Facelift w204 C63 - track cooling

[breeze247]

Inunderstand that lots of people have had issues with properly driven cars overheating their gearboxes on track.

The last time I checked there was a relatively expensive hardware solution From Mercedes (£4k ish?) and a cheaper software solution that simply raised the temperature of the limp home mode threshold.

Is there a cheaper hardware solution? Would be interested to know what is available a few years after the issue was identified.

As I understand it, the pre facelift was unaffected.

 

[mark44]

I think you would really have to be going some for an extended period to have overheating issues. Having taken my C63 on the track, I'd be more worried about engine, tyres or brakes than the gearbox (even in sport+) tbh

I'm no expert, but I think having frequent cool downs between track sessions on the day is enough without the need to resort to hardware upgrades

 

[Felstmiester]

Have a look over on the us forums. I was looking the other day and some of the boys go to extremes over there because they track there cars. One has even gone to the extreme of setting to his bumper with a dremell to aid cooling.

Andy bond on here came up with a cheap cooling mod. I’ll see if I can find it.

I’m sure the pre facelift suffered from this problem as well.

 

[breeze247]

I think you would really have to be going some for an extended period to have overheating issues. Having taken my C63 on the track, I'd be more worried about engine, tyres or brakes than the gearbox (even in sport+) tbh

I'm no expert, but I think having frequent cool downs between track sessions on the day is enough without the need to resort to hardware upgrades

Do you have a facelift car?

Obviously it depends on how quick you are (everybody believes they don’t hang about) and where you track it.

 

[breeze247]

Have a look over on the us forums. I was looking the other day and some of the boys go to extremes over there because they track there cars. One has even gone to the extreme of setting to his bumper with a dremell to aid cooling.

Andy bond on here came up with a cheap cooling mod. I’ll see if I can find it.

I’m sure the pre facelift suffered from this problem as well.

My understanding was that this was predominantly the facelift.

Seems like a great opportunity for the aftermarket.

 

[Felstmiester]

My understanding was that this was predominantly the facelift.

Seems like a great opportunity for the aftermarket.

Ive read about and seen vids of pre facelift owners having this problem.

I’m not sure it’s an easy fix from what I’ve read. Due to cooler locations etc from what you gain cooling one you lose cooling another. Of cause some have priced the parts from the black series to do the conversion but due to the price you’d have to be a serious track day loon to warrant it.

I think the mod I saw on here done by Andy was basically a shield between the bumper and the rad to stop the air from escaping upwards so it kind of forces it through the cooler.

Like said the boys over on the us forums really go to town cutting bumpers and making ducts to aid cooling but there cars end up looking more like a track day tool than an everyday road car that can occasionally be used on the track.

 

[Felstmiester]

Think it’s on page 3. This is also a pre facelift car.

W204 C63 Fire Opal Red Project thread.

 

[MACC]

I had this with my 2012 C63 saloon at the Nurburgring, only managed around 3/4 of the track before the gearbox overheated, along with engine oil temp of 129 C. On the right side of the bumper there is the grill with oil cooler behind it. There is a rubber surround with 'fingers' over the face of the cooler, presumably to direct the air, but covering a huge amount of the surface area. I removed these and the difference was instant, not a permanent fix for a regular tracked car but worked for me. I also found manual mode over sport + was much better as you could control the shift point more.

 

[andybond]

Its only the oil cooler that is in the wing , the secondary oil coolers at the that . The air needs directing and funneling and as mentioned by @fesltmiester a company developed a modification for me. They are willing to sell individual units AND a group buy. Well worth the outlay.

 

[MACC]

Its only the oil cooler that is in the wing , the secondary oil coolers at the that . The air needs directing and funneling and as mentioned by @fesltmiester a company developed a modification for me. They are willing to sell individual units AND a group buy. Well worth the outlay.

Fair enough, just offering info based on my experiences. That's a nice simple mod do you know if anyone has done similar for the E63?

 

[andybond]

Fair enough, just offering info based on my experiences. That's a nice simple mod do you know if anyone has done similar for the E63?

I dont , but could be interested in development of one .

 

[cheddar]

This is still a solution to help lower engine oil temperatures, isn’t the transmission oil cooler in one end of the radiator?
If transmission oil temperatures bring in limp-mode like I understand, an additional transmission fluid cooler should do the trick.
Entirely possible without huge money.

 

[andybond]

isn’t the transmission oil cooler in one end of the radiator?

No , its a seperate part

This is why we developed the duct. The main design flaw in the c63 is the gap between the top of the rad and the front of the car. See below

Air will always take the path of least resistance , so rather than go thru the fins off it pops up and over .

So this was designed

Tada! Air actually goes thru the fins , and the multiple rads that are in the front of the car.

 

[cheddar]

Ah I get you. Seems a bit inferior to roll out the factory like that.
The mod sounds simple enough, think I’ll give this a go on my friends car for him.

 

[PhilT]

The Mercedes 44O kit is no longer available, the cooling issues effect both pre and facelift models but seem to affect facelift more.

There is currently only two companies still offering cooling upgrades, one offers a replacement lower main oil cooler which is larger and places it fully flat like the black series and 44O package did, the other offers an additional gearbox cooler so you have another additional one.

No software is going to solve the problem, it needs larger replacement coolers but if you dont track the car or have a supercharger it’s pointless. Also the air diverter people have made makes hardly any difference but will help lower a couple of degrees.

The cooler in the drivers side vent is engine oil cooler and so is the lower central one so the 44O package from Mercedes does still not give you a new trans cooler.

I am working with a large very well know cooler company that will replace trans, both engine coolers and steering cooler with an additional trans cooler in the passenger side vent but none of you will want this option as the horn etc in the passenger side will be relocated so is alot of work to put back to stock if you dont plan on keeping the car and the package will be expensive. I am getting mine ready for a supercharger but addressing everything before it gets to that stage.

 

[andybond]

lso the air diverter people have made makes hardly any difference but will help lower a couple of degrees.

Personal experience tells me it makes a load of difference @PhilT

I agree with you thought that the coolers would be better if they were bigger, but you still need to shroud them and create the best pressure difference you can.

 

[PhilT]

Personal experience tells me it makes a load of difference @PhilT

I agree with you thought that the coolers would be better if they were bigger, but you still need to shroud them and create the best pressure difference you can.

It does a few degrees, people even on mbworld agree to that but after long periods the difference is very minimal. When mine is finished it will have one central shroud for the main coolers with two outer shrouds diverting air into the side coolers (one which is currently taken up by the horn in the passenger side which will be relocated.

 

[andybond]

The one I helped develop is different from those on MBWorld. Its a tighter fit at a slightly different location.

Yours sounds the best deal , but at the highest cost !

 

[Lee C63]

You can also install a bigger oil sump (weistec) which aids cooling and has additional ports should you wish to run a additional "cooler"

 

[wu56Shoozz]

Contact this Guy. Really helpful knows his stuff... maybe able to duplicate the 440kit with a little help (Drawings/photos etc) really top quality stuff, the best.

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