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Help 😦 Would this missing cylinder head bolt have anything to do with...
this coolant pipe cracking at the seam? Sorry for the long story.
I was merging onto the freeway, gunned my car (which I never do) to avoid getting t-boned by a driver texting. As soon as I gunned it the 'check coolant' light came on. I watched the temp gauge which was a little high at 90°C, usually 85°C. So I drove home, next morning drove one mile when red warning appeared saying to shut engine off. I lifted the hood and found zero coolant in the reservior and white splashes of liquid around. I added a gallon of coolant and found the leak at the seam of the coolant pipe. That's when I noticed the missing bolt which attaches the pipe to the engine, I think. 6000 miles prior to this the dealership replaced the thermostat, flushed the coolant system, replaced spark plugs and changed the oil/filter. No one else had been under the hood. I found a flathead screwdriver next to the battery as well.
I'm no mechanic which is why I'm here , but it seems to me the missing bolt may be the cause. When I punched the gas the cylinder head lost pressure, coolant pipe cracked, lost coolant and the car overheated. Could it possibly be something else?
I had the pipe replaced, but my car has lost its pep. Hasn't overheated but 'check coolant level' light came back on, still smell coolant even after cleaning off engine, gas mileage decreased from 30mpg hwy to 22, exhaust sounds louder than before, and either the timing chain, crankshaft, cylinders or all of the above are shot. Now it sounds like ballbearings when I crank the car, for about 5 seconds. I contacted the dealership and they deny any liability, even suggested I removed the screw. Really?
MBUSA said they can't get involved, it isn't a warranty issue. I've had problems with the dealership before when they kept my car for 6 weeks to have 2 wheels repaired (not a pot hole, a barrel hole) and 4 new tires installed. Yes, 6 weeks and they let my 1 1/2 year old battery die. I had to purchase a new one. I should've learned then.
Can someone explain the mechanics to me? What should I do? I only drive about 10 miles a week unless I visit my daughter in college.
No no, that bolt just holds the pipe to the head, has nothing to do with pressure.
The pipe does break with age/time, all the hard plastic stuff does. If it got pulled out to the side, during the previous repairs, it could have been damaged, but even so, it will have to be replaced now if it's cracked.
If it didn't get really hot, it didn't do any engine damage.
If your timing chain is rattling, that is an unrelated issue but has to be fixed.
Yes, I understand the pipe should be attached with the bolt but doesn't the bolt serve another purpose like sealing the engine block? Say if the pipe wasn't there and the bolt was missing the engine would be fine, even when I gun it? The pipe looks a little crooked and maybe securing it would have prevented it from hanging loose and cracking? Sure, plastic degrades over time especially when located near a hot engine, but I can't overlook the fact that the one out of many cooling components failed in the exact location left vulnerable by the missing bolt.
I'm not sure if the clanking rattling noise is from the timing chain, just mentioned it because it's due for replacement, but whatever it is began the moment the pipe cracked and all the other problems began.
I've gotten conflicting opinions from a mixture of my friend's husbands who are mechanics and master mechanics and hell they can't even agree, lol. I have no idea what to believe. If only I had taken mechanics along with those damn physics classes.
Not sure of your experience ItalianJoe1, but MBUSA had a service instructor contact me today. He advised that the cooling pipe is not a common repair. He also advised that the missing bolt plays a significant role in the overall cooling system and is, in his expert opinion the reason this occurred. MB will be repairing everything, different service center.
Not sure of your experience ItalianJoe1, but MBUSA had a service instructor contact me today. He advised that the cooling pipe is not a common repair. He also advised that the missing bolt plays a significant role in the overall cooling system and is, in his expert opinion the reason this occurred. MB will be repairing everything, different service center.
I'm a dealer tech. I've replaced those pipes for cracking. No it's not a super common issue, but anything plastic in the cooling system will crack and fail eventually, we are seeing tons of failures as the 278 engines get some mileage on them, all the plastic just snaps off at the fittings, all over the engine.
That bolt is only to secure that pipe to the head. If they are telling you otherwise, I would question their motives, but if they are gonna fix it for free, let them.
I don't disagree that the bolt should be there, and it's possible if that pipe was left loose and could vibrate/move, it would fail more rapidly. But that's about the extent of the issue you can have due to the sloppy original workmanship.
yes, they'll be making all repairs as I likely have a blown head gasket now and other issues resulting from this.
I know, I was giving an example. We don't see as many 271s as we used to as more of them are older and out of warranty. But the plastic parts all fail.
Glad this worked out for you... but stopping when the overheat indicator came on may have saved you some headaches... Maybe... In the future, I would stop when the car warns you.... On the other side.. looks like crap for work on your car. Glad you changed dealers.
09-15-2018, 07:05 AM
