Help! A leak one week into ownership. What is it?

j24 said:
Another update...

I think it's a coolant leak, so am thinking it's time to refresh the coolant system - but have just called up a local BMW indy who said the earliest they can book it in for is the week of Christmas.... :( Also it'll definitely take longer for parts etc to arrive over Christmas/New Year, so the car could be there a while!

Hell of a long time to wait! And I don't fancy driving the car if it is leaking coolant, last thing I want to do is risk a bigger failire/cooking the engine.

I'm not fancying taking it on as a job, I'm definitely not massively confident/competent with spanners beyond minor things. So thinking I'll just have to book it in and wait until next year to drive the car again. Sigh.
Click to expand...

No surprise there, expansion tank is likely to be cracked. It's an easy DIY if you're willing.
Honestly, owning an old Z4 is only fun if you like to work on it. Because it will require work.
 
skelters said:
For the Bonnet catch get yourself some Muc-Off bike lube and put that on it.

It'll work better and last longer than anything else.
Click to expand...


Thanks - good tip!
axelleveau said:
My expension tank failed about a month after I bought mine, I guess it was the first time in a while the car drove long enough to get fully warmed up and build pressure and that made the tank failed at the usual spot.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear I’m not alone in having it happen so fast!!

I knew when I bought the car it would need doing soon - but didn’t quite expect it would need doing 5 days in :rofl:


Sludgepump said:
Why does it have to be an Indy? I had mine done at a local MOT centre who also do servicing. Cost me £120 including a new reservoir and fresh antifreeze.
It's not a difficult job for a garage.
Click to expand...

Fair question - in all honesty the car is new to me and I want to look after it best I can… plus I’m not too knowledgeable about the DIY side of things, worry I’ll take things apart and be in a worst place than where it started!! And I want to make sure right parts/coolant etc would be used, so BMW indy was my first thought. Especially as my plan was always to refresh the whole coolant system in one go (expansion tank, water pump, thermostat etc).

But having read a few comments maybe it’s not too difficult a job… need to look into it a little more.

Have a feeling that changing the entire coolant system myself would be a bit of a challenge for a complete newbie - but maybe a decent local garage could do it a lot quicker/cheaper than a BMW specialist.


enuff_zed said:
To be clear, you can do the whole job from the top. No crawling required. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Ah okay - had assumed I’d need to raise the car to let out coolant/take off/reapply hoses. I’ll have another think on whether I could just do the expansion tank myself… if that’s even where the leak is coming from!


Thanks all.
 
j24 said:
Ah okay - had assumed I’d need to raise the car to let out coolant/take off/reapply hoses. I’ll have another think on whether I could just do the expansion tank myself… if that’s even where the leak is coming from!
Click to expand...

It is easier to see with the bottom tray removed if you've never done it before, and also I believe by raising the front a little it helps with avoiding airlocks when refilling.
So, to sound like I'm back-tracking, you may find it worth running the front of the car up on some planks, or a kerb, but it's not essential.
 
Great looking car, I was almost tempted myself when it price dropped by 1k, I'm sure your get it sorted quickly and easily, the folks on this forum seem incredibly helpful. I'm not ready to buy until after Christmas.......unless I see one that ticks all the boxes., either way I can't wait to own one. Loving ❤ that colour BTW.
 
TOMGREEN413 said:
Great looking car, I was almost tempted myself when it price dropped by 1k, I'm sure your get it sorted quickly and easily, the folks on this forum seem incredibly helpful. I'm not ready to buy until after Christmas.......unless I see one that ticks all the boxes., either way I can't wait to own one. Loving ❤ that colour BTW.
Click to expand...

Cheers Tom! Yep, the price drop sealed it for me, and I love how the coupe's look, especially in Montego Blue - decided that was a must for me!! Wouldn't usually pick white leather, but actually think it works really well with the blue :D

And yeah, have found the forum a brilliant resource in my first few weeks. Good luck with your search! :)
 
Good news all - the car is back on the road!

I decided to listen to a few of you and take the plunge to replace the expansion tank. Ordered a new OEM one (about £75 on eBay from a BMW dealer) plus some coolant, and enlisted the help of a couple of family members who are a little more mechanically minded than me.

Parts turned up last week, and managed to get it sorted on Saturday afternoon. Took us around 4 hours in the end, lots of fiddly bits - but I think the leak is sorted.

Nice feeling of satisfaction in sorting something out yourself, but I think that’s probably my limit in terms of mechanical ability!!

Anyway - have completely refreshed the coolant, and gone for a couple of runs in the car now. Yesterday was a 40 min drive whilst giving it some beans once warmed up, and so far so good! Even able to stop next to a lake for a quick photo op!

IMG-7253-6.jpg

IMG-7251.jpg


Really great to have it back on the road again. Although, I noticed another problem I’m going to need to get fixed asap… it’s not quite enough to put the car off the road again, but not great and probably something to sort out asap ideally.

I’ll post another thread about it otherwise this one could turn into a never-ending one - Thanks for the help and tips all!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom