Last Hose, wouldn't you know it... won't come off
 

I decided to take the five days I will have off for Christmas to change out the pump, thermostat, and hoses.

So far, I had disconnected all of the hoses with no fanfare; unclip, pry, pop -- they're off.

However, I can't get a good place to pry in the lower hose-to-radiator connector and it is fighting. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to pop off this last hose?

You could just cut the hose with a utility knife.

Then I'd have a connector - with no hose to pull on. No, that would do me no good. Thanks.

Hm, can the connector be cut? Maybe go in with a dremel, little by little, till it's thin enough to crack off?

I'll take it up in the morning.

My goal is to get it off without taking any chance on breaking the plastic on the radiator.

If I can't muscle or pry it, I may have to resort to Dremel.

I assume we're talking about hose #2 in the diagram
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/i/h/241.png

After you pull the locking pin up, the hose should be wiggle out.
http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/414728_x800.jpg

OK, Last host is off.

I finally found a pry tool with a narrow enough blade to get in between the two halves of the connector.

Getting the hoses off is not at all about strength, but about prying at the right place.

In fact, there are tabs molded onto the connectors that seem to be there for that purpose.

Car went back on the road a week ago.

I drove 120 miles to work - no sign of a leak.
Next morning - still no sign of a leak.
One morning later about a cup of coolant on the ground.
Next day a couple drops.
Today, no sign of a leak, tomorrow I will drive the 120 miles back home.

I did however somehow damage the coolant level sensor. It is always indicating a low level.

120 miles? That's one heck of a commute!

Keep an eye on the radiator. I did the same work, ignoring my usual advice to replace it all, and week later started to get coolant on the ground. The radiator had cracked down the opposite on the plastic end tank. I think the heat/cool cycles on these things essentially make the radiator too brittle to survive any trauma.