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2022 GLE AMG 63S: Driving from Chicago to our summer lake house in N Idaho and lost the coolant in Livingston, MT. Had it towed 230 miles to Missoula (only 2 Mercedes dealers in MT!!). Took a rock to one of the radiators. Took about 2 min of search on this forum to discover it is a big issue for everyone. Wife is ready to sell the car as we do this trip twice a year and she does not like riding in a tow truck with the dog....... Will take a week to get the part so had to rent a car to continue on to Idaho (Missoula dealer is far from a quality outfit). I read a bunch of discussions with what seemed to be older versions of this model. Does my 2022 model have the upgraded "screens" or mesh that I read about? Also, does anyone know of an OEM or aftermarket "kit" that can be used specifically for my car? If I don't sell, I'm thinking of cobbling something together to stuff in there just for my long trips. We love this car and it is a dream to drive cross country. We got 24 mpg as a high and averaged 22.3 mpg for the entire trip. While the $2K cost to fix it is annoying, getting stranded in the middle of no where sucks.
I had the same thing happen about a month ago to my 2022 GLE53 . The rock punctured the outer radiator and the car was still drivable. Main inner radiator was untouched thankfully. I wached the temperature over the 250 Mi back home and it never got into the danger zone and actually ran at normal temperature, but I drove slowly. I ordered this screen to stop the problem from happening in the future, but it's going to require removal of the front bumper to install it. I'm going to set up an appointment and let the dealer do it for me. The grill kit is about $24. The panamera grill is distinctive but lets in small debris easily. Would think that in addition to the main grill area, the GLE63 would also need protection down in the two lower intake areas too (those are not open on the 53).
2022 GLE AMG 63S: Driving from Chicago to our summer lake house in N Idaho and lost the coolant in Livingston, MT. Had it towed 230 miles to Missoula (only 2 Mercedes dealers in MT!!). Took a rock to one of the radiators. Took about 2 min of search on this forum to discover it is a big issue for everyone. Wife is ready to sell the car as we do this trip twice a year and she does not like riding in a tow truck with the dog....... Will take a week to get the part so had to rent a car to continue on to Idaho (Missoula dealer is far from a quality outfit). I read a bunch of discussions with what seemed to be older versions of this model. Does my 2022 model have the upgraded "screens" or mesh that I read about? Also, does anyone know of an OEM or aftermarket "kit" that can be used specifically for my car? If I don't sell, I'm thinking of cobbling something together to stuff in there just for my long trips. We love this car and it is a dream to drive cross country. We got 24 mpg as a high and averaged 22.3 mpg for the entire trip. While the $2K cost to fix it is annoying, getting stranded in the middle of no where sucks.
I'm sure it sucks especially whilst on a trip. In the grand scheme of things it's a rare occurrence when you really think about it. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw. Example: I've gone ten years without getting a flat tire then all of a sudden I get several in a year. I've gone years without a busted windshield then I got a couple one year.
I'm sure it sucks especially whilst on a trip. In the grand scheme of things it's a rare occurrence when you really think about it. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw. Example: I've gone ten years without getting a flat tire then all of a sudden I get several in a year. I've gone years without a busted windshield then I got a couple one year.
Local shop charged me 2.5 hrs labor to install. Short of finding some sort of "perfect" OEM solution that showed no attachment points, this is
the best I could find to solve the problem with this grill and road rocks entering. I am not taking it to a concours event, so I don't really care that
it is only a little noticeable, but then you need to stare to really see the zip ties unless you are within a couple feet of it.
All set for more road trips now....
Screen install (shot taken mid-install, not quite done yet but wanted to get a snap of the grill backside before bumper was put back on):
Front view:
Close-up:
Hope you guys never get stranded by a wayward object puncturing the cooling system.... this fits with my "no drama" rule in life. ;-)
Local shop charged me 2.5 hrs labor to install. Short of finding some sort of "perfect" OEM solution that showed no attachment points, this is
the best I could find to solve the problem with this grill and road rocks entering. I am not taking it to a concours event, so I don't really care that
it is only a little noticeable, but then you need to stare to really see the zip ties unless you are within a couple feet of it.
All set for more road trips now....
Screen install (shot taken mid-install, not quite done yet but wanted to get a snap of the grill backside before bumper was put back on):
Front view:
Close-up:
Hope you guys never get stranded by a wayward object puncturing the cooling system.... this fits with my "no drama" rule in life. ;-)
Thanks for taking time to show me your idea. I'm hoping my dealer will work with me on doing something similar.
We do 4 X 2000 mile cross country trips a year, each taking 3 days. What are your collective thoughts on zip tying some sort of screen over the grill(s) just for those 3 days? Would need to make sure there is no movement that could damage the paint. If I get a puncture near home, it's just $$$$$. In the middle of the beautiful US, you are stranded.
I had the same thing happen about a month ago to my 2022 GLE53 . The rock punctured the outer radiator and the car was still drivable. Main inner radiator was untouched thankfully. I wached the temperature over the 250 Mi back home and it never got into the danger zone and actually ran at normal temperature, but I drove slowly. I ordered this screen to stop the problem from happening in the future, but it's going to require removal of the front bumper to install it. I'm going to set up an appointment and let the dealer do it for me. The grill kit is about $24. The panamera grill is distinctive but lets in small debris easily. Would think that in addition to the main grill area, the GLE63 would also need protection down in the two lower intake areas too (those are not open on the 53).
I wanted the screen with the cutout around the radar / distance unit behind star. Really was just best guess and the other kit just didn't appear to be a clean install, but, that was just my guess without being able to see behind the grill from the outside. The round cutout areas are what made me choose the one I did. It fits great, so I'm happy. I was only concerned about the sides on the main Panamera grill. I don't care about the other areas and I didn't install any screen in those areas. Kit was inexpensive, so no big deal if I had to order another choice if the first one wasn't going to work.
We do 4 X 2000 mile cross country trips a year, each taking 3 days. What are your collective thoughts on zip tying some sort of screen over the grill(s) just for those 3 days? Would need to make sure there is no movement that could damage the paint. If I get a puncture near home, it's just $$$$$. In the middle of the beautiful US, you are stranded.
Originally Posted by jaxslk
That's certainly an option. I did not research temp solutions like that, but let us know what you find as others may benefit from that info.
Ok....here is my temporary approach for this summer in N. Idaho and our various trips cross country. Looks a little hillbilly, but I could care less if it stops rocks from puncturing my radiator(s). It is amazing that there is zero protection through the front grill...you look straight through to the radiators. The screen actually covers every place
where a rock could do damage, other than the bottom inside corners. May not be perfect but it should stop 99% of the rocks. I watched my temperature gauge while driving and it seems to have no effect at all on cooling (when driving normally of course).
That's a great idea for temporary protection! Did you just use fiberglass screening or something more robust? I would not worry about the looks...you're just giving it the overlander look!
That's a great idea for temporary protection! Did you just use fiberglass screening or something more robust? I would not worry about the looks...you're just giving it the overlander look!
This is the material I used (Amazon):
AggAuto Universal 40"x13" Car Grill Mesh - 100x33cm Aluminum Alloy Automotive Grille Insert Bumper 3x6mm Rhombic Hole, One of the Most Multifunctional Shape Grids Black
The black matches well with the grill and the material is quite stiff so it kind of molds to the contour and does not move. I was going to use zip ties but could not figure how to loop them around the grill laterals and back through the screen. So I used aluminum wire and twisted it to tighten. I then painted the silver wire black to not show as much. Again, will not win a concours but I feel much better with some protection. I am still amazed that Mercedes doesn't protect the radiators better....everyone else seems to be able to do it. They could keep the same grill and just put mesh behind it. Anyway, so far so good.
So far so good on my "temporary" fix. Just returned from another 2000 mile journey with no drama. Lots of things collected on the screen which would have ended up on the radiator fins. The lower radiators in the front have a little protection from the factory covering the radiator fins. Underneath on the bottom, the radiators are completely exposed. I looked after the trip and could see dents in the fins where rocks had bounced up and hit it. I used the same material as on the front and was able to cover those also. Fortunately you cannot see anything as it is underneath the car. Getting ready to make our next cross country trip and feeling better that at least there is some protection now. I know it doesn't look great but when I'm driving I can't see it and the car is a blast to drive.
I vaguely recall this being an issue previously for the GLE63 with the coolers down low, inches above the pavement. I had a close look today at mine and it seems there is some sort of metal grid in front of the coolers that will offer some protection from larger rocks anyway. I'm not sure when this was added but it clearly will offer some protection.
I vaguely recall this being an issue previously for the GLE63 with the coolers down low, inches above the pavement. I had a close look today at mine and it seems there is some sort of metal grid in front of the coolers that will offer some protection from larger rocks anyway. I'm not sure when this was added but it clearly will offer some protection.
Yes, mine has the same "cover" on the lower intakes on the front. The big issue is under underneath the front, below the main radiator. You need to bend down and look up. There is a row of radiators (I think the part number says something about battery cooler.....) that has zero protection. This is where rocks bounce UP underneath and make holes that leak. Here is a picture of what I did underneath.
Yes, mine has the same "cover" on the lower intakes on the front. The big issue is under underneath the front, below the main radiator. You need to bend down and look up. There is a row of radiators (I think the part number says something about battery cooler.....) that has zero protection. This is where rocks bounce UP underneath and make holes that leak. Here is a picture of what I did underneath.
That looks like a reasonable solution.
My only concern would be that it restricts airflow.
But I'd think there'd be internal sensors that would compensate for that, unless you were driving really hard.
My only concern would be that it restricts airflow.
But I'd think there'd be internal sensors that would compensate for that, unless you were driving really hard.
Yes, I had the same concern regarding airflow. I monitored the temperature over a variety of driving conditions (freeway, city, stop and go, etc.) with no issues. As you noted, it might be an issue under aggressive driving but that is something I leave to my other cars at the track. I used the same material I have on the front and had no issues on the main cooling driving across the country. It's a shame to disturb the great looks of the AMG visual profile but utility wins out in the end. As I said, this car is a dream to drive long distances.
Yes, mine has the same "cover" on the lower intakes on the front. The big issue is under underneath the front, below the main radiator. You need to bend down and look up. There is a row of radiators (I think the part number says something about battery cooler.....) that has zero protection. This is where rocks bounce UP underneath and make holes that leak. Here is a picture of what I did underneath.
That's look like a great option. What material did you use? Are you able to share a link ?
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
