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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Mechanical Maintenance: Break-in / Oil & Fluids / Servicing / Warranty > Radiator leaking?



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      09-19-2018, 01:12 PM   #1
dannyjones
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Radiator leaking?

Hi all,

I'm losing coolant pretty quickly lately and always topping up with distilled water.
I think I've found where its leaking from, at the upper drivers side, where I think the radiator is plastic. Can anyone confirm this is definitely it from the pic before I go and spend $245 on a new one? It looks to me like it has to be the radiator because the water is coming from somewhere higher than the hose connection.
I was quoted $575 with labor to replace, so I think I'll try it myself. Doesn't look too difficult on the N54 - hoping the N55 is very similar.

Thanks!



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      09-19-2018, 01:46 PM   #2
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I would rent a pressure tester first to make sure
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      09-19-2018, 08:44 PM   #3
dannyjones
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Thanks for the reply. Would it give me any better idea than where that water is running though?

Just to be clear, the dark black area is wet. I don’t mean the stained part of the hoses where maybe something leaked in the past
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      09-20-2018, 08:12 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannyjones View Post
Thanks for the reply. Would it give me any better idea than where that water is running though?

Just to be clear, the dark black area is wet. I don't mean the stained part of the hoses where maybe something leaked in the past
After looking closer at your pic I'd say the radiator is cracked right there where it's wet. Go ahead and order a new one.

When the car is hot I bet you'll see bubbles coming right from that bend
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      09-20-2018, 09:34 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal View Post
I would rent a pressure tester first to make sure
Quote:
Originally Posted by dannyjones View Post
Thanks for the reply. Would it give me any better idea than where that water is running though?

Just to be clear, the dark black area is wet. I don’t mean the stained part of the hoses where maybe something leaked in the past
Quote:
Originally Posted by deeLow View Post
After looking closer at your pic I'd say the radiator is cracked right there where it's wet. Go ahead and order a new one.

When the car is hot I bet you'll see bubbles coming right from that bend
The upper radiator coolant hose is leaking as well. Rein hose is the best from the aftermarket replacements. Nissen radiator.
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      09-20-2018, 01:29 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by feuer View Post
The upper radiator coolant hose is leaking as well. Rein hose is the best from the aftermarket replacements. Nissen radiator.
Why are you so sure the hose is leaking? It doesn't seem to get wet even at temperature. Is it because of that staining? I'd rather do it all at once if really needed but want to be sure.

The photos were taken when the car was up to temperature btw.

Thanks for the replies all.
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      09-20-2018, 01:33 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannyjones View Post
Why are you so sure the hose is leaking? It doesn't seem to get wet even at temperature. Is it because of that staining? I'd rather do it all at once if really needed but want to be sure.

The photos were taken when the car was up to temperature btw.

Thanks for the replies all.
Because all develop pin hole leak where the mold was injected. Might not leak now beacause of the larger leak on the radiator. Clean it nicely and you will see.
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      09-20-2018, 01:43 PM   #8
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FWIW, my radiator failed at the same spot, so I'm gonna go ahead say yours is broken also.
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      09-20-2018, 02:46 PM   #9
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Same exact thing happen to me, this is where it happened.






So what i did, was the following:

Open the coolant reservoir lid and leave it off.

Wait till car cools down so theres no pressure on the hoses.

Then you want to clean up the area until its fully dry.

then you wanna sand out the area till is nice and rough.

You want to get the red and black JB weld, throw some in there, wait 24 hours to dry and youre good to go! I have had it like this for about 4k miles now. still holding strong.

end result:
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      09-20-2018, 04:06 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 330istocknot View Post
Same exact thing happen to me, this is where it happened.






So what i did, was the following:

Open the coolant reservoir lid and leave it off.

Wait till car cools down so theres no pressure on the hoses.

Then you want to clean up the area until its fully dry.

then you wanna sand out the area till is nice and rough.

You want to get the red and black JB weld, throw some in there, wait 24 hours to dry and youre good to go! I have had it like this for about 4k miles now. still holding strong.

end result:
Wow, thanks, I really appreciate the pics and alternative fix - I'll give that a go - can't make it worse, and saves me several hours and $
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      09-22-2018, 12:04 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 330istocknot View Post
Same exact thing happen to me, this is where it happened.






So what i did, was the following:

Open the coolant reservoir lid and leave it off.

Wait till car cools down so theres no pressure on the hoses.

Then you want to clean up the area until its fully dry.

then you wanna sand out the area till is nice and rough.

You want to get the red and black JB weld, throw some in there, wait 24 hours to dry and youre good to go! I have had it like this for about 4k miles now. still holding strong.

end result:
Sorry to bump the thread, but did you drain your coolant? Coolant is seeping from that area even when it’s cold. Not sure it’s gonna dry and can’t really jb weld if it remains wet.
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      09-22-2018, 04:00 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannyjones View Post
Hi all,

I'm losing coolant pretty quickly lately and always topping up with distilled water.
I think I've found where its leaking from, at the upper drivers side, where I think the radiator is plastic. Can anyone confirm this is definitely it from the pic before I go and spend $245 on a new one? It looks to me like it has to be the radiator because the water is coming from somewhere higher than the hose connection.
I was quoted $575 with labor to replace, so I think I'll try it myself. Doesn't look too difficult on the N54 - hoping the N55 is very similar.

Thanks!





Mine failed at 122K in same area.....I ordered CSF radiator for automatic and have been thoroughly impressed!
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      09-26-2018, 01:48 PM   #13
330istocknot
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I didn't fully drain the coolant, i took out about a liter. It was not leaking before i did the JB weld. If it continue to leak after taking out some coolant, i would suggest fully draining the coolant or until theres no more leaking.
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      09-26-2018, 10:24 PM   #14
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That's such a weird place for it to leak, but from some basic research, it looks like that's the most common failure point. Mine has no signs of leaking so far.

The radiator is easy to replace. The hardest part is removing the fan, which has some rubber grommets that can be a pain to get off. Silicone spray helps a great deal.

The jbweld solution is actually a pretty good idea. The leak is so small that this is a great application of it, especially in a pinch.
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      09-27-2018, 06:17 AM   #15
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yeh upgrade to a stainless steel radiator for peace for mind

#waronplasticparts
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      09-27-2018, 10:31 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam View Post
That's such a weird place for it to leak, but from some basic research, it looks like that's the most common failure point. Mine has no signs of leaking so far.

The radiator is easy to replace. The hardest part is removing the fan, which has some rubber grommets that can be a pain to get off. Silicone spray helps a great deal.

The jbweld solution is actually a pretty good idea. The leak is so small that this is a great application of it, especially in a pinch.
Its the perfect spot to spring a leak. A tight radius corner on the inside of a piece of plastic thats attached to a lever (hose) connected to a vibrating and rocking motor. If the radiator was going to crack, thats exactly where I would expect it to let go.
You can JB weld it in a pinch, but once the crack starts in the radiator tank, its going to keep going. The JB weld is really just sealing the leak. Sooner or later, you're going to still need a new radiator. Probably best to do it before the whole hose neck lets go. Upper radiator necks seem to be a BMW Achilles heel. I recall this being an issue at least back to e36s.
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      09-28-2018, 09:50 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam View Post
That's such a weird place for it to leak, but from some basic research, it looks like that's the most common failure point. Mine has no signs of leaking so far.

The radiator is easy to replace. The hardest part is removing the fan, which has some rubber grommets that can be a pain to get off. Silicone spray helps a great deal.

The jbweld solution is actually a pretty good idea. The leak is so small that this is a great application of it, especially in a pinch.
I'm an avid promoter of JB weld.

But in this I don't know if original JB weld or JB Plastic weld should be used.

Tried to JB weld the plastic headlights clips in the engine bay but it didn't really work.
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      09-28-2018, 10:29 AM   #18
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If you do epoxy or JB Weld it, consider adding some reinforcement like fiberglass cloth or the like. Making it much stronger will help the fix last.
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      09-28-2018, 10:45 AM   #19
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I've done it with PC11. It's a semi permanent repair.
I had a Honda civic POS that cracked the top tank at a molded in mount boss, PC11 held on there for a year before it went to the scrap yard for a popped head gasket and massive blowby.
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      11-02-2018, 12:43 PM   #20
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Mine was similar but different.

Keep an eye out for the vent tube too. I thought it was radiator....
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