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MB Garage Inc. Mercedes
- Benz Specialists. Repair, Restoration, Paint and Body Work. Independent — Serving the Bay Area since 1970 |
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Engine Cooling System Maintenance/Tips By Janet Migliore In addition to the water pump, there are three main components of a vehicle’s engine cooling system: the radiator, the heater core and coolant. Although these three components have no moving parts, they play a critical role in overall vehicle operation. Today’s cars have sophisticated and complex operating systems, and regular maintenance is vital for long-term durability and vehicle performance. Because a vehicle’s cooling system is not highly visible, most people generally ignore routine maintenance, addressing it only when they experience a problem or failure. By that time, however, damage may already be extensive, resulting in a costly repair bill and causing inconvenience through vehicle downtime. Here are a few simple preventive service tips (should be done annually) to keep your engine cooling systems running at peak performance: 1. Inspect all connections and components for leaks. 2. Inspect all hose clamps and fittings: tighten if necessary. 3. Inspect all hoses and belts and replace them if they are cracked, worn or deteriorated. 4. Never use tap water when adding a 50/50 mixture of coolant/water to the vehicle. You can use distilled or dematerialized water to prevent corrosion when you need to add. Otherwise, always use the Mercedes coolant. 5. Be sure your coolant level is always at the appropriate level; top it off only with a 50/50 mix of the OE coolant type or drop by the shop and we will add for you. 6. Check the condition of the radiator cap (only when engine is cold) and replace it if the gasket is worn. 7. If engine temperature varies from running too hot or too cool under normal operating conditions, a faulty thermostat or cooling fan may be the problem. Bring your car in and we can check it for you. Proper fan speed must be maintained to keep air flowing consistently through the radiator. Fan clutch slippage or faulty electronic control units can cause the fan RPM to vary. Making The SF Chronicle “My Ride” Section You may have seen the article about MB’s customer Jim Greer and his 1979 300TD in the “My Ride” section of the S.F. Chronicle on Jan 10, 2010. MB Garage handled the restoration of this vehicle and it turned out very fine (see a picture of it in 2009 November issue of our newsletter). There is NOTHING quite like an older model that has been restored! Thinking about restoration? Contact Janet for more information. Cars for Sale 1996 E300D with 168k miles. Rare, great car. Dark green/tan. Call 917.376.1279. 1990 300E 2.5 with 143k miles. Needs clear coat paint only. Grey/grey. Call 650.349.2744. SOLD 1987 260E with 208k miles. All fixed up. Dark blue/light blue. Call 650.349.2744. SOLD 1986 560SEC with 125k. Needs clear coat paint. Tan/tan. Unique car. Call 650.349.2744. SOLD 1979 300CD with 142k. Excellent condition inside/out. Yellow/tan. Call 650.773.4897. 1977 240D with 290k. Manual transmission. Cream/dark blue. Call 415.573.4428. 1972 220 with 109k. Family owned since new. Great shape. Brown/Tan. Call 650.345.9418. SOLD 1963 220 with 271k engine rebuilt. Really nice inside and out. Call 949.690.3232. Office Hours in February 2010: Monday – Thursday, 8am-6pm. We will be closed February 15th in honor of President’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day! |
