water coming out of coolant tank when warm/hot

[jonn]

Hello,

When my 190e has been running for a while water starts to come out of the coolant tank and overflow pipe connected to it, plus lots of steam.

A while back i had a few problems with a thick light brownly liquid developing in the coolant tank and pipes which i think may be a sign of the head gasket going/gone?

To get around this i ran the engine with the coolant cap off topping up with water until all the 'gunk' ran out of the top and didn't have anymore problems with it for a few months until this.

I generally only use the car about 60 miles a week so don't push it too hard, is it still ok to drive?

Thanks

 

[rf065]

I had the exact same symptoms on another car years ago, turned out the cylinder head was cracked. Very costly repair, but I was covered by the warranty. Hope yours is not the same.

Russ

 

[jonn]

no way to fix it myself then

 

[jonn]

also if i take the coolant cap off and top with water while running it is fine but as soon as the cap is put back on it bubbles and water pours out of the top and overflow??

 

[BTB 500]

Yes, sounds like a blowing head gasket to me.

 

[panason1c]

....."is it still ok to drive?"........


Head gasket gone (or cracked head) the longer you drive it the worse it will get, you need to repair asap.

 

[jonn]

is either a pricey job? probably better off getting a new car as its done 216,000 and only worth about £1000 max

 

[grober]

Definitely sounds like the cylinder head gasket usual cylinder no 4 . Terminal damage can be done if you run it for long like this. Water eventually dilutes the oil which results in bearing failure or bore wear. In most cases a quick skim of the head to "true it" flat and a new (Mercedes please) cylinder head gasket is all that's required. The bits are cheap but considerable labour costs are involved unless you DIY. It may be better to source a good second hand engine which will turn out cheaper in the end. The economics REALLY depend on the condition of the rest of the car

 

[jonn]

Thanks for that Grober,

I have been looking at it all day and have cleaned out the radiator pipes and coolant tank and it runs fine for a bit then water appears around the coolant cap and then comes out of the overflow tube.

Would the cylinder head gasket problem put pressure on the coolant cap causing water to seep out?

And also would it cause a bubbling sound in the coolant cylinder?

 

[grober]

You could just have a defective coolant cap I suppose but symptoms all point to a CHG ----its quite a common fault on this model. A cylinder compression test at a competent garage will confirm. With a CHG leak combustion gases leak into the coolant passages and over pressurise the system causing water to be forced out past the pressure cap into the overflow pipe .

 

[jonn]

i agree, how much do you think one would be to do?

also, in terms of getting it to a garage could i drive it for say 20 miles in the condition?

 

[bolide]

Would the cylinder head gasket problem put pressure on the coolant cap causing water to seep out?

Yes

And also would it cause a bubbling sound in the coolant cylinder?

Yes

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[grober]

i agree, how much do you think one would be to do?

also, in terms of getting it to a garage could i drive it for say 20 miles in the condition?

Bearing in mind the history of this CHG you will probably??? get away with 20 miles on the open road providing the oil is not badly contaminated. If at any time in the 20 mile journey the exhaust starts to produce lots of steam and the engine overheats then its time to stop. Take lots of water reserves in containers with you but don't add the water to a hot engine. Cost of repair around the £500 for a good job would be my guess. Best to get some quotes first!

 

[Will]

Does sound almost certainly like the head gasket.

What's the rest of the car like? How much work has it had done recently?

I'd personally do one of three things:

If it's a really nice car - no rust, good spec and has been otherwise well maintained (no looming big bills), then consider having the work done. As Grober has advised, typically a good job for this would be about £500.

If it's otherwise quite tired - ie needing more work in the near future - suspension, exhaust, rust etc, then maybe consider selling this car for parts and buying a better one, it'll definately work out cheaper and be better in the long run

You could (not that I'm recommending this..) drive it into the ground if it's really tatty - if the car isn't worth repairing (with 216K miles) you won't really be doing anything that bad, when the engine finally dies you'll still be able to scrap it off for parts. Really depends on what the car is used for I guess.

Will

 

[jonn]

I've had the car for 10 years and because i only use it to do approx 10 miles a day have kept it as it worked out more economical that buying a new one.

As far as i can see there is no water in the oil, just the other way around if that's possible...

 

[Bazzle]

As much as I dont like to say this maybe put one of those stop leak additives into water to see if it stops the problem due to the use/age/condition of the car.

Bazzle

 

[jonn]

into the water, not the oil?

 

[rf065]

into the water, not the oil?

Try Barrs, it stops leaks in radiators etc, sometimes works on head gaskets or cracked heads but usually only temporary. It may let you use your car a bit longer without repair if you decide to scrap it anyway.
If you are going to repair it, don't bother with Barrs in case it clogs something else up, just bite the bullit and get your quotes in.

Russ

 

[bigtee]

Had a similar problem with a ford ka turned out to be the thermostat was sticking & heater was very hot, what is the temp gauge showing when bubbling?

Without getting the gases checked in the expansion tank your wasting time, in my opinion.. good luck..

 

[Ian B Walker]

I too would go for a head gasket, however if the head is cracked I have a spare one not being used.