the front, under trays and cooling fan already off.

It looks like there are a couple of transmission fluid lines going into the RHS (driver's) of the back of the rad. I'm assuming I can disconnect these, plug as best I can, catch any transmission fluid and top up through the ATF dipstick hole with the same quantity of 236.15 from Merc dealers?

I have disconnected the transmission cooler lines before to do a similar job and it was a minimal ammount of ATF that came out.

 

[MrGreedy]

I have disconnected the transmission cooler lines before to do a similar job and it was a minimal ammount of ATF that came out.

Thankyou.
I don't have the fluid or the special fill tool
laser part No. 4986

I also HATE getting under the car for my safety concerns, even when properly on stands. With the cost of buying a one-use tool (because I won't do this again) and a litre of ATF from Merc plus fetching the stuff, if this will be sufficiently little to still allow the car to drive okay for short distances for a few days, I'd rather put that cost into bringing the ATF change forward a bit and pay my specialist to do the job when it's in next week.

Any tips on minimising ATF fluid loss?


How to from FCP Euro on changing the ATF on the 722.9, showing the knock off stand fill pipe used in the fill by overflow method for these boxes
FCP Euro 722.9

 

[W1ghty]

Thankyou.
I don't have the fluid or the special fill tool
laser part No. 4986

I also HATE getting under the car for my safety concerns, even when properly on stands. With the cost of buying a one-use tool (because I won't do this again) and a litre of ATF from Merc plus fetching the stuff, if this will be sufficiently little to still allow the car to drive okay for short distances for a few days, I'd rather put that cost into bringing the ATF change forward a bit and pay my specialist to do the job when it's in next week.

Any tips on minimising ATF fluid loss?


How to from FCP Euro on changing the ATF on the 722.9, showing the knock off stand fill pipe used in the fill by overflow method for these boxes
FCP Euro 722.9

I’ve saved you a tenner buddy

Gearbox Filler Adaptor Fluid Connector Transmission Fit For Mercedes Benz 722.9 | eBay

1 x 722.9 Filler Adapter. This will help to avoid incorrect parts being supplied. We will do our best to help you solve the problem. Material: Aluminum Alloy. Colour: Silver.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[phobos]

IIRC it was such a minimal ammount that it was not worth to fill, so I think you will be fine.
Not sure where you are located but if you are close by (Farnborough Hampshire) you can borrow my 722.9 ATF filler tool and pump ( I have a 9L canister + pump only used for ATF changes) if you need it

 

[MrGreedy]

I’ve saved you a tenner buddy
Gearbox Filler Adaptor Fluid Connector Transmission Fit For Mercedes Benz 722.9 | eBay

Thanks W1ghty. I could put the extra into the car cleaning fund.
But alas.
I really want to get this done/finished today. I need the car to get it back on the road for next week's MOT.

 

[MrGreedy]

IIRC it was such a minimal ammount that it was not worth to fill, so I think you will be fine.
Not sure where you are located but if you are close by (Farnborough Hampshire) you can borrow my 722.9 ATF filler tool and pump ( I have a 9L canister + pump only used for ATF changes) if you need it

Thanks @phobos

I visit Farnborough for work very regularly, but a couple of hours away unfortunately for me.

Just waiting for the very thick ice to melt before I crack on today. I can clean the wheel arch liners in the warm with a cuppa before venturing out into the freezer.

 

[W1ghty]

Thankyou.
I don't have the fluid or the special fill tool
laser part No. 4986

I also HATE getting under the car for my safety concerns, even when properly on stands. With the cost of buying a one-use tool (because I won't do this again) and a litre of ATF from Merc plus fetching the stuff, if this will be sufficiently little to still allow the car to drive okay for short distances for a few days, I'd rather put that cost into bringing the ATF change forward a bit and pay my specialist to do the job when it's in next week.

Any tips on minimising ATF fluid loss?


How to from FCP Euro on changing the ATF on the 722.9, showing the knock off stand fill pipe used in the fill by overflow method for these boxes
FCP Euro 722.9

This is what I made up to fill my gearbox , gearbox connector some copper pipe and a gas isolating valve ,with an eBay transfer pump

 

[MrGreedy]

This is how much ATF fluid I lost from the lines. A little drizzle in a jug (floating on the top.of a drizzle of coolant).




I found I could use the rubber bungs from the new radiator to plug the disconnected ATF lines

 

[grober]

This explanatory video refers to VAG models but the principles are smilar for Mercedes [WHEN FITTED] I would wager?

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[MrGreedy]

In another update on this, I'm going to change all the radiator hoses on this. On removal, the steel collar of all of them where they plug into the radiator looks in very bad condition. Just over £100 for the three hoses, top right (down to bottom front of engine), top left to thermostat, and right middle (smaller hose) that goes to the bottom of the expansion tank.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Unless they have lost lots of metal thickness or the rubber is perishing, Id be cleaning those up, treating the connectors with rust converter and just replacing the o ring seals......but I'm a tight git!!!

 

[MrGreedy]

Also; I think the thing that makes Mercedes coolant last "10 years" rather than the usual 3 is the presence of a silica packet in the expansion tank, so you should replace that too if you want to keep the 10 year coolant interval.

I know Pillow hasn't been on the forum in a while.
Does anyone know for sure if the expansion tank has a silica packet in and whether it's worth replacing the tank?
It's probably another £100 from Merc for the tank that I don't want to pay if unecessary (on top of radiator, new hoses, fuel filter, aux belt and pulleys, coolant, distilled water, tins of brake/carb cleaner, new undertray clips etc etc). This DIY to keep cost down is getting really expensive!

 

[grober]

Do the Right Thing: Mercedes-Benz Anti-Freeze Recommendations

Those generics out there that claim to meet most automakers' specs aren't what the Stuttgart engineers and chemists had in mind when they designed the cooling system

automotivetechinfo.com

 

[MrGreedy]

Do the Right Thing: Mercedes-Benz Anti-Freeze Recommendations

Those generics out there that claim to meet most automakers' specs aren't what the Stuttgart engineers and chemists had in mind when they designed the cooling system

automotivetechinfo.com

Thanks @grober and bugger

To save people a long read, in summary, only buy coolant from Merc for this w212 and at the 15 year coolant replacement interval, change the expansion tank also so you get a new silica packet in the tank.

 

[gusferlizi]

Filling the gearbox is not too complicated, but for less than £50 and a couple hours I put together an OM613 oil pump with brass fittings to some 3/8 tubing . Made a drill attachment. Closing valve on just before the sump fitting. Wash the oil pump and put back together. Dip in a tub full of ATF and it pumps 5L per minute at slow speed.

 

[MrGreedy]

In another turn on this, it seems MB have stopped selling the blue 325.0 coolant (which is what was in my system - see the blue trace in the jug photo). MB 325.0 is a G48 coolant, and e.g. Comma xstream G48 is approved by Merc according to Bevo and still available.

Apparently due to environmental concerns, the boron in the Merc 325.0 is the issue, and all G48 coolants are to not be used in Merc workshops?

325.0 was replaced with 325.5, and then 325.6, which is pink G40 type coolant.

Possible service bulletin from Merc confirms these Merc supplied fluids can both be mixed in any quantities without issue (I wouldn't trust other brands). I've noticed (and hence why I looked at this) there seems to be zero MB325.0 for sale online anywhere.

What coolant would people use on these cars now? Something Merc approved for 325.0 from Bevo?