Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Photobucket
Welcome to Mercedes-190.co.uk

We are the Mercedes 190 owners forum, the place to be for all owners and fans of the Mercedes 190E, 190 and 190D cars. Including Cosworth (2.3 16v and 2.5 16v), EVO 1 and EVO 2 models. Modified and concourse, track cars and daily drivers, all are welcome.

This free UK based forum was started back in November 2005 to serve the Mercedes 190 W201 community and now has over 9000 members from all around the world and 600,000 + posts.

The members welcome you and encourage you to stay a while and have a look around.
We offer you friendly chat and access to some very useful information as well as tutorials with photos and videos for many common repair and maintenance jobs.
Whatever your needs there is a good chance you will be able to find what your looking for. Such as our Mercedes 190 buyers guide

Sign up to gain access to all areas including for sale / classified areas and country wide meetings and events. Many forum features and sections are only available once you sign up.

Join our forum at mercedes-190.co.uk!

If you're already a member please log in to your account:

**New members signing up**
please check your junk mail for the email authorization email
otherwise we cannot verify your new account.
I have noticed a lot of unauthorized accounts in the system.
Regards
Admin

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Has my head gasket *really* gone?
Topic Started: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:41 pm (664 Views)
mustardmit
Member Avatar
Mustardmit
[ * ]
I was driving to Glastonbury last Tuesday, having just scraped £200 together to get the old beast ('92 190e 1.8 125000 miles) MOT'd and taxed.
About 30 miles down the road I noticed the temperature was uncharacteristically high - about 100-110 degrees.
Next thing I see is a load of water squirting out of the right hand side of the bonnet. I pull up on the hard shoulder, pop bonnet open to see water shooting out of the overflow pipe in the header tank.
Called the AA, the guy topped it up and instructed me to pull in at the next service area so he could have another look. It boiled over again, so he checked the header tank with this odd squirty syringy thing with blue fluid inside, it changed colour and bubbles started coming up into the header tank, the guy stepped away laughing and said "yep - your head gasket's blown".
Could he possibly be wrong? There is none of that gooey stuff in the engine oil. If he's right - what would I expect to have to pay to get it sorted? I desparately need the car for work.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Richy190E
Member Avatar
bubble bubble
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
If there is exhaust gas in the coolant then its almost certain.

Price varies massively. Where in the countryare you?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
mustardmit
Member Avatar
Mustardmit
[ * ]
...I forgot to mention, last year it blew a hose off and I lost nearly all the water so I re-filled it and it was fine up to last week.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Richy190E
Member Avatar
bubble bubble
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
That probably weakened the gasket or strained the head bolts.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
mustardmit
Member Avatar
Mustardmit
[ * ]
Hi Richy, I'm in SW London (Kingston). Just ran the engine for 10 min after topping up the water - temperature got to just below 120 and no sign of fan kicking in, I wonder if that has something to do with it.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
balamb37
Member Avatar
Grumpy Old Grampa with Dog
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
If your fan didn't kick-in then you will have an over-heating problem,

And with 190s it's a common following that the HG will blow. ;)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
mustardmit
Member Avatar
Mustardmit
[ * ]
I just tested the fan clutch circuit (with a bent paperclip) and it locks up as it should. I ran the engine for a little while with the paperclip still in but the fan didn't seem to be whizzing round as fast as it should. Also drained and flushed radiator checking for blobs of oil - it was clean. I also dismantled the thermostat cover, which has a small crack in it, de-gacked the thermostat and tested it by boiling it up in a saucepan full of water - it opened and closed ok).
I'm wondering what's going on with the fan - does anyone know what stops them from working properly?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
balamb37
Member Avatar
Grumpy Old Grampa with Dog
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Normally the 'Temp Switch' but you could be unlucky like me and have a break in the loom.

Have you checked fuse number 10, 8Amp white I think, could be a bad contract at the ends. ;)

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Gerry Lloyd
Member Avatar
Monsieur
[ *  * ]
would like to chime in here. Is it normal for the running temperature to get to 110'C in a traffic jam on a warm day? or could my fan also be under-operating? I've never heard it accelerate like my Renault's fan does. I recently replaced the head gasket and am now wonderiiing.... The running temeperature is always steady at any speed above 20mph (82'C plus/minus)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
balamb37
Member Avatar
Grumpy Old Grampa with Dog
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I think it depends on which 'thermal switch' you have installed,

I believe there is a choice of two one at about 98 and the other at around 110.

When your temp gets up to 110 try revving a little and if the fan has switched on, the temp should drop.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Gerry Lloyd
Member Avatar
Monsieur
[ *  * ]
thaks will try. Also read the Owner handbook and it says that hitting the red section on the thermo-guage is to be expected under severe conditions e.g. hot mountains
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
mustardmit
Member Avatar
Mustardmit
[ * ]
I've come to the conclusion (from advice here and from Mr AA) that my HG has been quietly disintegrating over the last couple of years, the engine is gummed up with toffee - so water has not been circulating properly - hence the boilage.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Engine · Next Topic »
Add Reply


Email me if anyone replys