top6491

So I guess I'm at that mileage where these cars fall apart. $2K on brakes, and now the cooling system. Is it worth it to just replace the tank and top off the leaked out fluid (not that much) while I gather all the necessary parts to do a complete cooling system replacement? Who has experience with this, thanks. Anyone had an indy or dealer do that work, if so, how much?

inktoxicated

mine has been eatting coolant for a long time. just today noticed a nice puddle underneath my front driver tire. i can see it pooling up ontop of the underbody cover. and leaking thru the seam. i guess i know where the coolants going. hoping its just a hose or something. gonna try a independant shop. this sucks

stoic1

I've heard different viewpoints on what should all be replaced. Best bet inspect or have your coolant lines and hoses checked for cracking, damage ect. You could go all out and replace everything including the radiator and thermostat. It really depends on how long you want to keep the car, eventually some or all of these parts will fail and need to be replaced.

I haven't had to replace these parts yet. But I'm planning on buying them ahead of time for less than MSRP to save some money and be prepared for when replacement time comes.

crewzer

...'04 545i...

My older son is an independent Porsche and BMW mechanic, and he refers to the E60/E61's coolant reservoir and cap as "weak spots".

Check realoem.com for your exact car's configuration. In general, it looks like a new reservoir, cap, level switch, three associated hoses, and misc. hardware would be ~$250; perhaps a bit more from a dealer (+ "shop supplies"...). I'm guessing ~3 hours of skilled mechanic's time to do the repair.

Try ECS Tuning for parts if you're a DIY-er.

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

Cruiser565

Indy? DEFINITELY not, this is a big time DIY. I just replaced mine about a month ago an it was amazingly simple to do. You need ONLY the tank (the indicator is built into it), all other parts will be reused. Simply disconnect the hoses, the horseshoe metal clips holding them on simply twist off and snap back in place. Pull the hoses, there will be a bit of a mess, unscrew the three screws, removed, replace, reconnect, refill with proper coolant/water mix. Search this forum, there is a much better sequence I used to do the refill, but in all it took about 30 minutes and has been flawless since.

Will

jaycal3

x2! I just did my coolant expansion tank and it was a simple DIY... that seems to be what starts leaking most often from what I have read. There is a seam on the underside of the tank and it begins with a small trickle there.

545 Guy

x3.. My expansion tank blew apart at the seam. Was in the city, jumped in a cab to the nearest BMW dealer and bought a new one. Took 5 minutes to replace and ... perfect.. Scary though !!!

healthservices

don't forget the cross over pipe if you even look at this pipe wrong it will break!

top6491

Great advice guys. I did buy the tank and both vent pipes (just in case I need them) and am trying to replce the tank. The bottom hose is stuck and I'm trying to be very careful with it. But my question is, do you have to remove the black plastic tube covering the level sensor? The old one does not have the tube over it. It is on pretty tight and doesn't seem to want to come off. Suggestions? Thanks...

top6491

Ok, I've hit a snag. The bottom tube doesn't fit quite right, it's a bit big and fluid just leaks out at the bottom. I found a washer like piece still on teh old one, so I placed it on the new one, problem is, while the washer is tight on the old resevoir, it's a bit loose on the new one. Could the bottom tube neck be too small on the new tank? Instead on being done, I'm in worse shape and need to go bacl to the stealer, crap!