Originally Posted by EV4530' post='754843' date='Dec 29 2008, 07:57 AM

Thank you sir good to know

Originally Posted by cwmenne' post='754621' date='Dec 28 2008, 07:54 PM

1. Make sure the radiator is cool and drain the system by unscrewing the drain at the lower right corner.

Originally Posted by cwmenne' post='754621' date='Dec 28 2008, 10:54 PM

Alright, no photos because I am not going to do the job again so I can take pictures, but it was very easy. I just stumbled my way through it with no instructions. But this should be enough info to help the average guy remove the radiator in a 545i with auto transmission. I'm not sure what may be different with other models, but I assume that they will be nearly identical.

1. Make sure the radiator is cool and drain the system by unscrewing the drain at the lower right corner.
2. Remove the upper radiator support cover. The cover that you need to remove is the formed metal part that the hood latches are installed in. There are 8-10 large area T-30 torx screws that hold it in place. Once you remove that,(you don't need to do anything with the latches, just leave them connected and move the whole assembly to lay on top of the engine), there is another plastic cover with five T-27 torx screws that hold it in place. Remove those screws and remove the plastic cover. You will also have to unclip the plastic tube that runs across the top of that cover.
3. Pull up on the wire clip that latches the upper radiator hose and disconnect the hose from the radiator and push it aft away from the radiator.
4. Unplug the electrical connectors on the RHS of the radiator,(there are 3 of them), and push them out of the way.
5. Pull up on the radiator fan about 2 inches, then fold the LHS tab aft to clear the upper radiator hose flange as you pull the fan up and out of the car. Once you get about half way out you will need to rotate the fan assembly counter clockwise,(when looking aft), to get it out as the RHS tab does not fold to clear the A/C tubing.
6. Disconnect the lower radiator hose,(same as the upper), and disconnect the small hose that is connected to the top of the coolant reservoir and runs across the top of the radiator.
7. Disconnect the oil cooler that sits at the lower Left side of the radiator. To do this, there is a pull tab that sits below the connection. Pull down on the tab and it will pull the wire latch open so the assembly can be slid aft off of the radiator flange. Note that there is a small "hook" at the top of the assembly that it hangs from and that will need to be hung back on that hook upon reassembly.
8. Simply pull up on the radiator and it will slide straight up and out of the car. -Done!

Installation is the reverse of removal. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon' post='1080408' date='Dec 27 2009, 09:25 PM

Did you have to remove the bottom pan? Also, how much coolant drained out (best guess)?
Good DIY though, a keeper.

Originally Posted by porsche911targa' post='1080571' date='Dec 28 2009, 07:08 AM

How do you put it back in? J/K

It would be interesting to hear from people whose radiators have failed this way.

Originally Posted by cwmenne

I just wanted to let everyone know about a hidden problem that the E60 may suffer from as they get older... My 2004 545i started to lose a small amount of coolant very suddenly, about a quart a day, -yeah I know that's a lot, so I decided to try and track down the leak last night. At first I thought it was a small leak from an o-ring around a temp sensor located at the lower radiator hose, but that wasn't it, so I decided to pull the "cover" over the top of the radiator and slowly keep digging deeper until I found the problem. When I removed the cover I found that there was an alarming amount of old leaves, grass, weeds and sand literally PACKED between the radiator and the A/C condenser. I started by trying to blow it out with a water hose, then with an air hose and it wasn't really going anywhere, so as I continued to dismantle things to gain more access I realized how easy it is to remove the radiator, so I did.

The removal was incredibly easy; when I did get it out I sprayed it some more with water and air, then I brushed it with soapy water and eventually I got 90% of the sand and crap out of it. The bad news is that I found the leak; it appeared to be caused by the junk that was stuck between the radiator and A/C condenser by causing corrosion from rotting leaves and sand. I had to have the radiator replaced.

The lesson to be learned is that it is probably worthwhile to remove the cover over the radiator every couple years and clean out all the junk that builds up. Considering that the radiator in these cars is the best, most robust design I have ever seen, I was very surprised to see that it failed in less than 5 years. The coolant and everything else in the cooling system looked perfect, so with a little exterior maintenance, it should last a lot longer. I should also mention that I am located in Minnesota, so we do get more than our share of road salt in the winter that doesn't help matters.

It only takes about 5 minutes to pull the cover,(only 8 or 10 torx screws), so you may want to check it, or have the dealer check it and clean it periodically.

Hope this helps someone avoid the inconvenience of a leaky radiator someday.