WOT = coolant smell ?

[xxSpudxx]

Ok I have about 3000 miles on the car now. I say just about every time i floor the car, last time was playing with a Z06 on a roll, after a few times, i smell coolant.

Does that happen to anyone else? Smell goes away after a few minutes under normal driving, but happens almost every time when i take off at a light, and or off a roll flooring it..


The Z06 was fun. He game the thumbs up and said my car was a monster. haha

[HondaGoneRogue]

Head Gasket? Thermostat? No smoke? Did you look under the hood? There has to be coolant where it's not supposed to be for you to smell it. So you should see it. Look hard. If it's leaking internally then you should be blowing smoke. Also check your level. If it's burning, you could be low.

[xxSpudxx]

no smoke...no dripping... more weird is when i open the hood, i dont smell it.. i only smell it in the driver area usually. i called the dealership and was told.. its a new car.. and wait a bit.

wtf..

[HondaGoneRogue]

LOL. That may be it. I had a wierd smell also (on every new car) and it's normal. It smells similar to coolant. When you stop, take a sniff around the windshield wiper\cowel area. Thats usually where you get a good whiff. I wouldn't worry unless your 100% sure it's coolant and smells very strong.

[xxSpudxx]

just checked the coolant float. It is at MIN. The float isn't sticking out so definitely not at max.

So it is w/in norm. Just weird that i dont smell it when i open the hood. my wife notices the smell in the car too...

hmmm


Anyone got a link on what coolant to buy? i dont feel like running to the dealership. Want to top it off just in case to see a baseline to be sure its not coolant.

[HondaGoneRogue]

You could just add some water if it's not that low. Otherwise I would just grab some bridgestone 50/50. Not sure what selection you've got there. Here in germany we don't get much. If you add a lot of water, remember to flush and fill with anti-freeze before the colder months come.

[xxSpudxx]

meh... other posts said not to mix.. ill drive by a dealer eventually..

[jeremyc74]

My car used some coolant early on as well, but seems to have completely stopped now. I had to add coolant around 15k miles (low coolant warning came on), but haven't touched it since, and I'm around 32k right now. I'll have a look when I go out for lunch and see where the level is at.

[xxSpudxx]

thanks for the info!

[jeremyc74]

Well, I checked mine at lunch time and it's nearly empty. Which brings me to another issue....my dealership.

While I was checking the coolant level I noticed that the washer fluid was completely full, which surprised me until I remembered that I'd just taken the car in for its 30k mile service about two weeks ago, and have barely driven it since.

The last time I checked the coolant was about 3 days after my first oil change, and the light came on. So what that tells me is that the dealership is blowing off some of the checks they're supposed to be doing, and it makes me question whether or not they're actually changing the oil and doing the other stuff they're supposed to be doing. I also noticed that the power steering fluid cap is covered with dirt, which means that wasn't checked either.

Sorry ass service techs!

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by jeremyc74

Well, I checked mine at lunch time and it's nearly empty. Which brings me to another issue....my dealership.

While I was checking the coolant level I noticed that the washer fluid was completely full, which surprised me until I remembered that I'd just taken the car in for its 30k mile service about two weeks ago, and have barely driven it since.

The last time I checked the coolant was about 3 days after my first oil change, and the light came on. So what that tells me is that the dealership is blowing off some of the checks they're supposed to be doing, and it makes me question whether or not they're actually changing the oil and doing the other stuff they're supposed to be doing. I also noticed that the power steering fluid cap is covered with dirt, which means that wasn't checked either.

Sorry ass service techs!

The former BMW Oil Service > Inspection I > Oil Service > Inspection II service sequence clearly states each item to be serviced or inspected. But I've yet to see any such schedule for the 1er - only the time/mileage for major issues like oil, brakes, etc. Even whether the cabin microfilter is to be changed at a time (rather than mileage) based oil service is unclear.

My point is that since there is no longer a checklist, are you certain the dealer is still obligated by BMW to check all of these items?
Tom

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

The former BMW Oil Service > Inspection I > Oil Service > Inspection II service sequence clearly states each item to be serviced or inspected. But I've yet to see any such schedule for the 1er - only the time/mileage for major issues like oil, brakes, etc. Even whether the cabin microfilter is to be changed at a time (rather than mileage) based oil service is unclear.

My point is that since there is no longer a checklist, are you certain the dealer is still obligated by BMW to check all of these items?
Tom

I'm not sure, but what else are they checking during a 30k mile service that's more important than coolant and power steering fluid? I can see the brakes getting a look, but the car was in the bay for over an hour, so you'd think they'd have a look at all the major fluids while it's there.

I'm really not happy with the way they have the service set up now. The car was in the shop at the 31k mile point, where they just checked stuff (what stuff I'm not sure) and now has to go back in at 36k for an oil service. It makes no sense to me at all, and with the lack of a dipstick, I've got no way to even know if they're changing the oil. At least before you could check the level as soon as it came out of the shop and tell if it was new oil or not.

[joeo]

If you're loosing coolant, then something is wrong. It is a closed system. I would get it checked out at the dealer - it's under warranty.

-Joe
http://www.lovehorsepower.com

[xxSpudxx]

Originally Posted by joeo

If you're loosing coolant, then something is wrong. It is a closed system. I would get it checked out at the dealer - it's under warranty.

-Joe
http://www.lovehorsepower.com

I cant say for sure 100%, thats why im going to fill it to max and then monitor it.

Thanks!

[escobar929]

Def keep an eye on it, just seems weird that it's low and you have so few miles

[cagekicker]

take it in

[xxSpudxx]

Originally Posted by cagekicker

take it in

i did, they couldnt find anything wrong.

[Hairy]

I would be thinking of the heater core inside the passenger compartment. If you're losing coolant and smell coolant inside the car...... well, I think that's the only instance when it enters the cabin...