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Today, on the way home I got a message on the cluster telling me to top off the coolant. Once I saw the light I felt empty inside...dreadful....fearful. I did not notice any running issues with the car and babied it like I've never babied it before, home, in hopes that there may not be that light at the end of the gauge cluster tunnel again. Needless to say, I was under the impression, according to the service history of the car, which is quite extensive I may add, that the head bolts had been replaced at 36k along with many other gremlins. I pulled into the driveway and I smelled the smell of coolant...emanating from the car..that sweet smell of death that just lingers around the suspected soon to be corpse of the beautiful beast. I stepped out fully from the cars open door, while it was still running and took a smell from the exhaust....ALIAS! No coolant smell! Wait wut...could it be?? Could it be something that is not catastrophic!? Why would the previous owner lie? The service sheet said the bolts were done!? Surely there is a mistake! but did I make the mistake??? I reached in and turned the car off and with the car off I could here a weird thumping...I took it for the exhaust cooling off or the suspension settling. I started to walk in the house in complete depression and figured I would come back to it later to investigate further.... but the wife...... with her unknowing eyes....said....'your car is peeing in the driveway'...'peeing I said?'...wtf? I walked back over to the beast and opened her hood to see the heart of the monster...one of the arteries, the upper radiator hose, appears to be leaking where it connects at the top. The thumbing noise was the coolant dripping down hitting the lower panel on the belly of the beast. Depression, regret and the fear of loosing a loved one quickly changed to cheer and glee. I let out the laugh of a little school girl and just sighed.
Needless to say, my wife made my day. No longer in a horrible mood we walked inside. I ordered a new artery from FCP euro and went to thank the wife for saving my day....we will find out in 9 months the result.
Well, turns out, the leak is not the radiator hose but a crappy little POS plastic poorly engineered piece of plastic...etc..etc..
Not sure why it broke but it broke. Would anyone by chance know the part number to this little booger? Otherwise I'm just going to drill it, tap it and slap an AN fitting in there with some black nylon and be done with this once and for all...
I don't know why I read your post, but I applaud your way with words. I've had a couple of this sort of situation, and I can readily imagine how you feel.
I'm glad it turned out to be something relatively minor.
Last night at the crack of midnight, pretty much the only time when I have peace as the wife is absent and the minion slumbers I managed to replace the upper and lower radiator hose. I also installed a new thermostat housing and a new belt. Considering I've worked on a many car, I was actually surprised at the simplicity of it and pondered why so many fear these cars so much. None the less, I trudged on and filled the coolant back up, with just water for the time being. I had ordered an after market 80°c thermostat but it will not arrive until Monday. I've debated on doing a DIY for the thermostat as I've been unable to locate any assistance and figured it may help the next individual. My only issue was that I was not able to locate torque specs for the housing. With that being said, it being a German car and all I used my German torque spec of goot-n-tite. I know I know, I wear my flammable suit at all times so don't worry but...as time has progressed my built in torque wrenches haven't failed me yet.
If anyone is able to provide the proper spec, for the 3 bolts on the thermostat housing and the 1 bolt that holds the reservoir on I may do DIY write up.
06-27-2018, 12:38 PM
Did you give your wife a big smoochie 
