[sredwine]

I just changed the coolant in my 2007 328i. The old coolant is brown-looks like apple cider-no oil in it, no foam, doesn't smell odd. When I looked at it before (as in checking specific gravity with a bulb type tester), it was blue-green-the factory coolant color. Over the last 22 months I've had the car, I have added maybe a pint or two of green coolant and distilled water. Has anybody seen this before? Does the BMW "lifetime" coolant just turn brown with age? It doesn't look like rust, by the way-not really cloudy and not that color. Rust would be unlikely in a magnesium and aluminum engine anyway.

Thanks-love my car, BTW-6 speed with sport package.

[Dozhdbog]

If it's brown, flush it down.

[flexbrah]

Lifetime coolant is 100% BS. Good thing you flushed yours out.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by sredwine

I just changed the coolant in my 2007 328i. The old coolant is brown-looks like apple cider-no oil in it, no foam, doesn't smell odd. When I looked at it before (as in checking specific gravity with a bulb type tester), it was blue-green-the factory coolant color. Over the last 22 months I've had the car, I have added maybe a pint or two of green coolant and distilled water. Has anybody seen this before? Does the BMW "lifetime" coolant just turn brown with age? It doesn't look like rust, by the way-not really cloudy and not that color. Rust would be unlikely in a magnesium and aluminum engine anyway.

Thanks-love my car, BTW-6 speed with sport package.

The "green" you put in *might* be incompatible with the factory G-48. It might be that blue + enough green = brown. You may have something else in the system breaking down and forming some sediment.

Has Redline WaterWetter or any other similar product ever been in the system?

I'll say it for the benefit of anyone listening - NEVER, EVER put Waterwetter in BMW (or any other G-48) coolant. The WW reacts with the G-48 and precipitates a brown, greasy deposit inside the cooling system and floating in the e-tank.

[DASHOCKER]

never mix bmw with another brand. the same applies to toyota red coolant..

[sredwine]

Just a follow up to my previous post. My new green coolant (I'm going to change every two years, so don't need "lifetime" OAT blue-green BMW coolant) is staying green. Maybe the small amount of green mixed with the aging OAT coolant just turned brown. Nothing like a water pump burning out or anything like that (he said, knocking on wood).

[flexbrah]

"lifetime coolant" is 100% bullsh*t. if its old enough to turn brown... its a good thing you flushed it. just make sure you bled the system correctly!

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by sredwine

Just a follow up to my previous post. My new green coolant (I'm going to change every two years, so don't need "lifetime" OAT blue-green BMW coolant) is staying green. Maybe the small amount of green mixed with the aging OAT coolant just turned brown. Nothing like a water pump burning out or anything like that (he said, knocking on wood).

The chemistries chosen aren't just about "lifetime". BMW's coolant is G-48, and they've been using G-48 long before any fluid in the car was claimed as "lifetime", let alone the coolant.

G-48 has specific plastic compatibility factors which are not present in other coolants. Were I in your position, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that you're further ahead with whatever "green" is just because you plan on changing it. I still stick with G-48 (whether there's a BMW logo on the bottle or not) and change it every 2-3 years. I've found even BMW branded G-48 to be within a couple of dollars of anything else. I'm not sure why people go to such lengths to avoid it. If you don't have a BMW dealer nearby, check out a Volvo dealer. Or ask for G-48 at local auto shops. Or if you're in the US order online from somewhere like bavauto or Amazon (with free shipping no less).

My previous BMW was an E39 from the golden era of plastic cooling system unreliability. We're particularly sensitive to anything concerning the plastic so the notes on G-48's plastic compatibility properties caught my attention. Even though the E90 is not fragile in this area, there's still a crap load of plastic in the cooling system.

Perhaps it bears stating that I ran G-48 throughout the 14 year life of my E39 and I had no cooling system failures except a slow leak (no explosions) at the thermostat housing - a $15 part.

[Whit]

Old rule of thumb was brown coolant was a sure sign of rust in your system somewhere and you where heading down the road to a radiator failure or otherwise. Might be a ways off from some sort of breakdown but brown coolant is worse than just being "old".

[mike3000fl]

i have a shit ton of miles and when i flushed mine at 100,000 miles it was brownish orange also.

i assume that somewhere along the line someone did a coolant change with the wrong stuff.

i flushed it and put in the proper blue with distilled. no issues.

[Cisco661]

Originally Posted by Dozhdbog

If it's brown, flush it down.

+1
im bout to hit 70k on my 06 330i and will be doing a coolant flush within next few weeks. will be going to dealer for some fluid. do i need just one?

[sredwine]

Cisco, you need a gallon of straight coolant or two of 50/50.

[Cisco661]

does the dealer only sell approved coolant or is there some available at like autozone?

[John 070]

Originally Posted by DASHOCKER

never mix bmw with another brand. the same applies to toyota red coolant..

I've heard the complete opposite, although I'd prefer to keep my bmw lifelong bmw.

I used dex cool which is pink/orange, in my nissan which was blue. The color is in-between, and I don't care. Not going to pass up free coolant at these prices!

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by Cisco661

does the dealer only sell approved coolant or is there some available at like autozone?

Like I said above - it's G-48. Any G-48 should be the same stuff - Zerex, BASF, Volvo OEM... but you're not going to save much money. It may take some research to find what other factory coolants might be G-48. Autozone (and Walmart, and Kwik-K mart) probably have G-05 which is also really good, and similar, but not quite the same. If I couldn't find G-48 anywhere I would run G-05.

Why the aversion to the dealer? Just order online if your dealer is far away.

[Wires]

Brown usually means rust. So good time to flush.

[Titanium3Series]

Originally Posted by Cisco661

does the dealer only sell approved coolant or is there some available at like autozone?

none at autozone......only place i have been able to find coolant( other than dealer) for Bmw's is napa....never bought it, but i see it when i go there to buy my lubro moly..

[Cisco661]

thanks guys. yea dealer is nearby. i will just go to them.