[afo818]

Hello all, wondering if anyone knows of any aluminum coolant replacement tanks that fit out cars. Second time she's going out

[Aronis]

Wow, happened twice??? that is odd. I too would like an 'aftermarket' solution which is a solution. Or maybe BMW could step up with their own. Sure aluminum is more expensive than plastic. But the engine is not plastic. LOL.

Mike

[afo818]

Originally Posted by Aronis

Wow, happened twice??? that is odd. I too would like an 'aftermarket' solution which is a solution. Or maybe BMW could step up with their own. Sure aluminum is more expensive than plastic. But the engine is not plastic. LOL.

Mike

Very odd they don't have a remedy for it. I changed it first at 28k miles (2 months ago) now at 29.5 and need a new one again lol

[pbonsalb]

I just ordered one as preventative maintenance for my 2018 with 36k. I will change it when I do downpipes in the next week or 2. Cost was $123 shipped. I will probably put heat reflective tape on the bottom if the surface allows it — have not studied the tank yet.

Mine has given an occasional whiff of coolant smell and I have added a few ounces periodically to the tank so it may be leaking already.

Newer cars have a cooler thermostat — 90C instead of 100C. Not sure if that will make a difference or whether it is heat from the driver’s side turbo that is under the tank. The turbos are covered by a layer of insulation and a layer of sheetmetal, but maybe that is not enough. Maybe I can put heat reflective tape on that sheetmetal. Only been in that area once, when I changed spark plugs, and can’t recall whether that is feasible or not.

[Aronis]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I just ordered one as preventative maintenance for my 2018 with 36k. I will change it when I do downpipes in the next week or 2. Cost was $123 shipped.

You have the Prototype now, get someone to copy it in Adamantium and sell them....

Mike

[AHall]

Originally Posted by Aronis

You have the Prototype now, get someone to copy it in Adamantium and sell them....

Mike

There are companies that will custom fabricate a coolant tank. You could purchase a tank and send it to them to fabricate. Then sell it to members here, at cost of course.

[Maverik259]

That's crazy that you've had to replace 2. Luckily haven't had that issue on mine thus far but if the crack is forming on the bottom, then i would agree that heat is the culprit. and you should be able to put on the tape. Just would require cutting to get around the ridges from the plastic molding that are suppose to provide rigidity. should be easy to tell once the new one arrives.

[AHall]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I just ordered one as preventative maintenance for my 2018 with 36k. I will change it when I do downpipes in the next week or 2. Cost was $123 shipped. I will probably put heat reflective tape on the bottom if the surface allows it — have not studied the tank yet.

Mine has given an occasional whiff of coolant smell and I have added a few ounces periodically to the tank so it may be leaking already.

Newer cars have a cooler thermostat — 90C instead of 100C. Not sure if that will make a difference or whether it is heat from the driver’s side turbo that is under the tank. The turbos are covered by a layer of insulation and a layer of sheetmetal, but maybe that is not enough. Maybe I can put heat reflective tape on that sheetmetal. Only been in that area once, when I changed spark plugs, and can’t recall whether that is feasible or not.

Can you provide the part number for the tank?

[afo818]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

That's crazy that you've had to replace 2. Luckily haven't had that issue on mine thus far but if the crack is forming on the bottom, then i would agree that heat is the culprit. and you should be able to put on the tape. Just would require cutting to get around the ridges from the plastic molding that are suppose to provide rigidity. should be easy to tell once the new one arrives.

They start leaking from the seems up top I believe everything else is intact

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by ahall

can you provide the part number for the tank?

17-13-8-090-271

[Aronis]

Wonder if re-enforcement could be of help? Maybe wrap in Fiberglass Cloth and Resin?

Mike

[Maniax]

It might be hard to fabricate as it seems there is an integrated sensor to the tank based on this image.
I too had to change my tank after 3 years and 22000km only, when the coolant leaked into bank 2’s injectors and spark plugs, causing an engine misfire and drivetrain error light on acceleration.

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-5...xpansion-tank/

Originally Posted by AHall

There are companies that will custom fabricate a coolant tank. You could purchase a tank and send it to them to fabricate. Then sell it to members here, at cost of course.

[Poiseuille]

For those of you experiencing expansion tank failures: any chance you or someone working on your car is filling the tank while the engine is hot? beyond the cold-fill-line maybe? if you do that, the tank will eventually crack..and sometimes a lot sooner than eventually. When they say fill when cold they are not kidding.

The telltale is white spots scattered around the engine bay from evaporated coolant (fan throws the stuff everywhere), faint odor of coolant in the cabin. No puddles on the floor, no apparent drop in the tank level.

[pbonsalb]

These tanks are located far from the fan and I don’t think any leaking coolant makes it that far forward.

[Pimpsy]

Originally Posted by Poiseuille

For those of you experiencing expansion tank failures: any chance you or someone working on your car is filling the tank while the engine is hot? beyond the cold-fill-line maybe? if you do that, the tank will eventually crack..and sometimes a lot sooner than eventually. When they say fill when cold they are not kidding.

The telltale is white spots scattered around the engine bay from evaporated coolant (fan throws the stuff everywhere), faint odor of coolant in the cabin. No puddles on the floor, no apparent drop in the tank level.

Mine did not leak until it went in to have my summer tires put on. They decided to top off my fluids…
I could smell it burning on the way home. Obviously they overfilled it.
BMW of Ramsey sucks.

[Poiseuille]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

These tanks are located far from the fan and I don't think any leaking coolant makes it that far forward.

regarding the distribution of white spot evidence in the engine bay: I was referring to radiator expansion tanks because that was the evidence I personally observed on E36 and E39. by the time I had an E46 I had learned not overfill expansion tanks and it never happened again. Currently driving an S55 with zero issues in 6.5 years of ownership.
I should have been more clear as to which tank I was describing, but the intercooler tanks are prone to the same failure for the same reason.

regarding some other posts on this thread:
1) tanks that have failed on my cars passed a pressure test every single time.
2) the cracks are so thin as to be invisible to the naked eye, and can occur anywhere on the tank including but not limited to the 'casting' lines (the lines are mold impressions, not seams).
3) like the cracks themselves the resulting coolant jets are so fine as to be nearly invisible. In fact the only way I could ever see them was with the strobe from a timing light (yes, I still have one of those..probably two).
4) to the extent I was able to observe, the jets were unpredictably intermittent and traveled a surprising distance without help from the fan, although coolant that did reach the fan would change direction and travel even further. In the 540i I found the white stuff on top of the PSF reservoir and almost to the left upper strut mount. The alternator housing would be drenched before i finally realized what was going on.
5) in each instance that I experienced there was never any evidence at all on the garage floor. Each time, there was only the slightest and intermittent wiff of coolant odor in the cabin.

have I mentioned yet that, excepting dire emergency, you should NEVER add coolant unless the engine has cooled to ambient?

[pbonsalb]

Not adding coolant when hot is a good idea. Often there is a warning on the cap that says this and to measure the level when cold. Hopefully everyone knows this.

I think the problem is that the coolant expansion tank is more or less on top of the turbo. Also the thermostat is one of the hottest or the hottest BMW has ever used, at least on the early F90, at 100C or 212F. My 2018 typically operates at 250F. I plan to change the thermostat to the later 90C unit that should drop the temp by about 15F. If later F90 also crack expansion tanks then the coolant temp is not the main culprit.

The intercooler tank should not suffer the same heat related problem. It does not have hot engine coolant in it and is a little more offset from being on top of a turbo. The intercooler heat exchanger coolant should run at less than half the temperature of the engine coolant or less.

I have had some earlier BMW that gave leaked coolant or oil that has gotten into the fan and made a mess under the hood. E61 535xi, E39 528i, E36 M3. The 535xi was the one that leaked oil onto the fan.

[imolaa_m5]

any update on this? lol i wish some company would make a one time fix for a aluminum tank , my car only has 5k miles on it and already had one tank changed at 3k miles coolant leaked into 4 injectors...

[damianwo]

Perhaps have the tank coated in some heat proof solution. Just an idea.

[Aronis]

https://www.liqui-moly.com/en/us/rad...198.html#20132

This should work LOL.

Mike

[EM5C]

Just had mine replaced at the dealer yesterday at 20k miles. Subtle specs of dried coolant on the seam. Dealership agreed it is/was leaking. Yay 😵‍💫

[jake169]

I just had my 2018 replacement coolant tank replaced at 27700 miles. BMW has updated the coolant tank with a new part number 17137889450 Lets see how long this one lasts. There is a youtube video on this by Velocity tuning.