1990 300e problem

i have a 1990 300e........it started leaking coolant the other day so i decided to see if i could find out where it is coming from.. Checked all the hoses first, no leaks. It seems to be coming from the front of the motor on the side of the waterpump....... i can see most of the head gasket and it doesnt seem to be leaking(although im not 100 percent sure). so im thinking it is coming from the bottom side of the waterpump, but from under the car i cant pinpoint it for sure......... the car only has 170,000 kms on it. I was wondering if the head gasket generally has a life expectancy this long and also is it common to leak from the waterpump. any thoughts on this would be appreciated

Reply to
ryank
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It is more common for waterpump to leak at the weep hole instead of the head gasket. Head gasket leak I heard is in the rear of the engine... not front.

Reply to
Tiger

This is almost certainly the water pump. This is a job you can do yourself over a weekend if you are mechanically minded. A couple of 3/8 universal joints and extension bars make getting to the rear bolts much easier. A decent pump from the Benz Bin is less than $200.

Chris

Reply to
CRGILL

leaking(although

Reply to
ryank

$124 at my source for MB parts...

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Reply to
Tiger

I have heard that this is a rather difficult job. Persistance, like a weekend, may be the answer. What's the trick to the rear bolts?

Reply to
JB

I just replaced the water pump on M104 (C280) over the weekend. Yes, it takes time (about 5-6 hours actual working time, while ALLDATADIY says

4.6 hours of labor), but I encounter nothing that is too much trouble. Prerequisite though, you have to own a good set of METRIC tool :-) I had to use 12" or longer extension bar to reach the rear pump bolts.

On M104, the power steering pump needs to be moved aside. Not sure about yours. Also, one of the bolts (front, top) uses hex key, without enough clearance for a ratchet.

Don't forget to put a big pan (e.g. turkey pan) under the engine. Even after draining the coolant, there is still plenty behind the pump.

My independent shop gave estimation for $700+ for this job.

JB wrote:

Reply to
Wan-ning Tan

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