This past Saturday, I got a call from Zaheer – a fellow forum member who had seen my previous posts and other referrals here on BMW Fanatics. He decided to reach out about his BMW F25 X3 3.0dX, which needed a fair bit of TLC:
✅ Replace coolant flange & check for other leaks
✅ Rear brake pad replacement
✅ Minor oil service & diesel fuel filter replacement
✅ Front & rear diff oil change
✅ Inspect serpentine belt
The next morning, the X3 arrived… on a flatbed! I was honestly surprised that someone who’d never met me in person sent his car over straight away without even stopping by first. That level of trust is rare these days, and I made it a priority to keep him updated throughout the process – almost as if he were right there with me.
📸 As soon as the tow truck driver handed it over, I snapped pics of the offloading, the handover, and moving it into the shop, then sent them to Zaheer. I let him know I’d start first thing on Monday.
🔧 Day 1 – Inspection & Starting the Coolant Flange Job
On Monday morning, I popped the boot and found a box of parts Zaheer had supplied:
✅ OEM coolant flange
✅ OEM fuel filter
✅ 5L coolant & distilled water
✅ Rear brake pads & wear sensor
✅ Two additional filters he no longer needed – which he insisted I keep
We put the car up on the lift and removed the undertray – only to find two 10mm sockets and a 6mm socket chilling there 😅 I sent Zaheer a pic, and we both had a good laugh about “finding treasure.”
I checked the serpentine belt, which was still in great condition. I let him know there was no need to replace it now, but we could plan to do it next year as preventative maintenance.
We made a list of fluids and extra parts needed (Motul oils, oil filter, etc.) and placed the order.
💦 Coolant Flange Replacement
Since the coolant flange was the main concern, I topped up the reservoir to test the system… and immediately saw coolant pouring out from the flange. This was a severe leak, and we got to work stripping down the engine bay for access.
The old flange came out, revealing a huge crack nearly 10cm long 😳 – no wonder it was leaking so badly. I cleaned up the mating surfaces on the cylinder head, fitted the new OEM flange, and vacuum-tested the system. After leaving it under vacuum for a while to confirm no other leaks, we reassembled the engine bay and vacuum-filled the system with fresh coolant.
🛢 Minor Service & Fuel Filter
Next up was the minor oil service.
✅ Added Motul Engine Flush and let the car idle while it did its thing. Also checked on the coolant levels.
✅ Once up to temp, raised the car and drained the oil completely.
✅ Replaced the drain plug washer and refitted the plug.
✅ While the oil drained, I replaced the diesel fuel filter with the OEM unit Zaheer supplied.
We also removed the old oil filter, cleaned the housing & cap, and called it a day as we waited for the new oil filter and Motul X-clean 5w40 to arrive.
🔥 Day 2 – Rear Brakes, Diffs & Finishing Touches
With parts delivered the next morning, we:
✅ Installed the new oil filter and topped up with Motul X-clean 5w40.
✅ Put the electronic handbrake into service mode.
✅ Stripped the rear brakes to the discs, degreased & washed all hardware (calipers, brackets, Clips, bolts.etc).
✅ Wire-wheeled surface rust off the wheel hubs & disc faces to prevent future wheel seizing.
✅ Sprayed discs with brake cleaner and prepped everything.
✅ Applied anti-squeal spray to the new pads, anti-seize paste on the clips, and medium thread locker on the bolts.
✅ Installed new pads & wear sensor and reassembled.
⚙️ Front & Rear Diff Oil Change
After a short test drive to warm up the diff oil, we raised the car again.
✅ Drained the rear diff oil, cleaned the plug, and refilled with fresh Motul Gear Oil.
✅ Cleaned up the area around the fill plug to keep an eye for any leaks.
✅ Repeated the process for the front diff.
We then reinstalled the undertray and double-checked all work.
🧽 Final Checks & Detail
✅ Cleared all stored error codes using diagnostics.
✅ Reset engine oil & rear brake service reminders in the CBS menu.
✅ Rechecked coolant level.
✅ Gave the engine bay a small detail – blowing out dust, wiping down surfaces, and dressing all plastic trims for that OEM fresh look.
✅ Packed the lock nut key, tow hitch back neatly in their places and fitted the tow cover in the front bumper.
I took the X3 for a final test drive to confirm everything – 6km's later no leaks, no error lights, brakes bedding in nicely, and buttery smooth drive. Sent Zaheer the full report with pics and his invoice.
✅ Work Completed:
✅ OEM Coolant Flange Replacement
✅ Rear Brake Pads & Sensor (with full hardware cleaning)
✅ Minor Oil Service (Motul X-clean 5w40 & OEM filters)
✅ Diesel Fuel Filter
✅ Front & Rear Diff Oil Change (Motul Gear Oil)
✅ Full diagnostic scan & reset
✅ Minor Engine bay detail
🚗 Collection Day
The next morning he came through. We finally met in person and went over the entire job. He took the wheel for a test drive with me riding along and was instantly impressed with how much smoother the car felt. “Even without Sport mode, it feels so much sharper/quicker,” he said. We extended the test drive because he couldn’t believe the difference.
About an hour later, Zaheer sent me a voice note after his drive home to Midrand saying the X3 felt amazing with the fresh Motul oils and care, and he was super happy with the service. He’s already planning to bring his other car for some TLC soon.
✅ Replace coolant flange & check for other leaks
✅ Rear brake pad replacement
✅ Minor oil service & diesel fuel filter replacement
✅ Front & rear diff oil change
✅ Inspect serpentine belt
The next morning, the X3 arrived… on a flatbed! I was honestly surprised that someone who’d never met me in person sent his car over straight away without even stopping by first. That level of trust is rare these days, and I made it a priority to keep him updated throughout the process – almost as if he were right there with me.
📸 As soon as the tow truck driver handed it over, I snapped pics of the offloading, the handover, and moving it into the shop, then sent them to Zaheer. I let him know I’d start first thing on Monday.
🔧 Day 1 – Inspection & Starting the Coolant Flange Job
On Monday morning, I popped the boot and found a box of parts Zaheer had supplied:
✅ OEM coolant flange
✅ OEM fuel filter
✅ 5L coolant & distilled water
✅ Rear brake pads & wear sensor
✅ Two additional filters he no longer needed – which he insisted I keep
We put the car up on the lift and removed the undertray – only to find two 10mm sockets and a 6mm socket chilling there 😅 I sent Zaheer a pic, and we both had a good laugh about “finding treasure.”
I checked the serpentine belt, which was still in great condition. I let him know there was no need to replace it now, but we could plan to do it next year as preventative maintenance.
We made a list of fluids and extra parts needed (Motul oils, oil filter, etc.) and placed the order.
💦 Coolant Flange Replacement
Since the coolant flange was the main concern, I topped up the reservoir to test the system… and immediately saw coolant pouring out from the flange. This was a severe leak, and we got to work stripping down the engine bay for access.
The old flange came out, revealing a huge crack nearly 10cm long 😳 – no wonder it was leaking so badly. I cleaned up the mating surfaces on the cylinder head, fitted the new OEM flange, and vacuum-tested the system. After leaving it under vacuum for a while to confirm no other leaks, we reassembled the engine bay and vacuum-filled the system with fresh coolant.
🛢 Minor Service & Fuel Filter
Next up was the minor oil service.
✅ Added Motul Engine Flush and let the car idle while it did its thing. Also checked on the coolant levels.
✅ Once up to temp, raised the car and drained the oil completely.
✅ Replaced the drain plug washer and refitted the plug.
✅ While the oil drained, I replaced the diesel fuel filter with the OEM unit Zaheer supplied.
We also removed the old oil filter, cleaned the housing & cap, and called it a day as we waited for the new oil filter and Motul X-clean 5w40 to arrive.
🔥 Day 2 – Rear Brakes, Diffs & Finishing Touches
With parts delivered the next morning, we:
✅ Installed the new oil filter and topped up with Motul X-clean 5w40.
✅ Put the electronic handbrake into service mode.
✅ Stripped the rear brakes to the discs, degreased & washed all hardware (calipers, brackets, Clips, bolts.etc).
✅ Wire-wheeled surface rust off the wheel hubs & disc faces to prevent future wheel seizing.
✅ Sprayed discs with brake cleaner and prepped everything.
✅ Applied anti-squeal spray to the new pads, anti-seize paste on the clips, and medium thread locker on the bolts.
✅ Installed new pads & wear sensor and reassembled.
⚙️ Front & Rear Diff Oil Change
After a short test drive to warm up the diff oil, we raised the car again.
✅ Drained the rear diff oil, cleaned the plug, and refilled with fresh Motul Gear Oil.
✅ Cleaned up the area around the fill plug to keep an eye for any leaks.
✅ Repeated the process for the front diff.
We then reinstalled the undertray and double-checked all work.
🧽 Final Checks & Detail
✅ Cleared all stored error codes using diagnostics.
✅ Reset engine oil & rear brake service reminders in the CBS menu.
✅ Rechecked coolant level.
✅ Gave the engine bay a small detail – blowing out dust, wiping down surfaces, and dressing all plastic trims for that OEM fresh look.
✅ Packed the lock nut key, tow hitch back neatly in their places and fitted the tow cover in the front bumper.
I took the X3 for a final test drive to confirm everything – 6km's later no leaks, no error lights, brakes bedding in nicely, and buttery smooth drive. Sent Zaheer the full report with pics and his invoice.
✅ Work Completed:
✅ OEM Coolant Flange Replacement
✅ Rear Brake Pads & Sensor (with full hardware cleaning)
✅ Minor Oil Service (Motul X-clean 5w40 & OEM filters)
✅ Diesel Fuel Filter
✅ Front & Rear Diff Oil Change (Motul Gear Oil)
✅ Full diagnostic scan & reset
✅ Minor Engine bay detail
🚗 Collection Day
The next morning he came through. We finally met in person and went over the entire job. He took the wheel for a test drive with me riding along and was instantly impressed with how much smoother the car felt. “Even without Sport mode, it feels so much sharper/quicker,” he said. We extended the test drive because he couldn’t believe the difference.
About an hour later, Zaheer sent me a voice note after his drive home to Midrand saying the X3 felt amazing with the fresh Motul oils and care, and he was super happy with the service. He’s already planning to bring his other car for some TLC soon.
always a pleasure dealing with enthusiasts like yourself 
