e46 Coolant Hose

[CreamyGoodness]

hi guys, a little help please...

I want to replace a coolant hose which runs from the automatic box thermostat (bottom of the expansion tank) upwards towards the motor somewhere.
Getting to the it isn't a problem (just removed snorkel and airbox), check the 1st pic to show which one it is (centre of pic, but out of focus). The other end has some weird plastic coupling on it and i'm not sure if you need some special removal tool to get at it. (see 2nd pic, at the top).
Anybody done this before? Sorry for the pics, camera was a bit too big and space was a bit too small!

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Is there no quick release connector on that hose, on the plastic part that the crimp is holding the pipe on to ? A wire ring that you pull up and that releases the lock mechanism.

Can you not take a pic slightly further forward ( of the pastic part, not the metal crimp ) The metal band ( crimp ) is a permanent crimp I believe.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Is there no quick release connector on that hose, on the plastic part that the crimp is holding the pipe on to ? A wire ring that you pull up and that releases the lock mechanism.

Can you not take a pic slightly further forward ( of the pastic part, not the metal crimp ) The metal band ( crimp ) is a permanent crimp I believe.

I've seen that quick release on other hoses, but not on that one. It's at such an awkward spot that I can't get a good look, or camera shot of it.
Will try again tonight or tomorrow if possible - need to get my hands on a regular digital camera first and maybe use a mirror. I only have an SLR so it's no good in confined spaces.
If it does have that quick release it would make my day!

 

[netercol]

that def looks like a quick release coupling..

 

[Stiffler_PE]

How about your cell phone for taking a pic... nice and compact.

But there has to be a quick realease.. no way would BMW make a permanent connection there.

 

[Tlvivo]

CreamyGoodness - that just doesnt sound right - slightly off topic - is this hose leaking? Why I ask I have a leak that I cannot seem to locate - but the water is escaping somewhere - at this point its dripping as i drive when i stand still and try to see where it comes from i cannot see anything. Maybe i should look at this hose as well.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

How about your cell phone for taking a pic... nice and compact.

But there has to be a quick realease.. no way would BMW make a permanent connection there.

crappy phone, crappy camera

anyways, had to use the car last night so put the airbox back, if i have time i'll take it out after work tonight and have another go....

good thing i checked the airfilter element, it was way overdue for a replacement! just blasted all the crap out of the filter and the box with a compressor as a temporary measure.

if i get my hands on the previous owner......

 

[Stiffler_PE]

@ Tlvivo... i would suggest that you pressure test your expansion bottle.

I was losing water ( bout 200ml ) after a few days driving, the low level light for the radiator would come on.
I knew that the expansion tank was a big suspect and i looked for the tell tale signs of white powder etc but i could never find the leak. I would stop after a long drive with the car nice and hot and quickly look under the bonnet.. Nothing!

End of the day i borrowed a a pressure tester from a mate and slapped it onto the expansion bottle and pumped her up slowly. At around 1.5bar i saw the smaaaaaalest spurt of water out the corner of my eye. All most missed it.
Swapped out the expansion bottle and VOILA... never topped up water since.

@Creamy.. what is the problem with the hose ? what are symptoms ?

 

[Tlvivo]

Good advice Stiffler_PE - thanks.... Now to find a pressure tester...

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Tlvivo - might I also suggest taking off the belly pan - it's held in by a few screws and is lightweight plastic, so removing is a breeze. I couldn't locate the leak 100% until I did this, as it accumulates in the pan, and then drips out the back when there it pools enough, so the position of the drip under the car can be misleading.
I also thought the expansion tank was my problem as it seems to be a common thing with 46's but mine is ok.

The problem with mine is that where the hose joins to the transmission thermostat (bottom of expansion tank), the rubber seems to be perished / damaged. It looks and feels more like silicone than rubber actually. It is still holding on to the connector as I managed to secure it with a regular hose clamp, but that is just temporary obviously.
Will take a high res shot of a piece that ripped off and update tonight.
It's difficult to see it from under the car, as it is hidden by the snorkel that runs to the alternator, and you have to remove the S bend section to see it clearly.

I'll try and crawl under to take a pic as well.

On a related topic, do you guys know if there is a central jack point on the front of the car where I can use a trolley jack? The BMW jack isn't quite high enough and I don't trust it either....

 

[Stiffler_PE]

I had the same problem when i did my LCAB's a while back... where to safely jack under the nose.

Ended up taking the safe but long winded route and jacked up one side and put a trestle under and lowered and then did other side.
I couldnt see where a safe spot would be in the middle...and was tooooo scared of hurting something expensive... the amount of sensors under these bloody cars scares me everytime i crawl under them :shocked:

 

[CreamyGoodness]

yeah, but how did you get to jack the car up and put a stand underneath?? the only load-bearing point is where you hook the jack in, isn't it, and there's no space for a jack and a stand on the same spot (?)

anyways i've finally managed to get a half-decent shot of that connector, and yes it does appear to have a quick release...see below : (any idea how these work - as simple as using a flat blade screwdriver to pry it out?)

also, here's a pic of the lower section that I managed to do a quick-fix with the hose-connector (a bit blurry, sorry) you can see in the foreground the air duct leading from the wheel well, and way in the background the other bit which goes to the alternator.

and here's the piece that broke off...it feels like that silicone you buy in a tube, but it is definately part of the hose moulding or something of the sort. Anyways I think I'll pop in at a workshop over the weekend to get another opinion - hopefully it's just as simple as replacing the hose.

 

[Stiffler_PE]

A flat blade will work yes, pop the metal ring up. It doesnt come off completely, just pops up ( about a cm ? )

Not sure about the other part bud... was that piece that broke off part of the pipe ? or a repair from previous owner with silicone ?

 

[CreamyGoodness]

definately looks like it was part of the pipe hey, I didn't take a pic of the other side of that bit, but you can see the way it was an absolutely clean surface, square edges with no damage.

 

[Stiffler_PE]

Have you looked on RealOEM to id the pipe ?

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Have you looked on RealOEM to id the pipe ?

hey man, sorry for the late reply.

Have checked on RealOEM but wasn't 100% sure on which part it is. Either way, it doesn't make a difference now as I popped in at Zeemax on Saturday, and they found another few dodgey items on the car, so it's going in on Wednesday to be sorted out one time.

I like getting my hands dirty, but in this case I think it's worth the convenience for someone else to do it.

 

[Stiffler_PE]

I seriously wish Zeemax would open a branch in PE... i would support them from the start.

Glad you sorted :thumbsup: