Musikmann

MB dealers will not have Zerex but your lordco might. I don't know anything about Pentofrost NF.

a-Sarkar

I asked them, unfortunately they don't carry zerex. Where else MIGHT they carry Zerex?

freddyd

Hi All,
I just got a 1999 E320 and am learning about this car. 1999 E320s have an electric radiator cooling fan behind the radiator. No clutch drive fans on these cars. No aux fans in front of the radiator on this car.

Much like others on this thread, I noticed the following about the engine temperature:
- While moving in town or on the highway, AC off: ~85-87 degC exactly.
- Idling / stuck in traffic, AC off: ~95-97 degC. Cooling fan runs, but the fan speed seems very slow - like 2 revs per second. If I turn on the AC, fan runs higher, but I wouldn't say that it's fast; engine temp stays at 95deg C. Ambeint temps are around 70F - very mild.

I don't particularly like it idling at 95-97 deg C on such a mild day (what happens when it gets 110F here stuck in traffic, as it does sometimes....) I found another post on thermostats which shows photos of instruments at highway speed and at idle, all right at 85deg C, consistently. My toyotas only vary over maybe a 3 or 4 degree span, not 10-12 degC span.

I changed the thermostat - identical behavior - no change.

Question: how do I CONFIRM whether the fan is running at the right speed? Many vague posts, but there must be a way to test voltage vs. speed or voltage into a regulator vs. voltage to fan or something?

Any advice would be most welcome - Thanks!

Fred

renault12ts

85-87 while moving is correct.

MyOldBenz

The stock thermostat on my 1999 E55 opens at 88C (190F). That is what I see on the temp gauge during my morning commute (ie. when the outside temp is under 90F). Because I live in Burning Arizona, my afternoons in stop-and-go freeway, daily 110F+ temps and A/C cranked get the temp up to 96-97C. It stays there rock solid never any higher through long hot summer so I worry not at all. Bottom line - if it ain't broke don't fix it. Anything under 100C is OK especially if you've got the A/C on. Judging by the posts on the subject, I think it just makes some people nervous to see the temp gauge run "hot" compared to most other cars where the needle is dead center or slightly less under normal conditions.

swilson50

Hi, my problem is a little different but i'm hopeful someone here can help.

1998 e320 wagon 4matic.

seems to take longer than ever for the heater to crank up in the car (i live in nj) and i'm wondering if the thermostat could be stuck open.

example:
- i drove round trip to pick someone up, total 2.5 miles, 34 degrees outside
- after 1.5 miles and about 7 minutes (stop and go), temp gauge read just over 60
- i cranked the heater and the temp gauge dropped to 60, then slowly climbed to 65. warm air came out of the vents, not hot
- i stopped for 2 minutes and drove another mile, about 5-6 more minutes and the guage read about 70
- note: normal operating temp reading is just over 80. in 90 degree plus weather with traffic, it spikes a little hotter but never seemed to be a problem

any thoughts on this? i've read about some ways to check if the thermostat is working properly, but i'd rather not take it apart unless i know i need to replace it. i need to fix it since my wife wants a new car that will heat up quicker!

thanks
Scott

kajtek1

You can use infra-red thermometer to check if the thermostat opens below 80C.
It is a bit tricky on MB since the thermostat is on return pipe, but if you read radiator warm, that would confirm bad thermostat.

Plutoe

You are simply trying to delay the inevitable--replace the thermostat enjoy the heat and take the wife out for dinner. Stay warm

royabc

You need a new radiator.

Your symptom happens when radiator starting to get blocked and eventually it will burst. So either clean it or replace it.

I know it cuz the exactly same thing happened to my car at 160k mile or 240k km.

dmwil

A repair shop replaced my radiator and while they were at it, the fan clutch. The darned thing was so noisy! It ran at high flow even when the engine was cold, and would only occasionally disengage. They told me it was an OEM part. I told them to switch it back to the original, which they did. It now is quiet, but it worries me that it never engages to full flow, but then again, the temp never gets quite to 100. I think I'm just going to keep it the way it is. What bugs me is they never really gave me a straight answer as to why they changed it in the first place. Are those clutches something you would change just for their age? Btw, when the noisy replacement was in, the needle barely got above 80.

kajtek1

Visco clutches for shops are like brake rotors >>> milking the customers.
Doing the main job- replacing them takes few minutes while 40% parts mark up and additional charge makes very nice profit.
That said - the clutches are pretty hard to troubleshoot.
They suppose to engage for a moment at full speed when you start cold engine and depends on the model - gradually increase the % of engaging, but driver has no way to monitor that.
The only good test is that when you stop with engine having 100C and you can turn the fan easy- the clutch is kaput.

H danielle

Hello bro ..so what ? What is the solution for such overheating guage ,I'm still waiting your opinions guys

Overheating guage indicator

Badluck

Wow! what a varied group of responses. My 1999 E320 wagon 4 Matic only had a fancy slim electronic fan on the engine side of the radiator and no fan mounted on the water pump. In the past I have fitted a V8 radiator to a V6 E320 and then modified the shroud to attach V6 shroud to the v8 radiator, this on this vehicle I replaced the viscous fan clutch with an aftermarket Uro replacement and after test work was completed I put a Nissens Danish V8 radiator in with my modified fan shroud and owner was happy. That owner used his AC consistently here in Albuquerque and engine temp never over 80. My E320 runs at the hash mark between eighty and 120 the unmarked hash mark represents ??? (possibly 100C I don't know. I don't have operating AC, saves fuel however in a black wagon not so comfy. I always wondered about what tells the fan to run and how fast to run, only two wires feed the fan. Fan seems to be a modern dc brushless design, solid state controlled, very efficient if I understand how it works, (I'm often wrong) I have the old v8 radiator and plumbing to fit that to my car however the electronic key is no longer acknowledged when installed into the steering lock. My most incredible vehicle is now static artwork.

H danielle

Actually it is pro great modification i hope i could do it but i dont v8 radiator ,but if there is a thermostat open at 80 or 82 C and change the fan clutch with a new one, i think it 'll be effictive modification also, but from where can i get oem thermostat for my w210 ? open at 82C the original one open at 87C...guys i hope i can find areal answers

kajtek1

I drive in triple digits temperatures on regural basis and never had overheating issues.
But I am religious about using MB coolant.
Talking about 320 engine with single electric fan? I had it on 1998 wagon, that I was using when it was like 6 years old. Drove it to Las Vegas in the summer and with 116F in Valley of Fire - we've been jumping out of the car to take some pictures, while leaving engine on for AC.
The engine never rose temp above 90C and I don't recall hearing the fan on max.
Those cars are build to tow 3 tons trailer on Sahara desert, so when you have overheating, something major has happen.

H danielle

[QUOTE=kajtek1;7774829]I drive in triple digits temperatures on regural basis and never had overheating issues.
But I am religious about using MB coolant.
Talking about 320 engine with single electric fan? I had it on 1998 wagon, that I was using when it was like 6 years old. Drove it to Las Vegas in the summer and with 116F in Valley of Fire - we've been jumping out of the car to take some pictures, while leaving engine on for AC.
The engine never rose temp above 90C and I don't recall hearing the fan on max.
Those cars are build to tow 3 tons trailer on Sahara desert, so when you have overheating, something major has happen.[/QUOTE
Hi bro, never above 90 c ? R u sure ? Its always ll be over 90 esp in hot weather in the rush hrs but aonhighway it is normal 85c ...