[6Inarowmakesitgo!]

Maybe I am just extremely unlucky, but this will be the 3rd radiator in 4 months I have had to replace as they all start leaking in the lower passenger side corner.

I bought a Behr unit from FCP, that let go in two days. Then another Behr unit from a different supplier, and that one lasted about 1 month then started leaking from the same corner. Currently a Spectra (Oreillys) radiator is installed and that one has lasted up until this morning.

I have the 1.4 Bar cap installed, system is not being overpressurised, and I am just at a loss here. I have never had such an issue with any radiators ever, and all start leaking at the same spot.

Is there an all aluminum one I can purchase or is the CSF one better made?

[E92William]

It's pretty damn unlikely that you have had 4 defective radiators when I recently threw in a junk Chinese Sunbelt unit that didn't even perfectly line up and it's working perfectly fine.

Any pics of how and where they're cracking? Maybe it's not mounting right and hitting some part of your car/being damaged on installation or your system is indeed over pressurized but for it to blow a radiator you would have probably destroyed all hoses around it first so I doubt it.

[Tunafish]

I think you just have bad luck. And is there a reason why you didn't stick with FCP? I guessing you got a free return but didn't want to risk waiting for another possible defective unit.. You should get good shipping time being in Wisconsin...

This is all aluminum and might work but is for sport auto transmission, guessing that is DCT ..csf 7001 "fits either manual or automatic (not SULEV model)" "Replaces BMW part #17117559273" https://www.bimmerworld.com/Cooling/...-Radiator.html

Part 17117559273 cross referenced.. https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/par...273&series=E90

Shopping around.. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...01#description

[marvinstockman]

Is the crossmember that the radiator sits on bent, broken, or loose.

Maybe you could try loosely mounting the radiator, and drive the car gently for a few days.

[6Inarowmakesitgo!]

Originally Posted by E92William

It's pretty damn unlikely that you have had 4 defective radiators when I recently threw in a junk Chinese Sunbelt unit that didn't even perfectly line up and it's working perfectly fine.

Any pics of how and where they're cracking? Maybe it's not mounting right and hitting some part of your car/being damaged on installation or your system is indeed over pressurized but for it to blow a radiator you would have probably destroyed all hoses around it first so I doubt it.

They do not crack, they start leaking from between the core and the plastic end tank, all in the lower left corner; exit side, AND its always from the bottom two crimps. Nothing is visibly damaged, every hose been replaced, the only original cooling system component is the heater core.

removal and replacement is easy as pie, got good at it now and can have the radiator out and back in less than 1 hour.

[6Inarowmakesitgo!]

Originally Posted by Tunafish

I think you just have bad luck. And is there a reason why you didn't stick with FCP? I guessing you got a free return but didn't want to risk waiting for another possible defective unit.. You should get good shipping time being in Wisconsin...

This is all aluminum and might work but is for sport auto transmission, guessing that is DCT ..csf 7001 "fits either manual or automatic (not SULEV model)" "Replaces BMW part #17117559273" https://www.bimmerworld.com/Cooling/...-Radiator.html

Part 17117559273 cross referenced.. https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/par...273&series=E90

Shopping around.. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...01#description

Thank you for that!

And the first one i got from FCP was really streaming out the coolant and its my daily driver, so i had no choice but to get one from Worldpac, which was another Behr unit and it let go in the same area. Then I decided to try a Oreillys unit, made by Spectra and it looked quite well made and it lasted up until today.

I am probably just going to cough up the dough for the all aluminum CSF unit and be done with it.

But its just a real head scratcher, I have never experienced this before.

[Tunafish]

I was never a fan of the plastic side tanks but also never personally had a problem with them.. I am not 100% that aluminum will fit (not sure difference from sport auto and just auto) but you can search around and find out about that.. For the price i would do full aluminum if it fits.. They want $500+ for all aluminum in mine!

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by 6Inarowmakesitgo!

They do not crack, they start leaking from between the core and the plastic end tank, all in the lower left corner; exit side, AND its always from the bottom two crimps.

Strange that 4 different radiators of various brands are exhibiting the same problem. Are you sure it isn’t the small hose across the top of the radiator that returns to the coolant reservoir that’s leaking and it just looks like it’s leaking from the end cap crimps?

I had a replacement Behr radiator that was just over one year old and it started leaking from the end cap crimps but on the drivers side. I replaced it with a Denso radiator because it was slightly cheaper than the Behr, and all had been good so far.

[E92William]

Maybe all these radiators are actually made by the same factory and had a bit of a bad batch, very doubtful though. I'd cough up the money for an aluminum one and you'll never have to worry about this bs ever again

[6Inarowmakesitgo!]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Strange that 4 different radiators of various brands are exhibiting the same problem. Are you sure it isn’t the small hose across the top of the radiator that returns to the coolant reservoir that’s leaking and it just looks like it’s leaking from the end cap crimps?

I had a replacement Behr radiator that was just over one year old and it started leaking from the end cap crimps but on the drivers side. I replaced it with a Denso radiator because it was slightly cheaper than the Behring, and all had been good so far.

I replaced mine with a full section of hose, always found it a bit goofy they did that. Did that with the first rad replacement. The original unit lasted 205,000 miles before it started leaking pretty good, now I cant get one to last even 3 months.


I have an early build (10/2005) 330xi, and it shows the aluminum one will fit. I will give the end crimps a good pinch with my Knipex pliers when i get home and see what happens.

[6Inarowmakesitgo!]

Originally Posted by E92William

Maybe all these radiators are actually made by the same factory and had a bit of a bad batch, very doubtful though. I'd cough up the money for an aluminum one and you'll never have to worry about this bs ever again

I wish i had a picture of it, but the OE one that I removed from the car had LONG tabs that were used to clamp the plastic end tanks to the core, and the Spectra/ Oreillys was the same. The Behr/Mahle unit did NOT have this design and one lasted a few days and the other barely a month. these had allot of small tabs that clamped the end tank to the core.

Yeah, I am just going to order the aluminum CSF one as I am done with musical radiators. .

[malter3.0]

Add another data point to junk OE Behr radiator. n55 335xi auto

8 months and 5000 miles later it leaks from lower right (driver side) corner near the drain plug at the seam of plastic and aluminum. Can see the same issues in reviews on fcpeuro. Apparently they moved mfg from Austria to South Africa and issues started.

[Efthreeoh]

Old thread, I know, but I bought a Behr also. It dripped in the lower corners when not pressurized. I recrimped the side tanks, which fixed the drip.

[mattanderson]

How do you recrimp the side tanks?

[malter3.0]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Old thread, I know, but I bought a Behr also. It dripped in the lower corners when not pressurized. I recrimped the side tanks, which fixed the drip.

I tried crimping too but still leaks. How did you do it? Tool recommendation? I used heavy set curved pliers. Not much leverage from the bottom.
Thanks

[Nando_e90]

I got a cheap Vemo radiator 2 years ago for my 330i and still running strong.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by malter3.0

I tried crimping too but still leaks. How did you do it? Tool recommendation? I used heavy set curved pliers. Not much leverage from the bottom.
Thanks

Big pair of Channel Lock pliers.