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2003 S55 Coolant loss More info

17K views 49 replies 6 participants last post by  SChalmers 
#1 ·
So I decided to put my plates from my S430 on the S55 and drive to my temp job. The reason is the weather has actually warmed up by the afternoon.

Morning rush hour traffic moderate, took surface streets. Not really stop and go but there was some sitting.
Car did not over heat, was about 5ºC had the heater on medium. Car drove fine. It did get up to operating temp fairly quickly. It was about 25km/15 miles one way.

After work started the car up sat there till it dropped from high start up idle, back out of my spot and the check coolant warning message came on. Checked the level it was low. The overflow tank was filled up to the proper level according to the posts on other threads. It did have a little pressure in the system as I had it running for a few minutes

Top up the tank, had to use distilled water the only thing I could get. Took two litres.

Driving home the car drove the same: tons power, smooth ran about 80ºC-85ºC even in stop and go traffic, actually had to sit without moving for about 5-8 minutes right on the car in front of me bumper. Still in the above range.

Drove home no pressure in the coolant system. Then I found this the oil filler cap was milky and steam coming out. The oil filler cap was spotless from any milky residue before I drove the car.
There was no smoke from the tailpipes when I got to work or home.


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#3 · (Edited)
Wish I was not helping/working for my brother in law, we could have met up for lunch or a coffee

WDBNG74J63A343048

Did you see the steam coming out in the video?
I was wondering supercharger, it has a heat exchange under it.
I am not going to drive it till this is figured out. Do not want damage anything or make it worse.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Have you checked the seals for the heat exchanger at the filter? Or change ckecked for interanl cracks in the exchanger? I've just been checking the cooling circuit diagram for your car and looks to be the most likely place to start, other than there it will be most likely internal of the engine.

Dean
 
#6 ·
I have not really checked anything yet. You are talking about here circled in green

I think I am not going to start anything thing till I get the WIS running and pressure test the system. Not sure if pressure testing the coolant system will show the seals at the heat exchanger.
I thought oil flowed through those lines to a cooler in front of the rad. I guess removing the oil filter is the only way to get a look in there.

I was also thinking about the seals on the back of the water pump Also circled in green

I am still getting an extremely long download time from the Torrent files
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#5 ·
Back in Montreal; I agree with Dean, since the diagram shows an oil/water heat exchanger, that is the place to look first.

One way would be to remove the heat exchanger, and with the water hoses still connected do a pressure/leak test of the cooling system (at 2.0 bar).

You will need time to set this all up, but it should be definitive.

NB: The MB head gaskets and/or the block faying surfaces are coated with a layer of silicone. I doubt very much that at the pressures involved a leak can occur here.

Also: I can't really find so far anything on WIS about the compressor cooling circuit. The compressor should have a lubrication oil) and cooling (water) circuit.
Maybe pinkster can help, also you may want to contact MB support at MB in Germany, they have been very helpful with me. The have no vehicle age limit on support.

Take your time!
 
#7 · (Edited)
Found the compressor on WIS.

First: No, the oil/water heat exchanger is on the engine, not on the radiator.


There appear to be lots of water/oil interfaces.

The compressor is integrated with the intake manifold, with all kinds of connections. So if anything, that is more likely here. I am still not clear on the compressor lubrication.

for pinkster: look at "air intake/turbocharging, and then 09/50 Kompressor".

Maybe you find more.
 
#10 ·
On the supercharged M113 there is no heat exchange bolted by the oil filter housing. In the picture with the green circle I have two lines that run down to a oil cooler in front of the rad. This is why I was asking about coolant running through the lines or oil. In one picture of the engine out of the car you can see oil in the fittings where lines attach

The second picture is my car and you can see the amount of coolers in front of the rad. ABC, engine oil the transmission is into the rad.
The supercharger has it own oil Mobile Jet oil self contained, but does take engine coolant to cool the air. It has a box under the supercharger that has two lines running on the passenger side of the supercharger
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#8 ·
Yes the green circles are the most likely locations. For the oil cooler if you remove the coolant lines and block one off you should be able to pressure test just the cooler and this would indicate a leak very fast.
Sorry about not being of much help the last few days, I've had my server meltdown lost the main system HDD and another data HDD. My shed was flooded Friday and I have been trying to dry the carpet as well as rebuild my server, so been a little busy.
The torrents need seeders to have any speed, so with only 1 or just a few seeders will take a long time. pm me your address and I'll send you a few DVD's if you would prefer.

Dean
 
#13 ·
Hey
I think I am going to stop guessing and either try my idea on pressure testing via the hoses running into the overflow tank. I really do not want to spend $250 for a pressure tester kit to use once, might see if I can rent one. Or bring the car in. I did buy a new coolant cap so I could use the old one to make a pressure tester cap.

Completely understand about being busy. Helping my brother in law out is taking up a ton of my time leave the house at 6:30am and return about 6:00pm.
I hope things get better on your end. Server meltdown is a real pain. Also I have been in a flood situation once and it sucks.
 
#12 ·
So WIS says it has a heat exchanger bolted to the oil filter. I have two lines that run to a cooler from the oil filter housing. I will run downstairs and see where they go.

I might pull the plugs and see if there is any signs of coolant in the cylinders. The car has not been started after I drove it Thursday. I do have an inspection camera so I can look in each cylinder.

So they heads and block have a silicone layer between the head and gasket and block and gasket your post below

"NB: The MB head gaskets and/or the block faying surfaces are coated with a layer of silicone. I doubt very much that at the pressures involved a leak can occur here."

I think I will contact the MB in Germany and see what they say.

Do you think my idea on pressure testing via the lines in the top of the overflow tank will work?

I would much prefer to pressure test the coolant system myself. This way I can leave it pressurized as long as I need to. I could listen to hear if there is air leaking into the crankcase or each cylinder.

What I am scared of is I bring it in to a shop and they automatically see the coolant in the oil and say head gasket.

Not sure what would be worse pulling the front engine cover off or doing the head gasket if it comes to that.

Just from working on older less complicated cars, every time I have ever seen a head gasket issue there was bubbles in the rad/overflow tank, oil in the coolant, coolant in the oil, lots of white smoke, over heats and the cars generally ran rough.
This S55
Runs very smooth
White smoke when first start( so does my S430)
Lots of power
Does not over heat

The main reason i drove it Thursday was the weather was going to be above 15ºC by the end of the day. This way I could rule out condensation or coolant in the cylinder.
In the morning it was 5ºC and when I got to work there was no white smoke at the tailpipe. Same at night when I got it home.

Did you ever make it back to the S600 parts car?
 
#15 ·
Maybe this will help according to my DATA CARD pulled via a web site
My motor is a 113991 60 008717
The picture of the supercharger is the cooler that is bolt underneath.

Here is a video on the oil in the supercharger sealed unit no engine oil in the supercharger

The PDF that Dean sent did not have this listed.
Here is my VIN WDBNG74J63A343048

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#18 ·
I contacted MB Germany here not sure if it is the right spot
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/

I only have two lines coming off the oil filter housing. The other picture of what I think everyone is talking about an oil cooler.

I have two lines running to the supercharger on the right hand/passenger side of the car. The one line has a breather hose that runs to the overflow tank. These lines have there own pump as well from what I gather.
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#19 · (Edited)
From my oil filter housing the two lines run down beside the rad come out under the rad and go in to this cooler/rad. Part number A 220 500 25 03

The one for the supercharger is at the very bottom of the engine coolant rad under this one. The ABC is off to the upper right/passenger side of the car.

I did not have all the pieces to make the pressure tester so it will have to wait till next weekend. I have a bike pump, a tire valve stem. Need a Tee I have wrong size and a gauge to put in between the tire valve and the Tee so I can see how much pressure it is loosing.

Here is a picture of how much coolant it went through in 25 km, oil on dipstick, lines, oil filter housing and cooler locations.

The coolant was above the black portion of the tank, I still had the overflow tube running into a water bottle so I know it did not go there as it was empty.
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#20 ·
Scott you are correct your car doesn't have the heat exchanger, but an oil cooler in front of the rad. This leads back to the front timing case and the seals in, it which you highlighted earlier. The oil in your sump appears clean, the only sign of water/coolant is under the oil cap. This leads me to think that it is only leaking into the oil once the car is up to running temp (When the cooling system is at full presure). This will be a difficult leak to find and I think it will be in the front timing case area - water pump.
Best of luck with this one, I'll be looking forward to finding out where the leak is.

Dean
 
#21 ·
Scott you are correct your car doesn't have the heat exchanger, but an oil cooler in front of the rad. This leads back to the front timing case and the seals in, it which you highlighted earlier. The oil in your sump appears clean, the only sign of water/coolant is under the oil cap. This leads me to think that it is only leaking into the oil once the car is up to running temp (When the cooling system is at full pressure). This will be a difficult leak to find and I think it will be in the front timing case area - water pump.
Best of luck with this one, I'll be looking forward to finding out where the leak is.

Dean
I still deep down do not believe it is a head gasket. I think one of those seals are leaking or maybe a crack somewhere else.

So I think that only oil runs through those lines out of the oil filter housing

I really think Kraut56 is right to drop the idea of looking at head gaskets right now till I look everywhere else first.
Next weekend I am going to build the pressure tester and use the washer fluid tank heater supply lines to pressure test the system.
Will see where that leads me.
What I hope is that if it is nice and quiet I might be able to hear it leaking somewhere. Or might feel air coming out the dipstick tube.

Like I say I am just scared to bring it in as they will say head gasket. Seems like the easiest solution for most shops.

Like in my other thread there was posts about tablets and Dura Seal to seal cracks, if it is a seal I do not think it will fix it.

Since the car is a project I would rather solve the problem and replace/repair the issue.


I wonder how big of a job it is to replace the seals in the front cover. I guess if you are in there chain guides should be done. I am not going to think about this yet till I find out where the coolant is going. If I cannot find it with a pressure test it will have to go in. Not sure if Mercedes or a good indie shop

The plan was to teach my son about cars so the other reason I do not want to send it in. I guess also teaching when you are beat bring it in so you just do not throw parts at it
 
#22 ·
I have a few people tell me I need to take it for a good run to get it nice and hot. They said it still might just be condensation in the oil.

Someone I delivered parts to this week said oil cooler and I replied that my oil cooler is in front of the rad and has no coolant in it at all. Only oil, they said that is not how they work that there is coolant. I asked how is that when the oil lines run to the cooler and the cooler is not hooked up to the cooling system. Needless to say I will not be bring the S55 there is there is a real issue.

This is another thing about this temp parts driver job, it is taking up way too much of the S55 project's time.

I did find a couple of decent indies that specialize in high end cars. That I delivered to. Well the look decent very clean, the cars that are being worked on etc. I know you cannot judge a book by it's cover

One has an E55 Kompressor as their shop car. For running errands driving customers around so on. Home - Engineered Automotive

Then I found A.Spec Auto Group

Someone recommended RobinsonAutomotive.com

I found a master engine re-builder on Kijiji

Anyone hear of any one of the above.

I still think that if I cannot narrow it down myself it will go to McNally Auto Service - Home

I really doubt that as when I have started the car it was not just for a few minutes. It was always at operating temp and minimum 45 minutes.

I was also told to buy the Dura Seal 8 Cyl. Mercedes Dura-Seal® Head & Gasket Kit
Follow the directions and see if the coolant in the oil stops. Not knowing if anyone else has tried to use a sealer on this car, I guess buying the coolant flush to remove glass sealer might not be a bad idea

In the kit comes Liquid Ice Additive not sure how that will mix with Zerex G05

My thoughts is if there is an issue crack, head gasket, seal, warp so on. Isn't this more of a band aide then a repair?

I am taking Kraut56 advise and putting the head gasket out of my mind and look for all other possibilities first. The reason I brought the Dura Seal up is I want to know if anyone used it? Did it work? How long did it last? Did you actually repair the gasket, crack etc later on and was the Dura Seal more of a pain to clean up/remove?

I am not pressure testing this weekend as Saturday I have too much running around and Sunday is mother's day.

I also think I will buy either C3 or C4 with the computer so there should be no issues as I think I need to upgrade from the X431.

I am also thinking of grabbing a S500 engine if the S55 needs to come a part to see how bad of a job the head gaskets are. I can get the engine(long block with accessories) dirt cheap so it would be a great learning tool and I would have a few spare parts like alternator, coils, PS pump AC compressor and so on The engine would cost me less then a rad for the S430.

Would the heads be the same on the S55 as the S500?
 
#25 ·
That is what I thought, I contacted them via email and could not get an answer. They told me to call.

I do not think the coolant is getting into the combustion chamber or there would be bubbling in the overflow tank.

I am going to try and get all the pieces to make the pressure tester and use the hoses that feed heated the washer system like Kruat56 suggested.

Not sure if pressure testing is really going to show much. If there is a breech between the oil and water gallery(either seal, gasket, crack or warp) I will not be able to see anything. I am hopping that I might be able to hear something or feel pressure at the dipstick tube.

Dura seal is a band aid. I would keep looking till you find the problem and fix it the right away vs the dura seal.
Thanks that was my thoughts 100% Or what you use to let it be someone else's problem.
I hope next weekend I can actually get the car pressure tested and get on the road to solving the issue.

This helping my brother in law out really cut the time I have to work on the car down.

Any idea is 500 heads are the same as 55 heads?
 
#26 ·
No the heads are different. Your heads numbered A1130105720 and A1130105720 the S500 are numbered A1130102020 and A1130102120. Of note the heads are the same as the E55's.

Dean
 
#27 ·
I just thought if I grab this engine for a learning tool to take apart and grab all the accessories off I would have heads.

Like I have posted before if it is a head gasket issue the head will be sent out so I would prefer a second set so the car is mobile to move in and out of the garage while the heads are at the shop.

I really need to get on this and stop drawing straws. Once I know what the problem is I will be all over it getting it repaired properly. If it is a head gasket and the member that had the issue with the engine knock(and started the thread) has not sold the heads he listed I will grab them.

But until I actually am going into this with an open mind and looking small then to go to bigger causes.


Just helping out my brother in law as a parts driver really eats up so much time. I have about a hour commute each way. I know that everyone works and get things done. Me I am just so use to working my own hours and being off because of health reasons. So I really not use to it. Then weekends become so busy(my wife does not drive) with running around.
 
#28 ·
Something I just found is part A112 990 03 78 Connector - Cylinder head, left, heating water feed. Since that is also the side of the cap and you are not getting coolant in your oil it might be worth checking. As a suggestion if you get time it could well be worth checking if you are getting the same problem under both head covers or just the one.
 
#29 ·
Where does this part go? Is it a remove the head kind of job or a that is in a crappy spot but can be replaced with out stripping the engine down?

On another note I am on the hunt for you I will PM you later on
 
#34 · (Edited)
Pressure/leak check,Pressure/leak check,Pressure/leak check,Pressure/leak check,Pressure/leak check,Pressure/leak check,....... you get it?????
I get it 100% I picked up 90% of the parts to use the washer heater supply hoses. Just short one barb.

I want to test one night this week. Tomorrow is mother's day so that is out.

If it is leaking via a crack or the head gasket between the water and oil galleys I will get pressure coming out the dipstick tube.

After the pressure check , if it doesn't reveal a problem outsude the head , I'd get a bore scope camera and scope each cylinder. The steamed clean ones will be where the head gasket leak is

No sense changing both heads if only one gasket is bad
I am not really getting any steam out the tail pipe very very faint on the right side. Most everyone I have talked to is that it is from not being driven.

So not sure if I will find any steam cleaned cylinders.

If I do have a head gasket issue the head will be sent out to a machine shop so I would do both regardless and send both heads out for guides and seals. If they have to skim the surface of the head and I only did one head and gasket I would feel like the one side would be 100% and the other would be who knows. To keep everything balanced would much prefer both done



Number 29 is the connector Scott.
Thanks will look at that need to find out where it is exactly. Guessing the back of the head.

You think that will let coolant into the oil?
 
#35 ·
Pressure tester is at this stage right now. The hardware store I was at did not have two barbs.
All I need is one barb, two hose clamps, tighten everything and it is done. Then I can pressure test the car. So close but yet so far

I might put 90º elbows where the barbs screw in just to make it easier to attach to the washer heating supply hoses, but then that gives more chances for leaks. I will put a piece of hose on the barbs to make a closed system and test to 40 PSI. Check and make sure there are no leaks then remove the hose and hook up to the car.

I think I am going to run 15 PSI to test for leaks as the tank states 1.4/2.0 bar
So that is 20psi/29psi I am not sure when the coolant system is running 1.4 or 2.0. I know if you put too much pressure you can cause leaks you did not have before.

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#36 ·
This is a "general automotive" comment, not a "W220" comment...

Quite a few auto manufacturers suggest/require the usage of sealant in the cooling system of vehicles with aluminum engines. Examples that I have owned: Jaguar V12; Jaguar six; and Cadillac NorthStar. The sealer that GM sells is available at most parts stores as a powder in a small, gold, plastic tube. GM shop manual says to add the sealer at every coolant change - use one tube, if leaks persist, add a second.
 
#38 ·
Would be interesting to see if Mercedes suggests anything like that. Most people I have talked to say that these M113 engine never have head gasket issues.

I know from Kraut56 that he mentioned that there is a sealant to be put on one side of the engine for the head gasket. Think it was the left.

Looking at your older posts I think this is the car you are talking about with the coolant problem here so I think someone may have already used a sealant in the cooling system.
Yes it is the same car, not sure if you caught this in an earlier thread where I found out it was the car I passed on and did not realize it.

I actually passed on the car you linked. Kept looking for a S55 then stopped. My son found a 2002 S55 he wanted to work on as a project which had a ton of rust and 250,000km. So I started looking again. Then I found a S55 which just needed some TLC. I checked everything looked under, behind wheels, drove it(without plates), checked codes with my X431 and so on.

Then a few weeks ago(might been a bit longer) I was cleaning up my computer and getting rid of the old DATA CARDS and car checks from car I was looking at. They where all in one folder. So I noticed I had an extra AutoCheck of the S55 went to put it in the folder. Then I get a message that do you want to replace or keep both as the AutoChecks are saved by VIN as the title of the document. I opened it up and found out I bought the car I passed on in Nov.
Felt like an idiot as I spend so much time checking and testing and never thought about looking up the VIN. The car was not on a lot but at a home, did not have all the issues that it had originally when I looked at it in Nov, so never even crossed my mind that it was the same car I passed on in Nov.

So after finding this out I was pretty ticked off, but decided to make lemon aide out of lemons. This is why the seller knew nothing about the car. So not sure if he bought it found out about the coolant leak or if it was a buddy of the car lot's owner and curb sold it so they did not have to warranty/lemon aid the car. This happens a fair bit here. Cars they do not want to sell on the lot for a wide range of reasons, they sell curb side so the dealer cannot be held liable.

Well it is my problem now.

I could slap some stop leak in it and run the car through an auction like eBay, Copart, North Toronto Auto Auction or sell it and pass on the troubles to someone else. Then I would feel like a shit.
I would more then likely get $9,000-$11,000 for it at auction as it is a clean car, fully loaded, with a very high AutoCheck rating. People are asking $14,000- $20,000 for the same year here with about the same mileage.

I think it is worth saving the two main issues is the coolant and now the oil level sensor giving the warning on the dash after the belt broke. I am in it for $7500 with what I have done so far and the price of the car

But what needs to be done is a pressure test which I am going to try and grab the last barb and two hose clamps today, wife permitting as it is mother's day.
So I can figure this out, not sure if pressure testing is going to tell me that I have a crack, internal seal leak, or if it is a head gasket breech between the water and oil galleries of the gasket.

I really believe that it is not leaking into the combustion chamber as it runs way to nice and no bubbles into the coolant tank.

Like it was said a million times I need to start with a pressure test, drawing straws is not going to get it fixed. If I cannot solve it via a pressure test it has to go in.
Going to test it cold then at operating temp just not sure what pressure I should test it at.
 
#39 ·
Scott having re read your post on this car from both threads. I think that someone has tried a cooling system leak sealer and that is why the coolant loss is less then it was back in November. I would have to say you are most likely looking for a leak in the timing cover. A pressure test will only confirm you are losing coolant and not where it is going, pressure testing is great for finding a leak on the outside. As we know the leak for this car is internal all you will get is more coolant in the oil.

The loss appears to only be one way i.e. coolant to oil and not the other way, so we know the loss can only be where the coolant pressure is higher than the oil pressure. As for most of the locations where you would be looking for coolant to oil causes crossflow between both, we should be able to rule out cracked, warped heads as well as head gaskets. To confirm this you would need to check the coolant for traces of oil. A compression test will show if any coolant is being lost to the combustion chambers as the cylinder would have a loss of compression, if you had a leak into a cylinder you would also have bubbles in the coolant tank.

What leads me to think of the timing cover is that while there is oil present it is not under pressure. The 2 smaller seal on the back of the timing cover are for water passages, when the coolant is under pressure it maybe leaking through 1 of the seals and turning to steam. This would explain why the coolant is not in the sump but is under the oil filler cap.

Dean
 
#42 ·
I agree that it is where the oil pressure is low, or none at all. There is oil galleys between the head and the block where the gasket is that could be breached as well.

I am going to pressure test it tomorrow and see how big of a leak it is. With the gauge on the tester I built I will be able to see how long it takes to loose pressure.

I am going to find that tube you send me the diagram of. Does the tube run between the oil galleys?

The oil filter looked fine when they replaced it at the oil change shop. The dipstick is not milky.

I do agree that is a steam issue you like you mentioned, like you stated that there is no bubbles in the oil tank, not oil in the coolant tank and the car runs smooth.

I am thinking like you that it is a seal between the timing cover or maybe else where.

I bet if I left the cap loose I would not get any milkiness at the filler cap.

This is being said to be helpful, not to be hateful, and I hope that you can accept it in the spirit in which it is offered.

I think that you are being far too emotional about this problem. You have a very nice car that has a problem - it loses coolant. It runs fine, doesn't overheat, just loses coolant. You seem to be jumping to the conclusion that this is a fatal illness, and can't think of it any other way.

There are dozens of possible causes for the coolant loss, ranging from ridiculously minor to potentially major. For one example, there are many hoses and hose connections on the car, and any of them could be the problem if it is leaking in an area that is not easily visible.

You also seem to feel that the usage of "stop-leak" is morally wrong. There are valid reasons for not using stop-leak to unload a damaged car onto an unsuspecting buyer - but that isn't where you are. The GM and Jaguar usage that I discussed above are not repair methods, they are standard, every car of that type maintenance procedures. On those cars, you don't wait to see if you have a leak. If you change the water pump, or change a hose, you put the stop-leak in with the new coolant. It works. It isn't illegal, it isn't immoral, it is a maintenance procedure. Is that a recommended Mercedes procedure? Damifino. Will it absolutely work? Damifino. Does it have a chance of working? I think so. Will it ruin the car? I doubt it. Am I urging you to put stop-leak into your system? Not yet.

The first thing that I would do is to stop fretting and wait to see what some serious testing and looking show.
Hey Wally
Not taking the above anyway but helpful. I know it is not an external leak, I do know it is getting into the oil.
So I guess what I was asking is, by pressure testing I will still not know where the leak is unless it is into the combustion chamber and the plugs were out. Which I highly doubt or I would be getting a lot more white smoke.

Also a head gasket can deteriorate between the oil and water galleys, which would have no oil pressure as they are drains back to the oil pan. But then I think the oil on the dip stick would be milky.
Unless it is a slight breach then it would be just steam like Dean mentioned.

Like I have stated many times no bubbles in the coolant tank, no oil in the coolant, car runs fantastic, very smooth. So yes I agree that I need to look simple first then go big.

I think also I am kicking myself for not checking the VIN against the AutoCheck/DATA CARD from Nov and buying a car that I passed on. I do love the car just want this problem solve whether small or big.

I am just trying to prepare myself for the worst. If it is a head gasket I am fine with repairing it, timing chain cover also fine with, cracked head or block well we are getting a bit on the switch engine side. Unless I can grab the heads from the member that just swapped out his S55 engine because of the knock. I remember posting when I first brought it home if it was a big issue I will part it out. There is no way that will happen it will be fixed.

If it is a stupid little tube like Dean found, a seal in the intake system or something else small fantastic and I got a kick ass car well below market value.

I tried Googling Damifino and did not find any coolant sealants with that name.

There is nothing wrong with leak sealers when used correctly, but this car used 3 litres in 10 mile when Scott first looked at it. It now appears to be using a lot less. If someone used a sealer on it and it didn't seal, there would not be much point in using another one. I for one would not use a sealer for the type of loss the car was showing, would be fine for a smaller leak.
Looking back at that coolant loss there might have been an air lock, also I just filled it up when it was not running then started quickly to see how much it dropped.

I will pressure test the car and see how long it takes to loose pressure cold and hot.
Just not sure what to pressurize the system to. Also if you have a chance can you see what that #29 tube does in the picture you sent
 
#40 ·
This is being said to be helpful, not to be hateful, and I hope that you can accept it in the spirit in which it is offered.

I think that you are being far too emotional about this problem. You have a very nice car that has a problem - it loses coolant. It runs fine, doesn't overheat, just loses coolant. You seem to be jumping to the conclusion that this is a fatal illness, and can't think of it any other way.

There are dozens of possible causes for the coolant loss, ranging from ridiculously minor to potentially major. For one example, there are many hoses and hose connections on the car, and any of them could be the problem if it is leaking in an area that is not easily visible.

You also seem to feel that the usage of "stop-leak" is morally wrong. There are valid reasons for not using stop-leak to unload a damaged car onto an unsuspecting buyer - but that isn't where you are. The GM and Jaguar usage that I discussed above are not repair methods, they are standard, every car of that type maintenance procedures. On those cars, you don't wait to see if you have a leak. If you change the water pump, or change a hose, you put the stop-leak in with the new coolant. It works. It isn't illegal, it isn't immoral, it is a maintenance procedure. Is that a recommended Mercedes procedure? Damifino. Will it absolutely work? Damifino. Does it have a chance of working? I think so. Will it ruin the car? I doubt it. Am I urging you to put stop-leak into your system? Not yet.

The first thing that I would do is to stop fretting and wait to see what some serious testing and looking show.
 
#41 ·
There is nothing wrong with leak sealers when used correctly, but this car used 3 litres in 10 mile when Scott first looked at it. It now appears to be using a lot less. If someone used a sealer on it and it didn't seal, there would not be much point in using another one. I for one would not use a sealer for the type of loss the car was showing, would be fine for a smaller leak.
 
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