Coolant Leak Help

[waldron80]

Sup Fellers,

My wife's xdrive28i has a coolant leak. I found the thread about the expansion tank but I don't see any obvious leaks. I took the bottom splash guard off and found a bunch of dried crusty anti freeze on the transmission heat exchanger. I turned the car on and drive around the block for a while then sat underneath the car and saw nothing leaking. I noticed moisture coming our underneath both side of the inner cooler as well. Pictures are below.

Have we seen anything like this before yet on the N20 motor?

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Link to Pictures

[Mirko]

Do you have a smell of smoke or even some smoke coming off the cats or in that general area? I think I might have a leak in the expansion tank as I can't find anything else leaking or missing fluid. Curious if you are experiencing similar issues.

[waldron80]

No....Sure don't. I feel like i'm looking for a ghost at this point.

[outlawdevil]

do you mind post the model and mileages?

[waldron80]

xdrive 28i 2013 about 50K miles

[m1256]

I know it's an old thread but I'm having the same issue in the same spot, not as bad as in the pics just a few white drops on top of the inter cooler discharge pipe. Waldron 80, did you ever figure out the source of the coolant leak ?

[Mtpisgah]

I have a leak and the shop has not been able to find it. White smoke from the exhaust, and it is not oil.

[m1256]

It's really odd, just a few little specks of coolant on top of the inter-cooler discharge pipe even after after a long drive. I would assume that if the radiator, while under pressure and is leaking, I would see more evidence of coolant leaking. The bottom of the car is completely dry and does not show any signs of coolant leaking from the past. The coolant drain plug is located on that side the radiator, just above the inter-cooler discharge pipe. I'm wondering if the drain plug o-ring is seeping.

[KWX1]

Just go to a shop that has the correct adapter to simply pressure test the system or rent one.

[Supercar Sean]

Head gasket leak possibly? If its coming out of the exhaust its not a drip outside of it.

[m1256]

Update. Sure enough, the radiator had a pinhole leak, driver side bottom corner. New BMW radiator, o-rings, coolant and labor, $924.00 dollars. The car only has 48,775 miles.

[waldron80]

Originally Posted by m1256

Update. Sure enough, the radiator had a pinhole leak, driver side bottom corner. New BMW radiator, o-rings, coolant and labor, $924,00 dollars. The car only has 48,775 miles.

Quick update....This was a small leak on the lower corner like stated above. AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN!!! SAME PLACE!!!

I replaced again.

Car is fun to drive though

[m1256]

Thank's for the update waldron80. Hearing your news on the new radiator you installed leaking again, doesn't give me a lot of confidence that I won't have the same issue again eventually. Just out of curiosity, did you install genuine BMW radiator's or an aftermarket one's on both installs?

[gnulab]

I had a coolant leak as well earlier this year. Mileage was at around 70k km.

I read on a website https://www.aa1car.com/library/coolant_leaks.htm that was because of the heater.

Coz I'm living in tropic country, Jakarta, I don't need the heater feature and in the end jI told the repair shop to just yank it out.

[waldron80]

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!!!

IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! THIS WILL BE MY 4TH RADIATOR!

THAT IS 4!!!!!! SAME PLACE!!!! LOWER DRIVER SIDE CORNER!!!

At least this time I bought through FCP Euro so life time replacement warranty.

This is getting stupid.

Car is fun though

[m1256]

Update, here we go again. 70,xxx miles and the radiator is leaking again in the same spot. 70,xxx thousand miles and going on my third radiator.

[cwickberg]

My X1 35i that my daughter is driving it's also on its 3rd radiator after 95k mi...I forced dealer to replace the second one for free since it had less tha 12k miles only 11 months... failure was same place, slight crack at a joint...I think there's a flaw in OEM radiators.

[m1256]

Unfortunately, BMW dealer replaced the radiator on 1/18/18, but still, replacement radiator should last longer than three years.

[Westies]

I went through 2 oem radiators before 80k mi, ended up buying a CSF aluminum radiator after the second one went. Haven't worried since, and the car never runs as hot as it used to.

[PR X13.5i]

Originally Posted by m1256

Update, here we go again. 70,xxx miles and the radiator is leaking again in the same spot. 70,xxx thousand miles and going on my third radiator.

I've gone over 3 radiators in less than a year. Small punctures in the lower driver's side. Last one was sent to the manufacturer to see if they can figure out was going on.

[m1256]

Got the car back yesterday, another BMW OEM radiator and coolant flush, $840.00 dollars.
The shop found out the three year old radiator was leaking from both ends where the aluminum crimps to the plastics ends.