Bmw Anti Freeze

[AcidBurn]

may as well say oil is oil and cars are cars... they all have 4 wheels...

I have seen 1st hand the corrosion caused by using the wrong antifreeze/dilution...

in the grand scheme of things coolant price is a non issue... we talking saving a few hundred at best every few years...

considering it does not need changing often it seems rather silly to risk corroding the cooling system and engine block when those items are quite pricey to replace...

well said:thumbs::ty:

 

[Jandre]

It's really nice discussion about Bmw Anti freeze, and also really nice above comments, guys, i also want to say something about it.. Anti-freeze is anti-freeze. Look in your handbook for the oil. Hundreds, if not thousands of shops garages sell the stuff...

Unfortunately not the case.

 

[moranor@axis]

NOM NOM NOM

 

[CliftonH]

I seriously need to do a radiator flush and coolant change I think. Car is on 145 000km and never had one. But no issues. But after reading abt these screws and stuff wonder if I shud interfere if nothing wrong.

 

[S1NGH 001]

NOM NOM NOM

:bangdesk:

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I seriously need to do a radiator flush and coolant change I think. Car is on 145 000km and never had one. But no issues. But after reading abt these screws and stuff wonder if I shud interfere if nothing wrong.

Preventative maintenance regarding the cooling system is always recommended :thumbs:

 

[SP33DYV]

NOM NOM NOM

That's exactly why I use BMW coolant mixed with distilled water 50/50.:thumbs:

 

[Hotclutch]

Where is a good place to buy distilled water ?

 

[SP33DYV]

Where is a good place to buy distilled water ?

Midas.


Sent on the run from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hotclutch]

Where is a good place to buy distilled water ?

Midas.


Sent on the run from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Thanks.

 

[wikk3d88]

Dischem too

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[Twinz]

Most chemists should sell distilled water :thumbs:

 

[Doomsdaya]

Bottle states anti freeze should be changed every 2 years & its concentrated...

 

[moranor@axis]

my local hardware store also has distilled water... its everywhere :rollsmile:

 

[Charlie Brown]

I find it interesting that the e36 328 takes 10.5 liters when the e46 I6's all take 8.5 liters - explains why the e46s cooling is so fragile !

 

[Coisman]

It's really nice discussion about Bmw Anti freeze, and also really nice above comments, guys, i also want to say something about it.. Anti-freeze is anti-freeze. Look in your handbook for the oil. Hundreds, if not thousands of shops garages sell the stuff...

I smell a SPAMMER!!!

 

[Carbon M3]

It's really nice discussion about Bmw Anti freeze, and also really nice above comments, guys, i also want to say something about it.. Anti-freeze is anti-freeze. Look in your handbook for the oil. Hundreds, if not thousands of shops garages sell the stuff...

I smell a SPAMMER!!!

I see your sense of smell is very keen today :rollsmile:

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

Dippies smelled it too :thumbs:

 

[AcidBurn]

Bottle states anti freeze should be changed every 2 years & its concentrated...

concentrated as in already mixed with water 50/50 when bought from the agents?

 

[wikk3d88]

Bottle states anti freeze should be changed every 2 years & its concentrated...

concentrated as in already mixed with water 50/50 when bought from the agents?

No. Concentrate as in you still need to mix it with distilled water.

Some useful reading if anyone is interested.
http://www.e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=426174

As this continually comes up, I thought it would be good to post a recent tech column answer from Bimmer Magazine as to why you should only use BMW coolant. This is from Mike Miller's Tech Q&A column in the Dec. 2006 Bimmer, page 36. Mike also writes for The Roundel (the BMW Car Club of America magazine). As I have noted before, if you are a BMW enthusiast, you should belong to the BMW CCA if only to get Roundel, and you should also get Bimmer which caters a little more to newer and modified cars. You'll learn a lot from Mile Miller's columns, and read them all as many questions cross BMW model lines, such as from the same Dec column he talks about considerations for putting larger wheels and tires on an E36 that would apply to E46s as well..

So here is Mike's comments, that I'll take liberty to paraphrase a bit (and I'm not responsible for typos!).

"BMWs are incredibly sensitive to operating fluids, including coolant. I've always felt this is due to the metallurgy used in the engine construction, but there is no way to know for sure. On neglected cars, aluminum oxidation builds up in various places within the engine, including on older models, between coolant hoses and aluminum fittings. That is the most obvious manifestation of aluminum oxidation. It causes the worst problems inside the sometimes tiny coolant passages of the cylinder head, where it can act like hardening of the arteries, restricting or even cutting off the supply of coolant to various parts of the cylinder head. This sometimes presents itself as phantom overheating with no known cause, though more often than not the cylinder head gasket blows before that.

I learned long ago that using phosphate free Original BMW anti freeze mixed 50-50 with distilled water and changing it every 2 years, of even four years on hotter running OBD-II modules essentially eliminates aluminum oxidation. The cars I maintain don't blow head gaskets or have chronic overheating problems. ......................."

again, credit to Bimmer Magazine and Mike Miller

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One of the more enlightened responses from that same discussion thread

There is a fairly good reason Mike Miller likes to recommend OEM fluids for some/most applications. Its a safe bet to do it, especially in a well regarded, BMW endorsed, enthusiast's magazine. He also likes Redline fluids when it comes to driveline components too.

There is definately some merit in the OEM stuff. BMW takes a lot more care when sourcing or specing fluids than some of the other manufacturers, but still targeting the lowest common denominator. Take the Hi Performance Synthetic Oil (aka OEM oil). This is NOT your daddy's off the shelf Castrol Syntec 5W-30. It has a better basestock (still grp. III but ONLY grp. III 5W-30 to meet ACEA A3) and a much more robust additive package. These combine to allow the oil to go the distance of the longer change intervals that seem popular these days. It went 13K in my car from the previous owner and an oil analysis showed it to have done very well.

The coolant is the same way. Borate free, amine free, phosphate free, and ultra low silicate. About the only thing not free is the price . It was speced by BMW for the multitude of metals, plastics and rubber that it will be used with. I believe it is sourced from Pentosin, a very well respected European fluid manufacturer.

Points to ponder with fluids. Nothing wrong with using something else as long as it's equal to or better than the OEM. You have to do your homework when looking for these. I've heard plenty of horror stories with folks putting an OAT (organic acid technology, aka DexCool) coolant in with a standard glycol and creating all sorts of havoc. Make sure you know what you are doing. If you want to change coolants, or brake fluid, or any others, flush as much as you can before replacing. Bad things can sometimes happen when different fluids are mixed. Another thing to remember is change whatever you use on a regular basis. Some people get sucked into the myth of "lifetime" fluids and greatly exaggerated maintenance intervals and neglect their vehicles. The old adage applies, "you can pay now or pay later".

 

[Doomsdaya]

Bottle states anti freeze should be changed every 2 years & its concentrated...

concentrated as in already mixed with water 50/50 when bought from the agents?

No. Concentrate as in you still need to mix it with distilled water.

What Wikk3d88 said, concentrated as in you still need to mix with distilled water. So for every litre of anti-freeze you put in, you must add a litre of distilled water...