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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Powertrain and Drivetrain Discussions > N57 / M57 Turbo Diesel Discussions - 335d > Coolant Level Low



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      09-02-2017, 01:24 PM   #1
remlemasi
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Got a Coolant Level Low warning last night. Noticed a bunch of liquid (now obviously coolant) under the car before I drove off but didn?t think anything of it (was in a parking structure with other potential sources of water).

No SES light and OBD came up with nothing, only showed up on dash and iDrive.

Drove it slowly a couple miles to park it at safe location and got a ride home. Oil Temp via Carly showed 89C when I , so I don?t think it got too got to do any damage.

Took some photos, but did not do any close inspection since it was late and the area was too hot to touch.

There was coolant residue on the big hose and a “moat” of coolant around the perimeter of the reservoir.

Went back this morning and opened the reservoir cap and there was some coolant in the cap area. I’m hoping it’s just the cap that is leaking or perhaps the plastic screw next to it.

The coolant level was super low but the silver lining is that I could still push down on the floater and it would still float back up so I don’t think it got low enough to introduce air into the system.

Any thoughts before I go in deeper?
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      09-02-2017, 03:55 PM   #2
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I've replaced all three of the bleeder screws with brass ones. They tend to loose their tops and leak. That was a preventive measure though. In your case I does not look like it's the bleeder screw. But judging from your pics I would check that overflow connection to the tank. It's flimsy and easy to damage if not careful.
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      09-03-2017, 07:12 AM   #3
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You might want to also check to make sure the tank isn't cracked. This is a frequent issue as well on BMWs
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      09-05-2017, 05:53 PM   #4
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Thanks guys. I refilled the tank and turned the engine on. Sure enough the bleed screw started bleeding coolant. Ironic but not surprising considering it?s made of plastic. Center of the cross started bubbling then became a slow bleed that overflowed and filled the tank perimeter ?moat?. The screw must be cracked through the center or something.

Placed an order for a brass bleed screw on amazon. Will fix tomorrow.
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      09-05-2017, 08:05 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by remlemasi View Post
Thanks guys. I refilled the tank and turned the engine on. Sure enough the bleed screw started bleeding coolant. Ironic but not surprising considering it?s made of plastic. Center of the cross started bubbling then became a slow bleed that overflowed and filled the tank perimeter ?moat?. The screw must be cracked through the center or something.

Placed an order for a brass bleed screw on amazon. Will fix tomorrow.
Score another one for Yozh👍
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      09-05-2017, 09:43 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by remlemasi View Post
Thanks guys. I refilled the tank and turned the engine on. Sure enough the bleed screw started bleeding coolant. Ironic but not surprising considering it?s made of plastic. Center of the cross started bubbling then became a slow bleed that overflowed and filled the tank perimeter ?moat?. The screw must be cracked through the center or something.

Placed an order for a brass bleed screw on amazon. Will fix tomorrow.
Do all three. There is one more on the feed line to the aux cooler under the airbox and one more on the feed line from the thermostat on the drivers side by the EGR.
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      09-06-2017, 10:50 AM   #7
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I've noticed a very slow leak of my coolant. Never dangerously low, but enough every month that I notice. Perhaps I should go looking.
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      09-06-2017, 05:01 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yozh View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by remlemasi View Post
Thanks guys. I refilled the tank and turned the engine on. Sure enough the bleed screw started bleeding coolant. Ironic but not surprising considering it?s made of plastic. Center of the cross started bubbling then became a slow bleed that overflowed and filled the tank perimeter ?moat?. The screw must be cracked through the center or something.

Placed an order for a brass bleed screw on amazon. Will fix tomorrow.
Do all three. There is one more on the feed line to the aux cooler under the airbox and one more on the feed line from the thermostat on the drivers side by the EGR.
Ordered two more. Thanks so much Yozh!
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      09-07-2017, 10:24 AM   #9
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Oh boy. I went to remove the leaking plastic plug this morning and it looks like I found the crack...

I’m either going to get an extractor kit to pull it out or carefully make a slot and use a flathead to screw or out.
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      09-07-2017, 03:20 PM   #10
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Fixed. Thanks everyone!
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      09-15-2017, 12:08 PM   #11
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Just replaced my bleeder screws with brass replacements from Pelican Parts. They came with a cheap o-ring that got all twisted up when I tightened it. I noticed that the old plastic screw didn't have an o-ring so I just tossed it. Did I "screw" up?
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      09-29-2017, 12:26 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Persian Whisperjet View Post
Just replaced my bleeder screws with brass replacements from Pelican Parts. They came with a cheap o-ring that got all twisted up when I tightened it. I noticed that the old plastic screw didn't have an o-ring so I just tossed it. Did I "screw" up?
My old plastic screw definitely had an o-ring, but it was quite flat. Not sure if it started out with a circular cross-section or not.

O-ring on my brass replacement screw was fine.

I would look for a replacement o-ring if I were you, but not for any particular reason other than my gut tells me it?s ?better.?
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      09-29-2017, 09:44 AM   #13
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I just got a low coolant level warning on my car. I haven't taken a closer look, but I am guessing this may be the culprit. I haven't noticed any pooled under the car yet though. I will look later this weekend.
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      09-29-2017, 10:20 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CO335D View Post
I just got a low coolant level warning on my car. I haven't taken a closer look, but I am guessing this may be the culprit. I haven't noticed any pooled under the car yet though. I will look later this weekend.
Watch your temperatures closely if you decide to drive it. My buddy just ruined his Subaru because he kept driving...
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      09-29-2017, 11:05 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by remlemasi View Post
Watch your temperatures closely if you decide to drive it. My buddy just ruined his Subaru because he kept driving...
I'm hoping that it isn't super low on coolant, but then again I don't know what that threshold is set at to trigger a light. I will pull the cap Sunday when I am back in town, and see where we're at.
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      09-29-2017, 01:22 PM   #16
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CO, I'd be curious what the trigger point is in terms of coolant temp. Can you use the hidden menus to look at coolant temp? Icarly, torque and others would be alternative to seeing it as well.

My curiosity is if it is triggering because of higher temp or if it really has a level sensor (like the float thing in the reservoir).

Last one, how's my SS EGR cooler bypass doing on your car? Any leaks to report ?
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      09-29-2017, 04:38 PM   #17
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There is both a level and of course high temp alarm. The low coolant light comes on fairly early, only have to fill around a 1/2 qt if I remember correctly. High temp though, thats generally set at what most would consider really high, in the 240-260 range. While 240+ might be ok if you have a full coolant fill, if you are low on coolant you might have air pockets in some spots so 240 could be a lot higher in those spots. As long as you dont have an actual leak but rather just a slow seep youre OK to drive with the low coolant light for a bit, I might even say multiple trips as long as you keep an eye on the level and are planning to fix it as soon as you can.
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