More issues with my X5...

[Franklin Joseph]

Well...slowly finding more issues with the X5. (pics below)

1) Does the X5 drip lots of water? i noticed this before but not that apparent until today. AC was on but at the lowest setting. I was driving up my driveway slowly, then parked under the carport for 2 mins (unloading stuff while car running) then parked in garage.
Saw a puddle and and a line of drips all the way down the driveway. Smelt the puddle and appears to be water. Looked under car and can see it dripping from the area in pic below. Is this normal?


2) Looked under the hood to check stuff, seems there is a leak from the coolant reservoir, not sure if a crack on the reservoir or bad cap.


3) Hearing a hissing sound from under the car....almost coming from the area where there's the water drip in #1.
I have the sound clip below, can hear a slight hiss, but more apparent when under the car.

http://www.udm-motorsport.com/cars/X...s/MOV00060.3GP


any ideas? tips?
I just got a feeling this car is going to 'bomb' on me real soon...

thanks
franklin

[Hal88]

The coolant reservoir is a very common problem, I think the cap wears out eventually. Not a bad fix, cap is about $20 and reservoir about $70, find out exactly where is coming from, from the pic it looks like it's coming from the cap.
When a/c is on it's very common to see a puddle of water underneath, especially in Houston with the humidity.
Hope that helps.

[Franklin Joseph]

ah thanks for the info. Will check with my dealer if its covered under CPO, otherwise i'll just buy a new cap or reservoir.
just surprised to see alot of water, never happen this much on my other cars here.
thanks

[Hal88]

Oh you have warranty? Absolutely, take it in, have them replace the reservoir for you.

[alpac]

1) If it is clear water dripping I do not see anything else than condensation from the A/C. Drive it without the A/C on and check again.
2) From the pic it looks like it is coming from the cap. It could be that the cap was not screwed properly or that too much coolant was added. In that last case when the engine reaches operating temperature, the excess coolant is forced through the cap. Check your coolant level but do that only when the engine is cold. If you have the right level, in between the 2 marks, then it is probably excess coolant that you see there. If the level is low then there is a problem. Either the cap was not tightly screwed or there is too much pressure in your cooling system. In the last case it may be the sign of a bigger problem like a blown head gasket lfor example. When a head gasket has blown its pressurizes the cooling system. Check your oil and see if it appears milky or watery. That would be a good sign of a blown head gasket.
3) I have no idea, I cannot help on this one

[paul1994]

wow I am having the same problem I just bought a Cap today and it is still happening. I think I put too much fluid in it so I am going check it out in the morning and see what happens. Well if it is the resviour I will have them check it out with my 60k Inspection II

I am glad to know it is a common problem.

[Eurosport]

cap>reservoir>little hose on top going around reservoir>3 main hoses>water pump>thermostat>coolant flush>aaaah the lovely x5 cooling system ;p

[Hal88]

Originally Posted by paul1994

wow I am having the same problem I just bought a Cap today and it is still happening. I think I put too much fluid in it so I am going check it out in the morning and see what happens. Well if it is the resviour I will have them check it out with my 60k Inspection II

I am glad to know it is a common problem.

Someone here advised to fill it until the stick is level with the neck of the reservoir, don't fill it to the max.
Also, if you read the instructions on the bmw coolant bottle, it tells you to fill it then run the eng. with the heat "on" and cap "off" the reservoir to let all air out of the system.

[Franklin Joseph]

thanks for the advice.
I just picked up a new cap from the dealer...will swap it out lunch time and see if it leaks...if still leak, dealer it is.

I drove the car without the AC, no water leaks, so i'm not gonna worry about it.

This morning, i cleaned the coolant spots, level was abit low (from the leak) so topped it off abit. Drove 30mins this morning, no leaks. Last nite we were driving of/on for a 3 hour period...so maybe this occurs when driven long???

but oh well...doesnt hurt to put a new cap on, its cheap.
My SA said the reservoir is covered under CPO if its leaking (woohoo)

thanks...

oh, would installing an air intake cause problems with CPO claims?

[paul1994]

Thanks for that heads up. I may have put too much coolant in last night so it still leaked after the new cap. I will check it again today. I have been filling it too the MAX. Also I will check the oil. just in case of a head gasket problem.