E53 8 cylinder Block Drain Bolt Problem/Question

[jp99]

E53/M62 2001 low miles at 40k --- have had a chronic coolant leak since new that triggered "Coolant Level Low" dash light but, until recently, never had an obvious floor drip.

Dealer could never find the problem but over time replaced expansion tank cap and then the expansion tank. Never really solved it so I just added distilled water and coolant to the expansion tank every 6 to 8 weeks. And remained unimpressed by BMW quality for this and other reasons.

Finally got noticeable drip and took it back to the dealer for diagnosis. After a false start on their part and my insistance, they put a competent tech on the case and finally pinned it to the left side engine block drain bolt. Viewable only by inspection camera, this bolt is behind an engine support and showed acitve coolant dripping and staining/crusting of coolant that had evaporated there and in that area over time.

The same bolt attaches a drain extension pipe from the block out to an accessible area where there is an access plug for left side block draining.

Repair requires dropping the differential and struts, etc - about a full day labor and about $1300. Pricy.

My inclination is to get the repair done and then ask BMW North America to assess the failed parts and explain why I shouldn't be compensated by them for a repairing a defect, given that that leak has most likely been there since I purchased the X5. Given my experience with the dealer ("they all lose a little fluid") I have little doubt that they operate on the basis of 'no obvious leaks - let's not worry about it' - few owners keep their cars long enough, anyhow.

Any thoughts appreciated, especially regarding experience in negotiating out of warranty claims like this with BMW-NA.

[cavx5]

i feel for you..these cars are very fickle and now owning my first bmw 2005 x5 4.4 i really dont see the allure..i expected a lot better for such a pricey vehicle..they have a lot of problems..it seems to be that the they are good or bad nothing in between..personally i dont think bmw will honor anything at this point on an 8 year old model..why didnt you push the issue while you were under warranty..you just have to keep bringing it back and breaking balls to dealer and bmw while still under warranty..i think at this point bmw will not honor anything..from what i read on this site they are not the most receptive..anyway you must try and contact bmw na and give them some aggravation and say that the problem existed from day one and the dealer could not find the problem...sorry...rob

[X5rolls]

Nice low miles but it's 8 years old as you know and if it was me I'd be careful about spending that much on a slow leak. I'd put that money aside for a warranty or other repairs that are critical as they come up.

I'd probably approach BMWNA first to get their reaction/answer. I'd bet that given it's age they will not cover but always worth asking.

Good luck.

[vegasX5]

I agree its very unlikely you will get support from BMWNA mostly due to the age of the vehicle. Quite honestly, if it were my money, I would not do the repair if it didn't truly endanger anything. Putting in coolant every other month wouldn't bug me as much as dropping that much $. If it's going to potentially damage your engine or cooling system, that's a whole different argument and I would say do it if you can afford it, but try to take care of any other issues around it at the same time so you're not paying double labor later on.

I do feel your pain on the misdiagnosis. I had a few drips now and then and the annoying warning light all the time. I took it in and they replaced the expansion tank and some other things for around $400. It still leaked. They replaced another 2 hoses for around $250. It still leaked. They replaced o rings and some other things for around $200. It finally appears it stopped leaking. I war furious with them though because clearly they did not properly test the system or they would have seen the leak wasn't fixed each time. I feel like they were careless and didn't mind charging me over and over for the same repair when they could have easily and cheaply done all of it in one job and consolidated the labor costs. That was the first and last time I used that shop BTW.

[Bismark]

SAVE YOUR TIME AND ENERGY, TAKE IT TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP, THEY'LL PROBABLY FIX THE LEAK FOR LESS THAN HALF THE COST OF THE DEALER.