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I have a 2003 W211 E500 and don't drive it on a daily basis. I took it out this morning for a 5 mile drive. When I got back home I noticed a puddle of blue coolant on the ground. I looked, and the upper radiator hose (radiator connection) had started to work its way out which was causing the leak. I immediately went out and bought new upper and lower radiator hoses and put in new coolant.
When everything was installed I started the car and let it run for a good 20 minutes to check that it was not going to do it again. The temp gauge was steady around 100 and it was ok. After I shut the car off I looked at the upper hose connection again and it looked like it was starting to do it again but just a little bit. The lower radiator hose (connected to the radiator which is the same connection) did not move in the slightest.
Could it be the pin clasp that secures the hose in?
What is causing this issue? Is it the radiator? Please help, I do not want to blow a hose on the road. Thank you!
Last edited by sidewayzgt; 09-29-2015 at 12:32 AM.
I let the car cool off and wiggled the upper hose. The radiator connection has a slight amount of give (wiggle). I wiggled the lower hose and there is no give at all.. It is not leaking on top or on the bottom. Is this a problem with the securing clasp? If so, do I need to remove it and bend it? That thing is a pain to get on the right way lol. Any tricks for this?
Thanks for the reply. It does have the M113 motor and I have included pics of the radiator/hose connection and the clip. If the clip is worn out can it be bent back? I tried to bend it in a bit but it did not make a difference. Thanks [/url][/IMG][/url][/IMG]
Last edited by sidewayzgt; 09-29-2015 at 11:38 AM.
I solved the problem. I took the other clip off and it had widened itself on top somehow. I bent it in to match the other one and the problem is solved. Everything is nice and tight. Thanks for the help cmriv.
This situation happened to me before. My coolant was leaking from the upper radiator hose that goes inside the thermostat. I had my radiator hose replaced and it was still leaking. So i was like WTH! I took everything apart and I discovered it was the rubber O-ring seal ($3 at the dealer) that place inside the hose, it was worn out. Also try to change the U-shape clip/clamp as well if you have it.
Well I don't know if I am just paranoid but I still think there is something wrong. The cooling system has not leaked since but I am paranoid to take it in on a long trip. If you look closely at the pics on the right side, you will see that the upper radiator hose does not sit flush with the radiator like the lower hose does. When the system is pressurized it will work its way out a little bit more but not pop off. I can push it back in but it will slightly be out like the pics all the time. The upper radiator hose is brand new and I have a new clip as well. Is the clip not on correctly? Is the radiator inlet worn out? Is there a fix for this so I don't have to worry about it popping off on a long trip? Thanks
1988 BMW M5, 1989 BMW M3, 1979 Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, 2006 SL55 AMG w/ P30 Performance Pack
I wanted to revive this post so it can help someone else. Same problem with me. Leaking top hose, new hose with clip didn't solve the issue. If you have the original plastic radiator, 99.9% probability the neck where the hose attaches to is warped, cracked or worn. A new hose will not fix the leak! Most mechanics I have spoken to confirm this. BMW's have the same stupid attachments instead of good ole hose clamp systems. Good news....a new radiator is dirt cheap! If you can do it yourself. If you can't, labor will be a lot. High pressure hoses need to be removed the it's very tight and tricky down there. It took me 2 hours to replace the top hose because I didn't have enough room to leverage the new hose on. PITA for sure.
I have a 2003 W211 E500 and don't drive it on a daily basis. I took it out this morning for a 5 mile drive. When I got back home I noticed a puddle of blue coolant on the ground. I looked, and the upper radiator hose (radiator connection) had started to work its way out which was causing the leak. I immediately went out and bought new upper and lower radiator hoses and put in new coolant.
When everything was installed I started the car and let it run for a good 20 minutes to check that it was not going to do it again. The temp gauge was steady around 100 and it was ok. After I shut the car off I looked at the upper hose connection again and it looked like it was starting to do it again but just a little bit. The lower radiator hose (connected to the radiator which is the same connection) did not move in the slightest.
Could it be the pin clasp that secures the hose in?
What is causing this issue? Is it the radiator? Please help, I do not want to blow a hose on the road. Thank you!
I had my upper radiator hose POP out from the radiator after a drive then I left it sitting engine off. I had recently replaced my radiator and I guess the O ring over the upper radiator hose had expanded due to the constant heat so pushing the old radiator hose back to new radiator was little tricky. O ring was expanded and felt bigger than it needed to be and while pushing it in I could feel resistance so the hose really didnt want to seat properly. Also the CLIP that seats the hose to radiator seemed to be not as solid as it should to hold the hose there firmly.
09-28-2015, 09:40 PM
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