Hello all. I was watching one of those speed channel shows late at night recently. The show that held my attention for a few minutes involved two serious gearheads doing maintenance on a big Chevy truck. It was pretty cool how they replaced a worn out part with an upgraded one. Anyway, the question that I have centers around the water pump. If I remember correctly, those guys on the show pointed out the fact that the Chevy's water pump had a tiny hole thru which you could drop in some lubricant. Does MB have this? Is there anything that I can do to extend the life of my water pump? Futhermore, how do I know that it's starting to give me problems before it's too late? Any and all advice would be welcome here gents. Thanks a million. [8D]

 

Proper flushing and renewal of anti freeze every few years is the kindest thing you can do for a water pump.The anti freeze contains lubricant.At 170,000 plus miles you could be proactive and replace it or just wait until it starts dripping and then replace it.Flip a coin.

 

I'll bite my lip for a while and cross my fingers. The AMSOIL propolyene glycol antifreeze that I flushed and filled 3 years ago has required very little "topping off". Thanks for the tip. I'll keep a sharp eye out for the telltale green drip. [8D]

 

You should flush it.MB anti freeze or Zerex GO5 are the only af you want in a mercedes aluminum M series engine.Anything else has the potential to eat the insides of the engine up.
Amsoil is not the proper chemical makeup.

 

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/ant.aspx

3 years ago two Merc mechanics that I had work on the car noted the Amsoil antifreeze jug in the trunk. They asked what I was going to do with it. I told them that I was going to flush and fill the Benz with the proper mixture of that jug. One mechanic said that he knew of many fellow mechanics who had used that type for several years. The other mechanic said that as long as it didn't eat at the Aluminum that it would work just fine. The info on the link was the same info that I read over 3 years ago. Thanks for the tip. In the future I'll stick with MB recommended fluids. Now you've got me wondering if the Amsoil Syn Severe Wear Gear Oil in the diff is bad for my car, or the Amsoil Syn brake and tranny syn ATF fluid. For that matter, maybe the Amsoil power steering fluid is bad too. Iused the EuropeanAmsoil Syn oil for about 30K miles without incident. I now go back and forth between Mobil 1, Quaker State Syn or Valvoline Syn with regular interval changes. Though I am uncertain if the Amsoil brand warrants the higher prices for all of their items[8D], I am confident that they do offer a good product. Perhaps I'll change my tune if something breaks at the worst time. So many choices....