1994, C280: Testing Radiator to find if clogged

[Arv]

Thank you all for all your help. Finally I found the clog. The Bars Heavy Duty Stop Leak with pallets had clogged the 5mm inner diametered upper overflow pipe going from the waterpump nipple to the expansion tank bottle. It had clogged at the entrance of the expansion tank. Cut out the hose end and fixed the problem. Because of this clog of upper overflow hose, I kept getting coolent bubbling and overflowing from the coolent tank cap since pressure was building up in the system which also caused the plastic tank of the radiator to blow up.

Also, did the combustion test to find if the head gasket was gone, and the luck was on my side and I didn't get any exhaust gases leaking into the coolent. So I am really saved from having to do head gasket job.

Also installed a new radiator which I could purchase for $158 and I am good to go.

Thank you all for your help. Very appreciated.
Arv.

 

[LYNALL]

Best way to get all the crap out of the cooling system is to add some tfr (traffic film remover) into the cooling system basically a very strong soap, i have donw this several times always to good effect, not much half a tea cup full.

Drive a for a day, drain system refill with plain water, drive for another day, drain again if now clean refill with antifreeze.

Doesnt harm anything else and really is good.

Your gasket will need doing in the end.

Use k seal in the future as is doesnt block anything and is also good.



Lynall

 

[television]

Have to agree with Lynall that K seal is the one used in the motor trade and gets very good write ups

 

[Arv]

Thank you again. I should remember what you both have suggested next time I flush my coolent.

Is K Seal for the cooling system? I have never heard of it before or seen on shelves here in Florida.

Thanks a lot,
Arv.

 

[television]

K seal is intended for head gasket faults and leaks,but it can fix a rad in the process

 

[Arv]

When I removed the rad and inspected it, the plastic tank on the water pump hose
connection side had cracked about 5 inches towards the top. Would K seal have sealed it?
That would have been great if anyone had suggested it before.

In a way I am glad I changed the radiator because I found out some things.

While changing my radiator, I noticed that lower 1/3rd portion of my a/c
condenser was covered with the plastic aux fan shroud and so much
crap had accumalated there (dead bugs, small pebble stones, leaves)
that I couldn't believe it and I was amazed that Mercedes can design
something like this which is a sure way to kill the a/c because of
lack of cooling of the condenser and refrigerant. I opened up the
plastic cover from the bottom, removed tons of crap from there
by hosing it off under pressure. No wonder Mercedes a/c's blow up
after just few years on brand new cars which is what happened to me.

Talking of the debris collecting in the bottom of the fan casing on the
a/c condenser. You know what I did. I removed the engine undertray, then
pried opened the aux fan casing about 1/2 inch on both sides of it's
center holding tab and stuck in 1/2 inch long wood screws with the sharp
point piercing on the plastic fan casing, so the cover
stays open all the time now on so debris don't accumalate anymore. Then
hosed it down thoroughly with spray hose and removed all the debris. Now
the condenser nice and clean all the way.

I also noticed on the old radiator I removed, the debris had also accumalated
on portion of the radiator fins.

Please let me know if Would K seal have sealed the rad crack which was
about 4-5 inches in length. It is good to know such things.

Thanks a lot,
Arv.

 

[LYNALL]

I doubt it would have sealed a 5 inch crack, be careful with the woodscrew trick as now air flow will bypass the rad and possible lead to cooling problems, bearing in mind your location hot hot.

Put it back to standard and once a year just remove all the crap.



Lynall

 

[Arv]

So far I haven't seen any problems even with the a/c on. Also, I had happened to go to the stealer recently and checked out the new cars, and the condensers are completely naked like they should be for proper cooling of refrigerent. So, hopefully I won't run into any cooling probs or I will just have to remove the screws I have put in there. Important thought though.

I wanted to add one more thing for our community members in similar situation as mine. While I was trying to figure out what was clogged, and waiting for the new radiator to arrive, I was driving the car (just short distances around the town) with the radiator cap in the middle position (where it just turns loose just a little without coming off) so the cooling system was under reduced pressure while driving and the cracked radiator (with about 5 inch crack) won't leak and the coolent temp would hold steady around 90 deg. The radiator used to drip a little only when I would go on highway with the tank cap in the middle position. So, I was at least not completely without car for the meantime.

Thank you,
Arv.