Mercedes sprinter Coolant scam!! Help please

Suffolkgirl18

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Hi everyone, hope you can help and to warn you also!
Couple of guys came to buy my 311 sprinter van today , seems I've almost become a victim of them.tippong some oil in the coolant whilst I was distracted to the back of the van by another guy!

Some oil in coolant that wasn't there before!

So be warned people.
They still.wanted it trying to knock down price.

I need to flush this but no idea how to start and the easiest (woman's way of flushing simple terms ) can anyone help please x

Thanks
 

LostKiwi

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Scumbags.

Don't start the engine.
Put a hose in the top of the coolant bottle and run it to overflow. The oil being lighter will come out the top. Remove top hose to the radiator and repeat.
Once clean remove bottom hose and drain the system
Refit all hoses and top the coolant system up with the correct coolant (use water temporarily if you must). The coolant for yours is probably G48 available from Halfords.

If the engine has been started drain the system and refill with clean water. Do this several times. Then refill with G48 (if thats correct for yours).
 

Craiglxviii

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Sneaky C***s!!!!

You’ll need to do a coolant flush, one of the indies will advise on the easiest way for your van in short order.

Or LK. +1
 
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Suffolkgirl18

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Scumbags.

Don't start the engine.
Put a hose in the top of the coolant bottle and run it to overflow. The oil being lighter will come out the top. Remove top hose to the radiator and repeat.
Once clean remove bottom hose and drain the system
Refit all hoses and top the coolant system up with the correct coolant (use water temporarily if you must). The coolant for yours is probably G48 available from Halfords.

If the engine has been started drain the system and refill with clean water. Do this several times. Then refill with G48 (if thats correct for yours).
Thank you very much for your help!! Will give it a try ...fingers crossed
 
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Suffolkgirl18

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Sneaky C***s!!!!

You’ll need to do a coolant flush, one of the indies will advise on the easiest way for your van in short order.

Or LK. +1

Yes panicked when I saw the oil in coolant and didn't want to sell.it like that and couldn't believe they still wanted it , I would run a mile and think what a lucky escape I had have I just seen that!
 

John Laidlaw

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Absolutely shocking, that’s a new one!
 

M80

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Use a Pela pump to evacuate the header tank.
Then refill with some very warm soapy water and evacuate again.
Do again until header tank cleaned.

Personal view but I see no need to replace all the coolant.
 
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Chrishazle

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A bit of a trap for the innocents though, as oil floating on top of the coolant in the header tank is rather different to the mayonnaise you get when there's a head gasket leak and oil gets into the coolant that way.
 

alex cnwell

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hi, were they polish by any chance, its been happening around the northwest a for quite while..
 

Wighty

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Have you got any of their details to pass to the police ?
 
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Suffolkgirl18

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Well I'm unsure of there ethnicity I know not English and darker then polish I have no idea, his name was Pete on gumtree but didn't look like a Pete!
At first I thought they very genuine as they broke down on the way here the day before, then he called apologized and said he would get a friend to pay £50 holding deposit by PayPal or Bacs so I thought ok genuine......but then this happens and mademe think as well they done that to make them seem genuine and bank wasn't in his name I don't know his real name and he's messaged asking for his £50 back ! Cheek
I have told him I'm going to try locate some CCTV first
 

brianbrian

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What makes people think they were Polish, you obviously do not like them, that scam has been around for years. I worked in Poland for 3yrs, no problem.Worked in our country with them.More problems with our lot, let's just focus on what people do, not where they come from as our forum could get a bad name. The water with oil in it would look creamy if been in a while, what colour was it.
 

rorywquin

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Scumbags.

Don't start the engine.
Put a hose in the top of the coolant bottle and run it to overflow. The oil being lighter will come out the top. Remove top hose to the radiator and repeat.
Once clean remove bottom hose and drain the system
Refit all hoses and top the coolant system up with the correct coolant (use water temporarily if you must). The coolant for yours is probably G48 available from Halfords.

If the engine has been started drain the system and refill with clean water. Do this several times. Then refill with G48 (if thats correct for yours).
not only good with the oval ball....
 

alex cnwell

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I only say polish because the scams reported around here were poles, as she says the people that came to view her sprinter were not of british origin .
 
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Suffolkgirl18

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What makes people think they were Polish, you obviously do not like them, that scam has been around for years. I worked in Poland for 3yrs, no problem.Worked in our country with them.More problems with our lot, let's just focus on what people do, not where they come from as our forum could get a bad name. The water with oil in it would look creamy if been in a while, what colour was it.
Fresh black engine oil colour no creaminess , dirty oil not even same oil that's in engine ververy old looking engine oil x
 

AMGeed

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Try to have someone with you at the next viewing. Its an old trick still being used that will catch the unwary.
Bad luck and well spotted. Hope you told them to b****r off and not come back.:D
 
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Suffolkgirl18

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No got my hubby to come 6ft about 20 stone so they didn't argue after that, although the got a few harrasing emails on gumtree tonight demanding the 50 pound back, I told them I will give it back when I have checked for any CCTV and they were saying no now I will report you if you don't do it now!

I said go ahead report me show them the messages where I have said you will get your refund if there's no CCTV ,

Hoping to see if there is any tomorrow, if there's not suppose not much I can do but to refund the 50 to my annoyance as there is no proof and again the good girl (me) will be in the wrong if I withhold there money!

We live and learn !
Will get husband there next time and maybe us both to supervise each end of the van....things we have to do, sad sad world x
 

om613

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any further coms, then give them a 'crime ref. number' and park the van elsewhere for a bit.

Well done for not falling for their scam.
 

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