esmolol

I was alerted to my coolant level being low by the warning system in my '06 530xi.

I checked the manual and read that the source of coolant loss should be investigated. I then dutifully called the dealership and enquired about this. The person on the other side told me that I could use any 50/50 antifreeze mix. When asked about whether car needed to come in for a check, I was informed that it is not unusual for a car of periodically need coolant topped up.

Does anybody have a contrasting opinion to what I was told?

Howitzer

This usually means that your resevoir tank (expansion tank) is leaking and will soon explode. Replace this before it happens and leaves you stranded! This replacement is about $400 including labor.

Diamond

Actually that is totally inaccurate-the resevoir indicates coolant is lost from ANYWHERE in the system-so any leak, anywhere, will lower your coolant reserve. A low coolant level will not blow a resevoir-I had this same issue-my dealer even "inspected it" said they found nothing. topped it off. Well 3k miles later I got the warning again and took it in under warranty and they diagnosed a radiator leak and was replaced.

They fed me that line about "it bein gnormal"-fact is its not normal to lose coolant-I went 3 years without ever losing it and then they told me it was "normal"-dont buy that-look into it. Small leaks wont leave puddles since it evaporates before pooling.

You can look in the resevoir to see if oil is mixed with coolant-will point you to certain locations

nickolas_g

I have had the same issue. It will not blow up. You are fine. Just get some more coolant from your dealer. They will be happy to give you some. It just evaporates over time. Never happens on any other care I have ever owned just the BMW.

Schu Dog Nite

Kinda odd, my 545 did the same thing the other day. It was after a high speed romp during a rather hot night here in Massachusetts. I just added some anti freeze, not alot and topped it off. Figure if it happens again Ill get seriously concerned. To be continued!!!

545 Guy

This does seem to be a common issue. I was concerned when my 545 was losing coolant but main dealer said that it was not a issue just a glitch. Keep an eye on it, just incase !!

Trinity Autosport

I would NOT use any 50/50 mix. The BMW's uses BLUE coolant and not green or red. I would pay the extra money and get the correct coolant from the dealer and mix it with distilled water.

meatzorb

My '04 545i had the same message a couple weeks ago. First time it was a broken vent return line from the top of the radiator to the holding tank. LIne run across the top of radiator and is plastic. The line gets very brittle. Second time holding tank did have a crack in the plastic. Seemed almost to be a granualr crack where the tank was molded.

Both only lost about 2 quarts each time. The tank and line are easy to repalce. After posting this on the bimmerfest forum at least 3 other posters had the same broken cracked vent return line. It is located under the black metal support that holder the top of the radiator in place. This plate is very easy to remove with removal of the torx screws.

Warning on 2004 + 5 series do not mess with the plastic line unless you have a replacement on hand. If it is brittle you will be amazed on how easy it breaks.

cmoore_

How convenient, i just got the "low coolant" message this morning in my car. Came on here to do a little research and I see this post lol. I needed gas, so after i put gas in just a few miles down the road, the message didnt come back once i started her up. Ill be inspecting it later today...

Diamond

Guys-first off do not NOT NOT use any other anti-freeze than bmw. You cannot even use tap or mineral water as the mixture. You need pure distilled, no mineral added water plus the bmw antifreeze. They have a very specific composition that you can find in other brands but its very specific. ESPECIALLY if you have the n52 engine wtih magnesium portions-this material does not play nicely with other elements-this stuff runs through your engine guys-its not worth scrimping.

If low add pure water (distilled) not the OTC coolant-You can do pure water, there is plenty of coolant in your system if you are only topping it off.

Second, it is IMPOSSIBLE for a closed, pressurized system to loose coolant. There is nowhere for it to evaporate. The ONLY losses are a VERY VERY mild evap into the metal engine-but that is microscopic and would not lower a level. When you check the level be sure to do it when completely cooled and even then it can vary. It depends on if you had the a/c on/head on/off when turning off-you have a signifigant amount of coolant running through your heater core or coolant area. So all that will determine at what level is your resevoir tank. However if you get the message you are too low.

Also guys you CANNOT just add coolant and pop the top back on. YOu have to bleed the system to get the air out or else you can have air pockets throughout the system that will not flow coolant properly and over heat areas of the engine. You have to open the reservoir tank when cold, fill coolant and leave the cap open. Start the car and run with the A/C switched on to circulate it through the entire system. Keep it running until your engine is wamr-maybe 10 minutes in summer or less. THan cap the resevoir tank while running and you are good to go.