ok, got my pump today, going to replace it over the weekend. couple of questions first though, when i disconnect the hoses from the old pump, how much coolant is going to flow out? all of it? also what type of coolant do i need to refill it with, and whats the proper procedure for putting the pump back on, as in i install the new pump, and start the car and let the fluid run through it? or what? any help is greatly appreciated. thanks

you will lose quite a bit of coolant, just refill the plastic fill tank when you get the new pump installed and start the car and let it run...the fluid will begin to drop down and you can monitor it and keep filling it back up until the fluid level does not drop down anymore...the car's monitoring system will also tell you if the coolant is low

What type of coolant do i use? can it be just regular antifreeze mixed to the right ratio? or some special mercedes stuff? thanks for the help...

you are supposed to use the coolant that you get from mercedes, but i am not using coolant...just using water with Redline Water Wetter, i don't need coolant, it doesn't get cold enough here to warrant running it in the car...

i guess i need to get some mercedes coolant cause it gets like -20+ below here in the winter. thanks for the help

Doesn't coolant also have properties that help it keep cooler, or cool faster than just water?...maybe that's what the Redline stuff is?...never heard of that.

yup, that is what the redline water wetter is for...it claims to bring down your coolant temps by as much as 20 degrees with just water over using water/coolant...used it for years in many vehicles, never had a single problem

arent you worried that the aluminum parts and plastic parts will corode with out using MB coolant?

Yeah because those parts are holding up well with the MB coolant in them

Radiator leaks
Intercooler leaks
Intercooler pump dies

Seems like a bunch of intercooler pumps failed all at the same time, about when it started to warm up. This should be a recall item.

Speaking of which, (not hijacking, just a question)... did anyone have any problems with their air pump whateverthingie before the most recent service campaign?

Didn't think so.

Interesting that with all the mechanical/electrical defects this car has, MB chose to replace that part?

Ummmm......Yes.

The air pump is also a chronic problem.

my intercooler pump was still working but i wanted to replace it just part of maintenance

What are the symptoms of air-relay pump failure? With all the stuff gone wrong on this POS, it's hard to distinguish one issue from another.

If I am not mistaken (search, there are many threads), I think that the pump keeps running after the car is off, and will then overheat and die.

i finally got a chance to replace my pump, here are some pics of the job. Ejoy....

thanks for the pics... it helps.

i'm doing this this week... as soon as I get the pump

My car is using Redline Water Wetter and distilled H20 as well. Also using Redline synthetic motor oil. Josh R at HOP hooked me up with the good stuff.

BTW, why are people replacing their water pumps if their OEM Bosch water pump is still working and there are no power loss symtoms. I don't think there are any performance advantages other than this is a much cheaper alternative to the OEM part, and can be an easy DIY fix. Anyways, thanks for the useful info and pics.

i replaced mine because of the power loss problems, and the dealer quoted $750 to replace it. I did it myself for $89. BTW, those hose clamps are the biggest pain in the a$$, too me forever to get them off, they were spun around, not facing me so it tooke me for ever to get them off. took me about 3 hours to do it.

I think I'm going to go ahead and do this too. After I took it in for the recall, I dont hear my pump stay on anymore when I shut off the car...it used to be noticeable and run for a few seconds after I shut off the car. The car also doesnt feel as responsive or strong. I should give this a try, although I wished I knew why it stopped working after the relay recall.

Where did you guys buy your pumps? Diversified products or eBay?

Do I need anything else besides the new pump, MB coolant, and crimp connectors. Is one bottle of coolant enough?...not quite sure how they sell it at the dealership. And what gauge wire are the two wires?

Thanks!

your going to need some 20 cauge wire, some spade connectors (radio shack has them) and some good electric enviromental tape, or liquid electric tape. Now i went above and beyond, and crimpt and soldered my connectors to make sure they wont break or fall off. i also used heat shrink wrap to seal the exposed wire and connectors. and to finish it off i wrapped it all with some F4 tape, its this stuff i can get from work, we use it on aircraft wiring. Its like a rubber molding tape, that once you tape something, it will mold onto itself and become like a single tube, seals everything insinde from the elements. oh yeah for the coolant, your going to need the mercedes stuff, or red line watter wetter.

i got mine off of ebay...arrived 2 days from when i bought it...

I'm not the most mechanically inclined person around. In addition to the wire, spade connectors, and liquid tape, what tools will I need? Someone mentioned vice-grips to remove the hose clamps. Anything else?

yeah vise grips makes those clamps easier to take off, you will also need a torx screwdriwer, because the mercedes pump uses torx screws to hold on the cover, while the ford one uses a phillips. make sure you have a deep bowl or bucket to catch all the fluid coming off, cause there is alot. or you can get some hose clamps and clap off the hose before you disconect it, and you shouldnt loose more then a few ounces.

Just placed an order for one, turns out my intercooler pump is probably dying...I've been experiencing loss of power quite often. Any idea how MB sells their coolant? Will one bottle, however large it is, be enough for what will spill out when we disconnect the hoses?