Mercedes-Benz W211 E-Class Radiator Replacement

Automobile radiators are made out of a core of linked narrow passages connected via two side tanks. The core is metal and made of stacked layers, pressed and soldered together to form channels. Traditionally radiators were made of brass or copper cores and attached to brass side tanks. Radiators in today's vehicles are made of aluminum cores attached to plastic side tanks. This keeps cost down and saves weight.

In automobiles with a liquid-cooled engine, a radiator is connected to passages in the engine where liquid coolant is pumped through via a water pump. This liquid is a mixture of water and glycol (to prevent freezing).

The radiator cols the engine by transferring the heat from the fluid inside the engine to the outside air. Radiators are also used to cool transmission and power steering fluids.

When a radiator begins to fail, you'll notice that the car tends to overheat at high engine speed, such as driving on the highway. When you accelerate, the engine temperature will rise, when you idle the engine it will return to normal range. Now, this is not always indicative of a failing radiator, but a good starting point. Of course there are also leaks that occur at the side tanks of the radiator and the plastic side tanks can crack, causing major loss of engine coolant. You will have to remove the electric cooling fan to replace the radiator. These cooling fans are troublesome. I would suggest replacing it while you have it out. Inspect both radiator hoses and replace if necessary. Check for dry rot or splitting and examine to see that the sealing O-rings are in good shape.

In this article, I'll go over the steps involved with replacing the radiator on W211 models. Be sure to work with a cool engine and confirm the cooling system lacks pressure before opening the cooling system.

Remember your car may have been serviced before and parts replaced with different size fasteners used in the replacement. The sizes of the nuts and bolts we give may be different from what you have so be prepared with different size sockets and wrenches.

Protect your eyes, hands and body from fluids, dust and debris while working on your vehicle. If working with the electrical system, disconnect the battery before beginning. Always catch fluids in appropriate containers and properly dispose of any fluid waste. Recycle parts, packaging and fluids when possible. Never work on your vehicle if you feel the task is beyond your ability.

Our vehicle may vary slightly from yours as models do change and evolve as they grow older. If something seems different, let us know and share your info to help other users. Questions or want to add to the article? Leave a comment below. When leaving a comment, please leave your vehicle information.

Remove engine splash shields. See our tech article on engine splash shield removing.

Drain cooling system. See our tech article on cooling system draining and filling.

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Time: 2 hours
Tab: $350
Tools: T30 Torx driver :https://www.pelicanparts.com/Mercedes..., 10mm socket:https://www.pelicanparts.com/Mercedes..., Flathead screwdriver :https://www.pelicanparts.com/Mercedes...
Parts Required: Radiator, coolant reservoir vent hose :https://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...
Hot Tip: Work with a cool engine
Performance Gain: Proper engine cooling.
Complementary Modification: Inspect or replace coolant hoses
Applicable Models:
Mercedes-Benz E320 (2003-05)
Mercedes-Benz E500 (2003-06)
Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG (2003-06) :https://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...