I remember I read somewhere here that we should only add MB coolant to our cars. Other coolant, like Prestone, when mixed with MB coolant may gum up and damages the radiator.

I searched this forum with the keywood "coolant" and could no longer find the thread. Can someone please confirm if this is true? Is there a MB approved list like the ATF and engine oil?

 

Yes, there are certain compatible antifreeze formulas that meet MB spec. I believe the easiest to find is Zerex G-05.

 

325.3 ~ The real long life coolants.

Stand: 09.01.2014
PRODUKTNAME AUFTRAGGEBER
Alpine Langzeitkühlerfrostschutz Mitan Mineralöl GmbH, Ankum/Deutschland
ARAL Antifreeze Silikatfrei Aral Aktiengesellschaft, Hamburg/Deutschland
BP Procool BP p.l.c., LONDON/UNITED KINGDOM
Caltex Extended Life Coolant Chevron Global Lubricants, GENT/ZWIJNAARDE/BELGIUM
cartechnic Kühlerschutz CT 12 plus Auto-Teile-Ring GmbH, Stuttgart/Deutschland
Castrol Radicool SF Castrol Limited, SWINDON/UNITED KINGDOM
CLASSIC KOLDA UE G30 CLASSIC Schmierstoff GmbH & Co. KG, Hoya/Deutschland
Cool Stream Premium OAO Technoform, Moskow region, Klimovsk P.O.Box 142184/RUSSIA
EUROLUB Kühlerschutz D-30 EUROLUB GmbH, Eching/Deutschland
EVOX Premium Concentrate MOL-LUB Ltd., ALMÀSFÜZITÖ/HUNGARY
Final Charge Global Coolant Old World Industries, Inc., Northbrook, IL 60062/USA
Fuchs MAINTAIN FRICOFIN G 12 PLUS Fuchs Petrolub AG, Mannheim/Deutschland
Fuchs MAINTAIN FRICOFIN LL Fuchs Petrolub AG, Mannheim/Deutschland
G-ENERGY ANTIFREEZE SNF Gazpromneft-Lubricants LTD, MOSCOW/RUSSIA
Glidex Extra Premium CHEMIA-BOMAR, SKOROGOSZCZ/POLAND
Glysantin® G30® BASF SE, Ludwigshafen/Deutschland
Havoline XLC (OF02) Arteco n.v., Zwijnaarde/BELGIUM
Havoline XLC Concentrate Chevron Global Lubricants, GENT/ZWIJNAARDE/BELGIUM
Havoline XLC+B Arteco n.v., Zwijnaarde/BELGIUM
K-140 Energy - Plus Krafft S.L., ANDOAIN (Guipuzcoa)/SPAIN
Kuttenkeuler Antifreeze K 12 Plus Kuttenkeuler GmbH, Köln/Deutschland
LLC C521 CCI Manufacturing IL Corporation, Lemont, IL 60439/USA
LLC L415 CCI Corporation UK Ltd., London W5 1YY/UNITED KINGDOM
Mobil Delvac ELC Coolant Exxon Mobil Corporation, FAIRFAX, Virginia/USA
Neste Superjäähdytinneste XLC Neste Markkinointi Oy, Neste Oil/FINLAND
OMV coolant SF OMV Refining & Marketing GmbH, VIENNA/Österreich
PO EXTENDED LIFE coolant Petrol Ofisi Anonim Sirketi, Istanbul/TURKEY
PROCAR Kühlerschutz silikatfrei EUROLUB GmbH, Eching/Deutschland
Protex LL Orvema B.V., Maarssen/THE NETHERLANDS
Startol Top G 12 Plus Müller Mineralöle GmbH & Co. KG , Eschweiler/Deutschland
Tedex Antifreeze OT LL Tedex S.A., Piaseczno/POLAND
Total Glacelf Auto Supra Total Lubrifiants, PARIS la Defense Cedex/FRANCE
Ursa ELC NF Concentrate Chevron Global Lubricants, GENT/ZWIJNAARDE/BELGIUM
Zerex G 30 The Valvoline Company, LEXINGTON, KY/USA

 

or 325.0 ~ lesser long life coolant

Stand: 09.01.2014
PRODUKTNAME AUFTRAGGEBER
MB 325.0 Korrosion-/Frostschutzmittel A 000 989 08 25 Daimler AG, Stuttgart/Deutschland
Alpine C 48 Mitan Mineralöl GmbH, Ankum/Deutschland
Anticongelante GHD Premium Lubricantes de América, S.A. de C.V., SANTA CATARINA/MEXICO
Anticongelante LHD Premium Lubricantes de América, S.A. de C.V., SANTA CATARINA/MEXICO
Anticongelante Voltro® Comercial Roshfrans, S.A. de C.V., MÈXICO, D.F./MEXICO
Antifreeze RL-Plus Raloy Lubricantes, S.A. de C.V., Santiago Tianguistenco/MEXICO
ANTIGEL POWER COOLING SMB, Saint Priest Cedex/FRANCE
ARAL Antifreeze Extra Aral Aktiengesellschaft, Hamburg/Deutschland
AVIA ANTIFREEZE APN Avia Mineralöl-AG, München/Deutschland
Castrol Antifreeze NF Castrol Limited, SWINDON/UNITED KINGDOM
Castrol Radicool NF Castrol Limited, SWINDON/UNITED KINGDOM
CLASSIC KOLDA UE G48 CLASSIC Schmierstoff GmbH & Co. KG, Hoya/Deutschland
Concentrate Coolant (G48) China Changchun Delian Chemical Co. Ltd., CHANGCHUN/P. R. of CHINA
Concentrate Coolant G48 Changchun Delian Chemical Co. Ltd., CHANGCHUN/P. R. of CHINA
COOLANT G48 CONCENTRATE Bucher AG Langenthal, LANGENTHAL/Schweiz
Engen Antifreeze & Summer Coolant Unico Manufacturing, Durban/REPUBLIC of SOUTHAFRICA
ENGMAN´S SUPER ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT Unico Manufacturing, Durban/REPUBLIC of SOUTHAFRICA
EUROLUB KÜHLERSCHUTZ D-48 EXTRA EUROLUB GmbH, Eching/Deutschland
Fuchs MAINTAIN FRICOFIN Fuchs Petrolub AG, Mannheim/Deutschland
Genantin Super Clariant GmbH, Frankfurt/Main/Deutschland
Glidex Extra CHEMIA-BOMAR, SKOROGOSZCZ/POLAND
Glysantin® G05® BASF SE, Ludwigshafen/Deutschland
Glysantin® G48® BASF SE, Ludwigshafen/Deutschland
INA Antifriz Al Super INA MAZIVA Ltd., ZAGREB/CROATIA
Krafft Refrigerant ACU 2300 Krafft S.L., ANDOAIN (Guipuzcoa)/SPAIN
LUBEX ANTIFREEZE TSM Belgin Madeni Yaglar Tic. Ve San. A.S., Gebze Kocaeli/TURKEY
MOFIN Kühlerfrostschutz M48 Premium Protect BVG Blume GmbH, Bomlitz/Deutschland
Motorex Antifreeze G05 Bucher AG Langenthal, LANGENTHAL/Schweiz
OMV coolant plus OMV Refining & Marketing GmbH, VIENNA/Österreich
PANOLIN ANTI-FROST MT-325 PANOLIN AG, MADETSWIL/Schweiz
PO Özel Antifriz Petrol Ofisi Anonim Sirketi, Istanbul/TURKEY
polyston(R) G48(R) FRIPOO Produkte AG, Grüningen/Schweiz
Power Cool Off-Highway Detroit Diesel Corporation, DETROIT, Michigan 48239-4001/USA
PROCAR Kühlerschutz Extra EUROLUB GmbH, Eching/Deutschland
RAVENOL Alu-Kühlerfrostschutz -exclusiv- Ravensberger Schmierstoffvertrieb GmbH, Werther/Deutschland
RAVENOL HTC Hybrid Techn. Coolant Concen Ravensberger Schmierstoffvertrieb GmbH, Werther/Deutschland
ROWE Hightec Antifreeze AN ROWE Mineralölwerk GmbH, Bubenheim/Deutschland
VOLTRONIC Coolant AN Voltronic & ACT GmbH, Bad Boll/Deutschland
York 716 Ginouves Georges SAS, TOULON /FRANCE
Zerex G 05 The Valvoline Company, LEXINGTON, KY/USA
Zerex G 48 The Valvoline Company, LEXINGTON, KY/USA

 

325.0 products are fine. I'm not sure I would leave them in for 15 years.

In any case 15 years is dependent on having a silica gel sachet in your cooling system to maintain silicate levels.

 

Thanks. Good to know.

The most popular brand here is Prestone. When my water pump broke last year, I put in Prestone as a workaround. When the dealership replaced the pump the next day, they also flushed the coolant and replaced the thermostat as well.

 

Thanks for posting the list. Just got the P0128 code today. Looks like it's pretty easy replacing the thermostat on a '05 6cyl 320CLK. Naturally, it's been below 20 degrees these last bunch of day in NNJ and more snow is on the way.


I REALLY need a house with a 3 car garage (and a lift would be nice)

 

Me too! I can't tell you how close I have come to buying one of those $2K hydraulic "portable" lifts.

 

I picked up a Stant housing today. $34 at my local autoparts store.
It looks simple enough to get to. Drain the coolant? I don't think so.


Anyway, so what's with those star-headed bolts? Can I get away with a regular socket or does Sears carry those sockets?


Why can't MB do things like everyone else?

 

Sears carry Torx & reverse Torx drivers.

 

Reverse Torx. Thanks.

 

Sears carries a nice, heavy-duty "Max Access" socket set that works on may types of bolt heads. Here's one such set, and they have many others with various combinations of socket sizes:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-19pc-...1&blockType=G1

 

I was looking at their "Universal access" set. But anything Universal scares me. But if it it has your blessing - I'll invest. Ty.

 

The sockets are made with high-strength hardened steel, like sockets use for impact wrenches. So far, I am very pleased with them.