BMW is one of the most resilient and durable cars in the world. BMW has become a major automaker for decades. Still, BMW vehicles are the exception to natural wear and failure of different engine parts. The coolant leak is one of the common issues that may arise in your BMW. If you don’t fix the coolant leak at the time, it may convert into a serious problem and can cause high repair cost.
Coolant leak of the BMW cars may occur due to different reasons, including a weak radiator cap, head gasket damage, or damaged radiator. You should immediately contact to a professional as you observe a coolant leak. This is because if you don’t repair your BMW coolant leak at a time, it can generate very severe engine problems.
Symptoms of BMW Coolant leak
There are multiple signs of BMW coolant leak, but the most common signs of coolant leak are given below:
- Engine Overheating
- Coolant Droplets Under the Car
- Low Coolant Level Warning Light
1) Engine Overheating
The engine of the BMW may overheat due to a coolant leak. As the coolant leaks, the heat produced due to the fuel-burning process doesn’t remove in an original way. Due to this, the vehicle engine overheats. This problem leads to engine detonation problems and significantly reduces engine life.
2) Coolant Droplets Under the Car
If you observe a sticky yellow, orange, or blue-green liquid under your vehicle after it’s been parked for a few minutes, that represents that your radiator is leaking. The taste of the coolant is sweet that differs from the dark brown oil that is sometimes leaks.
3) Low Coolant Level Warning Light
The design of the vehicle warning light is very similar to a thermometer. This warning light immerses in the liquid on the BMW dashboard. Sometimes, this light shows a specific signal on your BMW car dashboard to warn you that the coolant level is low and also warn you about the engine compartment increasing temperature.
Reasons for BMW Coolant Leak
The BMW coolant may leak due to multiple reasons, but the most common are given below:
1) Damaged Radiator
With the passage of time, the radiator of your car may damage due to multiple reasons such as corrosion or accident while driving. This part of the car installs at the front of the car.
Therefore, it is prone to conditions that can damage it by creating holes or cracks in its design. Although this type of damage is not very common, it is advisable to check your radiator during regular maintenance.
2) Bad Head Gasket
The main function of the head gasket is to stop coolant from entering the engine parts where it shouldn’t flow. A failed or damaged gasket can cause internal coolant leaks. The symptoms of a bad head gasket may not be as visible as the symptoms of a bad radiator.
Head gaskets can actually come directly from overheating, which can especially be caused by previous signs.
As your vehicle head gasket damages or completely fails, the antifreeze or coolant can move directly into the cylinder or crankcase.
As the antifreeze mixes with the engine fuel, it generates very severe problems, especially if it makes contact with the spark plugs. This causes the infamous white smoke to come out of the exhaust valve.
3) Weak or Damaged Radiator Cap
If the radiator cap is not working efficiently, coolant may spill out of the overflow pipe when the radiator heats up.
The radiator generates extreme pressure, and a damaged or weak cap can cause of BMW coolant leak. This issue can generate very serious problems with the engine pressure-related system.
Effects of Low or Leaking Coolant on Your BMW
The low coolant level or leak ultimately leads to serious engine complications or complete failures of the engine. The leaking or low level of the coolant is one of the most common reasons for the engine overheating.
However, some other direct effects of coolant leaks include compromised engine oil and poor fuel economy.
As the system temperature becomes more than the bearable temperature, the engine runs harder and has to work harder to function properly, resulting in a significant reduction in fuel efficiency.
In such conditions, the engine consumes more fuel than normal. Engine oil is at risk when coolant leaks directly into the cylinder and mixes with the oil.
When Should I Get BMW Coolant Leak Repair?
It is not recommended to drive a vehicle if the coolant is leaking. If you continue driving, you may face many severe problems. In such conditions, the vehicle engine can overheat and cause severe damage to the vehicle or complete engine failure.
If your engine fails, it will need an expansive repair. Therefore, if you notice a coolant leak, don’t wait and repair it immediately.
These issues must be addressed immediately to avoid more serious problems. Your nearest garage can tell you the cost to repair a BMW coolant leak and can help you solve the problem.
Why do cooling systems fail?
The BMW cooling system fails due to the following reasons:
- The BMW cooling system most commonly fails due to a coolant leak. If the coolant gauge on your car dashboard drops rapidly over a short period of time, you can identify this problem very easily and quickly.
- If the BMW water pump fails, it may stop the free flow of coolant through the engine, disturb the working of the cooling system, and overheat the engine.
However, if you notice this problem early on, you can use K-Seal to fix the issue and avoid the engine from overheating.
How much does it cost to fix a BMW coolant leak?
If you want to fix a BMW coolant leak, its cost varies according to the area where you live and the nature of the repair. To fix the BMW coolant leak, the average costs vary from $730 to $1100.
How Much Does BMW Coolant Leak Repair Cost?
The repair of the BMW coolant leak is very expensive. The BMW coolant leak repair cost is too high due to different factors. If you don’t repair the coolant yourself and hire labor, you will need to pay them some extra money for their service cost.
There are multiple factors that affect the repair cost of your BMW coolant leak such as your location where you live and type of repair. The average BMW coolant leak repair cost varies from $730 to $1,100.
BMW coolant hose replacement cost
There are many factors that affect the BMW coolant hose replacement cost. If you don’t replace the BMW coolant yourself while hiring labor, the labor may charge you from $120 to $160 while the cost of the parts is only $230. The average cost for a BMW 328i radiator hose replacement varies from $350 to $390.
Read Also: How to Put Water in Car Radiator?
FAQ Section
What are the signs of BMW Coolant Leak?
The most common signs of BMW coolant leak are given below:
- Engine Overheating
- Low Coolant Level Warning Light
- Coolant Droplets Under the Car
Where are the most likely places for external coolant leaks?
The BMW coolant leak most usually occurs in the hose that connects the engine to the heater core or radiator or other small hoses that carry coolant to various devices on the engine. One of the best and cheap method to stop coolant leaks is to replace the hose.
Is it normal for BMW to lose coolant?
Loss of coolant is normal. The capacity of a BMW cooling system is usually 6.5 liters. You can expect that in 6 months: Coolant loss is around 15 percent.
How long does BMW coolant last?
The service life of the coolant depends on different factors, such as proper maintenance and repair of the engine. In general, the BMW coolant should be flushed every 50,000 km or every two years. In some cases, the vehicle can be moved for a long time without flushing.
How far can you drive with a coolant leak?
Some Ford, Jaguar, and GM aluminum block V8 products (and probably other products as far as I know this technology pre-early 2000s) are made so that when coolant is lost, the engine control modules enter a safe or limp-home mode to allow the engine to drive a car for another 100 to 200 miles, according to the engine capacity.
