09-07-2023, 08:28 PM | #1 |
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2019 BMW X3 Coolant Leak
Hi all,
I notice some anti freeze spills on my driveway, and got the "low coolant" warning after topping it off very recently. (less than 2 months) Took it to a shop today and their assessment was the radiator connection is causing the issue and radiator needs to be changed, cost: $1600. ouch. Wanted to get some opinions here to see whether this is normal and/or i should get a second opinion from another mechanic. Attaching a couple photos that shows the leak too. Would appreciate any thoughts / suggestions! Thanks in advance! |
09-07-2023, 10:21 PM | #2 | |
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09-08-2023, 01:07 PM | #3 |
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It depends what's cracked. If it's the plastic nozzle coming from the radiator, and it's integral to the radiator, then yes, radiator.
But, this raises a good point. I'd clean all the mess off, run the bleed procedure (or drive it up to temp), and see where the coolant is coming out. It could be the radiator hose connection, or the o-ring inside that connection. Lots of things to try before gonig to the radiator. And, even at that, you can't be much out of warranty, and this shouldn't happen on a 4 year old vehicle. If it is indeed the radiator, it might be worth asking if the dealer can take care of the parts, if you do the labor, or something like that....perhaps a little goodwill.
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09-08-2023, 02:28 PM | #4 | |
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09-08-2023, 08:46 PM | #5 | |
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I got this car last year as CPO but warranty expired just before purchasing it. |
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09-08-2023, 08:49 PM | #6 | |
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10-18-2023, 08:11 PM | #7 |
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@freshxdough I believe I have the same leak that is described here - I see/feel fluid on the underside of the molded plastic upper radiator hose end (that incorporates the tee to the smaller coolant line).
I took it to the dealer (since the car is still covered by the CPO warranty) who confirms the leak only to learn that the CPO coverage does not cover rubber hoses. That seems like a lame position for BMW to hide in their small print. The dealer quoted around $2,500 for this repair, claiming that the inlet manifold needs to be removed and, in addition to the upper radiator hose, a "connector pipe" needs to be replaced. The upper radiator hose is around $130 and I'm contemplating replacing this myself. I would be grateful if you can confirm whether the inlet manifold really needs to be removed in order to access and replace the upper radiator hose and also whether the "connector pipe" noted by the dealer also must be replaced. Any info you can provide will be welcome. |
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10-18-2023, 10:16 PM | #8 |
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Upper radiator hose & connector pipe
Answering my own question regarding the connector pipe - it's item 8 in the diagram linked below, P/N 11118511205:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=11_6371 |
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10-18-2023, 10:39 PM | #9 |
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I had this exact repair done on my 19 x3m40i.
paid about 1k for the repair to be done at local BMW dealer I had a few other items being fixed under CPO warranty, so bit the bullet and kept a loaner for about a week and a half. A Local Euro shop wanted about 800 for the repair. |
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10-20-2023, 07:43 PM | #10 |
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Just replaced my upper radiator hose on my 2019 x3 30i. I added something like JB weld around the metal ring to see if that was the issue but it was still leaking at the bottom of the upper radiator hose which I concluded the leak was coming from the connection itself, mostly likely the o-ring was bad but I went ahead and replaced the hose. Dealer wanted $1,100 but I ended up taking it to a euro indy shop and paid around $500.
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10-20-2023, 11:18 PM | #11 |
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@Dan - in my case, the leak seems to be from a crack in the crevice in the plastic where the small coolant hose tees off the main radiator hose, as highlighted in the second picture in the first post above.
I bought the parts and hope to replace the hose this weekend - I'll update later, hopefully confirming a successful repair. I'm ticked off for 3 reasons - that BMW has a design defect in this particular hose assembly, that a failure like this isn't covered by the CPO warranty and by the $2.5k repair estimate provided by Long Beach BMW. |
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10-22-2023, 08:58 PM | #12 |
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Upper Radiator Hose Leak and Replacement
I'm pleased to report that I was able to replace my upper radiator hose today and fix the leak (and save myself > $2,300).
It's not at all necessary to remove the intake manifold (as Long Beach BMW had quoted). By disconnecting and removing the ECU and then removing it and its carrier (mounted on the driver side wheel arch in the engine compartment) there is just adequate room to see and access the rear connection of the radiator hose where it connects to the engine block. Since the part is relatively inexpensive and also made out of plastic, I elected to replace the connecting pipe as well - this is a short plastic pipe with a flange and seal that mounts to the engine block using 3 T8 fasteners and a male fitting that connects to the radiator hose. Removing the old pipe was easy but, lining up the new pipe and getting the fasteners installed took some patience. Here are some pictures showing the underside of the old/leaking hose fitting at the radiator end where it was leaking - a poor design in my opinion since there are likely to be high structural stresses in the crease between the main hose and the small T. Also, a picture of the removed connecting pipe. |
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10-23-2023, 08:38 AM | #13 | |
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10-23-2023, 01:29 PM | #15 |
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It's pretty bad that they wouldn't cover under CPO. This may be pissing into the wind, but perhaps the next poor soul who was to deal with this could fire back with 'the hose isn't leaking; it's the plastic connector' and see if that gets more traction.
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10-23-2023, 05:05 PM | #16 |
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BMW CPO Warranty Exclusions
Per the BMW guide. "rubber engine and heater coolant hoses" are not covered by CPO. See attached document with the full list of exclusions - so it's a BMW issue and not a dealer issue (@ X3rd Time is a Charm).
smaglik - may be worth a try, the plastic has long been the failure point on BMW cooling systems over the past 30+ years. |
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10-23-2023, 05:36 PM | #17 | |
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10-24-2023, 08:35 AM | #18 | |
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10-26-2023, 01:05 PM | #20 | |
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I'm not convinced it was necessary to replace the plastic connector pipe although this might be a failure item in the future. Omitting this would make this a 2 - 3 hour job. Good luck! |
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12-04-2023, 11:39 AM | #22 |
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