dustinN

I hired a mobile mechanic to do the coolant flush on my E63 and now after viewing the How To section, I think he didn't do it right.
1. For sure he didn't drain coolant from engine block because he didn't even remove the engine under tray
2. He used tap water to mix (Will this eventually ruin my cooling system?)
3. Was 1 gallon of concentrate antifreeze agent enough?
The temp was around 100 - 103 c degrees for my daily drive. After the flush, the temp now is around 110 degrees, the highest is around 112 for 30 minutes driving. I don't feel it right. Should I get it redone? Am I being worried too much?

MACEDON

I've read that you only want to do the MB OEM fluid honestly, they seem to be sensitive on that. Wait for other people to chime in. But you're correct to drain you at least have to open the flap on the bottom, not sure how it works if he used one of the flushing machines.

hayseed

iTrader: (2)

(not merc specific but a good practice is to use distilled water as an additive or use premix or of course mercedes specific coolant,,, tap water has lots of calcium and other crap in there that will eventually react with the cooling fins and corrode them (it takes a long time but it will have negative effects) -- my .02

dustinN

Yes he did use MB coolan but I dont think he completely flush it out. There are 3 undertrays but he removed the one in the front only, didnt remove the other 2 to get to the engine drainage. The fact that he used the tap water for the mix is my main concern. I am just wondering what kind of water they use the the shop? Do they actually use the distilled water? It looks like they just pull the water hose near by to fill up. I just dont feel right, I am going to get it redone. Should I get the premixed one? I will need abt 3 gallons, costs me even more.

rapidoxidation

I'd get the tap water out of there if it were mine. Come to think of it, if I saw him going for the tap to do the flush, he'd not be putting his paws on my car.

I guess that's why I do my own work...

kcobean

I agree with you.

And, I find the combination of your username and signature quite ironic.

dustinN

Thank you for your inputs guys. I don't want to do this myself because i don't want to deal with the old coolant recycle. What do you do with the recycle? Where to get rid of it?

FunkTron

check your local recycle center.....it will vary from state to state. I'm in CA and we have a hazardous materials center that is available by appt only. :eyeroll:

dustinN

Just wondering why the temperature is about 10 degrees higher than normal. Is it because 1 gallon coolant was not enough?

rapidoxidation

As far as the ability to transfer heat, pure water is best. The coolant/antifreeze is there to provide freeze and boilover protection, as it raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point. A 50/50 mix is best, and depending on your car's cooling system capacity a gallon of pure MB glycol may or may not be correct. Look in your owner's manual under Fluid Specifications and Capacities for the answer. Other than that, I wonder if something got flushed into the thermostat and is liimiting the full opening abilities...

dustinN

I did check the manual, it doesnt say how much. What I have read was the e63 needs 2.5 gallons but it didnt specify if its premix or concentrate. He did pour something in to flush it.

pearlpower

dustinN

Good to know, thanks.

sjc246

The most important thing is that the correct coolant is used. If he used actual MB (blue) coolant, that's definitely a good sign and your already doing better than what many if not most shops would do.

A coolant flush shouldn't change the temperature the engine runs at, regardless of the type, ratio, amount drained, etc. Are you 100% sure the temperature changed? (I'm not saying it's in your head, but in most cases, it is--just like all the people claiming their car runs better after an oil change or they can tell when it's due based on how it runs). The engine temperature is controlled by the thermostat: as long as you have some fluid in there that is somewhat good at transferring heat, the temperature should stay pretty must the same.

The coolant should be mixed in roughly a 50/50 ratio with water. There's no way to know exactly how much coolant you will need to add because it never all comes out: the only way to ensure a correct ratio is to pre-mix it. If he poured a gallon of coolant in and topped it off with water, that is definitely NOT the correct way, but it is a pretty common method and usually results in a mixture that's close enough (most likely it's got a bit too much coolant and too little water, which isn't ideal, but is safer than too little coolant). If you want to be sure, just test it with something like this: . (Disclaimer: I have no experience with that specific product, it's just the first thing that came up on Amazon; I'm just recommending that type of device.) Compare the freezing point read by the coolant tester with the chart on the back of the MB coolant bottle (which tells you the freezing point at different mixing ratios) and you will know what the actual ratio is. Assuming there's too much antifreeze and too little water, you can just suck some out with a turkey baster or similar device and top off with water: no need to drain it all again.

Mixing the coolant with distilled water is technically the "correct" way to do it and is definitely the best practice, however, unless there's something really wrong with your tap water (a LOT of minerals, for example), I wouldn't worry about it. I work for one of the largest MB dealers in the country and all we ever use is tap water and we've never had any problems that could be related to that practice. I don't know about other areas of the country, but as far as I know, all of the dealers and shops in my area use tap water. That said, we do have pretty good public water here. If you have well water or aren't sure, it's certainly not a bad idea to used distilled water.

dustinN

I kept adding water for the last few days and the temperature is back to what it used to be, around 103 degrees. For what I've read, I guess he has stopped the engine too soon when replacing the coolant and it made some air inside the radiator and engine block. Low coolant level has made the raising temperature. Thank you everyone.

sjc246: Good info, thanks.

rapidoxidation

You might test the concentration to see what the freeze point is. It'd be a bummer to live in a cold climate and wake one morning to a frozen or cracked engine block.

dustinN

I live in Florida so i dont care much for the cold weather.