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Hi everyone, I had a pretty scary experience yesterday after replacing my radiator. After the install i ran the engine and everything looked good, no leaks. Took it for a drive and the transmission cooler lines started leaking heavily and I barely made it home in first gear. I don't know if I damaged the transmission but I'm going to disassemble everything. The lines are very rusted and were difficult to install in the new radiator but I was sure they were attached properly. I think the line itself broke and I will determine this once I have the car apart, but I need a part number check on the two lines. Various sites say they don't fit as my car is 4matic.
Upper line - 2112700527
Lower line - 2112700027
Last edited by Onyxthecat; 09-02-2022 at 07:57 AM.
It depends on which model you have. Some had the lines attach to the back side of the radiator some were front. I had the same thing happen when I upgraded to a V8 radiator and decided to simply by pass the stock cooler and got to a dedicated aftermarket cooler mounted in front of the condenser. Only you replace the radiator there's simply no way to reliably reattach the lines.
Thanks guys, the video was helpful and may have been the cause. The parts diagram shows the oil cooler lines but they do not look like mine. My lines attach from the front.
Good luck getting the parts. I had the same scenario back in May. Replaced the radiator and salvaged the lines carefully. Drove a few thousand miles before one split and pumped the trans dry. The dealership took 6 weeks to get parts and repair. Then the line popped off after a week and they blamed the clips that came with the radiator. It’s still at the dealership.
Damn man that sucks, hope you get you car back soon. Maybe the parts were special order? The clips that go onto the radiator do come off easily but they only fit one way. Maybe there's a way to just epoxy them in place? My clips did not blow off of the radiator when I inspected them so mine definitely cracked most likely in the extremely rusted area. I was able to remove the lines this morning (Very rusty) and I ordered the new ones from eEuroparts.com. Their website says these are only for the base E500 but they are an exact match to the 4Matic cars so idk why their site says that. I will update once the new lines arrive.
UPDATE: The car is fixed. I decided to install the lines onto the radiator first and quadruple check everything was seated and clipped properly. Tugged on the lines a bit and they were solid. Reinstalled everything and topped off the fluids and the car runs perfectly. I was worried I had damaged the transmission after losing so much fluid but the shifting is right on and no check engine light or codes. The only thing is that the new upper line did not come with the small bracket and fastener to attach the lines together, I just used a stainless steel zip tie to keep them from moving around. I did try to remove the old bracket but it crumbled away lol.
UPDATE: The trans lines popped off multiple times. Had to get towed home and re-evaluate. Turns out the small metal clips that hold the lines have a lower tolerance than OEM when pushed onto the plastic housing and they allow the lines to come off over time. I removed them and bent the clips past the normal amount and pushed them back on. I then made a simple bracket that I then epoxied to the radiator to physically hold the line on so it cannot move. It's a crude solution but so far it's been working. Nissen makes the radiator so I would suggest bending the clips for a tighter fit if you are doing this job.
UPDATE: Lines popped off again and I'm done with this radiator. Had to be towed home from South Brooklyn 20 miles back to my house in queens. This is being removed and returned to FCP Euro. Do not recommend this to anyone and I suggest going with the OEM part.
UPDATE: Lines popped off again and I'm done with this radiator. Had to be towed home from South Brooklyn 20 miles back to my house in queens. This is being removed and returned to FCP Euro. Do not recommend this to anyone and I suggest going with the OEM part.
It's not the radiator. It's the transmission cooler connection design. One time use garbage. This is why I bypassed the radiator and went to a completely separate transmission cooler.
Ok well, a bad trans cooler could explain why the fluid was boiling out of the radiator. I'm not able to do the bypass atm, so maybe just replacing the cooler itself?
Hi, I don't have part numbers for these. I used the ones that came with the OEM radiator that I eventually returned. I was mislabled from the factory and did not fit my car. I'm sure the number exists somehwere as I would like to have it as well.
Which line goes to the left side of the transmission?
Originally Posted by Onyxthecat
UPDATE: The car is fixed. I decided to install the lines onto the radiator first and quadruple check everything was seated and clipped properly. Tugged on the lines a bit and they were solid. Reinstalled everything and topped off the fluids and the car runs perfectly. I was worried I had damaged the transmission after losing so much fluid but the shifting is right on and no check engine light or codes. The only thing is that the new upper line did not come with the small bracket and fastener to attach the lines together, I just used a stainless steel zip tie to keep them from moving around. I did try to remove the old bracket but it crumbled away lol.
Hello,
In this picture which line goes to the left of the transmission and which one goes to the right side of the transmission?
09-02-2022, 07:47 AM
Transmission cooler lines part check
