[rararat4]

So I bought this 2011 325i with 100,000kms on in Chile. The previous owner's maintenance was shxx. The car had a non-BMW coolant in, orange in color and I figured it was Honda. The battery replaced 4 years ago judging by the production date, was BMW but it was not registered. I kind of dealt with these but now I have another problem which is that the car runs cold. Essentially, it runs at 80 degrees at all times unless on the highway. I would not know why this is, the thermostat gets current to heat it, so the DME wants it this way. But, since it looks like the car had something replaced around the transmission (automatic) shifter, ChatGPT suggests I check if the transmission module needs coding. I will deal with that too, already ordered the cable from BimmerGeeks. But, to add to the list of woes, the radiator is leaking. Unfortunately, here in Chile the only radiators I can line up so far are the CoolXpert brand. Let me tell you that I do not really want it but the Behr/Mahle, if I can get it at all here in Chile, we are talking at a reasonable price, does not appear to be better. It has a horrible online track record. So, what are my options? Apart from the obvious choice of the genuine BMW what are my options? Anyone itching to tell me to buy it should consider this. I paid the equivalent of 90 USD for 4.5L of BMW coolant concentrate. 7L of Castrol 5W30 for an oil change cost me 80 USD. I do not want to even think what a genuine BMW radiator would cost me.

[ctuna]

BMW uses the Behr as OEM .
I would look at the BMW websites we commonly use here like FCPEURO.com
Around 250 US at FCPEURO

Are you aware the cooling system can run a three different Temps because of the electric water pump.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/attac...3&d=1488747521

Assuming you have an N52 that is US spec.

[rararat4]

Wow, this is some document here, I mean the pdf. No I am not aware that the N52 engine which this car has can run three different temperatures. But, I can see in BimmerLink that the car runs at 80° mostly. This is accomplished by heating the thermostat through its electrical heating element. I also have the fault code CF17 in the transmission module which ChatGPT suggests might mean the presence of an uncoded replacement part and the DME running the engine cold just in case the transmission is running hot.

Of course I looked at the fcpeuro.com. This is where my earlier horrible online track record for Behr radiators comment comes from. But, I wonder if the radiator failures happened to all these unlucky people because some other problem in their system, the problem that caused the original failure and continues on. And consequently, the Mahle/Behr radiators are fundamentally good?

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by rararat4

Of course I looked at the fcpeuro.com. This is where my earlier horrible online track record for Behr radiators comment comes from. But, I wonder if the radiator failures happened to all these unlucky people because some other problem in their system, the problem that caused the original failure and continues on. And consequently, the Mahle/Behr radiators are fundamentally good?

Not likely. A few people have repaired their Behr radiators with a pair of pliers and crimping the end connections a bit tighter. Those who replaced the Behr radiators with Genuine BMW radiators don't have any subsequent issues so it has to the be the radiators. The OEM aftermarket parts can be good, but there's no guarantee. I learned this with an upper radiator hose, switched to Genuine BMW and even though it looks nearly identical aside from the BMW marking, there's a significantly noticeable difference in appearance, fit, and finish.