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      04-30-2014, 08:06 PM   #1
Peabody
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DIY Water Coolant pipe

2006 320i E90 N46 engine (Australia)

I recently had the coolant light come on and disappear again. When I arrived home and checked same I found the coolant container empty.
Coolant was dripping on the floor so I decided to make some inquiries via this website.
Almost everything I read referred to faulty water pump and thermostat replacement at considerable expense.

I put the car up on ramps and removed the undertray and I could see coolant dripping from around the cylinder head area, I thought 'cracked head $$$$".

When I examined the area from above with a torch, I could see coolant puddled below the WATER COOLANT PIPE.

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So I figured the seal in this pipe where it attaches to the cylinder head was the culprit and being plastic it may have warped from heat so a replacement pipe seemed best option. I shopped around, BMW $72...Clickableautomotive online ..$22 + $10 overnight postage.

I removed the two inlet water hoses by prising the spring attachment up with a screwdriver. The hoses were hard to pull apart from pipe, I'm thinking maybe due to vacuum so probably best to actually undo the pipe itself first ?

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The three bolts on the pipe can be easily loosened with a 10mm deep offset spanner, but the hidden bolt below requires a 1/4 or 3/8 drive with extension to remove and replace, you don't want to drop this one !

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Note the flattened O ring in the pipe housing and the difference in height between old and new.

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I have done about 1000km since replacing the coolant pipe and have had no further dramas. One thing I did find was that this model does not have the electronic water pump so the recommended bleeding method does not work.
I have just kept a close eye on the coolant level and everything seems to have worked ok.
Hope this DIY is of use to someone, as I said earlier I could find no reference to this simpler coolant fix.
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      01-08-2015, 04:59 AM   #2
vicky
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I am also facing same issue

Hi,

First of all thanks for posting this. I am searching for this post since long. Can you please let me know what all preparation (coolant flush, engine cover removal etc) do I need to do before replacing this part.

My car also has mechanical water pump. please share the procedure to flush coolant as well.

Last edited by vicky; 01-08-2015 at 05:57 AM.. Reason: adding more information
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      02-28-2016, 02:35 PM   #3
poggy
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Thanks for posting this. Got the same problem with mine.
Also wondered if you drained the whole system prior to doing it?
Cheers
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