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      02-16-2009, 09:51 PM   #3
777ER
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Drives: 2007 328xi
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: NY

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Thanks for the very informative tips! will have to get all my fluids figured out and ordered.


Quote:
Originally Posted by 18LLC View Post
Beside those fluids, you should also flush your coolant. your coolant tank's drain plug is in a big white hex alike control unit, you just need a penny to open the blue drain plug, don't touch the white hex screw, that's the control unit, it's easily to break. even it's only $9, but you have more than 50% chance to replace the radiator after you break the white control unit. you have to take off 3 panels (for mtech kit, not sure the regular one) and you will see that at driver side. make sure you open the cap before you open the drain plug. you also have to unclamp the radiator hose at the passenger side. the coolant is not pre-mix, you have to buy distill water to mix it. you can do 50/50 or 60/40, 60 for coolant and 40 for distill water.
According to the service records, I had the radiator replaced @ 2,191 miles due to a SES light which was from a faulty sensor in the radiator. It stated coolant fluid was replaced also.
I think I'm good with the coolant for a good while now.

Quote:
Check your service record, see if they ever flush your brake fluid, if not, you have to do that too. there are 2 ways to do it. first one is unclamp the hose under the brake fluid tank, flush it, clamp it, fill it. The other way is use the power bleeder to connect to the tank, open the bleed point one by one at the brake, bleed until the fluid looks new to you, close it. move to the next brake.
Brake fluid flush done @ 30,682.

I have a co-worker who's brother is a BMW mechanic (BMW of Greenwich, CT) and he was sent to Florida by BMW for training...know what he told me?

BMW techs don't really do brake flush...they take a turkey baster and suck the fluid out of the brake reservoir tank and replace it.
They don't even bleed the brakes to replace the fluids in the line unless the brake caliper/lines/module has to be replaced

Quote:
Steering fluid, you can't drain it, so you have to pump it out. it use CHF 11s, (CHF means carbon hydraulic fluid), make sure it's 11s, not 7.1 or 7.2s.
Will eventually have to do the steering...I changed the steering fluid to Redline steering fluid in my '99 Z28 and the prodecure was to disconnect the return line and aim it at a bucket, top off the tank and start the engine and cycle the steering full left to right and repeat while pouring new fluid in it until clear red fluid goes into the bucket.

Same way for flushing all of the transmission fluid but without turning the steering, this way the fluid inside the torque converter is exchanged too.

As for the brakes, it's a tricky one...do a standard flush/bleed.
And if you don't have a Tech2 scan tool to purge/bleed the ABS modulator, you'll have to drive the car...slam on the brakes to get the ABS to engage, drive back and leave the engine running while the car is jacked up on all 4 and the brakes bled...the brake fluid coming out will be 'old and brownish' since it was inside the ABS modulator and wasn't being pumped or exchanged until the ABS kicks in.
(that was a pain in the ass as it was a summer night and hot cooling air was being vented towards my face/chest when I went under the car to position the jack and jackstands)

As for jets...crack open the bleeder screw...turn the elec hyd pumps on and bleed them while someone is holding down the brake pedals...reset the hyd fuse and repeat again then close up the bleeder screw
Appreciate 0