Technical Car/Motor Issues > Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator Miscellaneous
Thread Author: TheManWithNoName Replies: 8
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New Mon 10 Dec 12 13:27 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - TheManWithNoName
What could cause a radiator to explode?
A collegue broke down recently in her Merc 190 after being stuck in stop-start traffic after the snow chaos last week. The temperature started to rise so she switched off the engine.
Shortly after re-starting it she heard a bang and the temp started to rise. Eventually steam appeared so she switched off the engine.
She opened the bonnet and the plastic radiotor shroud had broken the clips which hold it to the front of the car. She initially thought the plastic tabs had broken with the cold and the shroud had caught the fan hence the bang.
The car needs a new shroud and rad and coolant.
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New Mon 10 Dec 12 21:29 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - spamcan61
Knackered head gasket pressuring cooling system maybe.
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New Mon 10 Dec 12 21:35 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - Zero
>> What could cause a radiator to explode?
>> A collegue broke down recently in her Merc 190 after being stuck in stop-start traffic
>> after the snow chaos last week. The temperature started to rise so she switched off
>> the engine.

Hmmm Not normal. Why did the temp rise? thats the question.

HG, fan, fan sensor, leak, radiator blocked,

Loads of stuff.




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New Mon 10 Dec 12 22:14 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - carmalade
Is this a 190 wdb 201 chassis?.They stopped making these in 1993.If it is,then these are fitted with a magnetic coupling cooling fan.Perhaps it failed to engage?Causing an overheat situation.
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New Mon 10 Dec 12 23:26 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - bathtub tom
Bottom hose frozen, overheated, pressure too much for rad cap?

Too many variables.
Last edited by: bathtub tom on Mon 10 Dec 12 at 23:27
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New Tue 11 Dec 12 08:41 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - TheManWithNoName
Definitely not the head gasket as the car has been repaired with a new rad for £300+.
She lives about 12 miles from the office and it only went pop in the last half mile when she was in stationary traffic. Perhaps the expansion cap didnt work so something let go somewhere else?
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New Tue 11 Dec 12 19:39 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - Dave_
>> Perhaps the expansion cap didnt work so something let go somewhere else?

Sounds feasible to me.
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New Tue 11 Dec 12 12:07 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - L'escargot
This article suggests that the life of a modern radiator could only be about eight to ten years. tinyurl.com/cl27sj4
The plastic parts undergo expansion and contraction with changes of temperature and eventually crack.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Tue 11 Dec 12 at 12:09
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New Tue 11 Dec 12 21:13 
 Mercedes Benz - 97 2.0 Exploding radiator - Collos
Insufficient antifreeze and the bottom hose froze.
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