ARRRGGHHH Upper radiator hose leak
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 780
Likes: 11
From: Dallas, TX
Range Rover
ARRRGGHHH Upper radiator hose leak
After a long hard week of running my business and tackling the ABC hose issue this week on my new to me CL, I decided to treat myself last night and get an all star breakfast at waffle house. They had no milk in stock so I asked for hot tea instead and after coming back saying that hadn't any hot tea, I left. It's at this point the fear of (whatever deity you believe in ) came inside as I saw a green puddle on the floor. (There is a movie where the character says " I JUST FIXED THE D@^! THING" but I forgot what movie... STAR TREK V!!!!)
Fearing another ABC hose had decided to say "F()(^ it" on me again like my last 4 finance's, I went home and checked to see which one it was. SURPRISE SURPRISE. Its the upper radiator hose. You know your car is a nightmare when your excited your coolant Is leaking from a plus 100 dollar hose. Anyway, I removed the hose this morning. Ill pick up another at the dealer. It has a hairline crack in the plastic part at the end. Not to difficult to remove. Definitely going to need to pick up a few liters of coolant. Pulling it out was a pain from the radiator. Had to use my screw driver as a lever and pull at the same time.
I was tempted to save the coolant into a pan but after the abc hose sprayed a lot in the area I felt it probably wasn't a good idea as it would be contaminated . Some little woodland critters & baby rabbits will meet a untimely end today (Darwinism) if their thirsty and next to my car. Here's the hose, highly recommend people replace it if you have never. pick up an idler pulley to. I going to change that while in working on it today so not to have the same situation that happen to me in the S Class. Here are pics of the break.
Happy
everyone 
Fearing another ABC hose had decided to say "F()(^ it" on me again like my last 4 finance's, I went home and checked to see which one it was. SURPRISE SURPRISE. Its the upper radiator hose. You know your car is a nightmare when your excited your coolant Is leaking from a plus 100 dollar hose. Anyway, I removed the hose this morning. Ill pick up another at the dealer. It has a hairline crack in the plastic part at the end. Not to difficult to remove. Definitely going to need to pick up a few liters of coolant. Pulling it out was a pain from the radiator. Had to use my screw driver as a lever and pull at the same time.
I was tempted to save the coolant into a pan but after the abc hose sprayed a lot in the area I felt it probably wasn't a good idea as it would be contaminated . Some little woodland critters & baby rabbits will meet a untimely end today (Darwinism) if their thirsty and next to my car. Here's the hose, highly recommend people replace it if you have never. pick up an idler pulley to. I going to change that while in working on it today so not to have the same situation that happen to me in the S Class. Here are pics of the break.
Happy
everyone
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 780
Likes: 11
From: Dallas, TX
Range Rover
All fixed. The part at the dealer was 79 bucks, not bad. Everything installed with two cases of coolant and all is well now. Surprisingly the hose was simple to put on. I read struggles about getting it on and off the radiator point.
can it be the radiator or the piece I bought is faulty?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,474
Likes: 439
From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
It is not unknown for the plastic tank to crack. A fine crack in black plastic can be very hard to see. Old-time mechanics had a trick for that...
Get a box of corn starch from the grocery - this is a very fine white powder. Clean and dry the area around the suspected leak area. Use a soda straw to blow corn starch from your hand or a small open container onto the area. Any leak will be very apparent.
Get a box of corn starch from the grocery - this is a very fine white powder. Clean and dry the area around the suspected leak area. Use a soda straw to blow corn starch from your hand or a small open container onto the area. Any leak will be very apparent.
