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      02-01-2019, 09:42 PM   #1
WeekendWarriorz
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Hey everyone,

Recently a buddy of mine had his charge air cooler fail on his 2018 F80 M3, I documented the damage that was done on F80post.

SEE LINK: https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1570544

As you can see from making it to 8 pages, this is a bigger issue and will most likely affect a majority of you on this platform as the parts are the same. It appears like it's common practice for these to fail and leak all the water into your engine (likely through the core). Cheers!
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      02-01-2019, 10:32 PM   #2
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Great thread. Wonder when we will see the first M2c charge cooler leaks. I am considering a prophylactic CSF charge cooler...
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      02-01-2019, 10:36 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twintiga View Post
Great thread. Wonder when we will see the first M2c charge cooler leaks. I am considering a prophylactic CSF charge cooler...
Time will tell, when they depreciate into the hands of people who will put some hard miles on them. For those wondering on a car without warranty parts+labor will land around $2100. BMW will cover this under warranty though and in my linked thread on F8xpost a member had his replaced for free under goodwill after his warranty expired.
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      02-02-2019, 03:44 PM   #4
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Thanks for posting this here, I actually linked your very thread here about the time the other started.

A lot of people didn't seem to comment or care....yet.

I should have probably titled it better.

And it's not just S55 engines.

Take a look at the B58 platform, already seeing 40i models eating through coolant.
The integrated A2W system seems to be the culprit....but harder to service due to layout.
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      02-04-2019, 11:55 PM   #5
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The air cooler on the shop's M4 failed as well, we put all new CSF cooling package


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      02-05-2019, 02:30 AM   #6
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That color tho...
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      02-05-2019, 10:18 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by chris719 View Post
That color tho...
Its Jenny's car (she is our media rep), the mods will be pink and white
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      02-05-2019, 02:29 PM   #8
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Can't see anything but pink and pine needles.
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      02-05-2019, 02:56 PM   #9
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Can't see anything but pink and pine needles.
Soon
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      02-23-2019, 11:11 AM   #10
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Interesting, I checked my coolants today, first time since new, 2000 miles. The charge cooler level was fine, but the main engine reservoir was LOW LOW. Like empty.

So I topped it up,with over 1/2 pint of distilled water, have to keep an eye on it. Oil is clear, no water in their.

First image is charge res, second is main res....
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      02-24-2019, 07:00 PM   #11
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On the S55, it has become a common failure.
I have sent 3 of them from my shop to the local BMW dealer for warranty repair.
BMW told me they have many reports on it.
They crack and fill the cylinders with coolant creating misfire.
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      02-25-2019, 07:52 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by schnell1982 View Post
On the S55, it has become a common failure.
I have sent 3 of them from my shop to the local BMW dealer for warranty repair.
BMW told me they have many reports on it.
They crack and fill the cylinders with coolant creating misfire.
We're seeing the same results here as well
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      02-25-2019, 08:26 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by schnell1982 View Post
On the S55, it has become a common failure.
I have sent 3 of them from my shop to the local BMW dealer for warranty repair.
BMW told me they have many reports on it.
They crack and fill the cylinders with coolant creating misfire.
We're seeing the same results here as well
That can't be good in the long run washing those cylinders down like that.
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      02-28-2019, 04:03 AM   #14
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Can BMW just once make an S engine without some kind of widespread issue? I’ll take this over rod bearings though, lol.

Do they assign this work to the guys right out of school or something? Unless it’s a supplier problem I’d expect this to have been fully simulated. I can’t decide if this is underdesigned or overengineered and cost reduced to some bean counter’s acceptable failure rate.

They can give us a sexy strut brace and M stampings everywhere but good luck with the coolant in your cylinders.

Last edited by chris719; 02-28-2019 at 04:09 AM..
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      02-28-2019, 07:15 AM   #15
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You would hope that the failures would lead to a change of design, I'm sure the cooler is made externally by a 3rd party as rads etc usually are.

But your right, if the failure rate is low they won't bother.
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      02-28-2019, 07:26 AM   #16
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Which aftermarket charge cooler are most people going with? Deciding if I should also change it preemptively
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      02-28-2019, 08:22 AM   #17
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After reading the M3 forums there's been more than a few reported. I'd say its a matter of time depending on how long you keep a car with that intercooler as the boost cycles on the internals fatique the thin passage ways.
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      02-28-2019, 11:31 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doughboy View Post
You would hope that the failures would lead to a change of design, I'm sure the cooler is made externally by a 3rd party as rads etc usually are.

But your right, if the failure rate is low they won't bother.
If you guys read the other thread (which is 11 pages long) one member asked to have their charge air cooler so they could tear it apart and the dealer said that bmw North America had put a note on it to keep it for inspection. So that might be the start of a recall in the near future.
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      02-28-2019, 04:07 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WeekendWarriorz View Post
If you guys read the other thread (which is 11 pages long) one member asked to have their charge air cooler so they could tear it apart and the dealer said that bmw North America had put a note on it to keep it for inspection. So that might be the start of a recall in the near future.
No one can have their old parts when warranty repairs are made. They're property of the manufacturer. It will either be returned to BMW or scrapped. The only possibility of getting it back is to talk to the parts manager. Give him your info and tell him that if the part in question ends up on a scrapping list that you'd like to have it. If a bunch of them are failing, they very well may ask for it back. If they ask for it back and the dealer doesn't send it the dealer will get charged back for the repair.
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      02-28-2019, 04:27 PM   #20
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I'm trying to decide how much of this is just hype... It sounds like it's a problem on M3/4 for sure but maybe the lower boost pressures on the M2C will make it less of a problem?
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      03-01-2019, 12:53 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevM2 View Post
I'm trying to decide how much of this is just hype... It sounds like it's a problem on M3/4 for sure but maybe the lower boost pressures on the M2C will make it less of a problem?
Not sure its hype, there is a thread in the M3/4 section that has multiple people with the issue. Even as new as a 2018...which I feel is just bad luck.

It's just another of the many things to keep an eye out on the s55 to keep it healthy.

When's the last time an M3 engine didn't have some design issue?

I guess that's all part of the entry fee. But since most people lease, I guess it doesn't really matter.
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      03-01-2019, 04:02 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GerardzM View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevM2 View Post
I'm trying to decide how much of this is just hype... It sounds like it's a problem on M3/4 for sure but maybe the lower boost pressures on the M2C will make it less of a problem?
Not sure its hype, there is a thread in the M3/4 section that has multiple people with the issue. Even as new as a 2018...which I feel is just bad luck.

It's just another of the many things to keep an eye out on the s55 to keep it healthy.

When's the last time an M3 engine didn't have some design issue?

I guess that's all part of the entry fee. But since most people lease, I guess it doesn't really matter.

I'm very surprised that if it is such a common issue that nobody has reported hydrolocking the engine. Unless it's always a very tiny amount of leak at higher boost only... maybe this is BMWs way of dealing with carbon buildup :
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