Antifreeze ?

[MARCH374]

Can i purchase and if so what brand in a parts store, correct antifreeze type or must i get it at the dealer. thanks

[motordavid]

The Stlr stuff is fine, is a tad pricey...or use this per post from "withidl" and a post from me, below that. Be sure to mix it 50-50 with Distilled water.
GL,md

Post from withidl:
"I have a 2001 4.4i. I believe the OEM coolant was dyed blue (not absolutely sure). I got approval from BMW to change out the OEM coolant with the "orange" Texaco Extended Life Coolant / GM Dexcool (I believe that it and the OEM BMW coolant are the same technology, just different dye). I worked for Texaco when it developed the new technology coolants which use "organic" additives in the ethylene glycol base instead of the "dissolved solids" used in the old technology green antifreeze.

The benefit of the new technology "orange/GM Dexcool" & "blue/BMW OEM" coolants is that they do their job WITHOUT coating the inside of the cooling system with deposits which hamper heat transfer, and their absence of dissolved solids greatly extends the life of the water pump seals because the dissolved solids are abrasive to the seals.

DON’T USE THE GREEN STUFF; OLD TECHNOLOGY, BAD FOR HEAT TRANSFER AND WATER PUMP SEALS."

And, my 2Cts on finding the good stuff, besides at the dlr:

"Quote:
Originally Posted by andaya
Where I can buy "orange" texaco extended life coolant/GM dexcool?


WallyWorld, AutoZone, et al.
Easy to find...it's the only thing I use for the past several years. Great stuff,imo."

[asawadude]

MARCH374 -

Zerex G05 by Valvoline is another suitable substitute. However, if your Bimmer currently has BMW coolant and all you wish to do is top it, go to an independent mechanic to get it done. If you want to use something other than BMW coolant, then you should do a complete drain and replace and avoid mixing.

A gallon of BMW coolant (undiluted) is $18.95 at bavauto.com. A gallon of Zerex G05 (undiluted) is $11.00 at Kragens.

Regards, Mike

[MARCH374]

Thanks guys.

[dkl]

How often should we swap out these coolant? It used to state 4 years, but my owner's manual states lifetime? WTF?

[rgnbull1227]

Originally Posted by dkl

How often should we swap out these coolant? It used to state 4 years, but my owner's manual states lifetime? WTF?

My coolant level light came on. Is it a big deal to use a specific coolant to top it off? If so....why?

[rgnbull1227]

Originally Posted by rgnbull1227

My coolant level light came on. Is it a big deal to use a specific coolant to top it off? If so....why?

any info helpful

[vinuneuro]

Originally Posted by dkl

How often should we swap out these coolant? It used to state 4 years, but my owner's manual states lifetime? WTF?

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/e...nce-guide.html

Scroll down to coolant section.

[vinuneuro]

Originally Posted by rgnbull1227

My coolant level light came on. Is it a big deal to use a specific coolant to top it off? If so....why?

Go to your dealer. They will top off fluids under the maintenance warranty. There's no reason for you to mix some other coolant in when the dealer will add BMW coolant for free.

The reasons for using good quality coolant are discussed above by withidl in motordavid's post.