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      03-29-2016, 11:09 PM   #1
georgere
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How to check and top off coolant?

I am suspecting I might be low on coolant b/c the radiator fan is often running when i shut down the car after a 20 min ride (normal to medium-spirited runs). So I decided to check the coolant levels.

I cant figure out if coolant is low or normal. The float is a weird one - it is inside the reservoir. I see coolant in the reservoir but what does that mean? Can anyone explain how to gauge the coolant properly please? How to "read the float"?

Next there is another reservoir (for the turbos I think). This one is so far inside the engine bay (next to the windshield in the middle of the engine bay), that i cant reach to look inside of it. I dint want to climb on top of the engine to look into the reservoir. Is there a smarter way to take measurement?

and final question - is there some sensor which would tell when cooler is low (i mean other than thermostat or an overheated dead pump)?

Thanks in advance.
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Last edited by georgere; 03-29-2016 at 11:18 PM..
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      03-30-2016, 09:00 AM   #2
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The car has a sensor that will tell you if the coolant is low. You would get an iDrive message.

The water pump is mechanical now and much more reliable than previous electric units. The fans running after engine shutdown is normal. BMW learned a lot about cooling these turbo cars from the N5x engines and made the cooling system in the F8x's incredibly robust.

Bottom line, don't worry about it. The car will tell you if something is amiss.
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      03-30-2016, 11:02 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwzimm
The car has a sensor that will tell you if the coolant is low. You would get an iDrive message.

The water pump is mechanical now and much more reliable than previous electric units. The fans running after engine shutdown is normal. BMW learned a lot about cooling these turbo cars from the N5x engines and made the cooling system in the F8x's incredibly robust.

Bottom line, don't worry about it. The car will tell you if something is amiss.
Thank you sir. I hope you are correct b/c I was not able to find any info on this on BMW forums or google.
I will now be cool and just drive the car hoping it will tell me what it needs....
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      03-30-2016, 12:30 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwzimm View Post

The water pump is mechanical now
But it's in plastic now right? If it is, that's shitty.
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      04-02-2016, 10:26 AM   #5
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I find that my fans are on very very often except when cold starts is this normal?
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      04-04-2016, 07:23 PM   #6
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car runs at 220 degrees in efficient mode and fans don't come on after a drive.

car runs at 190 degrees in sport plus and fans come on after a long drive.
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      04-04-2016, 07:41 PM   #7
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So how do you check the coolant levels and how to refill the hard to reach reservoir which is by the windshield?
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      04-05-2016, 12:58 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YasM3
Remove reservoir cap with the engine COLD. Fill to where it says max. Same for both.
Hmm, the funny part is that unlike in the manual, nothing inside the reservoir says max. There is a float but it is not clear how to use it as a measure.
And the little reservoir is so far inside the engine bay that you need to be 8 foot tall to look inside it.
Hence this thread....
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      04-05-2016, 01:49 AM   #9
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It is absolutely coolant problem. Today in most cars the coolant tank will have a maximum and a minimum mark on the exterior. Vehicle’s coolant tank is made of a transparent material so that you don’t have to remove the cap to check it. The coolant should be between the maximum and minimum marks. When you see that coolant level is coming to the minimum level, by removing the cap, you can fill coolant up to maximum level mark. It is must for you to check coolant level once every 15 days. Even if the problem is not solved you must visit car service center.
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      04-05-2016, 07:39 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by msginnie View Post
It is absolutely coolant problem. Today in most cars the coolant tank will have a maximum and a minimum mark on the exterior. Vehicle’s coolant tank is made of a transparent material so that you don’t have to remove the cap to check it. The coolant should be between the maximum and minimum marks. When you see that coolant level is coming to the minimum level, by removing the cap, you can fill coolant up to maximum level mark. It is must for you to check coolant level once every 15 days. Even if the problem is not solved you must visit car service center.
The F8X does not have a transparent coolant tank, neither of the tanks! FYI
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      04-06-2016, 10:57 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YasM3
Quote:
Originally Posted by georgere View Post
Hmm, the funny part is that unlike in the manual, nothing inside the reservoir says max. There is a float but it is not clear how to use it as a measure.
And the little reservoir is so far inside the engine bay that you need to be 8 foot tall to look inside it.
Hence this thread....

Fill it to the top of the yellow indicator. You will see the little yellow piece in the reservoir, and it steps down. Fill it to the top of it COLD.
Thank you.
What about the second reservoir? Any smart way to get to it without crawling on top of the engine?
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      04-06-2016, 10:58 AM   #12
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What is recommended coolant for F8x cars?
I read the manual but it doesn't say any details....
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      04-06-2016, 11:35 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by georgere View Post
Thank you.
What about the second reservoir? Any smart way to get to it without crawling on top of the engine?
The other reservoir is for the intercooler cooling loop. I would avoid messing with that unless you get codes.

Honestly, you are being paranoid. The car will tell you if you need more coolant. There is an old adage: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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      06-01-2017, 07:05 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by georgere View Post
What is recommended coolant for F8x cars?
I read the manual but it doesn't say any details....
Use the bmw coolant and dilute 50/50 with distilled water.

From the manual:

The coolant level is correct if it lies between
the minimum and maximum marks
in the filler neck.
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      06-09-2018, 12:45 PM   #15
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Resurrecting this thread.

After I washed the car the other day and wiped down the engine compartment, I realized that I had never checked the coolant. No real need to, since my M4 is just over 2 years old and I recently had the 20K oil change service done.

I opened the filler cap and saw that the coolant was well below the filler neck. There was no float popping up like on the S54 engine in my Z4 M Roadster. I did notice some white residue in the area underneath the filler cap. After getting a flashlight and leaning over the overflow tank, resting my elbows on the strut bar (no, you don't have to be 8' tall, I'm 5'9"), I looked inside and saw a disc. I looked for anything that would indicate a max/min fill level but didn't see anything. I don't think the disc is a float, I think that it's fixed.

My guess is that if there is no coolant on top of the disc, then you need to bring the fluid up to cover the disc. If the disc is submerged, then the coolant level is OK. That's just my guess, so don't sue me if your car overheats!
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      06-09-2018, 02:44 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SD ///M4 View Post
Resurrecting this thread.

After I washed the car the other day and wiped down the engine compartment, I realized that I had never checked the coolant. No real need to, since my M4 is just over 2 years old and I recently had the 20K oil change service done.

I opened the filler cap and saw that the coolant was well below the filler neck. There was no float popping up like on the S54 engine in my Z4 M Roadster. I did notice some white residue in the area underneath the filler cap. After getting a flashlight and leaning over the overflow tank, resting my elbows on the strut bar (no, you don't have to be 8' tall, I'm 5'9"), I looked inside and saw a disc. I looked for anything that would indicate a max/min fill level but didn't see anything. I don't think the disc is a float, I think that it's fixed.

My guess is that if there is no coolant on top of the disc, then you need to bring the fluid up to cover the disc. If the disc is submerged, then the coolant level is OK. That's just my guess, so don't sue me if your car overheats!
Good thinking. We need a tech to confirm once and for all... do we have any techs on here?
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      06-20-2018, 03:25 PM   #17
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I just took my car to the dealer when I got a coolant low light and they topped it off on the spot. It wasn't low by much as they barely filled it. This is a closed system, so if you're low on coolant you might have a leak somewhere.
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