OMG……just done a check

[Nick7602]

Hi Guys

Just done a coolant check for the first time since ownership and the car doesn't have any?…….there is a very small amount right at the bottom of the expansion tank…….driven 300 plus miles……jeeeeesus god knows what happened to the engine

 

[Deepseaskateboard]

Was the engine cold when you checked?

 

[MKZ4000]

Any obvious signs of a leak around the rad or reservoir ? Cap on tight/good seal?

 

[B21]

You need to put the approved coolant upto the mark for a cold engine then run the coolant purge cycle too see where you’re at

 

[Nick7602]

Peter

What is the coolant purge cycle?

 

[Nick7602]

Any obvious signs of a leak around the rad or reservoir ? Cap on tight/good seal?

No sign of a leak around the expansion tank, the cap was excessively tight though,

 

[Nick7602]

I also took the oil filler cap off looked at the engine, it only looked like there was a thin layer of oil on the engine :? almost bone dry

 

[Nick7602]

Quite concerning is that Sytner BMW at Solihull inspected this car, which was a real thorough inspection and said it was ok?……they obviously didn't do the job they were paid to do, because they didnt even notice the water ingress to the rear lights?

 

[Zed Baron]

From memory Im sure there's a low coolant warning light on the dash, was that coming up?

 

[Smartbear]

I also took the oil filler cap off looked at the engine, it only looked like there was a thin layer of oil on the engine :? almost bone dry

You would have a low oil warning long before the engine ran dry, it would also sound horrendous if the engine had a terminally low oil level.
Rob

 

[Nick7602]

From memory Im sure there's a low coolant warning light on the dash, was that coming up?

Haven't seen a coolant warning lamp to be honest, I will check again though, peering inside the expansion tank the coolant is a green colour, and is level with the bottom of the brown stick and level with the white float…hope this making some sense

 

[sw4nny]

When my expansion went i got a coolant warning light its an e85.

 

[Nick7602]

I also took the oil filler cap off looked at the engine, it only looked like there was a thin layer of oil on the engine :? almost bone dry

Thanks Rob, thats reassuring to know……thanks again Rob

You would have a low oil warning long before the engine ran dry, it would also sound horrendous if the engine had a terminally low oil level.
Rob

 

[Nick7602]

I will go and check to see a low coolant light comes up

 

[Zikim]

The coolant should be blue not green

 

[Zikim]

The low-level coolant warning will not come on unless you have lost more than three quarters of a litre and the reservoir would be empty!

 

[Zed Baron]

Hi Nick, if you were short of oil you who hear an audible 'bong!' and a warning on the dash, my 23i if parked with its nose down the driveway (its on an angle) would 'bong' and say there wasn't any oil in it... I would drive it on the flat and restart and oil would return to full!, you need to drive a couple of miles before you will get a reading from the electronic dipstick... which is a real pain in the backside

 

[Nick7602]

The coolant should be blue not green

Oh right ……I think a complete coolant change is on the cards

 

[Nick7602]

Hi Nick, if you were short of oil you who hear an audible 'bong!' and a warning on the dash, my 23i if parked with its nose down the driveway (its on an angle) would 'bong' and say there wasn't any oil in it... I would drive it on the flat and restart and oil would return to full!, you need to drive a couple of miles before you will get a reading from the electronic dipstick... which is a real pain in the backside

Thanks Zed…..I will keep that in mind……still cant get used to these electronic dipsticks

 

[Nick7602]

The low-level coolant warning will not come on unless you have lost more than three quarters of a litre and the reservoir would be empty!

I have just run Check Control and it came back ok……I will top the coolant up….so that I can get it into BMW for a full coolant change…….thanks Zikim much appreciated