Has anyone done a coolant change?

[wolfe]

Read some DIY's for the e90, and wondering if anyone has tips specific to the e82?

(yes it's under warranty but I'd prefer to do it myself)

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by wolfe

(yes it's under warranty but I'd prefer to do it myself)

It's not covered anyway - BMW says it's "lifetime fill." I paid to have mine done, but don't have any tips for a DIY obviously, sorry.

[New21er]

Have to remove the FMIC just to get to the drain plug?? What a pain!

[JefryHorizon]

Originally Posted by New21er

Have to remove the FMIC just to get to the drain plug?? What a pain!

FMIC removal is as easy as axle-back removal with less effort.

[Dackelone]

Wolfe - you might want to pm DriveHard on how to bleed the cooling system. I would just pull the lower radiator hose instead of R&Ring the FMIC. Bleeding the cooling system wll be the hardest part. Not sure if you have to use a ressure (hand) pump or not. I know there is a vent screw on the expansion tank. I'm sure your gonna need to "back fill" the head before starting up the engine.

[Pig Farmer]

To prime the water pump, insert key and turn on the electrical system without starting the car. Set the climate control to the highest heat setting and lowest fan setting. Press and hold the gas down for 10 seconds. You will hear the water pump start to cycle. It will start, then stop, then start, and so on for 10 minutes or more until the pump is fully primed. I seem to recall that once the process starts you can remove your foot from the gas, but if you open the door the process will stop.

[Pig Farmer]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Wolfe - you might want to pm DriveHard on how to bleed the cooling system. I would just pull the lower radiator hose instead of R&Ring the FMIC. Bleeding the cooling system wll be the hardest part. Not sure if you have to use a ressure (hand) pump or not. I know there is a vent screw on the expansion tank. I'm sure your gonna need to "back fill" the head before starting up the engine.

+1 on pulling the hose. Once the locking clip is removed, keep in mind that the hose slides straight on and off. In other words, there's a spline that prevents you from twisting the hose. If it feels stuck, just put light to moderate pressure back and forth until it begins to loosens up.

[Alow]

I did the flush not too long ago. I followed the E90 DIY to the letter and it worked well, except for:

- removing the under tray covers is a bit different and I broke the push-pin brackets, so I'd have some handy.

- I did not disconnect the hose, it's kinda hard to get to, so I just drained the old coolant from the blue screw and molested (haha) the radiator hoses to get as much as I could out.

The steps to cycle the pump on the e90 work the same way on the e82, so I definitely would do that. Worked well for me.

Hope it helps.

[Alow]

Originally Posted by Pig Farmer

To prime the water pump, insert key and turn on the electrical system without starting the car. Set the climate control to the highest heat setting and lowest fan setting. Press and hold the gas down for 10 seconds. You will hear the water pump start to cycle. It will start, then stop, then start, and so on for 10 minutes or more until the pump is fully primed. I seem to recall that once the process starts you can remove your foot from the gas, but if you open the door the process will stop.

I didn't stay in the car for this, nor did I held my foot on the gas and it didn't stop. I went back to the engine bay and could hear the pump still going, and the coolant gurgling as it self-bled.

[Pig Farmer]

That's right, if the door is open when you start the process you can get out once it starts. If you have the door closed when starting the process, opening the door with cause it to stop.

[wolfe]

Awesome, thanks guys. My car is a 128i so no fmic to deal with. I'll try to get some pictures and post them up when I get a chance I do it.

[New21er]

This should be in the DIY.

[BlueforMonaco]

I'm wondering if there is some trick to removing the lower radiator hose other than wiggling it back and forth after removing the metal clip? It acts like something else is still holding it and I'm concerned the plastic will break.

[BlueforMonaco]

I did find info on the subject in this Bimmerpost thread, where rjjarvis gives a detailed account of the experience he had with these difficult connections on an '01 540i.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=451636

[Miko226]

Had mine replaced when water pump died at 63k lifetime fluid my ass for anything in cars they say the same for transmission as well that will not happen as i plan on changing tranny fluid soon

[merlinbk]

Here is a DIY for an E90. I'm guessing its similar on our cars.

[alex_d_22]

I pulled the tube from the coolant tank, started a water pump cycle and let it push out the coolant into a container. Once empty, plug tube back in, fill up tank, start another cycle to bleed system.... Done.

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by Miko226

Had mine replaced when water pump died at 63k lifetime fluid my ass for anything in cars they say the same for transmission as well that will not happen as i plan on changing tranny fluid soon

For anyone who knows about electrolysis, yup.

[alex_d_22]

Once hose pulled, i start a cycle to let the pump push out the fluid. As soon as the system runs dry i stop the pump.

I then fill up the reservoir, start another cycle. I let it push out a bit of the new fluid to make sure i get all of the old stuff out... I stop the pump again. Reconnect hose to reservoir, top up reservoir, and start a final pump cycle to bleed the system...

[Tarpon]

Just completed a coolant change on a ' 08 128 6 mt. Following bleeding procedures of key in ignition and foot on the gas for 10 seconds. Can't seem to get the pump pumping. Pump was fine beforehand. Also, the bleeding procedures say to set heat to highest and fan to lowest but, I can't get the ac to even turn on. Any help would be appreciated.

[Tarpon]

Got it. Found a better diy on e 90 post. Needed to press start button , with foot off of clutch, in order to get access to the ac and then started bleeding.

[pj.rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

It's not covered anyway - BMW says it's "lifetime fill." I paid to have mine done, but don't have any tips for a DIY obviously, sorry.

Lifetime coolant? It was a part of a recent service I had done last summer. Interesting.