Add water to coolant tank.

from_atozinc

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I'm running a 2001 3 series. I've been through all of this in the last years. The car is surely worth more than the few hundred to fix the leaking part?

You can get it in any motor factors, usually marketed as battery water or similar. But it's widely available.

Ideally you would be topping up with a deionized water/bmw coolant mix. But to be honest, if you're leaking, tap water is better than nothing. When you do get it repaired fully they will drain and fill the system with coolant anyway.

mmm, yeah, its worth more than a few hundred alright, but just annoying to have to spend it around christmas etc.

also, I am seeing a lot of debate about de-ionized V distilled water -- which one should I use?

Special Circumstances

Honestly, you're talking a cup of water here - use tapwater or ballygowan or whatever and see how long before the level drops again.

Temperature can make a huge difference in where your level settles, depending on expansion bottle shapes.
So try to gauge any changes in level against similar temperatures - always check it hot, or always check it cold.

AhHaor

I thought the g 48 stuff was approved? I got mine replaced in an indy garage in Dublin.

from_atozinc

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Honestly, you're talking a cup of water here - use tapwater or ballygowan or whatever and see how long before the level drops again.

Temperature can make a huge difference in where your level settles, depending on expansion bottle shapes.
So try to gauge any changes in level against similar temperatures - always check it hot, or always check it cold.

oh yeah, I always check it stone cold.

from_atozinc

I just topped up the coolant tank with exactly 200 ml's of bottled water.
The coolant level went from nearly minimum to maximum.

so lost 200 ml in 14 months. is this still considered an issue?

9935452

from_atozinc wrote: »

I just topped up the coolant tank with exactly 200 ml's of bottled water.
The coolant level went from nearly minimum to maximum.

so lost 200 ml in 14 months. is this still considered an issue?

Keep an eye on it. If it takes another 14 months to lose another 200 ml i wouldnt worry about it

sunnysoutheast

Whilst the cost isn't usually too high from Halfords and the like you can sometimes find that water from an office water cooler is distilled water if it's the type where the big bottles are loaded on.

Just saying. I haven't had to make use of this fact for years.

from_atozinc

AhHaor wrote: »

G 48 is what you want. Check the colour of your coolant at the moment and IIRC it should be green. They don't tend to lose coolant unless there's an issue. I have an 06 e60 msport and my rad went after 150 k km. Since then hasn't used a drop.

Ive rang 4 motor factor places now, I say have you got G48 antifreeze/coolant. they ask me to repeat and I do. Ask me what color and I say blue, they go off an search and say haven't got that.

strange the way 4 x motor factors do not have it.

Special Circumstances

from_atozinc wrote: »

Ive rang 4 motor factor places now, I say have you got G48 antifreeze/coolant. they ask me to repeat and I do. Ask me what color and I say blue, they go off an search and say haven't got that.

strange the way 4 x motor factors do not have it.

Sounds like my usual conversation with a motor factors tbh. Even better when you call in in person and they look at you as if you just got out of a spaceship.

from_atozinc

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Sounds like my usual conversation with a motor factors tbh. Even better when you call in in person and they look at you as if you just got out of a spaceship.

Yeah, I mean these lads work in a motor factors and you would expect them to know this stuff. One lad was very bad, I had to repeat G, yes G 48 to him a few times, sounded like he hadn't a breeze.

On another note, I know my coolant should not leak and I need to fix it......................but just for emergencies going forward and to have something in the car just in case, would it be ok to use this to ""top up" with 200 ml or so when needed:

http://www.micksgarage.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=5630007

coylemj

from_atozinc wrote: »

On another note, I know my coolant should not leak and I need to fix it......................but just for emergencies going forward and to have something in the car just in case, would it be ok to use this to ""top up" with 200 ml or so when needed:

If you end up in an emergency situation, the likelihood is that the permanent fix is going to involve draining the system to replace hoses or the head gasket or the radiator so I wouldn't worry about adding more plain water to the system.

Any fancy stuff you add in an emergency will literally be money down the drain.

The low estimate you got for the coolant capacity of your car was 7 litres, 200ml is 1/35 (<3%) of that quantity so that much plain water will have almost zero effect on the freezing point.