# BMW e46 318i engine coolant leaking



## Mindis (Feb 2, 2011)

Hi,
I have noticed today that engine coolant is leaking somewhere, looks like from the top right corner of the radiator ( damp in there ) but can't see leak it self. There is some coolant drops on the front grill, on bumper and fan is wet as well. 
When I bought car ( couple weeks ago ) expansion bottle was full of coolant ( I could reach it with the finger ) and checked coolant level couple times now, it have dropped a bit but float is still at the max position. 
Could engine coolant leak from some kind of pressure valve or something similar? ( I am not very familiar with this engines N42 )
Was it overfilled originally?
Any pointers will help,
Cheers


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## Fuzzy Logic (May 6, 2011)

Looking at the engine after a decent run, when hot, will help to see an obvious leak (careful not to burn your hands of course) from areas such as radiator, expansion tank, thermostat and pipes at the front of the engine. Make sure pipes arent loose.

The harder part and unfortunately a common problem is the Y pipe at the back of the engine, don't try and find this when the engine is hot. Its a crappy plastic pipe which all to often cracks causing coolant loss. Use realoem.com to help find its location and have a feel for it, if its leaking it will be wet. Not an expensive part £10-15, but the labour for replacing it is the bad bit.

The BMW coolant system isnt their strong point, one part goes it generally has a knock on effect for the other key parts, at least going by the ones I'v owned.


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## slim_boy_fat (Jun 23, 2006)

Get a garage to pressure test the system, shouldn't cost too much.

Also check the bottom of the radiator - they're known to bow and eventually split..... Expansion tanks are a common weak point on BMWs.

If you have to change the rad, try to source a Behr one, I've read of the ones by Nissans being rubbish.


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## Mindis (Feb 2, 2011)

Thanks for the replies guys. I can see that top right radiator corner is wetish/ damp ( from the front of the car) and some fumes where coming from that area, but cant see any obvious leaks. Don't want to buy new radiator to find out it's expansion tank failed or even a hose o ring. And at the same time I need car daily.


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

Changed a fair few expansion tanks on bmws , bugger to get on and off !


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## Cynthia_Bimmer (Apr 17, 2014)

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Located deep inside of this BMW N62 engine is a Coolant Transfer Pipe, which carries antifreeze from the Water Pump to cooling chambers within the engine. However, the Front Seal on this Cooling Tube can fail in as little as 40,000 miles, and start leaking antifreeze from the engine block, through a weep hole in the Timing Chain Cover. When this happens, the car will lose antifreeze from the engine, and the engine will overheat.

In the past, this has been a very expensive repair because it required disassembly of the engine, in order to access the leaking Cooling Pipe Seal. The original method of replacing the crossover Coolant Transfer Pipe required the removal of the Timing Chain Cover. This repair could cost $6,000 or more at the BMW Dealer.

Then, an after-market Collapsible Coolant Pipe was developed to save time and money on this repair. This Collapsible Coolant Pipe method involves removing the Intake Manifold, cutting out the old Coolant Pipe and installing the after-market Collapsible Coolant Pipe. But even this method required many hours of shop labor and expensive parts and supplies. The repair bill for this method can still cost between $1,500.00 and $2,500.00 to remove the Intake Manifold, cut out the old Coolant Pipe and install the new Collapsible Coolant Pipe.

However, BimmerFix Products Co. has discovered a BREAKTHROUGH system to stop the leak! The BimmerFix method is much faster and less expensive than these old methods. This simple, yet durable and long lasting method inserts the BimmerFix Stint into the leaking crossover cooling tube, through the Timing Chain Cover. The thin aluminum sleeve creates a long lasting repair that is much easier and less expensive to install than the old repair methods.

The new BimmerFix Stint will stop the Coolant Pipe leak, and only requires the removal of the Water Pump. This new patent protected invention can save YOU or your customer's time, hassle, and thousands of dollars. It works or your money back!

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