Well, i had the thermostat changed on my car when it had a check coolant issue and it kept draining Original post here:
You should ask your repairer what make and type of antifreeze he used, but most are designed to be safe with aluminium these days. It *might* be more of an issue with the plastic parts BMW use on the cooling system, and how long it remains effective.
I wonder if they filled it with screen wash.
In Norway you can get blue, green or red antifreeze. Blue and green can be mixed. Red cannot be mixed with either.
One is glycol based, the blue and green. The red is sometimes referred to as G12. The red one is used on cars with aluminium tops etc., and isn't so tough on the various engineparts. It's also supposedly longlife. 5 years vs 3 years for the glycol based green/blue antifreeze.
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I just changed my coolant and used the Texaco-Havoline DEX-COOL Extended Life. It meets the aluminum radiator issues and is free of the harmful corrosion stuff. Here's a link:
Bill in Omaha '86 535i
FYI, in the United States, BMW "blue" coolant is Valvoline Zerex G-48 and in the SF Bay Area retails between $22-30 per gallon. If you want "cheaper," check out SAAB "blue" coolant, it is the same thing, but cheaper at around $12 per gallon.
...and that's a really bad idea. Dexcool is an OAT coolant and contains a large amount of silicates. Whatever gave you the idea that this was a good coolant for your BMW? Or that you should dispense advice about what coolant to use in other people's BMWs?
BMW coolant is blue. It is actiually re-packaged Glysantin G 48, which is manufactured by Valvoline in the US and BASF in Europe. Unfortunately, BMW charges a premium price for their relabeled G 48 (around $25 per gal.). However, you can buy the excact same stuff in a bottle with a different label from SAAB or VW at about $15.
In a pinch, I would feel safe using G 05, which is a golden yellow color (not green). The formulation of G 05 is very similar to G 48. Zerex markets G 05 in the US and you can pick it up at the large chain auto parts stores (Auto Zone, Pep Boys, etc.) for about $12 a gallon.
...and that's a really bad idea. Dexcool is an OAT coolant and contains a large amount of silicates. Whatever gave you the idea that this was a good coolant for your BMW? Or that you should dispense advice about what coolant to use in other people's BMWs?
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-Fred W
----- And it's on... As usual, Fred, you didn't bother to look at the link I had on my post. If you DID, then you would have read it contains NO SILICATES. Quote from the link: Dex-Cool (ethylene glycol) is identical to the Chrysler & General Motors factory fill. Havoline had the original patent on Dex-Cool and manufactures it for GM. The benefits of Dex-Cool are:
a.. Lower alkalinity b.. Contains NO silicates, resulting in longer lasting water pump and engine seals; longer shelf life. c.. It is Nitrite-, borate-, phosphate-, nitrate- and amine-free. d.. 100% biodegradable in its pure unused condition. e.. Longer lasting (Dex-Cool has been shown to remain above 95% of its original concentration after 150,000 miles in automobiles) I only dispense advice based on what I experienced or researched beyond a reasonable doubt. If someone refutes my info, and I can verify I was mistaken, then I humbly correct myself and make it available to those I misinformed. Advice is just that. It's up to the respective owners to use it or discard it. No warranty implied or offered. Since I see you offering quite a bit of opinion on this board, what gives you the right? Nothing I've offered here has been wrong in the years I've been posting.
Bill in Omaha '86 535i
You are correct. I did not follow your link. Not all DexCool coolants are the same. Being DexCool just means the coolant meets GM's long-life specs for OAT coolant. Many DexCools are not silicate free.
But the more important thing is that they all do work based on a low pH (Organic *Acid*). This is especially bad for any cooling systems that have ferrous metal (cast iron) as any air entrapped in the system will rust.
Since your into online citations:
BMWs have a lot of plastic in their cooling systems. BMW does not recommend OAT Type coolants in their engines, especially the older ones we are talking about here.
I agree with what you say about it being up to the reader to decide what advice to take on usenet. And I was definitely being a bit too harsh in my questioning your giving advice. But my advice is NOT to diverge from the specifications set out already by the manufacturer, and so does not really require a whole bunch of expert testimony.
That said, I still believe that using OAT coolant in a BMW is a really bad idea, especially if it's just to save $5, or because it is convenient to buy.
YMMV
The Mercedes stuff is the same golden yellow safe for plastic/aluminum/ferrous and is $12/gal at the (MB) dealer.
BMW coolant is blue. It is actiually re-packaged Glysantin G 48, which is manufactured by Valvoline in the US and BASF in Europe. Unfortunately, BMW charges a premium price for their relabeled G 48 (around $25 per gal.). However, you can buy the excact same stuff in a bottle with a different label from SAAB or VW at about $15.
In a pinch, I would feel safe using G 05, which is a golden yellow color (not green). The formulation of G 05 is very similar to G 48. Zerex markets G 05 in the US and you can pick it up at the large chain auto parts stores (Auto Zone, Pep Boys, etc.) for about $12 a gallon.
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-Fred W
----- The Zerex G 05 is available here. The G 48 seems tougher to locate. I saw a Zerex pdf and they listed the manufacturers that approved it and the model years for what mixture. I have it and can send it to you. I lost the link where I found it. This discussion on coolant is way more than I've ever seen in one place. More of the DIY folks should be so lucky as to read this thread! It looks like I should go for the Zerex G 05 in the gold gallon. After the good water flushing, a 60/40 mix with distilled water sounds good.
FYI - that chart (date unknown, but probably pre-Dex-cool lawsuit) shows their Dex-cool variant recommended by the manufacturers for Asian 96-on, SAAB 2000-on, Audi/Porsche/Jag/VW/Land Rover 96-on, and GM 96-on. I guess it's no surprise for Jag and Land Rover since Ford owns them (!) and American car makers stick together on some issues.
Bill in Omaha '86 535i
FYI... Here are the spec sheets for the various glysantin formulae
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