DIY: M271 coolant drain/fill
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From: BC, Canada
2003 C230K Coupe Orion Blue
Is a coolant flush really necessary? Mine still looks pristine, even after almost 8 years. I'd imagine that if properly sealed, the coolant should pretty much last forever.. and the MB stuff is 100% synthetic anyways.
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Your car was pre silica gel sachet in the surge tank. Same as mine. I face the same dilemma. Silicates will be running low in the product. I will be changing at next service.
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From: Bangkok, Thailand
W124, W203, W204, W251
Coolant systems on euro cars are different from Japanese cars (your picture).
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2005 1.8 B/B
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From: 1 hours drive north of Sydney Australia
2007 W204 220CDI Classic Sedan
You can get caught with an airlock in the coolant system which can over heat the engine.
I like to know the systems capacity so have an idea how much air is in the system when showing full in the overflow tank .
I have found that by putting ones mouth over the filler & putting a light pressure on the system helps push the coolant through . Also squeezing the radiator hoses when the engine is running & cap is on, aids the process.
My previous car had a vent valve at the top of the system which was very useful in removing the air.
I like to bring the car up to operating temp with the bonnet up monitoring the situation & taking the steps as written above to rid the system of air. Then shut the engine off & let it cool to ambient before refilling the overflow tank.
I like to know the systems capacity so have an idea how much air is in the system when showing full in the overflow tank .
I have found that by putting ones mouth over the filler & putting a light pressure on the system helps push the coolant through . Also squeezing the radiator hoses when the engine is running & cap is on, aids the process.
My previous car had a vent valve at the top of the system which was very useful in removing the air.
I like to bring the car up to operating temp with the bonnet up monitoring the situation & taking the steps as written above to rid the system of air. Then shut the engine off & let it cool to ambient before refilling the overflow tank.
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
+1^ - wise advice. Squeezing the hoses is usually sufficient on a Merc.
All engine blocks have a drain plug.
All engine blocks have a drain plug.
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2005 c230 Sedan Sport
You can get caught with an airlock in the coolant system which can over heat the engine.
I like to know the systems capacity so have an idea how much air is in the system when showing full in the overflow tank .
I have found that by putting ones mouth over the filler & putting a light pressure on the system helps push the coolant through . Also squeezing the radiator hoses when the engine is running & cap is on, aids the process.
My previous car had a vent valve at the top of the system which was very useful in removing the air.
I like to bring the car up to operating temp with the bonnet up monitoring the situation & taking the steps as written above to rid the system of air. Then shut the engine off & let it cool to ambient before refilling the overflow tank.
I like to know the systems capacity so have an idea how much air is in the system when showing full in the overflow tank .
I have found that by putting ones mouth over the filler & putting a light pressure on the system helps push the coolant through . Also squeezing the radiator hoses when the engine is running & cap is on, aids the process.
My previous car had a vent valve at the top of the system which was very useful in removing the air.
I like to bring the car up to operating temp with the bonnet up monitoring the situation & taking the steps as written above to rid the system of air. Then shut the engine off & let it cool to ambient before refilling the overflow tank.
idk if i would put my mouth over it? but ty for the advice on squeezing the hoses
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From: 1 hours drive north of Sydney Australia
2007 W204 220CDI Classic Sedan
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2005 c230 Sedan Sport
ha thanks for the support guys. have any of u tried using peak antifreeze? i just wanna save money.
btw. i know if u mix some coolants together. it might turn into a gelly pasture. peak okay to mix with mb antifreeze?
btw. i know if u mix some coolants together. it might turn into a gelly pasture. peak okay to mix with mb antifreeze?
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Please only use approved coolants. Valvoline’s Zerex G 05 is approved & reasonably priced in the US. Then you can safely mix.
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From: Toronto, NYC
2002 Mercedes Benz C230 Coupe
Hey guys...
Going to pick up some Zerex G05 coolant this evening.
How many gallons of coolant do I need for a full drain and flush on my M111 engine?
Also, I believe its a 50/50 ratio of coolant to distilled water...can someone confirm?
Thanks.
Going to pick up some Zerex G05 coolant this evening.
How many gallons of coolant do I need for a full drain and flush on my M111 engine?
Also, I believe its a 50/50 ratio of coolant to distilled water...can someone confirm?
Thanks.
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
I don't know the capacity of your system. Coolant concentrate should be blended 50/50% with distilled or deionised water.
Make sure what you buy is concentrate & not premixed. Practices vary around the world.
Make sure what you buy is concentrate & not premixed. Practices vary around the world.
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From: Toronto, NYC
2002 Mercedes Benz C230 Coupe
Can always return the unused bit.
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From: Raleigh, NC
2005 C230K, 2019 Honda CR-V, '74 Lotus Europa
It's also very poisonous, isn't it? I wouldn't worry about blowing into the cooling system, but you definitely don't want to drink it. I understand it tastes sweet so pets can be attracted to it, so clean up spills and don't leave drain pans with glycol out.
I also understand there are some coolants that are not poisonous and won't make your pets sick, but I don't know if they are approved by MB.
I also understand there are some coolants that are not poisonous and won't make your pets sick, but I don't know if they are approved by MB.
Last edited by ncmudbug; Dec 19, 2011 at 11:20 PM. Reason: clarifying a point.
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From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, eh!
2003 C230 Sports Coupe, Paprika Metallic Red, Auto, Pano, Leather
JCNash,
I believe your 2002 C230 with M111 only holds 8.5 litres of coolants in 50/50 mix. 3 Gallon is likely 2 too many,... unless you can squeeze out every drop of coolant including those in the engine block.
BTW, since you're in Toronto, the Zerex G05 coolant (concentrate) is available at Walmart for $18CAN. I found it at the Eglinton-Warden Walmart SuperCentre.
I believe your 2002 C230 with M111 only holds 8.5 litres of coolants in 50/50 mix. 3 Gallon is likely 2 too many,... unless you can squeeze out every drop of coolant including those in the engine block.
BTW, since you're in Toronto, the Zerex G05 coolant (concentrate) is available at Walmart for $18CAN. I found it at the Eglinton-Warden Walmart SuperCentre.
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From: Toronto, NYC
2002 Mercedes Benz C230 Coupe
Thanks SunnyRay...yeah I went to the Walmart closest to my place (the one at 900 Dufferin). Turns out only the Super Centers carry the Zerex stuff...Ill check out the Warden-Eglinton one tonight.
Wow...so just 1 gallon required! Thats awesome. The flush should be a breeze!
Thanks for the info.,
Wow...so just 1 gallon required! Thats awesome. The flush should be a breeze!
Thanks for the info.,
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From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, eh!
2003 C230 Sports Coupe, Paprika Metallic Red, Auto, Pano, Leather
M111 cars uses 8.5 liters of coolant / distilled water mix
M271 cars uses 8 liters of coolant / distilled water mix
1 gallon = 3.78 liters
thus 1 gallon Zerex G-05 in 50/50 with distilled water = 7.56 liters
Technically your M111 would require 1 gallon plus a bit,.... if you were able to squeeze every single drop of coolant out of your system including those in the engine block (you'll need to purge it from the nut/valve near the header at the side of the engine). Most just drain from under radiator only,... but for completeness you should drain engine block too,...
Depending on how much you can drain,.... you might want to get 2 gallon,... you can always use the extra to top off once in a while,.... especially if coolant level sometimes drop in your reserve. This stuff is hard to find in Canada, so grabbing a little more doesn't hurt.
They have 50/50 premix at almost the same price,... go for the concentrate Zerex G-05 with black cap. UPC code: 02-8882-50149-1
Interestingly,.... for my 2003 C230 coupe M271 booklet says coolant should be good for 15 years or 250,000km. Label on Zerex G-05 says good for 5 years or 240,000km. Just interesting since Zerex is OEM Mercedes coolant maker,... I guess that means flush at 5 years to be safe.
M271 cars uses 8 liters of coolant / distilled water mix
1 gallon = 3.78 liters
thus 1 gallon Zerex G-05 in 50/50 with distilled water = 7.56 liters
Technically your M111 would require 1 gallon plus a bit,.... if you were able to squeeze every single drop of coolant out of your system including those in the engine block (you'll need to purge it from the nut/valve near the header at the side of the engine). Most just drain from under radiator only,... but for completeness you should drain engine block too,...
Depending on how much you can drain,.... you might want to get 2 gallon,... you can always use the extra to top off once in a while,.... especially if coolant level sometimes drop in your reserve. This stuff is hard to find in Canada, so grabbing a little more doesn't hurt.
They have 50/50 premix at almost the same price,... go for the concentrate Zerex G-05 with black cap. UPC code: 02-8882-50149-1
Interestingly,.... for my 2003 C230 coupe M271 booklet says coolant should be good for 15 years or 250,000km. Label on Zerex G-05 says good for 5 years or 240,000km. Just interesting since Zerex is OEM Mercedes coolant maker,... I guess that means flush at 5 years to be safe.
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From: SoCal. Desert
'16 E350, gone: '03 c230k
Had to replace the thermostat on my '03 c230 yesterday. I had the blue/green antifreeze in the coolant system originally from the factory. It's amazing how clean it came out, especially after almost 8 years. I'd really like to find some of the same blue stuff, but I'm guessing that's jsut not going to happen. Not only do I like the blue/green color, but there is actually some blue/green staining in the reservoir tank and I'm sure still in the system so would have liked to kept it that way - different color fluids in your vehicle help readily identify what's going on if you have a leak. The biggie for me is that this stuff lasted 7+ years and looks great, so really wanted to use the same stuff.
I did get a gallon of the Mercedes Q3 03 0002 antifreeze which is orange-ish in color. I'm kind of **** with this stuff, so I flushed the system (i.e. filled w/distilled water, ran car up to operating temp, then drained) 3 times. I know - probably excessive, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted to mix.
So am I interpreting earlier comments in this thread correctly, and the orange stuff only good for ~2 years?
I did get a gallon of the Mercedes Q3 03 0002 antifreeze which is orange-ish in color. I'm kind of **** with this stuff, so I flushed the system (i.e. filled w/distilled water, ran car up to operating temp, then drained) 3 times. I know - probably excessive, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted to mix.
So am I interpreting earlier comments in this thread correctly, and the orange stuff only good for ~2 years?
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
The blue stuff was only used in Germany & SA. BASF material.
The orange stuff will last as long as your original. Just not 15 years because you don't have the silica gel sachet in your surge tank.
The orange stuff will last as long as your original. Just not 15 years because you don't have the silica gel sachet in your surge tank.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Dec 31, 2011 at 06:13 PM.
- thanks Glyn!!!
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From: SoCal. Desert
'16 E350, gone: '03 c230k
Hey Glyn, so I've all ready got the orange stuff and am using it, but just for posterity's sake as it'll probably come up at some point: What's your take on the blue VW/Audi coolant (I think it's the same as Pentosin)?
