[F30Andy]

As I type this I am sitting on my driveway waiting for roadside because this is the third freakin time this has happened to me.

On of the bottles was replaced less than six weeks ago and has failed already!

For those of you that do not know, this is common in F90s.
Symptoms will be as follows

One or both coolant bottles will fail
When you switch the car off you will notice the smell of coolant
You may notice very tiny drops under the car on the floor
If left long enough coolant will piss over the coils corroding them and will eventually get to the injectors and plugs
After this you may notice a misfire and/or lack of power at very low revs
You may also notice the car running rough when idling
You will see coolant residue on and around the bottles
You will either call roadside or take it to the dealer who will do a half arsed job just to get it out as quickly as it came in.
BMW will possibly cross thread the lids when replacing them
BMW will pressure test the coolant system and assure you everything is ok when in reality it probably is not.
BMW will advise you to call it back in if it persists.

This is the kind of thing you need to look out for....

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by F30Andy

As I type this I am sitting on my driveway waiting for roadside because this is the third freakin time this has happened to me.

On of the bottles was replaced less than six weeks ago and has failed already!

For those of you that do not know, this is common in F90s.
Symptoms will be as follows

One or both coolant bottles will fail
When you switch the car off you will notice the smell of coolant
You may notice very tiny drops under the car on the floor
If left long enough coolant will piss over the coils corroding them and will eventually get to the injectors and plugs
After this you may notice a misfire and/or lack of power at very low revs
You may also notice the car running rough when idling
You will see coolant residue on and around the bottles
You will either call roadside or take it to the dealer who will do a half arsed job just to get it out as quickly as it came in.
BMW will possibly cross thread the lids when replacing them
BMW will pressure test the coolant system and assure you everything is ok when in reality it probably is not.
BMW will advise you to call it back in if it persists.

This is the kind of thing you need to look out for....

So sorry to hear this, OP. This is a truly ridiculous situation and it's unreal BMW has not come out with a long term fix for this after having so many owners plagued by the exact same problem.

I hope this gets sorted for you soon.

[AHall]

Originally Posted by F30Andy

As I type this I am sitting on my driveway waiting for roadside because this is the third freakin time this has happened to me.

On of the bottles was replaced less than six weeks ago and has failed already!

For those of you that do not know, this is common in F90s.
Symptoms will be as follows

One or both coolant bottles will fail
When you switch the car off you will notice the smell of coolant
You may notice very tiny drops under the car on the floor
If left long enough coolant will piss over the coils corroding them and will eventually get to the injectors and plugs
After this you may notice a misfire and/or lack of power at very low revs
You may also notice the car running rough when idling
You will see coolant residue on and around the bottles
You will either call roadside or take it to the dealer who will do a half arsed job just to get it out as quickly as it came in.
BMW will possibly cross thread the lids when replacing them
BMW will pressure test the coolant system and assure you everything is ok when in reality it probably is not.
BMW will advise you to call it back in if it persists.

This is the kind of thing you need to look out for....

Man, this is really ridiculous and unacceptable, but what really is the expectation when you replace the part that failed with the same part.

What is the year of your M5?

[F30Andy]

Originally Posted by AHall

Man, this is really ridiculous and unacceptable, but what really is the expectation when you replace the part that failed with the same part.

What is the year of your M5?

18

[pbonsalb]

Did you clean the radiator coolant tank at all? If not, I wonder whether the intercooler tank sprayed coolant over to the radiator tank. I did not think the intercooler tank got much over 100F or developed much pressure so I am surprised. Looks like the cap is where it leaked.

[M5Neededi]

Originally Posted by F30Andy

As I type this I am sitting on my driveway waiting for roadside because this is the third freakin time this has happened to me.

On of the bottles was replaced less than six weeks ago and has failed already!

For those of you that do not know, this is common in F90s.
Symptoms will be as follows

One or both coolant bottles will fail
When you switch the car off you will notice the smell of coolant
You may notice very tiny drops under the car on the floor
If left long enough coolant will piss over the coils corroding them and will eventually get to the injectors and plugs
After this you may notice a misfire and/or lack of power at very low revs
You may also notice the car running rough when idling
You will see coolant residue on and around the bottles
You will either call roadside or take it to the dealer who will do a half arsed job just to get it out as quickly as it came in.
BMW will possibly cross thread the lids when replacing them
BMW will pressure test the coolant system and assure you everything is ok when in reality it probably is not.
BMW will advise you to call it back in if it persists.
/PXL-20220924-153849582.jpg[/IMG]

Do you get the low coolant warning a few times before the damage is done? I have not had the low coolant warning, nor do I see any evidence of coolant leak, but it seems it is inevitable.

[pbonsalb]

No one seems to get low coolant warnings. I don’t understand that.

[Evil Derboy]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

No one seems to get low coolant warnings. I don’t understand that.

I got one the other day. Also an 18 plate. Car took 600ml in the main tank to get it back up to level. I didn’t notice any evidence of it leaking from the caps but I’ll be having another look after seeing the photos above!

I did notice that the car sounded a bit rough at idle before I’d topped it up as well.

[AHall]

Originally Posted by Moonstone_UK

I got one the other day. Also an 18 plate. Car took 600ml in the main tank to get it back up to level. I didn’t notice any evidence of it leaking from the caps but I’ll be having another look after seeing the photos above!

I did notice that the car sounded a bit rough at idle before I’d topped it up as well.

What color coolant do you have?

[F30Andy]

Originally Posted by M5Neededi

Do you get the low coolant warning a few times before the damage is done? I have not had the low coolant warning, nor do I see any evidence of coolant leak, but it seems it is inevitable.

Nope, not had it once.

[F30Andy]

Originally Posted by AHall

What color coolant do you have?

IIRC it is green

[pbonsalb]

My 2018 had blue coolant. When I changed the thermostat, I added about 1.5 gallons of green.

If it takes a 600 ml loss to trigger the light, that seems like a bit much. I’d rather have it triggered at half that loss. It looks like the difference between the min and max indicators inside the tank is pretty small.

I just ordered new caps for both tanks and a new intercooler tank. I replaced my radiator tank earlier this year as preventative maintenance. I also recently installed a 90C coolant thermostat and previously did some serious heat reduction and heat shielding in the turbo area under the tanks.

[AHall]

Originally Posted by F30Andy

IIRC it is green

I thought 2018 cars have the blue coolant. It was not changed to green until 2020 or 2021 I believe.

[Evil Derboy]

Originally Posted by AHall

What color coolant do you have?

Blue. Got it from my local dealer. What’s the significance of the blue vs green coolants if you don’t mind me asking?

[AHall]

Originally Posted by Moonstone_UK

Blue. Got it from my local dealer. What’s the significance of the blue vs green coolants if you don’t mind me asking?

BMW changed the coolant from blue to green recently, 2020 or 2021. I do not know for certain, but I suspect the change was made for a reason. Maybe to address this issue. Since I have been following this issue, I regularly monitor my coolant levels. About a month ago I notice my coolant is a little low. So, I call the dealership to see if they have any. I was first sold the blue and then when I called back after noticing they gave me blue when I asked for green, told there is a difference and the guy made it seem like it was a big deal to get the green.

[ironbob]

Thinking about using teflon tape on threads to prevent leaks and hopefully ease removal of caps. BMW must address this problem and train there service techs not to cross thread. My caps were corroded and hard to remove, I used WD40 silicone on threads and removal now is easy. Not sure how long this will last.

[Evil Derboy]

Originally Posted by AHall

BMW changed the coolant from blue to green recently, 2020 or 2021. I do not know for certain, but I suspect the change was made for a reason. Maybe to address this issue. Since I have been following this issue, I regularly monitor my coolant levels. About a month ago I notice my coolant is a little low. So, I call the dealership to see if they have any. I was first sold the blue and then when I called back after noticing they gave me blue when I asked for green, told there is a difference and the guy made it seem like it was a big deal to get the green.

Just found this online before you replied:

“ Green is backwards compatible with blue and can be used on cars before 2018. However, BMW does not advise using the older blue formula on cars made after January, 2018. The green coolant includes silicates, which add extra protection for cooling internals but the coolant must be replaced every two years”

[Disbealig]

Would it be worth the effort to communicate this over to BMW NA? I know it's a long road for them to take action and issue a fix, but it has to start somewhere, right?

[josec70]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

No one seems to get low coolant warnings. I don’t understand that.

I had several low coolant warnings on my 19' M5C and eventually had issues related to coolant leak like many others. Had coils-plugs changed twice and then tank was replaced.

Nothing so far on the 22' luckily, but it feels like it's just a matter of time tbh until we have an actual solution in place.

[M5Neededi]

Originally Posted by Disbealig

Would it be worth the effort to communicate this over to BMW NA? I know it's a long road for them to take action and issue a fix, but it has to start somewhere, right?

If all the under warranty fixes they are having to make is not sending a message I do not know what will. You'd think they would look at recurring and common issues like this and take corrective action.

[Maverik259]

Well just got my first "low coolant" warning this morning. So exciting. 2020 16k miles. Was hoping they fixed this with the 2020. Off to get topped off at the dealer on my way to work.

Edit: was a "cup" low according to the girl. Crazy that would trip the warning. Also just realized she didn't check both reservoirs. Only the main one.

[rccarps2]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

Well just got my first "low coolant" warning this morning. So exciting. 2020 16k miles. Was hoping they fixed this with the 2020. Off to get topped off at the dealer on my way to work.

Edit: was a "cup" low according to the girl. Crazy that would trip the warning. Also just realized she didn't check both reservoirs. Only the main one.

Just got my first warning to. 21 with about 27k on it. Of course its the wife and baby with the car for the week as I am traveling.

Anyone confirm that these take the green HT12 coolant? Want to get some delivered to the house before I get home.

Car goes in for service in 2 weeks.... add this to the list.