Expansion Tank Busted

[NicholasW]

Oh no, I just meant that even OE parts wear out, fail, break. Quite a bit on the E53 IMO. I have no idea if the quality of this URO will prove to be equal to an OE tank. I guess I'll be the test subject for that. So far at 2k miles, it's been holding on strong, lol.

[SlickGT1]

That's the thing, the part already leaked on assembly for you. I actually would worry about a weak seal when cold. At the same time, the OE didn't leak a drop when I put it on. Also 80k miles later, that ain't bad. Hopefully it passed some BMW standard and that's the quality difference. It's not that OEM or AM won't work, but when something isn't quite right what do you diagnose. Like for example your connections leaked. Is it the old hoses, the brand new tank, or the fact that tank doesn't like the size of the OE hoses? When your hose starts leaking, will you replace hose, or tank? Right, I hope that by choosing OE, I eliminate that guess. Not knocking you, just my logic.

Ttgtr, Twinspappa found Craig. He deserves all the credit. But Craig is great. I mean my OE cost just a bit more then OEM. So no point even considering OEM, let alone aftermarket.

[TwinTurboGTR]

I agree with ya bud!!! I mean you know I changed the front suspension with karlyn and URo only to replace it 4 months later. So yeah they suck. Ended up going meyle and Lemforder. Your
Logic on the tank makes sense as well. You wouldn't know. Am manufactures aren't tight on tolerances. So if the od on the ports are off a few .01 then it
Is going to leak. By the time you fit a new Oe tank, the job would have cost ~$130 instead of $90.

[740ilDuke]

OEM is the way to go on everything on a BMW. Add some "Red Line" to your coolant too, it helps reduce temps, etc. It will take some stress off plastic cooling parts throughout.

Here it is OEM from my key parts source. BMW X5 Coolant Expansion Tank 4.4L,4.6L & 4.8L

[NicholasW]

Slick, your OE didn't leak a drop, but didn't you replace the hoses at the same time? I wanted to replace my cooling system after reading about it so much on this forum, but this X5 is new to me, and needs a lot. I'm trying to do a little at a time, and also in order of priority.

For the most part, I agree with your logic on the diagnosing of a problem when using an AM tank. Like I was saying in my other post, I was immediately kicking myself for not ordering the OE part. But after 10 miles of driving, I check again and it's not leaking anymore. And hasn't leaked since. So then was it simply the old hoses with "a" new tank? Regardless of the origin of the tank? Seems that way to me. Regardless, I won't be taking the chance on other parts.

I think we're all on the same page, as far as the best choice is going to be OE.

Originally Posted by 740ilDuke

OEM is the way to go on everything on a BMW. Add some "Red Line" to your coolant too, it helps reduce temps, etc. It will take some stress off plastic cooling parts throughout.

Here it is OEM from my key parts source. BMW X5 Coolant Expansion Tank 4.4L,4.6L & 4.8L

Duke, that is the aftermarket tank that I bought, made by URO. ECSTuning has it for about $45.

[bastereo]

And anything you put in there is not going to reduce your temps. The thermostat and DME control coolant temps...

[SlickGT1]

Originally Posted by bastereo

And anything you put in there is not going to reduce your temps. The thermostat and DME control coolant temps...

+1. Common misconception. On top of that, water cools better than water with antifreeze. You just can't run it year round, or in a BMW because it needs the special blue sauce.

Either way, nothing will help in these cars. Sensor will say, your temp is too low, lets close the Tstat, and warm this biotch up. Don't waste your money on coolant additives. They are about as useful as nitrogen filled tires.

[ECS Tuning]

Originally Posted by NicholasW

Duke, that is the aftermarket tank that I bought, made by URO. ECSTuning has it for about $45.

Yep, that's not a genuine BMW tank it's a Uro LINK

[JAXX5]

About 1 year and a half ago I replaced my ruptured tank with a BMW dealer supplied tank (DIY install). That was at a mere 40 something thousand miles. Just about 10k miles later I'm at it again, but for a slightly different reason. I was checking fluids after changing my oil and noticed the float level was at a wierd angle. Discovered it was broken. Called dealer, "it is still under warranty, so bring it in and we will evaluate and replace if found defective". What I discovered was that the "... bring it in..." meant the vehicle to the service dept. I removed it and brought it in to the parts counter only to be told only the service dept can determine warranty claims. To top it all off, they need to see it in the car? What?

So 2 premature, IMHO, failures of the same OEM item doesnt seem to demonstrate any better quality than aftertermarket. Am I misssing something? Thanks guys.

[SlickGT1]

Bad luck? I donno.