bloc
SILVER Star
Coolant leak?
- Thread starter Oogabooga
- Start date
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Interesting timing because I have this exact leak on my 2013 that just rolled over 130k. At first, I thought it was the radiator because I noticed coolant disappearing very slowly, but then one day when I was idling in our driveway (steep and the front end was facing downhill), I noticed an active drip in the same spot. I took a video and sent to the shop I typically use, and they thought it was the water pump as well.
Looking at the estimate (and keeping in mind they have not seen the vehicle yet), it appears they are suggesting the following work below which totals $1,727 + tax. It sounds pretty steep to me, but they are replacing hoses as well which is good. Any thoughts if this seems fair?
Looking at the estimate (and keeping in mind they have not seen the vehicle yet), it appears they are suggesting the following work below which totals $1,727 + tax. It sounds pretty steep to me, but they are replacing hoses as well which is good. Any thoughts if this seems fair?
For me, I’d consider how quickly I needed it fixed vs whether I could wait to do it myself. If you can wait for a parts sale, this number would be less assuming you’re doing it on your own.
If that’s not an option and you trust your shop, I say go for it. But I don’t have a local shop I trust with respect to pricing, etc.
bloc
SILVER Star
If it’s getting taken that far apart I’d consider tossing in the updated radiator as well if it hasn’t already been done. Just a few more bolts, if I remember correctly.
you always have so many 200.. which one is this one?
I paid $1049 for the water pump and thermostat replacement including coolant at the dealer. No new hoses since mine were done a couple years ago. That price is nuts. Also there’s NFW they could use 10 gallons of coolant, so unless that’s in quarts that is outrageous
I wish I had the time and space to work on it myself, but I don't unfortunately. I also want it to be ready to go for Cruise Moab here in a few weeks.
What's annoying and frustrating is about 4 months before I bought this 200 in 2020, the prior owner had 2 major service visits at a dealership where he spent $7k on major maintenance including a new radiator - but they never touched the water pump. I originally assumed the radiator had failed again, but there are no signs of leakage anywhere.
That has to be quarts because the extended cost of the coolant is only $69. Considering 4 quarts at full MSRP is only $27, $69 still sounds really expensive for 6 quarts. While I have generally had good luck with this shop, their prices have gone up 200-400% across the board since I started using them about 6 years ago. It's nearly impossible to find great work at a great price though these days unfortunately.
bloc
SILVER Star
That would be annoying..
10qt sounds pretty excessive for a water pump. That’s more along the lines of a full radiator replacement.
Also you might check whether your prior radiator job included new hoses; not much point to replacing them again if they are so fresh.
10qt sounds pretty excessive for a water pump. That’s more along the lines of a full radiator replacement.
Also you might check whether your prior radiator job included new hoses; not much point to replacing them again if they are so fresh.
When I replaced my water pump, I took the radiator out and replaced all the coolant. You might be able to just take off the fan/shroud. Full replacement was less than 3 gallons.
I took my 200 to the shop for the repair on Thursday and said I was 99% sure it would need a new water pump. They said they'd still diagnose it to ensure there wasn't a valley plate leak, so I was quite nervous for the bill. They called me on Friday and said they had some surprising GOOD news. Apparently they pressure tested the truck for 90 mins to find the leak, but there was no leak. They examined the valley plate and said it was totally clean and showed no signs of leaking there either.
Here is what we think happened. A few months ago, I saw the coolant overflow tank cap had pink crust on it and the coolant level was slightly low. I ordered a new cap and replaced it, and I filled up the coolant to the high level mark. Then I parked the 200 in our driveway which is quite steep with the nose facing downhill, and the next time I started it, I left it running for a while to see if it was leaking. When the engine got warm, the expansion of the coolant simply belched out the excess amount. I drove around for a little while with a close eye on the temp gauge to ensure it didn't overheat thinking there was a problem, but the coolant level never dropped again.
I'm very relieved the shop did the extensive diagnostic testing because I basically told them to skip it and go straight into the repair. They believe when the prior owner did the radiator ~30k miles ago, the shop also replaced the water pump and hoses because they said everything looked great. I felt bad they already ordered all the parts just in case, but I really appreciate them being honest and not replacing things that didn't need to be replaced. I paid a very nominal diagnostic fee and was on my way!
Here is what we think happened. A few months ago, I saw the coolant overflow tank cap had pink crust on it and the coolant level was slightly low. I ordered a new cap and replaced it, and I filled up the coolant to the high level mark. Then I parked the 200 in our driveway which is quite steep with the nose facing downhill, and the next time I started it, I left it running for a while to see if it was leaking. When the engine got warm, the expansion of the coolant simply belched out the excess amount. I drove around for a little while with a close eye on the temp gauge to ensure it didn't overheat thinking there was a problem, but the coolant level never dropped again.
I'm very relieved the shop did the extensive diagnostic testing because I basically told them to skip it and go straight into the repair. They believe when the prior owner did the radiator ~30k miles ago, the shop also replaced the water pump and hoses because they said everything looked great. I felt bad they already ordered all the parts just in case, but I really appreciate them being honest and not replacing things that didn't need to be replaced. I paid a very nominal diagnostic fee and was on my way!
