Dreaded Valeo radiator confirmed on board my C32...no leaks yet...replace with Behr?
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From: Melbourne
C32 AMG
Dreaded Valeo radiator confirmed on board my C32...no leaks yet...replace with Behr?
as the topic says, it's been confirmed that the dreaded valeo on board...although no leaks has been found yet i think it's a ticking time bomb as my car reaching 50k miles on board
should i go ahead and replace it with a Behr radiator? pros/cons? where to find a good condition used Behr? for a peace of mind and avoid costly gearbox disaster
c32 build on september 2002, any chance of it having an updated Valeo?
should i go ahead and replace it with a Behr radiator? pros/cons? where to find a good condition used Behr? for a peace of mind and avoid costly gearbox disaster
c32 build on september 2002, any chance of it having an updated Valeo?
Last edited by AMGV6K; Mar 5, 2007 at 09:58 PM.
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
C32 AMG - in Pewter
My car's production date is about the same, I have a Valeo and a coolant loss. Car is going to the dealer this Thursday and I will post the result.
I am not sure if the rad leak is as sure thing as the I/C pump failure, but I would wait until I see some coolant loss and then replace rad and transmission fluid. That is if I did not have the extended warranty. I will leave it to the dealer in my case but will also provide all stats that I have gathered on this forum and then pray
I am not sure if the rad leak is as sure thing as the I/C pump failure, but I would wait until I see some coolant loss and then replace rad and transmission fluid. That is if I did not have the extended warranty. I will leave it to the dealer in my case but will also provide all stats that I have gathered on this forum and then pray
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C32 AMG
My car's production date is about the same, I have a Valeo and a coolant loss. Car is going to the dealer this Thursday and I will post the result.
I am not sure if the rad leak is as sure thing as the I/C pump failure, but I would wait until I see some coolant loss and then replace rad and transmission fluid. That is if I did not have the extended warranty. I will leave it to the dealer in my case but will also provide all stats that I have gathered on this forum and then pray
I am not sure if the rad leak is as sure thing as the I/C pump failure, but I would wait until I see some coolant loss and then replace rad and transmission fluid. That is if I did not have the extended warranty. I will leave it to the dealer in my case but will also provide all stats that I have gathered on this forum and then pray
Would it be possible to have a dealer run the glycol test on transmission fluid if they do not do the fluid change? (I'm out of warranty.)
PS: I'm told that the radiator swap is not that big a job.
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Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Melbourne
C32 AMG
they need 1 litre of oil to test for glycol (meas in mg/l) so i think yes you do need refill the oil in the tranny
leaking valeos seemed to be a common problems too...so for peace of mind i need to get Behr rads as soon as possible before the tranny disaster
leaking valeos seemed to be a common problems too...so for peace of mind i need to get Behr rads as soon as possible before the tranny disaster
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Plano, TX
2002 C32 ///AMG
I just replaced my Radiator / Coolant / Transmission fluid, I bought this radiator:
http://replacement.autopartswarehous...diator&dp=true
Should be the first one on that page, the Behr, for $221. I shipped it overnight and it was very fast from that website. From all the horror stories, it's best to just get it done with if you have a 2002 C32. I just got mine and couldn't be happier so far :-) Just got my new grill too, but too bad the headlights I orderred were messed up upon arrival.
http://replacement.autopartswarehous...diator&dp=true
Should be the first one on that page, the Behr, for $221. I shipped it overnight and it was very fast from that website. From all the horror stories, it's best to just get it done with if you have a 2002 C32. I just got mine and couldn't be happier so far :-) Just got my new grill too, but too bad the headlights I orderred were messed up upon arrival.
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Plano, TX
2002 C32 ///AMG
I actually got a friend that's an MB Tech do it. Doesn't seem like too hard of a job though, I just didn't want to mess with a tranny flush myself, and figured he would do a better job anyway. Although, if you buy your own radiator, you can't take it to mercedes and have them do it I don't believe, they won't install any aftermarket stuff.
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From: Virginia
2002 C32
Don't look for a used Behr. Its like looking for used underwear on Ebay. The new radiator by Behr is in the low to mid $200 range.
I got rid of my dreaded valeo also. My service advisor insisted that if I had coolant contamination that I would see transmission oil in the coolant reservoir, but oh well. I didn't have any evidence of contamination that I could see. If you could see it with the naked eye there wouldn't be a glycol test now would there?
I did the job myself. I would estimate that the job would take between 4-6 hours for the non-MB tech type (me). However, I did many things at once, such as:
cleaning all associated parts (fan, shrouds, etc)
replace intercooler pump
replace thermostat
replace hoses
replace belt
thoroughly flush out old stupid green coolant and replace with M-B original.
All of this took me about 2.5 days. No major snags during the process, other than reaching that damn crankcase coolant drain plug.
regards,
Pete
I got rid of my dreaded valeo also. My service advisor insisted that if I had coolant contamination that I would see transmission oil in the coolant reservoir, but oh well. I didn't have any evidence of contamination that I could see. If you could see it with the naked eye there wouldn't be a glycol test now would there?
I did the job myself. I would estimate that the job would take between 4-6 hours for the non-MB tech type (me). However, I did many things at once, such as:
cleaning all associated parts (fan, shrouds, etc)
replace intercooler pump
replace thermostat
replace hoses
replace belt
thoroughly flush out old stupid green coolant and replace with M-B original.
All of this took me about 2.5 days. No major snags during the process, other than reaching that damn crankcase coolant drain plug.
regards,
Pete
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From: Toronto, Canada
C32 AMG
My car's production date is about the same, I have a Valeo and a coolant loss. Car is going to the dealer this Thursday and I will post the result.
I am not sure if the rad leak is as sure thing as the I/C pump failure, but I would wait until I see some coolant loss and then replace rad and transmission fluid. That is if I did not have the extended warranty. I will leave it to the dealer in my case but will also provide all stats that I have gathered on this forum and then pray
I am not sure if the rad leak is as sure thing as the I/C pump failure, but I would wait until I see some coolant loss and then replace rad and transmission fluid. That is if I did not have the extended warranty. I will leave it to the dealer in my case but will also provide all stats that I have gathered on this forum and then pray
