B3NCLARKE

Hi

Got a 2016 C63 with 9k on the clock. After a motorway trip noticed it was dripping coolant from the nearside front wheel arch, no alerts or anything on the dash, temp and everything normal so dropped off at local dealer (only 2 miles up the road).

Do not have full details yet as this was late on friday, but spoke with service tech and have been advised there is a hole in the radiator and I need a new one?

Obviously not impressed with this, has anybody got any experience on this, how can a car worth 70k less than a year old get taken out by a stone! being quoted £800 as classed as accidental.

Will post more tomorrow once have full incident description from tech

roy777

Radiator fins in general are very fragile. They are made thin so that wind can cool it off more efficiently. Once I was just working on a car and lightly tapped the radiator with my screwdriver when it slipped out of my hands, it caused a gouge and started leaking.

So I am not too surprised by the chance of luck that a small peddle may have kicked up from the road and happens to hit your radiator.

ItalianJoe1

I have a C63s Cab in the shop with 650 miles on it, debris punctured the intercooler radiator and it is waiting on a replacement one from germany.

Sucks, but damage happens to every car, has no bearing on the cost of the car or the age.

Mr. J

I have never had a radiator damaged by road debris short of a collision. I've driven all sorts of vehicles in all sorts of conditions both on road and off.

This repair should be covered under warranty.

RDOCA

NOT--
everyone would like a warranty here but if it shows a rock dent where it was hit it is NOT a problem for the company.

ItalianJoe1

Your personal experience doesn't mean it doesn't happen all the time. I've replaced lots of condensers for impact damage from road debris. Sucks, but that's life. Insurance would cover it if the cost was insane but for most people it's not worth the deductible. On these cars it happens that there's a charge air cooler radiator in front, so it takes the hit.

Warranty covers you against any defect of the part. Me throwing a rock into it, not really the cars fault, right?

skim7x

Should have gotten the armor-plated upgrade for the radiator.


This is not warranty territory, obviously. Just bad luck, sorry, it happens. Good luck getting it fixed! Best I can tell you is take it to a 3rd party mechanic -- they can probably find a used radiator (just as good as new) and install it for a fraction of the price that the stealership is going to charge you.

auditoamg

Anyone tried putting mesh in front to prevent it? Used to do this on my Audi.