Mercedes Benz V6 Oil Cooler Seals Leak repair Geelong

The purpose of oil coolers in Mercedes Vehicles

As any Mercedes-lover knows, maintaining the right oil temperature is crucial to ensuring your car continues to perform.

Temperature affects the viscosity of your motor oil, which in turn affects its ability to lubricate your engine. Too high a temperature, and your motor oil thins out and can even start to degrade.

To solve that issue, many Mercedes-Benz vehicles come with oil coolers as standard.

Before the oil enters the sump or oil reservoir to be distributed around your engine, it needs to be regulated to account for the high operating temperature of the engine, and to ensure that the oil remains at an optimal viscosity.

By passing the oil through an oil cooler (also known as a heat exchanger) your engine oil is able to reach the ideal operating temperature faster, and regulate the engine temperature along with the engines coolant.

This is how the engine is able to maintain its ideal temperature (and therefore, the ideal viscosity) needed to properly lubricate your engine, keep emissions as low as possible and maintain engine performance.

Our Mercedes-Benz mechanics in Geelong know very well how your oil cooler works

Wedged between the engine block and oil filter, oil coolers can be found in much of the Mercedes-Benz catalogue.

Most Mercedes use what we call a heat exchanger.

This system uses alternating pathways to cool your oil. Cold coolant is pumped through one end, and run through narrow pathways.

Alternating with these coolant pathways are pathways for motor oil.

When motor oil is pumped through the oil cooler, it is sandwiched by smaller pathways that contain coolant from your engine’s cooling system.

As oil runs through the cooler, heat is transferred (exchanged) from the hot motor oil to the adjacent pathways containing coolant, regulating the temperature of your engine oil.

Once it’s regulated, your motor oil flows back out and goes through the rest of the engine, while coolant returns to your engine’s cooling system.

What prevents the oil becoming too cold? An engine’s temperature is maintained by the cooling system (radiator, water pump and fan), which uses a thermostat to keep the coolant inside the engine at the ideal temperature.

Therefore as the engine coolant is controlled, so too is the engine oil. This is how an engine can maintain the right temperature regardless of the ambient temperature outside.

Model affected most with Oil cooler seals Failure in Geelong

The Mercedes-Benz OM642 is a 3.0L V6 diesel engine, which is offered in some of Mercedes’ most popular models. It combines the power and durability Mercedes is known for with the efficiency and energy-density of diesel fuel.

However, early OM642 engines come with a flaw in the way that the oil cooler seals were designed.

Specifically, the original oil cooler seals were prone to premature degradation from the significant amount of heat they are exposed to.

The result? Oil or coolant leaking from your oil cooler.

All models that were equipped with a pre-2010 OM642 may be affected by this problem. Some affected models include:

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Mercedes-Benz Vito / Viano
Mercedes-Benz C Class, C320/350
Mercedes-Benz R Class, R320/350 CDI
Mercedes-Benz E Class, E320/350
Mercedes-Benz M Class, ML320/350 CDI
Mercedes-Benz GL Class, GL320/350 CDI

What involved in Repairing an oil cooler leak

In the event that the issue lies with the seals, your Mercedes-Benz mechanic in Melbourne replace the affected seals with the upgraded Viton seals. We’ll also clean up any dried oil and residue while we’re there.

Repairing an oil cooler leak is often a big job. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz OM642 engine, the cooler is located in the valley of the engine, and require considerable work to reach.

First, you’ll have to remove the:

Air intake ducts
Fuel filter and lines
Turbocharger
Intake port shut off motor
EGR cooler and valve
Intake manifolds
Coolant lines

That’s a lot of work – even with our experience, the repair can take several days to complete. And that’s with access to all the specialised equipment and tooling in our Mercedes-Benz specialist workshop.

We strongly recommend leaving this job to a professional! There are several parts to this repair that require finesse and delicate handling.

On an aging engine, some of the components (namely the intake flap levers) attached to the intake manifold are made of plastic and become brittle over time. In some cases they are broken or break on removal. Replacing the intake manifolds adds considerable cost to this repair!

It’s important to contact a professional Mercedes-Benz mechanic the moment you notice the signs of an oil cooler leak.

When oil cooler leaks are taken to a non-specialist mechanic who is unfamiliar with this repair, there is a high probability of the repair not being done correctly on the first attempt. This can be costly, not only in the time of the repair, but additional components that will need to be replaced if broken!

An experienced Mercedes-Benz mechanic in Melbourne, on the other hand, will be able to diagnose and perform the repair on the first attempt, replacing only what is required.

Why GERMAN CONNECTION for Mercedes-Benz Oil cooler seals leak Repair Geelong

Your Mercedes-Benz is not just an ordinary car; it's a sophisticated and high-performance German automobile. With over 40 computer systems, known as modules, your Mercedes-Benz operates on cutting-edge technology. To accurately diagnose, communicate, code, program and resolve any issues your Mercedes may encounter, specialised tools known as Mercedes-Benz scan tools are required.

These scan tools are like a precision instrument, and just like a skilled craftsman wielding a hammer, our experienced technicians possess the expertise to utilise them effectively. At GERMAN CONNECTION, our dedicated personnel undergo extensive training and certification to service and repair Mercedes vehicles. Our technicians are among the best in the town, consistently updating their skills with over 40 hours of annual training to stay up-to-date with the latest Mercedes-Benz technology and service techniques.

When your Mercedes' Oil light light illuminates, you want nothing but the best professionals to handle the job flawlessly on the first attempt. At GERMAN CONNECTION, we take pride in delivering exceptional service and expertise, ensuring that your Mercedes-Benz receives the highest level of care and attention it deserves. Trust us to diagnose and address any issues accurately, utilizing our specialized tools and the expertise of our skilled technicians.