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      03-12-2019, 10:20 AM   #89
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Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
Keep a bottle of coolant handy. If the level is low the car will let you know as soon as you open the door while the engine is still cold.
What he said!
I bought a bottle to keep in the trunk.
I’ve been monitoring the level of coolant in the main tank and it’s been steadily but slowly sinking. I’d say I’m midway between the max and min indicator, even though the level was overfilled by my SA.
I’ll book the car for it’s 20k service soon and I will ask the service technicians to properly investigate why I’m loosing coolant. It must be going somewhere, something is giving way....
I’ll keep this thread updated.
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      03-12-2019, 02:35 PM   #90
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Originally Posted by drmlee View Post
this is the same thing BMW uses. they sell these at autozone, pepboys, etc. pento frost with the blue cap. FYI, BMW doesnt make their own coolant. its just rebadged. you'll probably need to fill both reservoirs, i had to add about 500ml once my light turned on.

https://www.autozone.com/antifreeze-...43362_580158_0
Interesting. Looks like it’s the only one qualified for our cars. There’s several others that Autozone sells but the NF-G11 is the only one compatible with our cars. Surprisingly my local autozone doesn’t carry it...
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      03-12-2019, 02:36 PM   #91
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Almost 20 years since my E46 and BMW still has problems building a reliable cooling system...
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      03-12-2019, 03:53 PM   #92
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I've topped mine up twice with 18k on clock
Car is 12 months old
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      03-13-2019, 12:44 PM   #93
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I took delivery of a 2018 540xi M Sport last week with 4600 miles on it. It was a demo\loaner. After a couple days of enjoying my new ride, I got the "check coolant" message. I was assured by the dealership that they checked the fluid levels before delivery and they told me that this was due to the cold weather in the northeast and that it should go away once the car heats up. Sure enough, it went away for a few days and then reappeared. I read through this post and decided to get some BMW coolant. I mixed it 50/50 with distilled water and popped the hood to take a look after the car spent the night in my garage. I checked it as advised while the car was cold and had not been started today. When I opened the door to pop the hood, the message appeared. The main coolant tank was well below the MIN indicator and I filled it right to the MAX indicator. It took about 20 oz of the 50/50 solution. I was surprised at that. When I checked the other coolant tank, it was just below the MAX indicator and it took about an ounce. I see no signs of any leakage on the tanks, caps, and hoses. I have not seen any coolant on the garage floor either. I am a little concerned about this after reading all of the posts and as everyone has mentioned, something is not right for this engine to be losing so much coolant. We all ask "where is it going"? I am going to monitor it and see whether it drops down again. Since both tanks are at the MAX line, is there any risk of this causing an issue once the car is driven and warms up? I am assuming that the answer is no, but I wanted to check with others. I am a little disappointed that I had to add coolant to a brand new car. I am going to see how it goes before bringing it into the dealer for service.
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      03-13-2019, 02:23 PM   #94
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Originally Posted by GEV75 View Post
I took delivery of a 2018 540xi M Sport last week with 4600 miles on it. It was a demo\loaner. After a couple days of enjoying my new ride, I got the "check coolant" message. I was assured by the dealership that they checked the fluid levels before delivery and they told me that this was due to the cold weather in the northeast and that it should go away once the car heats up. Sure enough, it went away for a few days and then reappeared. I read through this post and decided to get some BMW coolant. I mixed it 50/50 with distilled water and popped the hood to take a look after the car spent the night in my garage. I checked it as advised while the car was cold and had not been started today. When I opened the door to pop the hood, the message appeared. The main coolant tank was well below the MIN indicator and I filled it right to the MAX indicator. It took about 20 oz of the 50/50 solution. I was surprised at that. When I checked the other coolant tank, it was just below the MAX indicator and it took about an ounce. I see no signs of any leakage on the tanks, caps, and hoses. I have not seen any coolant on the garage floor either. I am a little concerned about this after reading all of the posts and as everyone has mentioned, something is not right for this engine to be losing so much coolant. We all ask "where is it going"? I am going to monitor it and see whether it drops down again. Since both tanks are at the MAX line, is there any risk of this causing an issue once the car is driven and warms up? I am assuming that the answer is no, but I wanted to check with others. I am a little disappointed that I had to add coolant to a brand new car. I am going to see how it goes before bringing it into the dealer for service.
how many miles did you put on since delivery?
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      03-13-2019, 03:25 PM   #95
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About 200 miles.
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      03-13-2019, 04:01 PM   #96
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I'll be very surprised if they filled up, deliver to you, then in 200 miles you got low coolant and there are no leaks, I would really assume they didn't truly fill up before give to you.

For the record I got my car delivered with 11 miles? it has ~350 miles now, haven't gotten low coolant, will keep an eye on it for sure...
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      03-13-2019, 04:45 PM   #97
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I ended up using the Pentofrost stuff mentioned here, and as stated earlier, I’m pretty sure it is exactly the same as what BMW uses. I had to use 20-24oz of the diluted fluid to get the coolant level up in the right-most tank (as viewed from the front). Since then no more indicator lights. The stuff wasn’t expensive and was readily available, but I would like to get to the bottom of the issue if there is an actual leak.
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      07-15-2019, 03:11 PM   #98
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Engine coolant level low, Top off ASAP, possible engine damage

I got a warning "Engine coolant level low, Top off ASAP, possible engine damage".

Next morning, started the car checked system, it shows all ok.

X3 2015 model.
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      07-15-2019, 03:37 PM   #99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
Keep a bottle of coolant handy. If the level is low the car will let you know as soon as you open the door while the engine is still cold.
I got a warning "Engine coolant level low, Top off ASAP, possible engine damage".

Next morning, started the car checked system, it shows all ok. What to do ?

X3 2015 model.
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      07-15-2019, 06:10 PM   #100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smmohsin@gmail.com View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
Keep a bottle of coolant handy. If the level is low the car will let you know as soon as you open the door while the engine is still cold.
I got a warning "Engine coolant level low, Top off ASAP, possible engine damage".

Next morning, started the car checked system, it shows all ok. What to do ?

X3 2015 model.
Have it checked for leaks in the cooling system.
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      08-08-2019, 01:42 PM   #101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timmahh View Post
Happened to me too, B58 engine, there is a TSB for it. There is air somewhere in the system from the factory. Both of my tanks were completely empty, and there was some evidence of coolant dried around the cap. Dealer topped it off, has not come back (2500 miles and counting).
I got the low coolant warning as well this week. I topped it off then took it to the dealer where they ran a pressure test and didn't find any issues. I was told to monitor and if it happens again they'll take a look.

I'm curious if you have the TSB number you mentioned - I did a quick search to try to give it to the dealer but didn't find one that I thought matched. I used this site:
https://www.aboutautomobile.com/Tech...Engine-Cooling
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      08-26-2019, 02:06 PM   #102
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Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Just got the message on my idrive...

I'm in the UK, with a 530i that is about 14 months old with just under 8,000 miles on the clock.

I'll take it to the dealer tomorrow and will then update.
Well, my local dealer was having none of it: they would only make a future booking (for some point in late January!) and were unable to deal with any 'walk-in' queries...

Made me buy some coolant and sent me on my way... I'll deal with them another time as I don't have the one right now (I am going away tomorrow for the Christmas period)...

Anyway, on opening the tanks in daylight, both were well below minimum! About 1.2litres added overall (had to mix 1:1 with water).

Curious how after the initial warning in idrive, although the engine coolant light was lit orange, there were no check control messages.
Do you fill both tanks, also do you continue to go through a lot?
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      08-30-2019, 07:35 AM   #103
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Have the same "Engine coolant level low, Top off ASAP, possible engine damage".
1 top up for 2 years 60 000 km
I think nothing to worry this type have it
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      09-04-2019, 03:30 AM   #104
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muslenutz View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Just got the message on my idrive...

I'm in the UK, with a 530i that is about 14 months old with just under 8,000 miles on the clock.

I'll take it to the dealer tomorrow and will then update.
Well, my local dealer was having none of it: they would only make a future booking (for some point in late January!) and were unable to deal with any 'walk-in' queries...

Made me buy some coolant and sent me on my way... I'll deal with them another time as I don't have the one right now (I am going away tomorrow for the Christmas period)...

Anyway, on opening the tanks in daylight, both were well below minimum! About 1.2litres added overall (had to mix 1:1 with water).

Curious how after the initial warning in idrive, although the engine coolant light was lit orange, there were no check control messages.
Do you fill both tanks, also do you continue to go through a lot?
Both tanks.

The 'check engine' warning light comes on/goes off intermittently for me - sometimes (like at the moment) it is on, I've checked the coolant tanks and they are fine...

I have had to do this three times now, my mileage in just under 2 years is 14,500 (about 0.5 litres the last two times). No dealer has been interested in looking into this :

This is the first time I've had to fill the coolant tanks in around 20 years of driving various BMWs - and in the one car I've done the least miles in (until recently, I used to do 18-20k per year)!

Have my first 'service' (oil change) coming up and will raise it then.
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      09-04-2019, 05:39 AM   #105
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Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muslenutz View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Just got the message on my idrive...

I'm in the UK, with a 530i that is about 14 months old with just under 8,000 miles on the clock.

I'll take it to the dealer tomorrow and will then update.
Well, my local dealer was having none of it: they would only make a future booking (for some point in late January!) and were unable to deal with any 'walk-in' queries...

Made me buy some coolant and sent me on my way... I'll deal with them another time as I don't have the one right now (I am going away tomorrow for the Christmas period)...

Anyway, on opening the tanks in daylight, both were well below minimum! About 1.2litres added overall (had to mix 1:1 with water).

Curious how after the initial warning in idrive, although the engine coolant light was lit orange, there were no check control messages.
Do you fill both tanks, also do you continue to go through a lot?
Both tanks.

The 'check engine' warning light comes on/goes off intermittently for me - sometimes (like at the moment) it is on, I've checked the coolant tanks and they are fine...

I have had to do this three times now, my mileage in just under 2 years is 14,500 (about 0.5 litres the last two times). No dealer has been interested in looking into this :

This is the first time I've had to fill the coolant tanks in around 20 years of driving various BMWs - and in the one car I've done the least miles in (until recently, I used to do 18-20k per year)!

Have my first 'service' (oil change) coming up and will raise it then.
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muslenutz View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by en1gma View Post
Just got the message on my idrive...

I'm in the UK, with a 530i that is about 14 months old with just under 8,000 miles on the clock.

I'll take it to the dealer tomorrow and will then update.
Well, my local dealer was having none of it: they would only make a future booking (for some point in late January!) and were unable to deal with any 'walk-in' queries...

Made me buy some coolant and sent me on my way... I'll deal with them another time as I don't have the one right now (I am going away tomorrow for the Christmas period)...

Anyway, on opening the tanks in daylight, both were well below minimum! About 1.2litres added overall (had to mix 1:1 with water).

Curious how after the initial warning in idrive, although the engine coolant light was lit orange, there were no check control messages.
Do you fill both tanks, also do you continue to go through a lot?
Both tanks.

The 'check engine' warning light comes on/goes off intermittently for me - sometimes (like at the moment) it is on, I've checked the coolant tanks and they are fine...

I have had to do this three times now, my mileage in just under 2 years is 14,500 (about 0.5 litres the last two times). No dealer has been interested in looking into this :

This is the first time I've had to fill the coolant tanks in around 20 years of driving various BMWs - and in the one car I've done the least miles in (until recently, I used to do 18-20k per year)!

Have my first 'service' (oil change) coming up and will raise it then.
Have your active shutters checked. That's probably triggering check engine light
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      09-04-2019, 07:06 AM   #106
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[QUOTE/]
Have your active shutters checked. That's probably triggering check engine light[/QUOTE]


Yes - will do, as I've seen that reported here in various posts...
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      09-04-2019, 02:14 PM   #107
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So I've had two low coolant warnings in my 2018 540i, one at about 21,000 miles and another recently at 28,000. This car is driven mostly highway 80+ on long trips to Florida or South Carolina from Northeastern PA. BTW this 5 series has the best balance of driving and comfort of all the BMW's that I've owned.

The dealer topped off the coolant the first time then I did it myself at 28K but brought it in for a pressure test. Found nothing, no coolant on the garage floor, no high temp on gauge, but a little coolant residue found on the top of the tank after the cap was removed. Agree that the cap is extremely hard to unscrew; I had to use a vice-grip for leverage, and the cap was replaced during the dealer visit as a precaution.

Interesting theory about evaporation in the intercooler but aside from that no real failure analysis or solutions other than topping off the coolant level. /X3
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      09-14-2019, 07:29 AM   #108
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I got the "low coolant" warning two times. With no residue on the coolant tank or cap, and no coolant on the garage floor then were is it going? Dealer did a pressure check and replaced the cap on the coolant tank on my 540i. Concern here is that it may be a bad head gasket, with coolant leaking over to the combustion chamber.
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      09-16-2019, 02:21 AM   #109
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I got the "low coolant" warning two times. With no residue on the coolant tank or cap, and no coolant on the garage floor then were is it going? Dealer did a pressure check and replaced the cap on the coolant tank on my 540i. Concern here is that it may be a bad head gasket, with coolant leaking over to the combustion chamber.
I was told by BMW Assist that they are aware of a batch of cars coming off the lines with lower than usual level of coolant. Apparently once pipes expand these end up throwing low coolant warnings.
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      09-16-2019, 01:09 PM   #110
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My car was in the shop for check engine light... apparently grill vents were not opening up fast enough. I had mentioned the coolant issue to my advisor. Last time my dealer had topped off the fluid and checked for leaks. This time around they ended up changing the water pump... i'm not sure how they come up to this conclusion. I'll have to wait and see if it makes any difference. To be honest its pretty annoying... here in texas you can count on filling it up every 5K-6K miles
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