Why must everything with this car be complicated? BMW Coolant Edition.
September 29, 2013 8:27 AM Subscribe
Do I really need to buy the BMW brand coolant like the manual tells me, or is there an equivalent coolant that will work just fine?
Lets start this with I have very, very basic car knowledge, and this is why I turn to you.
Car in question: 2005 BMW 325xi
After wondering what that smell was (always a fun game), I figured out that I have absolutely no coolant in my car (no, the light didn't come on, and the temperature gage wasn't showing it was running hot, thanks super complicated car computer system!) I took it to my local gas station late on Friday night, and the night man asked what coolant it needed.......and we both read the manual four times and all it says is "BMW Coolant." Unhelpful.
The car is now sitting in the garage and will not be moved until it has coolant.
The BMW coolant seems to be much, much more expensive than the Prestone coolant, and I can't figure out if I can just run over to Autozone and pick up the Prestone coolant and call it good, or if I really need to spring for the BMW brand. I've googled all over the place, but all the sites either say "OMG BMW 4EVA YOU WILL RUIN YOUR CAR W OUT" or "Dumbass, its just a brand name, use whatever you want. "
Can someone tell me if the ratios are the same for the BMW coolant and a Prestone, or explain why I really should spring for the BMW one in a simple to understand explanation that doesn't involve "BECAUSE BMW!"?
Thank you!
(PS- and yes, I'll take it to the shop and ask why NO INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. But first, I need to get it there without causing more damage.)
Lets start this with I have very, very basic car knowledge, and this is why I turn to you.
Car in question: 2005 BMW 325xi
After wondering what that smell was (always a fun game), I figured out that I have absolutely no coolant in my car (no, the light didn't come on, and the temperature gage wasn't showing it was running hot, thanks super complicated car computer system!) I took it to my local gas station late on Friday night, and the night man asked what coolant it needed.......and we both read the manual four times and all it says is "BMW Coolant." Unhelpful.
The car is now sitting in the garage and will not be moved until it has coolant.
The BMW coolant seems to be much, much more expensive than the Prestone coolant, and I can't figure out if I can just run over to Autozone and pick up the Prestone coolant and call it good, or if I really need to spring for the BMW brand. I've googled all over the place, but all the sites either say "OMG BMW 4EVA YOU WILL RUIN YOUR CAR W OUT" or "Dumbass, its just a brand name, use whatever you want. "
Can someone tell me if the ratios are the same for the BMW coolant and a Prestone, or explain why I really should spring for the BMW one in a simple to understand explanation that doesn't involve "BECAUSE BMW!"?
Thank you!
(PS- and yes, I'll take it to the shop and ask why NO INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. But first, I need to get it there without causing more damage.)
Best answer: As long as you get coolant to the same standard number you are fine. There will be some sort of code number on the Prestone somewhere - "Complies with Ford XXXXX, GMXXXXX and BMWYYYYY standard" or something like that.
No, you don't need special BMW coolant, but you do need to make sure it is the same style/chemical blend coolant.
It's coolant.
Not all coolants are the same, but 'Coolant A' is the same as 'Coolant A in a BMW bottle'.
posted by Brockles at 8:47 AM on September 29, 2013 [5 favorites]
No, you don't need special BMW coolant, but you do need to make sure it is the same style/chemical blend coolant.
It's coolant.
Not all coolants are the same, but 'Coolant A' is the same as 'Coolant A in a BMW bottle'.
posted by Brockles at 8:47 AM on September 29, 2013 [5 favorites]
The damage done from running the engine while dry is probably larger than any damage you could do with the wrong coolant.
If you do go with non-BMW coolant at very least I think you want to be sure you have low phosphate coolant - or coolant safe for aluminum blocks...
If I'm not mistaken one of the primary ways to loose all of your coolant in a BMW is from draining around the temperature sensor - so you might want to check this before refilling (and then finding a load of coolant on the ground or needing to remove the coolant to repair) as you indicated it didn't provide any warning so it might need to be replaced as well...
posted by NoDef at 9:07 AM on September 29, 2013
If you do go with non-BMW coolant at very least I think you want to be sure you have low phosphate coolant - or coolant safe for aluminum blocks...
If I'm not mistaken one of the primary ways to loose all of your coolant in a BMW is from draining around the temperature sensor - so you might want to check this before refilling (and then finding a load of coolant on the ground or needing to remove the coolant to repair) as you indicated it didn't provide any warning so it might need to be replaced as well...
posted by NoDef at 9:07 AM on September 29, 2013
Not all coolants are the same, and you're looking for one with low silicates and phosphates to prevent sludge build-up. Here's an article with more details. There are third party fluids that may meet BMW's spec, but you have to verify which ones they are or you could cause further damage.
It's kind of a false economy to try to save $20 every year on the maintenance of your newish BMW instead of using the recommended product, though.
You can refill the system using distilled water now, or in the event of an emergency low-coolant situation, and drive it to the shop. Never a bad idea to keep a gallon in the trunk. Be careful not to overfill the expansion tank.
posted by a halcyon day at 9:13 AM on September 29, 2013
It's kind of a false economy to try to save $20 every year on the maintenance of your newish BMW instead of using the recommended product, though.
You can refill the system using distilled water now, or in the event of an emergency low-coolant situation, and drive it to the shop. Never a bad idea to keep a gallon in the trunk. Be careful not to overfill the expansion tank.
posted by a halcyon day at 9:13 AM on September 29, 2013
Long-term, you want to do what Brockles says (and when it comes to cars in general, you should pretty much always do what Brockles says).
In the short-term, water will work fine if you have a major leak and just need to drive it for a day or two before you can get it to the shop so just about any coolant will work okay. The worst thing that happens is that they have to drain and flush whatever you put in there and replace it with the BMW spec stuff, that's it.
posted by VTX at 12:17 PM on September 29, 2013
In the short-term, water will work fine if you have a major leak and just need to drive it for a day or two before you can get it to the shop so just about any coolant will work okay. The worst thing that happens is that they have to drain and flush whatever you put in there and replace it with the BMW spec stuff, that's it.
posted by VTX at 12:17 PM on September 29, 2013
Best answer: As Brockles says, use the stuff that meets the called-for specification. I think it generally pays to use the stuff from the dealership, because that just makes things simpler. Nobody can try to blame the fluid if you can say "check your records, I only used your brand of radiator juice."
If the radiator is empty, don't run the car until you refill it. You can use anything temporarily; any problems that could happen would be long term ones. But if you use the wrong kind, be prepared to pay to have it all flushed out.
posted by gjc at 12:34 PM on September 29, 2013
If the radiator is empty, don't run the car until you refill it. You can use anything temporarily; any problems that could happen would be long term ones. But if you use the wrong kind, be prepared to pay to have it all flushed out.
posted by gjc at 12:34 PM on September 29, 2013
Prestone makes more than one type of coolant. Their "universal" or "compatible with all colors" might be compatible with your current coolant, but it might not be compatible with your engine.
Some engine components will corrode or otherwise be damaged with the wrong type of coolant.
I need to get it there without causing more damage
Stop. Driving. Now.
Tow truck. Yes, it might be cheaper to just fill the car with coolant. You might also pour in a bunch of expensive coolant only to have it leak out before you get to the shop.
It sounds like you deliberately drove your car knowing it was completely out of coolant, and you may well have been driving it with no coolant while trying to figure out what the smell was, so your price-based concerns about what type of coolant to use might be... misplaced.
posted by yohko at 12:28 PM on September 30, 2013
Some engine components will corrode or otherwise be damaged with the wrong type of coolant.
I need to get it there without causing more damage
Stop. Driving. Now.
Tow truck. Yes, it might be cheaper to just fill the car with coolant. You might also pour in a bunch of expensive coolant only to have it leak out before you get to the shop.
It sounds like you deliberately drove your car knowing it was completely out of coolant, and you may well have been driving it with no coolant while trying to figure out what the smell was, so your price-based concerns about what type of coolant to use might be... misplaced.
posted by yohko at 12:28 PM on September 30, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers- I ended up just going with the path of least worry and driving (the other car) to the BMW dealership and picking coolant up from them. I'll fill it up and then take it to shop to figure out why none of my indicator lights were coming on to warn me/check everything is ok (it maybe drove 20miles max while making that smell, so I think I caught it pretty fast, its not our daily driver due to everything-is-complicated-and-expensive-ness).
I marked Brockles as the right answer because if I hadn't just decided this problem was getting dealt with on my day off and I don't want anything to go wrong his advice was right on. gjc brought up a great point if the car was still under warranty. Thanks again!
posted by zara at 8:55 AM on October 1, 2013
I marked Brockles as the right answer because if I hadn't just decided this problem was getting dealt with on my day off and I don't want anything to go wrong his advice was right on. gjc brought up a great point if the car was still under warranty. Thanks again!
posted by zara at 8:55 AM on October 1, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
Also:
Why must everything with this car be complicated? BMW
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 8:44 AM on September 29, 2013 [1 favorite]