Coolant system issue
Hello there,
I am novice to this Forum. I was reading all over the topics but couldn't find a relevant to my issue.
My hope is that some expert can answer my question:
I have a 2010 F07 535i GT.
My engine code is N55B30A
The current millage is 140 000 km.
The issue is that the coolant fluid is vanishing from the system but there is no sign of leaking.
I need to top up from min to max at least every 100 km in city. If going to highway then after 25 km the BC notice me to stop and top up.
This whole issues started with change of the cooler radiator which had a leak.
Then I had to change 6 months later the water pump at 130 000 km which went down.
Since these changes I still have this issue which is almost a year know.
I was several times in different workshops (including official BMW) where the system was checked for high pressure but we could not find any sign of leaking in the system.
The oil is dark brown as usual. The engine works fine I do not feel any difference.
Where do I need to look, how can I find the leak? Is there any known issue among the F07 users with similar issue?
Please, help!
Is there any method to find out if there is more O2 in the exhaust which indicates that the coolant is disappearing there?
Regards
Pix
Beste Antwort im Thema
Hi everybody,
After one year struggle I've solved the issue. I believe it may be helpful to others to learn the outcome. So here it is.
The engine head got loose at the 5th cylinder. Three screws lost their strength. Due to this the gas was escaping into the coolant system. After a while the overpressure opened the emergency valve of the coolant system where it escaped together with the coolant.
The funny thing that the escape didn't produced viewable residuals as it drained down over the small drain whole under the coolant cap. Therefore I never could see any signs of it.
So I had to dissasamble the whole engine block, fix it and put it back.
During the dissasamble the problematic screws basically come out with the threads. Due to this all 10 screw threads had to be re-done in an alluminium block. Not an easy thing.
I have a suspicion that this engine was already repaired before improperly and the srews were glued which couldn't hold when the wather pump went down and the temperature was a bit higher then normal.
The final proof that the engine gas was escaping to the coolant was showed with a very simple but very useful tool. It had a co2 reagent. The color of the reagent became blue if the hot vapour succed into this device contained co2. I recomend this tool to everybody who have similar issue. Actually it was developed for older (30 and more years cars) but I could apply it successfully and got the assurance that indeed I had an engine issue and not a coolant system one.
Pix
39 Antworten
Typically it is going both ways, if the cylinder is involved.
If the cylinder wall is broken, there will be oil in the coolant and it will be water in the exhaust gas at the same time ( which you did proof being not).
If the head gasket is broken, the coolant will rapidly going hot and getting overtemperature from combustion gas. At the same time it will be water in the exhaust gas.
Of course it can be different with very small leakage.
One thing that happened to me with a Renault car.
The over pressure valve built in the collant cover did not work properly. The over pressure was released, but after cooling down, it did not allow the pressure to even out. Constantly the coolant was brought out from the over pressure valve. Maybe check the cover lid if there is some problem.
Zitat:
@RobinDerRetter schrieb am 27. Oktober 2018 um 14:31:04 Uhr:
One thing that happened to me with a Renault car.The over pressure valve built in the collant cover did not work properly. The over pressure was released, but after cooling down, it did not allow the pressure to even out. Constantly the coolant was brought out from the over pressure valve. Maybe check the cover lid if there is some problem.
I think I am going to swap the reservoir with the cap first. It is relatively feasible and going to dissasamble the front to see all part of the radiator and the connected pipes.
Then if still the problem persist then there is no other way then to check the gasket.
Wondering if BMW have to do this as with an engine with 140k shoud not happen thing like this.
Also will check what Max wrote before.
Keep you posted on the progress.
Thanks a lot for the valuable help!
...as I've written before - a possible head or gasket crack could be a secondary fault due to the leak on the first radiator causing a local overheat condition.
Good luck, anyway!
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Zitat:
@maxmosley schrieb am 27. Oktober 2018 um 16:20:42 Uhr:
...as I've written before - a possible head or gasket crack could be a secondary fault due to the leak on the first radiator causing a local overheat condition.
Good luck, anyway!
Hi Max,
But the radiator and the water pump was already changed.
So I am not expecting there any issue. Also with the pressure test it should have revealed itself if the radiator has issues.
But again I am going the check the radiator, the pipes and the reservoir.
If no fix then there are no other way then to check the engine.
By the way do you recomand any special treatment which can plug the leak in an engine like this? There are several fluids which promising to find the leak to plug with its instances.
Pix
...if I got it right, the problem started after the first radiator was swapped for a new one.
There must have been a reason for the exchange.
If there was a leak on the factory installed part, a coolant shortage could have led to a crack.
After installing a new radiator and refill the BMW-procedure calls for bleeding the system using a vacuum pump - at least on my 535D - in order to completely remove airpockets.
Has this been done on Your car?
...to look up the maintance procedures valid for Your type of car check the BMW-online-manual
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/
https://www.newtis.info/.../B9yoQmxG
It will not support maintenance action where data communication needs to be established with the car's ECUs.
For that You need BMW's ISTA (a.k.a. Rheingold).
Zitat:
@maxmosley schrieb am 27. Oktober 2018 um 17:39:29 Uhr:
...if I got it right, the problem started after the first radiator was swapped for a new one.
There must have been a reason for the exchange.
If there was a leak on the factory installed part, a coolant shortage could have led to a crack.
After installing a new radiator and refill the BMW-procedure calls for bleeding the system using a vacuum pump - at least on my 535D - in order to completely remove airpockets.
Has this been done on Your car?
Well, to be honest I do not know. I gave my car to shop and received it back fixed. That time I was fully trusting the workshop.
Hi everybody,
After one year struggle I've solved the issue. I believe it may be helpful to others to learn the outcome. So here it is.
The engine head got loose at the 5th cylinder. Three screws lost their strength. Due to this the gas was escaping into the coolant system. After a while the overpressure opened the emergency valve of the coolant system where it escaped together with the coolant.
The funny thing that the escape didn't produced viewable residuals as it drained down over the small drain whole under the coolant cap. Therefore I never could see any signs of it.
So I had to dissasamble the whole engine block, fix it and put it back.
During the dissasamble the problematic screws basically come out with the threads. Due to this all 10 screw threads had to be re-done in an alluminium block. Not an easy thing.
I have a suspicion that this engine was already repaired before improperly and the srews were glued which couldn't hold when the wather pump went down and the temperature was a bit higher then normal.
The final proof that the engine gas was escaping to the coolant was showed with a very simple but very useful tool. It had a co2 reagent. The color of the reagent became blue if the hot vapour succed into this device contained co2. I recomend this tool to everybody who have similar issue. Actually it was developed for older (30 and more years cars) but I could apply it successfully and got the assurance that indeed I had an engine issue and not a coolant system one.
Pix
...thanks for the feedback!