Turbo coolant pipes bite the dust
10-30-2018, 08:28 PM
#1
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Turbo coolant pipes bite the dust
Just when I thought about making the wagon faster, I found something wrong with it. The driver side turbo coolant pipes are leaking. What are my options?
Upgrade?
What’s the cost of the coolant pipes replacement?
or can I just capped them of?
Upgrade?
What’s the cost of the coolant pipes replacement?
or can I just capped them of?
10-30-2018, 08:48 PM
#2
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There's no upgrade, they break on all the biturbo V8 cars with age/mileage, the plastic just cooks in that hot engine bay and snaps off at the fitting. We usually change them in left/right pairs because they will both be about the same level of deteriorated at that point. Cost depends on your dealer but the lines are not terribly expensive and the labor is not all that bad, depends on the car but maybe 4-5 hours and $500 in parts? Complete guess on that stuff, haven't done one yet that wasn't warranty.
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10-30-2018, 09:02 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
There's no upgrade, they break on all the biturbo V8 cars with age/mileage, the plastic just cooks in that hot engine bay and snaps off at the fitting. We usually change them in left/right pairs because they will both be about the same level of deteriorated at that point. Cost depends on your dealer but the lines are not terribly expensive and the labor is not all that bad, depends on the car but maybe 4-5 hours and $500 in parts? Complete guess on that stuff, haven't done one yet that wasn't warranty.
Do I have to remove the turbos to remove the coolant pipes? It looks very tight in there.
Also when I said upgrade I meant the turbo units. May as well upgrade the turbo if I have to remove them.
Last edited by Forrest Gump 9; 10-30-2018 at 09:06 PM.
10-30-2018, 09:16 PM
#4
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No, the charge pipes come off, and the fan if you want to be nice to your hands, but it's all done from the front. The bolt on the side of the turbo is accessible with the engine in place, some guys unbolt them and raise them up off the mounts for more space, I never do. You will most likely damage the lines prying them out of the turbo, because they are soft aluminum, but they aren't going to be re-used anyway.
10-30-2018, 09:50 PM
#5
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Thread Starter
No, the charge pipes come off, and the fan if you want to be nice to your hands, but it's all done from the front. The bolt on the side of the turbo is accessible with the engine in place, some guys unbolt them and raise them up off the mounts for more space, I never do. You will most likely damage the lines prying them out of the turbo, because they are soft aluminum, but they aren't going to be re-used anyway.
10-30-2018, 11:07 PM
#6
No, the charge pipes come off, and the fan if you want to be nice to your hands, but it's all done from the front. The bolt on the side of the turbo is accessible with the engine in place, some guys unbolt them and raise them up off the mounts for more space, I never do. You will most likely damage the lines prying them out of the turbo, because they are soft aluminum, but they aren't going to be re-used anyway.
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10-31-2018, 04:51 PM
#7
Banned
No, the charge pipes come off, and the fan if you want to be nice to your hands, but it's all done from the front. The bolt on the side of the turbo is accessible with the engine in place, some guys unbolt them and raise them up off the mounts for more space, I never do. You will most likely damage the lines prying them out of the turbo, because they are soft aluminum, but they aren't going to be re-used anyway.
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11-01-2018, 08:17 AM
#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
I try where I can. I am a DIY guy at heart, and even being a dealer tech hasn't given me the attitude that people shouldn't fix their own cars if they are willing and capable.
Yes, but you should drain the coolant which will require pulling the front underpaneling. You don't have to, but it makes a big mess if the system is mostly full and you pull the coolant line, it's pretty low in the system.
Yes, but you should drain the coolant which will require pulling the front underpaneling. You don't have to, but it makes a big mess if the system is mostly full and you pull the coolant line, it's pretty low in the system.
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11-01-2018, 08:23 AM
#9
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It's easy to criticize but that is a crappy design if we are already seeing failures. Would a heat resistant sleeve help with the longevity of the part?
11-01-2018, 08:31 AM
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
No, the plastic where it goes into the engine/turbo cooks, there's no way to protect it from the heat, it is just a poor design. Shouldn't be a plastic part with the environment it's in, but that's the way all manufacturers are going now. Plastic coolant parts fail at early mileages no matter what.
11-01-2018, 12:35 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
So with the advice of ItalianJoel and the forum, I dived into the project. Started to unbolt and taking parts out of the engine. Finally I see the culprit, there’re THREE of the plastic ones and they all sit right under the plastic thermostat.
My car is an 2012 with 132k miles, and only the middle one is leaking (it the one that goes to the driver side turbo). While I was looking at the other two, they literally snapped off, lol. The thing that bother me is why one of the line is made out of aluminum, and three are with plastic fittings?
Being a tinkered, I won’t simply replace the broken units with factory ones. I’ll make some “metal” fitting and try them out on my car. We also have a 2014 GL550, I guess that one will be next in-line. So we’ll see what happens.
My car is an 2012 with 132k miles, and only the middle one is leaking (it the one that goes to the driver side turbo). While I was looking at the other two, they literally snapped off, lol. The thing that bother me is why one of the line is made out of aluminum, and three are with plastic fittings?
Being a tinkered, I won’t simply replace the broken units with factory ones. I’ll make some “metal” fitting and try them out on my car. We also have a 2014 GL550, I guess that one will be next in-line. So we’ll see what happens.
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olesouthernboy (09-07-2020)
11-01-2018, 03:51 PM
#12
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Shortly after these lines fail, and they will fail, the heater hose fitting will be next. Ask me how I know... :-/
If you have to make any repairs (like replacing the block plugs that always leak oil) just preemptively replace these lines. As mentioned, just looking at them wrong or working in the area will facilitate their failure.
If you have to make any repairs (like replacing the block plugs that always leak oil) just preemptively replace these lines. As mentioned, just looking at them wrong or working in the area will facilitate their failure.
Last edited by chiromikey; 11-01-2018 at 03:55 PM.
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Junglejimrr (07-18-2021)
11-01-2018, 05:28 PM
#13
Senior Member
So with the advice of ItalianJoel and the forum, I dived into the project. Started to unbolt and taking parts out of the engine. Finally I see the culprit, there’re THREE of the plastic ones and they all sit right under the plastic thermostat.
My car is an 2012 with 132k miles, and only the middle one is leaking (it the one that goes to the driver side turbo). While I was looking at the other two, they literally snapped off, lol. The thing that bother me is why one of the line is made out of aluminum, and three are with plastic fittings?
Being a tinkered, I won’t simply replace the broken units with factory ones. I’ll make some “metal” fitting and try them out on my car. We also have a 2014 GL550, I guess that one will be next in-line. So we’ll see what happens.
My car is an 2012 with 132k miles, and only the middle one is leaking (it the one that goes to the driver side turbo). While I was looking at the other two, they literally snapped off, lol. The thing that bother me is why one of the line is made out of aluminum, and three are with plastic fittings?
Being a tinkered, I won’t simply replace the broken units with factory ones. I’ll make some “metal” fitting and try them out on my car. We also have a 2014 GL550, I guess that one will be next in-line. So we’ll see what happens.
Shortly after these lines fail, and they will fail, the heater hose fitting will be next. Ask me how I know... :-/
If you have to make any repairs (like replacing the block plugs that always leak oil) just preemptively replace these lines. As mentioned, just looking at them wrong or working in the area will facilitate their failure.
If you have to make any repairs (like replacing the block plugs that always leak oil) just preemptively replace these lines. As mentioned, just looking at them wrong or working in the area will facilitate their failure.
Last edited by 5soko; 11-01-2018 at 11:02 PM.
11-01-2018, 05:58 PM
#14
MBWorld Fanatic!
Shortly after these lines fail, and they will fail, the heater hose fitting will be next. Ask me how I know... :-/
If you have to make any repairs (like replacing the block plugs that always leak oil) just preemptively replace these lines. As mentioned, just looking at them wrong or working in the area will facilitate their failure.
If you have to make any repairs (like replacing the block plugs that always leak oil) just preemptively replace these lines. As mentioned, just looking at them wrong or working in the area will facilitate their failure.
11-01-2018, 05:59 PM
#15
MBWorld Fanatic!
Coolant lines should take you 4-5 hours if you haven't done them before, most of the time is moving components to gain access to the lines themselves. If you have an oil cooler the lines for it must move also where they meet the housing.
11-01-2018, 07:12 PM
#16
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Thread Starter
So, when you replace them do you do all four lines? Or just the three platic ones?
11-02-2018, 02:43 PM
#17
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Since we are usually doing them under warranty, we do the ones that are broken. If the other side breaks when you separate them in the front of the engine, they all get done. If they come apart ok and can be re-used, they will be.
11-04-2018, 07:27 AM
#18
Super Member
11-04-2018, 07:55 AM
#19
Super Member
No, the plastic where it goes into the engine/turbo cooks, there's no way to protect it from the heat, it is just a poor design. Shouldn't be a plastic part with the environment it's in, but that's the way all manufacturers are going now. Plastic coolant parts fail at early mileages no matter what.
See this video - esp at 1.40, and imagine anything plastic anywhere close to this configuration....
11-04-2018, 08:03 PM
#20
MBWorld Fanatic!
And this is still on our "normal" design. I bet the newer style "hot V" engines will have twice the trouble over time....
See this video - esp at 1.40, and imagine anything plastic anywhere close to this configuration....
Crazy hot V AMG test
See this video - esp at 1.40, and imagine anything plastic anywhere close to this configuration....
Crazy hot V AMG test
11-08-2018, 08:47 PM
#21
Hmmm no leaking coolant yet @ 103k miles, cant wait to do this soon lol!!! Might as well replace/rebuild the turbos whenever the issue occurs. Thanks for the info! Next to the m113k I am pretty impressed with the m157 in terms of reliability, if only the spark plugs didnt get wrecked so quickly when tuned.
Last edited by Mikeki7; 11-08-2018 at 08:56 PM.
11-08-2018, 08:54 PM
#22
11-08-2018, 09:08 PM
#23
MBWorld Fanatic!
can someone point these out in a pic, i want to have a look at mine
2012 car 58000 miles...3 months left on warrenty from new....eeeekk
2012 car 58000 miles...3 months left on warrenty from new....eeeekk
11-08-2018, 09:32 PM
#24
Low pressure fuel pump started to die @ around 90k miles and car would not start, maybe I got unlucky but no big deal.
Gear shifter Park button would not work on rare occasion so the whole assembly needed to be replaced.
I really cant think of anything else major at the moment. Car has been tuned most of its life and still on factory turbos though they are starting to show their age, during dyno runs after letting off throttle I get some white(oil) smoke coming out the pipes. Running turboback downpipes - hpipe - muffler delete and car is strong with a mild dyno tune because 100k miles, currently pushing 582 whp and 708 wtq on the newer dynojet.
Non major stuff / preventative maintenance:
Car tuned eats spark plugs for breakfast...
ignition coils (old ones were still good)
trans + motor mounts
diff fluid
Had to re-adapt the transmission because the clutches are no longer as thick as they used to be and the shifts were jerky.
Next thing I will probably do soon is replace the fuel injectors, high pressure fuel pumps and replace the trans fluid. Overall the car has been good to me and a solid daily driver.
11-09-2018, 11:24 AM
#25
I have the exact same car and mileage. did you adapt the tranmission at the dealer? did it make a noticeable difference? i get a jerk whenever i shift gears its pretty intense although my passengers find it exhilirating I'm almost positive its not supposed to feel like that...
my turbo coolant pipes are fine right now but might do them as preventive maintenance I think that would be a great time to install turboback pipes because the wastegate on the stock turbos is very restrictive.
my turbo coolant pipes are fine right now but might do them as preventive maintenance I think that would be a great time to install turboback pipes because the wastegate on the stock turbos is very restrictive.
