NoS-LiVeD

Hi everyone,
Recently I noticed that my temp gauge was going wayyy up, and its almost always residing between the mark above the 80, which has no number beside it (is that a 100?) and 120C, I belive its always at 110C even though my mechanic says thats 95, which I think is stupid, because he said that the red line is 120 and the white line thats adjacent to it is 110.

Anyway this happens only in the afternoon, from about 1200 to 1700, when outside temperature can go as high as 60C is the sun (Thats 140F), no kidding at night it stays closer to the un-number mark, A/C on or off, and no matter how hard I punch it.

A leak has developed near the waterpump area, its not coolant, rather its an oily resiude, which two different garages said was fuel vapour, which I also think is since it leaves black marks when wiped. the fuel rail and injectors show no sign of leakage, I really want to get this leak down as the sound of the engine idling has changed slightly since it started to develope and the idle isn't as smooth as it used to (It was so smooth you could'nt know if it was switched on or off!!)

Also a coolant leak has started near the expansion tank because my stupid mechanic put an expansion tank from another benz model and cut the pipe leading to it from the radiator because the inlet design is different

Oh, one last thing, is it normal for the connectors for the temp sensor and other sensor to break as soon as I touch them! I broke 6 tabs today just by touching!! the harness is alright, no splitting or anything, just maybe the connectors can't whistand the heat maybe??

Thanks all, the car is a M119 400E.

EDIT: I forgot, my mileage has decrease by some 30% since all this started.

mgw_300e

If there's oil where there should only be coolant, it could be a sign of a blown head gasket.

I don't have any answers for your other questions.

By the way - where do you live, on the sun? 140F is HOT!!!

natural_person

Yes, it is normal for the plastic to break apart due to the high temperature underneath the hoods of our cars (I have the same model you have - a 400E 1992). I had the mechanic replace the thermostat at the same time as the antifreeze change, added a bottle of Water Wetter, and did the modification to turn the cooling fan on at a lower temperature that Jim documented here at http://pages.prodigy.net/jforgione/MB_CTS.html . Costs about $1.00 to do. I had to replace my connector too - it disintegrated as soon as I touched it.

My temperature meter now hovers at 70 degrees Celsius with 24 degrees Celcius weather, but even during our 36 degrees day two weeks ago it never went over 80 Celcius.

Eric

neanderthal

where in the hell do you live if its getting that hot?

edit perhaps you were exaggerating just a little.

NoS-LiVeD

Maybe my estimate of 60C was way too much (the weather forecast states the temepratures in the shadow, which is around 45C, should be no less than 10C more in the sun I think)

I'm in the united arab emirates, can't expect less heat from a desert country.

If I had a blown head gasket wont I get a coolant leak rather than oil? its much easier for coolant to exit the head gasket than oil if the HG is damaged. Oil and coolant are both clear now. there dosen't seem to be any mixing.

Glad to hear the connectors snap all around the globe! (ban pun, sorry natural person), why didn't MB make them of better materieal?

For the time being i'm thinking about removing the thermostat and testing the cooling system without it, does removing it need the coolant to be drained?

Today in the afternoon I tested the car again, 90% of the time the temp was around 105 (the numberless dash, please verify this for me if its a 100C or not guys), and wen't between that dash and 120 for some minutes.

Switching the A/C off can reduce the heat by 10C. also revving the engine in N to 1500rpm decreases it by no less than 5C (if the A/C is off too it can go down some 15C).

of course all these numbers are approximate, while i'm still unsure of that numberless dash (was it too hard for them to put a number there, doh?)

Thanks a lot mbworld members.

NoS-LiVeD

Here, found a pic on ebay, excuse me for the bad 'mspaint' job

So is it 100C or 90C. if you don't know tell me its the later and let me be a happy man.

battlecat714

dude you're ok...it should be in the middle but it was prolly idling.

NoS-LiVeD

That pic is not my car mine's almost always at that numberless mark above 80.

Koolwipski

I have a 1992 400E as well and mine also runs at the tick mark above 80. It has been 100 F here in Texas for many straight days. I was told this is normal.

BTW - My wiring harness is shot - causing false codes to be thrown, strange things happening. Car goes into fail safe mode. I will need to replace soon.

Mazinger

I've been browsing some pics for 8-cylinder MB clusters as well, and at least the japanese ones (like mine) are almost always at that dash.

My car has a fuel-cooler that is not available on the european versions, strange for a realitively cold country such as Japan, do the US W124's have this too? its connected to the refrigidant line.

Electricly my 124 seems sound, for now at least

Gotta live with its minor faults until something breaks down


BTW anyone consider the MB condeser to be rather huge than other manufacturers?

EDIT: lol I am NoS-LiVeD, I made this nick 'mazinger' a long time ago when i forgot the password (and email, lol) for the NoS-LiVeD account, i remembered the pass for mazinger just now by mistake. haha.

Mazinger

UPDATE: yesterday I burbed the cooling system (running the engine at idle with the expansion tank cap off and heater on full blast) it seems that the temperature went no less than 8C down!! I think there was air trapped in the system and it went off. I didnt put the car on an incline while doing so, will burb again on a steep incline (when I find one) and hopefully that will get rid of any additional air.
Temp now is about 100C with the A/C on full blast, its just stays on the tick above the 80 (We really should give this tick a name).

neanderthal

that mark is the 100 degree mark. and anywhere in that area is fine as we all have already said. dont let it get to the red area above 120. notice i didnt say dont let it get to 120. i said above.

by the way, you should be grateful the car doenst lie to you like most car, especially the new ones. they just have a cool and hot mark and an in between area that is "fine under all operating circumstances." they will only go up to the red area when a certain temp range has been passed. ours will go up and down according to what the actual temperature is.

as for "burping" your system, you should always try to add coolant with the front of the car slightly higher in order to let air migrate to the higher parts and give you a better "fill." if you cant, you can loosen the nut like thingamajig on top of the thermostat housing and that should normally vent the air out.

Mazinger

yeah, I had an E38 740iL and the gauge would stay in the middle no matter how hard I drove it, even in intense traffic still stayed in the same place. I really like this system.
Do newer MB's also show the real temperature or no?

Falconeer

Hello...
I am in UAE too buddy... Where you at? It does not get to 60 Celcius here. Just the worst I've had is 50c (not my car thermo, the gas station said it was that bad on Dhaid road) Thats in the middle of the damn dessert.

Anyways, my temp stays as shown in that car pic above in the sun and in Sharjah traffic! At night at exactly 80 Celcius.

About the rest of the stuff, I have a great mechanic. You got major leaks. Check and let me know if your coolant is Chocalatey? (spelling?) I mean chocolate-milk-brown color. That is usually very bad news for any car.

Mazinger

Which mechanic do you go to? my coolant is as clear as new, so is the engine oil.

My Engine should be a little hotter than yours because the V8 is crammed in the engine bay. I'm happy with the temperature now.

regards

Falconeer

Mazinger.

You in UAE too? Or Saudi? Anyways, theres this Brit guy in Al Quoz area, he is expensive as hell, but he is GOOD. His bill for anytthing is not less than
800 Dirhams ($220).

The other guy is in Sharjah, his place looks like a junk yard, but he only works on Mercedes Benz.

Mazinger

Seems like you are talking about digitec?

I'm in the UAE.

Falconeer

No, I am talking about SARC (Specialty Auto Repair "something")!

How is Digitech? Know anyone cheap, but good???? I got a FUEL PROBLEM . See my other thread please.

Mazinger

I haven't been to a single garage that wasn't rubbish so far, I told the guy at digitec to flush by brake fluid becasue it was 'mushy' the service manager pumped the pedal and there is a sound coming from ther (little friction, not my real problem) he tells me I need a servo, and I'm like WTF the car dosen't even have a servo brake, its all mechanical, So I tell him I want to flush the fluid regardless of his "servo" problem, he takes it inside and the flipinno guy pumps the brakes and says the friction sound that the service manager thought was a servo was no problem , well i sit in the lounge and await them to flush my fluid (mistake) they finish and I test drive it, and sure the brake feel is a little better than before.

Some weeks later I open the hood only to see brake fluid spilling all over the master cylinder resovoir, they overfilled it so much it started to leak, and I don't even think the fluid was changed, just added more and removed most of the air form the system. Lesson learned, do your own maintainance yourself and if you need to take it to a garage be sure to see everything that they do.

Try greenline in sharjah (bmw road) I tried him, he is good, I'd rate him like 6/10 don't let him get your spare parts, the expansion tank he put is from the wrong model for my car, and the A/C valve is from a W140 not the type of garage that goes by the book for everything (torque ratings for bolts....etc) but gets the job done. Actually I don't even think gargash workshop fix the benzes they got by the book. I heard many bad stories about gargash too. never treid them (and hopefully wont).

Falconeer

Hey Dude!

Call me 050 559 1704.
I go to Hanover Garage, further down on BMW Road. Near Sedana Signal.

By the way, I do the brake fluid thinggie myself every year. Just when you are in for an oil change, tell them to suck some fluid off from the master cylinder reservoir. And put some new one. Been doing that for three years in a row now, the brakes feel great. The new fluid addedx makes up for the absorbed moisture.

Waiting for your call...

Mazinger

Never heard of hanover garage. Maybe i'll check it sometime.

Its better to talk to me via the forum or PM