Definitiely something wrong.Car is running hot.

[ruffino28]

the temp problem is really annoying but i think i got used to it already actually i dont use the car much so...
i talked to 2 diff mb dealer mechanic they said normal
kam hope ur dealer fix ur problem

[202rules]

I sort of got worried about this in the past too. But I have to say cars will run hot in certain conditions, which IS normal, as long as it doesn't redline. So if it's a really hot summer day, it's normal to run in the 100 even 110 if you have the air condition on. Slow traffic adds a lot to it coz you're not getting cooler air, you're getting the air from the exhausts of other cars in front of you (I noticed this at an automatic car wash once trust me). So I would only worry if it got really hot in normal conditions. My mechanic once told me too that the 95 C280s do get hot in there coz of the relatively big 6 inline.

So notice the conditions you're driving in. And it never hurts to run checks on the car.

[marksbenz]

Yo Kam just to be on the safe side. Change the thermostat. Probably its not opening all the way. Mercedes cars seems to run hot. Mine goes up to 90 when driving in traffic. But goes back down. If your temp doesnt go down and keeps on going up, then you have a problem. I'll try changing the thermostat.

[oaktownc43]

Hello...my 1999 C43 on a hot day in traffic goes up to 100C max..then when I get rolling on the freeway it goes down to approx 85C.
If your car didnt run as warm before the coolant change then it is possible that the previous mixture of water/antifreeze had more water in it then antifreeze thus allowing the engine to run cooler since water cools a engine better but doesnt have the protection of antifreeze. You can get a antifreeze checker or lithium stick to check your percentage of water/antifreeze.

Hope this helps
Phillip
1999 C43

[Denlasoul]

Originally posted by kameraguy
I distinctly remember my car not running this hot until very recently. Something must have changed or gone bad. Just doesn't make sense to have a car working much cooler prior, then to change as drastically as 15 degrees.

I am with you on this one. I would think some parameter has changed and has caused the increase in temp. It makes sense.

edit: oaktown, I sent you an email, but not sure if you got it. I was having email problems. just tell me if you didnt get one, and I'll try to recall what I wrote.

[kameraguy]

Well guys, guess what?!




Today my car decided to go all the way!

So after 1 hr of driving, with my car at 100degrees almost all the way, it decides to call it quits and go all the way to 120+ once i stopped at my destination

It was the most amazing thing. I see my temp needle at 100 once i stopped...then 105..107 (my eyebrow is now raised like the Rock), 115...and it kept going. Fans were whining as they have been in the recent past...full and loud!

Once it started to go past 120, I shut the engine off!!!!!!!! Man, I had a heart-attack I swear.

So, I check the engine. Fortunately it does not look like anything has boiled over.

So I wait about 15 minutes, and start the engine again. Still at 115.

Stop engine, and check the coolant. Looks full and the same as before. No loss of coolant or anything.

So i'm thinking what I should do. then I remember someone mentioned to check the oil too. So I did, thinking I wouldn't find anything odd cuz I just got an oil change about three months ago...

Guess what....I was at the bare minimum. Wierd!

So of course i'm speculating an oil leak, or maybe whoever worked on my car last didn't change it or f*cked with my car to cause this on purpose

But no sense in dwelling on what-ifs. So I found a Kragen and bought a few bottles of mobile one 10w-30 syn and brought the oil levels back to normal.

I was hoping this was the culprit. But unfortunately not. Once i got going again, the car got back up to 118.

So i called my mechanic and he said to bring it by. Thing is i'm like 1hr away from him. So I eventually coordinated a tow truck to the shop, which cost $680!! $10/mi...and I was 68 miles away





Fortunately I was also able to contact Joey and Mona, and their brother Richie, so they helped me and my parents (yup, I was not alone ) get to the shop safely and shuttle us back home, which was like another 70 miles from the shop. Man, they are the best. Thanks again guys. I'm really glad you were there and i'm real sorry to have thrown a wrench in your Saturday plans

So my car is now at Topline in Burlingame. I have faith my car is in good hands with Zim. I'm just a bit stressed and pissed of such a problem.



I am anxious to find out what the problem is, but I sure hope it's not related to something the dealership might have done (not done). I'll be sure to let you guys know what happens next.


So for now, I await an update as to what the culprit is. But if there's anything I can share with you guys....it is better be safe than sorry. if your car is running hot, better check it out and fix it before it gets worse!

It is still my standpoint anything above 100 degrees is a problem, and maybe your car isn't overheating like mine, but it's a possible sign of an existing problem that can eventually get worse

If MB says our cars are running "normally" above 100 degrees....BULLSHIT!!!

[nokia8860]

Nice pics

[Denlasoul]

DAMN! Something is definitely wrong! Your first pic is your temp running at 120 Degrees and yet the outside temp was 59?

Crap! Sorry yu wne through all this mess. I hope Zim gets to the bottom of the problem.

Big ups to Nokia, Mona, and brother? You guys all represent what Club202 and friendships are about.

Good luck

DLS

[Rocky]

dang kam...hope thing work out.

*thermostat* hehehe 20-30 bucks *hint* *hint*

To test the thermostat, take it out..let it cool and boil it in water with a thermometer..see when it starts to open.

BTW, you using MB coolant or other stuff?

Not suppose to use non-mb coolant.

[ruffino28]

wow... thats happened once on my car too in local long time ago almost reached 120 but it went down to 90 after got into highway and pressed on defroster ...
kam i totally agree with u "MB says our cars are running "normally" above 100 degrees....BULLSHIT!!!"

[714guy]

sorry to hear about your car problems man, I am going thru the same the thing now.

Good lucj with things, keep us updated on the situation.

Thanks

[CKlasse]

Sorry to hear that KAM... Hopefully TOPLINE can solve the issue ASAP. There are too many possibilities - Detonation might be your cause. Good luck to you.

[kameraguy]

Thanks for the support guys. I know a lot of you are also having "normal" overheating issues, so i hope I can provide some insight once my car is fixed. I'd hate to have this happen to anyone else. It sucks. It might be a simple fix, but it can cause major headaches.

To anser some questions, yes I was using OEM coolant, but the engine still ran hot. It wasn't until very recently I added Water Wetter to try and help things but it really didn't make a diff, nether good or bad.

Other variable:
* Low Oil. At the bare minimum mark.

Well, i'll call up Zim this afternoon and see if he's had the chance to look at it yet.

I suppose I may as well have him change the oil too as it is almost time anyway.

And yup. Nokia, Monatheism, and his bro Richie were lifesavers. Awedsome friends to have

[Brabus]

Dang Chris, sorry to hear... I know Zim will find the problem...

[kameraguy]

Zim updated me end-of-day yesterday and said he hasn't found the problem yet. Said my car didn't overheat, but was running between 87 and 90 degrees consistently. Asked me if that was normal....to which i replied NOPE!!!

But he changed the thermostat and that didn't resolve anything.

I asked him to drive the car longer and harder, as i was cruising at 80mph when i notice dthe engine really get hot. So he said he would try that. He suggested he should drive the car home last night, which i replied was fine, as long as he didn't blow the engine or get stranded!!!

So hopefully i'll have an update with good data by this afternoon....

[Rocky]

Hmm.very baffling.

Maybe the temp sensor itself is buggy just like the way some fuel gauges were?

Are your rad fans pushing air the right way? Do they come on?

[moedigga]

I just drove home this weekend to MA, 80-90mph whole way 60-80 degrees and temp never went above 81-83 maybe. No a/c aswell. In mid summer when its 98 and I'm sittin in stop and go traffic with a/c on full temp will get to 90 even. Thats the hottest I've seen to date. Average temp is between 85-90.-MOE

[kameraguy]

Moe, that's how i remember my car. Even while driven hard, it would barely break 85 degrees, even on a hot summer day. And in fact I never even hit 90...nor 87.

So I know there's a lot of inconsistency with how all our cars run. But once you see another 202 running closer to 80-85 degrees at most, it's hard to consider anything hotter "normal".

Well, still waiting for an update.....

[nokia8860]

grrrr

[CKlasse]

KAM..if you leave your car at idle constantly, 85-90C is normal. If Zim happened to drive it around all day, it should be between 80-85C.

BTW.. many C280s have faulty temp sensors. I dont know about C36, but this is something you should really look at.

[oaktownc43]

I checked with the mercedesshop parts and the stock factory thermostat on a 1999 C43 is 87C so the tempature must at least reach that at a minimum for it to even open. My car will go to about 100C max on a hot day and I have been told by very good mercedes techs that this is ok and normal.It has never gotten higher than 100C at any time so far. At speed it will go to approx 88C a little above thermostat rating.
Phillip
1999 C43

[kameraguy]

Ok, so Zim called me back and said my thermostat was indeed messed up. In a bucket of warm/hot water, it did not open up. So that may explain part of the issue.

I say PART because it appears my car is still running a bit warm. He drove it home and back to the shop and the car did not overheat with the new thermostat per-se, but my car was still around 90 degrees, even while driving.

Now I suppose 85 degrees is "normal" when the car is idling...but i figure if you are driving, especially on a cool day, the car should drop between 80 and 85. According to Zim it did not. It remained around 87-90 degrees.

So, he said he will look at the temperature sensor and see if that is good.

It seems you guys are right where he is regarding the temp sensors. So i hope those check out faulty or something. I'd rather know there was a problem with some component than have a "gremlin" issue, you know?

If this issue is indeed a faulty sensor, I will feel much better. I just don't want to take the chance the car really is that hot and overheat the engine!

Thanks again guys for the help and support. I really appreciate the insight and advice

[CKlasse]

Perhaps a quick tune up is in order Kam...

Clean Injectors - RC ENGINEERING STYLE
Clean fuel Rail
Ignition tune up (yours DIS right?)
BG Oil Cleaner, and BG Vavle Cleaner....

will bring your car back to factory specs! Total cost to do it yourself is less than a large bill. This is a good chance to do write up!

In any case..good to know that your car is back!

[kameraguy]

Thanks for the info cklasse. Actually i don't have my car back yet, but i'll consider these things once I do get it back

[kameraguy]

Ok guys, I picked up my car and so far a bit better.

Ok...no more redzone, so it's all better now

But it's still not as "cool" as how I remember it.

So I think the problem is 90% fixed...with a bit that still needs to be sorted out....


Question for you guys with C36's....

What is your "normal" engine temperatures for the following situations:

1) idle after warm-up, first start of the day.

2) idle after the end of the day

3) consistent cruising on the freeway

4) stop and go traffic

Here's mine (after getting my car back with replaced T-Stat and change-oil):

1) 82 degrees

2) 83-84 degrees

3) 84-82 degrees

4) 85-90 degrees

I just want to know if this is consistent with other C36 owners. Maybe i'm beeing paranoid, or maybe my car is warmer than others.

I know Junaidi hardly has any heating issues...so I like to use his as a baseline of what is "normal"