coolant leak from back of engine. HELP!
 

hi,
the engine started to steam up today near home, 1/2 mile away , coolant level warning on, but the temp gauge did not move.
got it home and notice steam coming up from the back of the engine bay.
once cooled i poured about 6 litres of water in the expansion tank and noticed it was pouring out at the back of the bay on the right hand side (looking at the engine).
i had a good look at the top hoses but couldn't see anything so i think it could be lower down.
does anyone know what it could be?
thanks

2001 x5 4.4

You have heater core hoses back there. One needs replaced. Be weary of the valley pan gasket, but the hoses are your issue most likely.

what is a valley pan gasket and is it a big job

There are hoses carrying coolant on that side of the engine. They are are about level with the bottom of the valve covers. Best way to check them is to remove the engine cover and use a flashlight to check them. It isn't easy but they can be changed without removing the valve covers. The valley pan is a separate issue or no issue at all. Check the hoses first.

Biggest job you'll ever do at your mechanic level. The tool to do the job is 1300 bucks (retail) . Very few people diy.

Replacing the valley pan gasket doesn't need a special tool. And, leaking valley pan gasket won't leak at the rate you are experiencing.

it was pouring out.

Look for coolant hose that has burst. Quite likely starts at the clamp.

i can see the 3 hoses top right of the bulk head. is there any further down.
i have looked for a diagram & images but can't find any.

Look for this piece at the rear of the engine(Real OEM diagram below).
I doubt the Valley Pan gasket would lose coolant that quick.Probably it's like everyone else is mentioning a hose or one of the gaskets between the collector pipe.

RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog


Don't be afraid of Valley Pan DIY,it can be done no problem.There a lot of info online.

Don't pay attention to the guy with an opinion about $1300 tool,there's no such a tool for this job.

thanks alot for the replies.

how much of a job is it to replace the pipes at the back of the engine. do they have to tackled from underneath as there doesn't seem to be any room going in from the top.

There are a total of four hoses/pipes going back there. Two go into the fire wall and the other two go into a manifold that connects to each head. The two going into that manifold required me to pull the intake manifold for replacement. The other two that go into the firewall are visible. You should be able to tell if those are leaking.

Once the cabin filter housing is removed(it takes 2 nuts to remove and some plastic clips + 10 minutes) you have a lot of room to deal with the pipes.
Work from the top.

just dealt with this today! wasn't leaking all too bad. definitely need to remove the cabin filter thingy out of the way to get a flathead or 6mm on there. when you're done, iirc the proper bleeding only requires you to have the key in position 2 and the temp all the way up at the slowest fan speed.

took the bulk head / cabin filter housing off (easy job and much better access). there it is, a coolant pipe running right to left with a 3 inch split in it. removed it. but its a sunday and eveywhere is shut today. its an easy fix though.
thanks for all the info and advice.

Glad you found it. That's what I figured it would be as I stated earlier it was unlikely to be the valley pan. Yes there is a tool bmw techs use and it's retail is 1300, but it can be done without it. Ignore the Canadian, that's a typical response from the French Canadians. :rofl:

You are so funny,

Доброго дня и Вам!

Can you post up pictures? or is it too late? Cheers. :)

I came out to my car one morning and found coolant leaking on the Bank1 Extractors. im wondering if its the same thing. Its been dried for a day now...and dry after a 400km drive. Will check tonight again.

What $1,300 special BMW tech tool are you talking about? All I need are basic tools, patience and time to change the gasket.

:thumbup:

The valley pan replacement is a $100 breeze if you have the right tools don't let anyone scam you for $1500. But don't discount the possibility that it's just a hose that needs to be replaced before replacing the valley pan like I did lol.