Thanks guys. Can recommend Dackel's DIY thread (
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=401672).
So I checked the engine coolant level (
cold engine to avoid scalding/misreading). Definitely no false warning. The red floating dipstick was no longer
floating between minimum and maximum level as it should. Worse, my first thought was
"What the heck, where did the dipstick go ?". Then I looked inside the rabbit hole and saw it
resting on the bottom of its pocket with zero coolant surrounding it. It had sunk to
"Can't Go Deeper" level. Red or blue, it was desperately in need for a pill/fluid...
Quite puzzling that, once the 1M OBC/iDrive threw the warning at me upon cold start yesterday, that warning subsequently vanished for the rest of the day, as if it had been a faulty sensor reading (
quod non). Furthermore,
"Too Low" was quite an understatement. Dang, that sensor should be more vigilant to warn us ! Message to all: get a spare bottle of engine coolant (see last picture), just in case of need. Only EUR10.
For your info some BMW 1M values:
(source:
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/oi...1_m_coupe.html) (probably equal values for the 135i:
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=315057)
- BMW 1M engine lubricant oil capacity: 6.5 liter | 6.9 U.S. qt | 5.7 imp. qt
- BMW 1M engine coolant capacity: 10.4 liter | 11 U.S. qt | 9.2 imp. qt
- BMW 1M fuel tank capacity: 53 liter | 14 U.S. gal | 11.6 imp. gal
- blood in an average adult human body: 5 to 6 liter | 1.3 to 1.6 U.S. gal
It took 0.85 liter of BMW approved engine coolant to get the red floating dipstick hovering back to max level again (as shown on the diagram printed on the engine coolant reservoir: see penultimate picture). This means that ± 8.2% of the engine coolant has vanished (evaporated? leaking? bleeding?) in less than 16K kms (no track use). Uh, is that supposed to be normal ? Go see the dealer for a check-up ?
Time for some pictures:
Engine coolant dipstick resting on the bottom of its pocket with zero coolant surrounding it (instead of floating between minimum and maximum level):
Refilling:
Floating dipstick hovering back to 'max level':
Final result: 'max level':
BMW diagram (picture courtesy of Dackel):
BMW approved engine coolant and the quantity I used (850 centiliter):
(left picture courtesy of Dackel - right low quality picture is mine):
