benz_addict

2004 S500 4Matic-

My car is running close to 100'C temperature. The engine fan turns on too. I will be flushing the coolant my self and will purchase the coolant from the dealership. I just need to know where the thermostat location is and how much can I expect to pay for 12.1L of coolant and a new thermostat? Also any tips while performing this task?

Thanks mbworld

AH1W-COBRA

it's your car but personally i wouldn't touch the coolant.if you check the owners manual the coolant is good for allmost ever,im guessing 150k miles.if you are having temp related problems i wouldn't expect a coolant flush to have any effect on it.keep on trouble shooting.use a temp gun to accurately measure radiator temp and compare to console indicator.

benz_addict

Thanks for your reply. I perfer having all the fluids changed I don't know what this car had been through with the previous owner but for sure it will give me peace of mind. The coolant in Canadian weather takes alot more 'abuse' vs other places so I think it's best if I take the time to flush it out. The owners manual also states which type of coolant is best for our S500 so I will be keeping it all to OEM specs. I also noticed the engine gets very hot it's not bearable to stand close to the hood.

What is the proper operating temperature for our cars?

whoover

They are designed to run on the hot side (the red zone starts at 125 or 130), but they usually run closer to 90 than 100. It's also true that, unless your coolant has been adulturated, replacing it is a waste of money. The service manual does say 150,000 miles/15 years -- and that includes supercharged AMG V8s! You might have a radiator or water pump problem, or everything may be fine. A thermostat doesn't usually fail by raising temperature 5 or 10 degrees; it usually just refuses to open or close. The wax in it can't really change melting point over time.

If it were my car, I'd have the dealer check it out, confirm that it's running too hot and diagnose the problem. You are likely to waste money, materials and time and just wind up frustrated that it's behaving exactly the same.

sessayan

My car primarily the front fenders get very hot and when you try to touch them, you cant for very long. I was worried about this as well and have monitored it for at least 6 months or a year and nothing has come of it. I was also worried about the paint but everything seems to be fine. I live in Socal so I am sure our climate is tougher on coolant then the Canadian climate.

sclassdud

Why wouldn't you just let this guy do what he wants...........change out the coolant and see if that fixes anything, i currently own my own MB Dealership in south florida and we see stuff like this everyday......don't let some podunk idiot try to sway you he has his head up his A$$

AH1W-COBRA

you dont guess with MB cars.the parts are expensive and if you arent proficient at taking them apart,you have a good chance of breaking something.if you make any errors in your diy and the factory finds you negligent you lose the warranty coverage.changing coolant wont lower operating temp.I cautiously and professionally maintain my MB's.i encourage forum members to maintain there own vehicles.

sclassdud

From my experience of being an owner and operator or a MB Dealer i am just telling you from experience. If you can't afford to take your benz to a dealer then you shouldn't own a Mercedes to begin with. Especially these people that live for their warranties. I am just speaking from experience, cause i lose money on warranted work!!!

AH1W-COBRA

to many unaware buyers find themselves "affording" a huge payment to feel the prestige of driving a MB.then they expect the car to operate at no cost to them,I cant imagine how this perception ever got started.

sclassdud

Probably from idiots like you that suggest that they should fix it themselves, as opposed to taking it to an authorized MB dealer.

manano

Benz_addict, my car runs at close to 100deg all the time. I live in Dubai where outside temperatures hover around the 110deg F for most of the year around!

i have experienced that usually on a normal (HOT) day you cannot stand near the hood of the car even after she has run only for maybe 5-10 miles. she gives off a lot of heat. i have many friends that own a 220 and i have asked them occasionally wether this is normal. they have all agreed. even the stealer agreed.

so i would not worry about it at all.

thats my $0.02 :-)

Manano

benz_addict

Thanks Manano I'm not worried about this anymore.

sessayan

Like these cars are very difficult to maintain? From my experience, they are one of the easier cars to do basic maintenance on. If something more serious is going on, of course you should take it to someone with the right tools to identify and resolve the issue.

If dealers wouldnt try to rip us off each time we went in, maybe we would be more willing to let you guys take care of the basic stuff but at the hourly rates you charge, its just way easier to do it ourselfs.

Its not about the money and more about the feeling of being taken. Nothing worse then that.

westcoast5

agreed that being taken sucks I have been there done that, fool me once sham on u fool me twice shame on me.

Slaviy Novos

Give me a break, everyone , who owes Mercedes should have all info and get some knowledge from the mbworld community to try and fix it by THEMSELVES!!!
YES, THE PROBLEM IS IDENTIFIED AS A WRONG (GREEN) ANTIFREEZE. All Mercedeses love BLUE coolant, OEM and specifically designed by the Mercedes.
You will need to bleed your old antifreeze, filled with distilled water and run engine for 10 min with open thermostat, before you filled with blue antifreeze.
Changing antifreeze for blue will lover your Mercedes temperature by 10 degrees.
When both fenders getting hot, that simply may indicates air in the system, which need to be addressed upon changing cooling antifreeze .

Astro14

While I agree with what you said, Slaviy, this thread is 8 years old and I doubt many of the original posters are even on this forum section any more...

Mangusta

Where on earth is Socal ?

Mangusta

Your friends have a car stealer

tusabes

southern California

don’t bump old threads with silly questions