Cost of E46 Coolant Overhaul

[AdiS]

Hey Guys,

I'm an aspiring E46 owner, and I'm gathering insights on the maintenance of these cars. I know the cooling systems go becuase of the plastic radiators and rubber piping etc, and that the rule of thumb is to replace the entire system - radiator, piping, and expansion tank.

Questions.
1) Given that preventative maintenance is the safest approach, when should the cooling system be done, i.e. what is a safe mileage bracket?
2) What is the cost of this exercise? What would the dealer cost be? What would a good independent BMW specialist charge? etc etc?

Appreciate the insight.

Thanks,

Adrian

 

[freerider]

I did my entire system including new waterpump and thermostat/housing for just over R4k, all the labour was done by myself though.

 

[AdiS]

I did my entire system including new waterpump and thermostat/housing for just over R4k, all the labour was done by myself though.

Ok, so the parts aren't too bad, its really the labour thats the issue...

Any insights on the safe mileage to do it at on an e46?

 

[freerider]

Its hard to say, but I would recommend doing it at around 100k kms.

I bought a behr radiator and waterpump came from masterparts, all the rest of the stuff was OEM

 

[Luben]

I'm also considering the overhaul, could someone provide a list of items that would need to be replaced