c-32 loosing coolant
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: florida
02/c-32,00/740i
c-32 loosing coolant
HI.MY 02/C-32 IS LOOSING COOLANT BUT THERE IS NO LIK ,WHITE OR ANYKIND OF SMOKE,HALF A QUART ABOUT EVRY 150 .MLIS ANY ONE KNOWS WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE PRESURE TESTING?LOOSING COOLANTC-32
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14
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From: florida
02/c-32,00/740i
Loosing Coolant
I Just Did Take The Bottom Cover Off Today,to Change The Motoroil Perhaps I Could See Anything Inthe Oil But Nothing It Was Nice Clean .checked Evrything No Sign Of Lik
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Mercedes Benz
Originally Posted by busa
HI.MY 02/C-32 IS LOOSING COOLANT BUT THERE IS NO LIK ,WHITE OR ANYKIND OF SMOKE,HALF A QUART ABOUT EVRY 150 .MLIS ANY ONE KNOWS WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE PRESURE TESTING?LOOSING COOLANTC-32
This happened to a C32 that a forum user and I use for road racing. The intercooler will be running well below its efficient levels and over time the leak will cause some fairly major issues.
As the intercooler leaks coolant, the coolant will repeatedly leak out and dry over the intercooler veins, leak and dry in the intake runners creating sizable restriction (blocking up to 60% of the pathway into the motor, and it will even dry on the tops of the valves.
Over time the coolant in the combustion chamber will cause the O2 sensors to foul and the catalytic converters will also slowly disintegrate and corrode.
Have your dealership or tech pull the intake manifolds off the vehicle and you will know very quickly if the intercooler is leaking. Everything will be covered with a nice thick brown/yellow mucus like substance and it is extremely difficult to clean off once it becomes dried and caked on.
This has happened to about 10-15 C32's that I know of and the number keeps climbing. Trouble is there is not updated version of the heat exchanger cores so it will likley just begin leaking in another 2-5 years. If your car is not under warranty the core costs about 1.3k and labor will run around 500-600 bucks (or so).
Good luck.
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From: North Cuba/West Bimini
Cars and boats!
Originally Posted by CynCarvin32
The intercooler on the AMG kompressor cars is known to develop leaks and these leaks simply inject coolant into the engines intake runners and inject the coolant into the combustion chamber.
This happened to a C32 that a forum user and I use for road racing. The intercooler will be running well below its efficient levels and over time the leak will cause some fairly major issues.
As the intercooler leaks coolant, the coolant will repeatedly leak out and dry over the intercooler veins, leak and dry in the intake runners creating sizable restriction (blocking up to 60% of the pathway into the motor, and it will even dry on the tops of the valves.
Over time the coolant in the combustion chamber will cause the O2 sensors to foul and the catalytic converters will also slowly disintegrate and corrode.
Have your dealership or tech pull the intake manifolds off the vehicle and you will know very quickly if the intercooler is leaking. Everything will be covered with a nice thick brown/yellow mucus like substance and it is extremely difficult to clean off once it becomes dried and caked on.
This has happened to about 10-15 C32's that I know of and the number keeps climbing. Trouble is there is not updated version of the heat exchanger cores so it will likley just begin leaking in another 2-5 years. If your car is not under warranty the core costs about 1.3k and labor will run around 500-600 bucks (or so).
Good luck.
This happened to a C32 that a forum user and I use for road racing. The intercooler will be running well below its efficient levels and over time the leak will cause some fairly major issues.
As the intercooler leaks coolant, the coolant will repeatedly leak out and dry over the intercooler veins, leak and dry in the intake runners creating sizable restriction (blocking up to 60% of the pathway into the motor, and it will even dry on the tops of the valves.
Over time the coolant in the combustion chamber will cause the O2 sensors to foul and the catalytic converters will also slowly disintegrate and corrode.
Have your dealership or tech pull the intake manifolds off the vehicle and you will know very quickly if the intercooler is leaking. Everything will be covered with a nice thick brown/yellow mucus like substance and it is extremely difficult to clean off once it becomes dried and caked on.
This has happened to about 10-15 C32's that I know of and the number keeps climbing. Trouble is there is not updated version of the heat exchanger cores so it will likley just begin leaking in another 2-5 years. If your car is not under warranty the core costs about 1.3k and labor will run around 500-600 bucks (or so).
Good luck.
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From: San Diego
2002 C32 Black/Charcoal
Originally Posted by busa
evo pully kit and pover chip
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03 C32AMG, 05 ML 500, Ducati 998S
Originally Posted by Vomit
Check the nipple which is on the coolant resevoir towards the front of the car. There should be the nipple and a dummy hose which looks like it is running down to the radiator (it is not). It is very likely that your nipple is leaking (yuck!), especially if you have the old-style rubber one rather than the new-style silicone one. Just run your fingers around it and see if you feel any coolant residue. Even if you do not, I would contact Evo if you have the rubber one. They will send you the silicone one.
I just switched to the silicone one from Evo, but I am having a hard time to get the new silicone one to "seal" like the rubber one. I always get a few drops of coolant leak here and there The rubber cap(nipple), having thick walls sealed better than this new thin walled silicone one. If it is not too much trouble, would you mind taking a photo of your nipple (err, from your car) so I can get an idea how tight to clamp them without smashing the coolant resevoir? I would greatly appreciate it. And thanks in advance.
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From: San Diego
2002 C32 Black/Charcoal
Auxo:
I had the same problem with the silicone one. The problem is that the silicone one is alot thinner and harder than the rubber one, and does not seal as easily. I kept trying to tighten the hose clamp more with a Phillips screwdriver, and finally came to the conclusion that I could not tighten it enough with the screwdriver, and a socket/ratchet would be needed. I was able to turn the adjusting bolt on the clamp another 2 turns with the ratchet (actually, I could have turned it alot more, but I was afraid of breaking the plastic).
I would use a ratchet, and tighten the bolt one turn and then drive for a day. If it is still leaking, repeat the process. Hope this helps. If you still need pics, let me know, but shouldn't be necessary.
I had the same problem with the silicone one. The problem is that the silicone one is alot thinner and harder than the rubber one, and does not seal as easily. I kept trying to tighten the hose clamp more with a Phillips screwdriver, and finally came to the conclusion that I could not tighten it enough with the screwdriver, and a socket/ratchet would be needed. I was able to turn the adjusting bolt on the clamp another 2 turns with the ratchet (actually, I could have turned it alot more, but I was afraid of breaking the plastic).
I would use a ratchet, and tighten the bolt one turn and then drive for a day. If it is still leaking, repeat the process. Hope this helps. If you still need pics, let me know, but shouldn't be necessary.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 70
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03 C32AMG, 05 ML 500, Ducati 998S
Originally Posted by Vomit
Auxo:
I had the same problem with the silicone one. The problem is that the silicone one is alot thinner and harder than the rubber one, and does not seal as easily. I kept trying to tighten the hose clamp more with a Phillips screwdriver, and finally came to the conclusion that I could not tighten it enough with the screwdriver, and a socket/ratchet would be needed. I was able to turn the adjusting bolt on the clamp another 2 turns with the ratchet (actually, I could have turned it alot more, but I was afraid of breaking the plastic).
I would use a ratchet, and tighten the bolt one turn and then drive for a day. If it is still leaking, repeat the process. Hope this helps. If you still need pics, let me know, but shouldn't be necessary.
I had the same problem with the silicone one. The problem is that the silicone one is alot thinner and harder than the rubber one, and does not seal as easily. I kept trying to tighten the hose clamp more with a Phillips screwdriver, and finally came to the conclusion that I could not tighten it enough with the screwdriver, and a socket/ratchet would be needed. I was able to turn the adjusting bolt on the clamp another 2 turns with the ratchet (actually, I could have turned it alot more, but I was afraid of breaking the plastic).
I would use a ratchet, and tighten the bolt one turn and then drive for a day. If it is still leaking, repeat the process. Hope this helps. If you still need pics, let me know, but shouldn't be necessary.
Thanks for the tip, I will try it. I think I was in the same shoes you were, I was just too afraid to "over tighten" the clamp. I will keep trying and will report back about it.
Thanks again!
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14
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From: florida
02/c-32,00/740i
Coolant Leak
Originally Posted by CynCarvin32
The intercooler on the AMG kompressor cars is known to develop leaks and these leaks simply inject coolant into the engines intake runners and inject the coolant into the combustion chamber.
This happened to a C32 that a forum user and I use for road racing. The intercooler will be running well below its efficient levels and over time the leak will cause some fairly major issues.
As the intercooler leaks coolant, the coolant will repeatedly leak out and dry over the intercooler veins, leak and dry in the intake runners creating sizable restriction (blocking up to 60% of the pathway into the motor, and it will even dry on the tops of the valves.
Over time the coolant in the combustion chamber will cause the O2 sensors to foul and the catalytic converters will also slowly disintegrate and corrode.
Have your dealership or tech pull the intake manifolds off the vehicle and you will know very quickly if the intercooler is leaking. Everything will be covered with a nice thick brown/yellow mucus like substance and it is extremely difficult to clean off once it becomes dried and caked on.
This has happened to about 10-15 C32's that I know of and the number keeps climbing. Trouble is there is not updated version of the heat exchanger cores so it will likley just begin leaking in another 2-5 years. If your car is not under warranty the core costs about 1.3k and labor will run around 500-600 bucks (or so).
Good luck.
This happened to a C32 that a forum user and I use for road racing. The intercooler will be running well below its efficient levels and over time the leak will cause some fairly major issues.
As the intercooler leaks coolant, the coolant will repeatedly leak out and dry over the intercooler veins, leak and dry in the intake runners creating sizable restriction (blocking up to 60% of the pathway into the motor, and it will even dry on the tops of the valves.
Over time the coolant in the combustion chamber will cause the O2 sensors to foul and the catalytic converters will also slowly disintegrate and corrode.
Have your dealership or tech pull the intake manifolds off the vehicle and you will know very quickly if the intercooler is leaking. Everything will be covered with a nice thick brown/yellow mucus like substance and it is extremely difficult to clean off once it becomes dried and caked on.
This has happened to about 10-15 C32's that I know of and the number keeps climbing. Trouble is there is not updated version of the heat exchanger cores so it will likley just begin leaking in another 2-5 years. If your car is not under warranty the core costs about 1.3k and labor will run around 500-600 bucks (or so).
Good luck.
Last edited by busa; Apr 3, 2006 at 05:36 PM.
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From: Western Canada
2013 C63 AMG P31, 2014 GMC Sierra (6.2)
https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c...servoir-2.html
There's some very good info on C32s and cracked intercooler cores in the link I posted. When I had my C32 I had to actually show my dealership the pictures here before they would consider it as a possible cause for the disappearing coolant..
There's some very good info on C32s and cracked intercooler cores in the link I posted. When I had my C32 I had to actually show my dealership the pictures here before they would consider it as a possible cause for the disappearing coolant..
Last edited by wawy; Aug 30, 2011 at 11:29 PM.
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Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG
+1 on leaky intercooler. Changed to the code 3 intercooler (after some major fitment issues). My intake plenums were at least 50% clogged and I only drove with the leak for maybe a month. That **** builts up FAST so change your intercooler asap...if that is indeed your issue. Its a bit tough to say with your new descriptions.
I now realise that the code3 intercooler was possibly not the best idea due to the wrong type of core (air to air instead of air to liquid). I will probably see if I can just get my stock intercooler re-cored and I will reinstall it over winter.
I now realise that the code3 intercooler was possibly not the best idea due to the wrong type of core (air to air instead of air to liquid). I will probably see if I can just get my stock intercooler re-cored and I will reinstall it over winter.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 259
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
C32 AMG - in Pewter
I had that same experience myself. Due to the leak, the intercooler got clogged to the point where it could not cool efficiently and the S/C started shutting itself off from time to time due to the higher air intake temperature (AIT). I also noticed the typical manifold deposits.
My dealer changed the intercooler under warranty (at that time) and I could measure much lower AIT - confirming that old intercooler was the issue. A year or so later, unfortunately, I noticed coolant loss again. Went to the dealer to check if there is coolant contamination in the transmission fluid (I also had that problem earlier and the radiator was changed to address that). No contamination - so it is likely the intercooler again. Since I am not driving the car that often, I am now suspicious of hose/connection leak as intercooler should not go bad that quickly.
My dealer changed the intercooler under warranty (at that time) and I could measure much lower AIT - confirming that old intercooler was the issue. A year or so later, unfortunately, I noticed coolant loss again. Went to the dealer to check if there is coolant contamination in the transmission fluid (I also had that problem earlier and the radiator was changed to address that). No contamination - so it is likely the intercooler again. Since I am not driving the car that often, I am now suspicious of hose/connection leak as intercooler should not go bad that quickly.
