03" E85 M54B22 Coolant Colour

[ann.nonco]

Hi everyone, I've been reading some forum posts about the M54 engines that were used in the Z4 for the E85 platform.

My car is a 2003 Z4 that has a M54B22 engine that has green coolant. I was advised by some forums that depending on country, production year and season the colour might be different.
As a Japanese new model, I'm not sure if the coolant should be green rather it should be blue.

Should I be concerned about this colour?
There are no leaks but I was told that different coloured coolant has different properties and has the possibility of clogging the engine in the long term instead of immediately.
There are no leaks and the temp stays cool so I don't think there are any concurrent issues but would like to ask the community.

Thanks!

 

[kis]

The ‘blue’ colour is actually a dark blue and can look green… like a deep turquoise sort of colour. At least to me.

It shouldn’t be orange/red or a light green. If you’re uncertain I’d recommend a flush. I’d flush pretty much all the fluids on a new (used) car, brake, coolant, engine oil, differential and gearbox oil.

 

[MikeyH]

I had this on a car I recently sold, not a zed, and was told by someone looking to buy it that I had been using the wrong colour. Car was fine but when she bought the car had it changed to the correct colour. Haven’t got a clue what colour it was as I’m colour blind

 

[ann.nonco]

The ‘blue’ colour is actually a dark blue and can look green… like a deep turquoise sort of colour. At least to me.

It shouldn’t be orange/red or a light green. If you’re uncertain I’d recommend a flush. I’d flush pretty much all the fluids on a new (used) car, brake, coolant, engine oil, differential and gearbox oil.

Thank you for your input!
https://imgur.com/a/CuLC8kg

For some reason z4-forum's image function results in a blank

so hence the imgur link above.

It looks like this, I guess it's blue coolant?

 

[Mr Tidy]

That looks very pale.

I'd guess there isn't very much anti-freeze in there so I'd probably drain it and start again, or at least top it up using neat anti-freeze.

 

[kis]

It’s supposed to be much darker than that and much less opaque. I’d flush it and get proper fluid in there. Pretty straightforward for any garage (or even DIY) if you’re that way inclined

 

[ann.nonco]

Thank you for all your insights! I'll get it topped off with blue concentrate and get it flushed on my next service

 

[ann.nonco]

Hi all, was planning to do the coolant flush on my car but it seemed that the water pump job is also recommended alongside so I'm waiting for the parts to arrive but the shop wasn't sure what was being used on my car but several techs have advised that the coolant may be green instead of blue.

I do believe that post 2019.06 BMWs have been supplied with green (a new specification not the old green) and pre 2019.06 it was the standard blue.
With the conversion, blue to green is fine but never green to blue as it causes gelling of the solids inside the solution.

Does anyone in the forum perhaps run green coolant?
I think I should be running full green now as it no longer runs on blue...

 

[patriot66]

Drain and flush the coolant system and refill with a G48 type coolant (NAP free/HOAT) such as genuine BMW Coolant 87 or Comma Xstream G48 mixed with distilled water to the correct dilution

 

[ann.nonco]

Drain and flush the coolant system and refill with a G48 type coolant (NAP free/HOAT) such as genuine BMW Coolant 87 or Comma Xstream G48 mixed with distilled water to the correct dilution Screenshot_20231224_114816_eBay.jpgScreenshot_20231224_114911_Amazon Shopping.jpg

Will do!

 

[Mike6]

Reading this prompted me to check my antifreeze as I have changed most fluids on my 2005 e85 2.5i except the antifreeze. Syphoned some out of the header tank and it is a pale red in colour which seems odd so I checked the strength and it reads coverage to minus 30 so that is ok. But should I be worried about the colour. I do know that prestone and others sell a colourless antifreeze which they say mixes with all other types. At some stage this could have been introduced. Will it be ok to use this colourless type or the comma xstream g48 which I have ordered as a top up
Thanks

 

[patriot66]

Personally I'd drain the coolant system and start again with the correct G48 coolant....problem solved

 

[Pondy]

I found a really useful web page which explains what the different colours are made of, but can't find it now.

I have a feeling that (Comma) G48 is now called something else, but could be wrong.
Coolant has got more complicated than oil....someone who knows BMW engines very well said to me a while ago "it's only antifreeze, any is better than nothing".

 

[ann.nonco]

Hi all,

I've since drained the coolant and found that it was green not teal or blue at all.
So it's been filled with the HT-12 coolant that BMW now uses.

G48 to HT-12 is completely fine but HT-12 to G48 is not recommended as it can cause gelling is what I've been told.

It's been a few days and my cooling system is completely fine

 

[Mike6]

I am a bit reluctant to do a full drain as I have read on this and other forums that you can get air locks and leaks after draining down. I have removed a reasonable amount via the header tank and was thinking of then topping up and doing it as an annual refresh exercise. The prestone antifreeze I have says it is universal and mixes with all type of antifreeze. It seems a real minefield but I think the universal type is the way to go

 

[patriot66]

I've been using Comma Xstream G48 in my M54 for 9 years without any issues and the coolant system is corrosion free and clean as a whistle so I don't feel any need to change.
There's plenty on t'internet about using the newer HT-12, mixing with G48 etc but not worth the bother or possible problems in my opinion when it's easy and cheap to drain the system and use the correct specified type
From TIS :

 

[Mike6]

To add to my comments about prestone universal antifreeze there was a lengthy discussion on bimmerfest a few years ago where the colour of the coolant is irrelevant as it's just a dye , it's what's in the coolant that matters. So you can get different colours with the correct mix. The modern universal coolants appear good to mix with anything.

 

[Pondy]

I've been using Comma Xstream G48 in my M54 for 9 years without any issues and the coolant system is corrosion free and clean as a whistle so I don't feel any need to change.

And yet the information on the bottle says it's only recommended by BMW for vehicles 2007-2010. :? Was the M54 still being manufactured then?
I used G48 when changing the coolant in our Mini as it became so confusing trying to work out which was the 'right' one; Comma's own website recommended a different one and Halfords recommended another.

 

[MikeyH]

Oh my god, what happened to those happy days when I would go to my local motorshop up the road and just by bottle of antifreeze to mix with tap water

 

[Joez4]

I also recommend doing a full flush if your not absolutely sure how old the coolant is or even if it's correct, when I got my car it had pink coolant in it, it could have been correct for the car as mentioned previously the colour is just a dye and not an indication of the type of coolant, but I would say if you have blue coolant then it's a good chance it's the correct coolant.

My coolant system was in a sorry state probably from having tap water in it or even the wrong coolant, but when I drained the system the coolant looked fine, it was only when I removed the thermostat that it looked bad.