Hello,
I don't know if I have done a smart thing or a very stupid one. I recently purchased a 1992 500SL . It was a flood car that came from NJ. The car has 70,870 original miles , all service records, all factory and dealer upgrades and doesnt have a single scratch on it. It also runs and drives. Here is the issue. It doesnt run hot yet but the radiator seems to be blowing steam. I have put fresh coolant in the vehicle and it seemed to work fine. I cut the vehicle off and checked the hoses. The upper hose was burning hot but the bottom hose was cold and empty. Any thoughts?

 

Wow no advise?

 

does the radiator look like it is clear of any debris? do you know anything about the flooding? what is the temp reading on the dash? when you run the car turn the heat on full, it the return line from heater core warm?

 

It's the thermostat. It doesn't open. That's why the bottom half is cold and the upper half is hot.

 

Thanks I replaced it and sure enough the problem was corrected.

 

Radiator was clear , it was a fresh water flood and the water was covered the bottom of the seats. I would bet that all the relays on the floor are toast as seats , mirrors, windows are not working.

 

Dry it out completely, going as far as putting the motors and electronics in rice (it will act as a desiccant and dry them. It just might work.

 

My 92 had 101k when I bought it, 2 owners, garaged, 14 years of service records, rebuilt trans and wiring harnesses, original paint, no wrecks...."the one" for $8k. And I've still spent over $5,000 in 2 years getting it "perfect," and I have about 2-3k more to go. Top hydraulics are fun. My advice is when one cylinder goes, rebuild them all together, otherwise they will fail one after the other, in unison.

Be very careful with interior wood and plastic, including AC vents and dials. They will break. 20 year old plastic is past its life. This includes the parking brake release. Mine, and my buddy's on his 91, both broke off last year. These parts are not cheap!

If the car was submerged, I'd be worried about any number of electronic components under the hood as well. Then again, all depends on what you expect from the purchase/ownership experience.

There is no such thing as a "bargain" or "Project" Mercedes from this era unless you have $10-20k to spend. Just buy a perfect one for $12-15k (which is what a pristine, concours 92 would run you).