[jdw7]

So within 4 weeks of owning my first ever BMW my radiator has been holed by a stone & I'm looking at a nice fat repair bill (not a warranty issue Sir). Looking at the grille I can't see how this doesn't happen all the time as there's nothing in the way of protection. Is this a common problem or have I just been unlucky ?
No warning light came on BTW, I was checking the car over ahead on a longish trip (now cancelled) & noticed one of the coolant expansion tanks was way below min.
Very p***ed off.

[teaston]

Very unusual, the stone has to smash though the cooling fins to get to the pipes, must have been a hell of a stone travelling very fast!

[Tengocity]

Very unlucky I would say. I've done 106k miles in the 335d and whilst I can see that the radiator has marks from stones hitting it, nothing too severe that would get close to damaging the actual pipes, as teaston says.

[hardparker]

I had a bird pierce my AC condenser once in an explosion of feathers. It went straight through the grille and its beak put a 3mm hole in one of the tubes!

[r1cey]

Originally Posted by teaston

Very unusual, the stone has to smash though the cooling fins to get to the pipes, must have been a hell of a stone travelling very fast!

Not really, and quite a few M140’s have suffered, with some people fitting mesh behind their grills/bumper....

http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1359025#p1359025

I believe the radiator is common across a lot of BMW models.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by r1cey

Not really, and quite a few M140Â’s have suffered, with some people fitting mesh behind their grills/bumper....

http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1359025#p1359025

I believe the radiator is common across a lot of BMW models.

If you search the internet you can find a handful of people that have had anything happen to them, that doesn't mean it's not unusual though.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by teaston

If you search the internet you can find a handful of people that have had anything happen to them, that doesn't mean it's not unusual though.

It's very common on B58 engines cars. It's not the engine rad, it's the intercooler rad...... it's made of tinfoil.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by hardparker

I had a bird pierce my AC condenser once in an explosion of feathers. It went straight through the grille and its beak put a 3mm hole in one of the tubes!

I had that happen while living in Scotland, went through a flock of seagulls (no guitars or dodgy haircuts in sight).

One of the beggars went head first in to radiator.


But OP it's not common just unclucky

[teaston]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

It's very common on B58 engines cars. It's not the engine rad, it's the intercooler rad...... it's made of tinfoil.

I see, so are the petrol intercoolers very different to diesel ones?

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by teaston

I see, so are the petrol intercoolers very different to diesel ones?

Yes, B58 uses a water to air intercooler, not air-air like n55 and diesels. Because it's not pressurised like the engine rad or air-air intercoolers, they can be made light and thin.

Many owners are fitting mesh guards to protect them.

[jdw7]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Yes, B58 uses a water to air intercooler, not air-air like n55 and diesels. Because it's not pressurised like the engine rad or air-air intercoolers, they can be made light and thin.

Many owners are fitting mesh guards to protect them.

Do you know if the B48 engine (which my car has) has the same intercooler ? (although I've been told it was the radiator) - it was the smaller of the 2 coolant tanks that was empty ???

-and as somebody pointed out on that babybmw forum I'm sure BMW would use a mesh guard as an excuse to void the warranty in the event of an engine problem.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by jdw7

Do you know if the B48 engine (which my car has) has the same intercooler ? (although I've been told it was the radiator) - it was the smaller of the 2 coolant tanks that was empty ???

-and as somebody pointed out on that babybmw forum I'm sure BMW would use a mesh guard as an excuse to void the warranty in the event of an engine problem.

Well it is a radiator, just not the engine cooling radiator.

The intercooler radiator sits in front of the engine coolant radiator, as in the diagram. 1 is the engine rad, 2 is the intercooler.

2 is fed from the smaller expansion tank under the bonnet.

Looks like B48 and B58 use same parts.

[jdw7]

So they put the "tinfoil" flimsy radiator in front of the tough pressurised one ? - brilliant

[shao_khan]

HAd the AC rad punctured on my X3 - that was a total pai as the part was available no where at the time and had to slum it in a 535 GT, they had to force me to collect the X3 again

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by jdw7

So they put the "tinfoil" flimsy radiator in front of the tough pressurised one ? - brilliant

For technical reasons....yes!!!

You want an intercooler, not an interheater.

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Well it is a radiator, just not the engine cooling radiator.

The intercooler radiator sits in front of the engine coolant radiator, as in the diagram. 1 is the engine rad, 2 is the intercooler.

2 is fed from the smaller expansion tank under the bonnet.

Looks like B48 and B58 use same parts.

I didn't know that, I assumed the chargecooler used the engine rad for cooling, I've checked the coolant diagrams and you're right (of course). Interesting. Looks like on B48 and B58s, there's air con rad, chargecooler rad and engine rad in that order.

[rosstin]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

I didn't know that, I assumed the chargecooler used the engine rad for cooling, I've checked the coolant diagrams and you're right (of course). Interesting. Looks like on B48 and B58s, there's air con rad, chargecooler rad and engine rad in that order.

Where is the aircon rad? Can only see the other two?

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by rosstin

Where is the aircon rad? Can only see the other two?

I thought it was in front of the engine rad but that may actually be previous models.

[jdw7]

OP here. Repair done at an eye watering £617 and no guarantees that this won't happen again at any time. I'm up and down the A9 between Perth & Inverness quite often and I don't fancy being stuck in the middle of nowhere so I'll be getting rid of the car as soon as I can afford to.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by jdw7

OP here. Repair done at an eye watering £617 and no guarantees that this won't happen again at any time. I'm up and down the A9 between Perth & Inverness quite often and I don't fancy being stuck in the middle of nowhere so I'll be getting rid of the car as soon as I can afford to.

Wow that is an expensive fix.

I would advise you to convey those sentiments to BMW UK. Best case they step in to assist in offering a refund. Worst case the next person who has this happen will not be alone it raising a very legitimate issue.

[jdw7]

Yes, already done that (and about some other issues associated with the purchase which I won't bore you with at the moment) and I'm waiting for their response. Not optimistic TBH.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by jdw7

Yes, already done that (and about some other issues associated with the purchase which I won't bore you with at the moment) and I'm waiting for their response. Not optimistic TBH.

I hope you get a positive outcome from it, as it is not an isolated incident.

Keep us posted.