My first BMW does not look like the manual says

[HDhandyman]

Thanks for reading my first post. I just purchased a 525i '93 w/ 87,000 miles the other day for 2800 American. I know this is too good to be true. The guy wanted 5,500, but after carfaxing, I discovered that the car had rebuilt title etc. in 95'. So took it to my Euro mechanic who thought that it was in good shape, but not worth the price. He said "if you can get the guy to do it for 3,000 or less then do it". So I presented my investigative conclusions to owner with price point, and success, I now own my first BMW. This is a big step up from my 97 ford escort, the only other car that I have ever owned. Fortunately, my wife and her dad are of German descent and have always driven German, so I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Now that my intro is out of the way, I'd like to ask some questions. So, the first thing I did was take out my manual and compare it to the engine to try to learn some rudimentary local. Much to my shegrin, the location of coolant was not in the big empty space under the hood where the manual said it should be, but was instead attached to the radiator. Before you ask, yes it's the manual for my car, and yes I've already ordered the Bentley manual. What I want to know is why my mechanic and the guys from valvoline (just a quick fix when I first got the car, okay) didn't flinch? Is this typical? Do things get shifted around in the production line? OR, am I looking at mods from the wreck of '95. If so, what else may be different and why? I can post nice pics if anyone is interested. thanks for all your help!

[Torque]

As far as I know all 525s have the expansion tank attached to the radiator. It is through there that it is checked, added and it is stored there. I know the manual usually covers 3 or 4 models. I don't know how it is with M5s, but you might have been looking at a wrong picture.

[Bill R.]

have it up on the firewall. All the m50's like yours have it on the radiator itself.

Thanks for reading my first post. I just purchased a 525i '93 w/ 87,000 miles the other day for 2800 American. I know this is too good to be true. The guy wanted 5,500, but after carfaxing, I discovered that the car had rebuilt title etc. in 95'. So took it to my Euro mechanic who thought that it was in good shape, but not worth the price. He said "if you can get the guy to do it for 3,000 or less then do it". So I presented my investigative conclusions to owner with price point, and success, I now own my first BMW. This is a big step up from my 97 ford escort, the only other car that I have ever owned. Fortunately, my wife and her dad are of German descent and have always driven German, so I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Now that my intro is out of the way, I'd like to ask some questions. So, the first thing I did was take out my manual and compare it to the engine to try to learn some rudimentary local. Much to my shegrin, the location of coolant was not in the big empty space under the hood where the manual said it should be, but was instead attached to the radiator. Before you ask, yes it's the manual for my car, and yes I've already ordered the Bentley manual. What I want to know is why my mechanic and the guys from valvoline (just a quick fix when I first got the car, okay) didn't flinch? Is this typical? Do things get shifted around in the production line? OR, am I looking at mods from the wreck of '95. If so, what else may be different and why? I can post nice pics if anyone is interested. thanks for all your help!

[HDhandyman]

have it up on the firewall. All the m50's like yours have it on the radiator itself.

Thanks for your replies. Is this an M50--I thought I read M20, but that's probably just my mistake ( a really stupid one). Any ideas for winter preparation, in order of beginner level to advanced that I might be able to tackle over the next couple of weeks?

[Dave M]

Much to my shegrin, the location of coolant was not in the big empty space under the hood where the manual said it should be, but was instead attached to the radiator. Before you ask, yes it's the manual for my car, and yes I've already ordered the Bentley manual.

93 525 has the M50 engine and all, to my knowledge, also sport a not so reliable radiator with the expension tank inegrated on the drivers side (US) as shown below. The pic is from the bentley manual.



So far so good, it may have been a great find

Keep coming back,

Dave M

[Torque]

Dave, wait! Are you saying some 525s had a radiator with a expansion tank mounted somewhere else ? I have a '90, my dad has a '91 - they both have it along with the rad. And all other 525s I have seen had it like that.

I'm confused now.

[HDhandyman]

Thanks for reading my first post. I just purchased a 525i '93 w/ 87,000 miles the other day for 2800 American. I know this is too good to be true. The guy wanted 5,500, but after carfaxing, I discovered that the car had rebuilt title etc. in 95'. So took it to my Euro mechanic who thought that it was in good shape, but not worth the price. He said "if you can get the guy to do it for 3,000 or less then do it". So I presented my investigative conclusions to owner with price point, and success, I now own my first BMW. This is a big step up from my 97 ford escort, the only other car that I have ever owned. Fortunately, my wife and her dad are of German descent and have always driven German, so I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Now that my intro is out of the way, I'd like to ask some questions. So, the first thing I did was take out my manual and compare it to the engine to try to learn some rudimentary local. Much to my shegrin, the location of coolant was not in the big empty space under the hood where the manual said it should be, but was instead attached to the radiator. Before you ask, yes it's the manual for my car, and yes I've already ordered the Bentley manual. What I want to know is why my mechanic and the guys from valvoline (just a quick fix when I first got the car, okay) didn't flinch? Is this typical? Do things get shifted around in the production line? OR, am I looking at mods from the wreck of '95. If so, what else may be different and why? I can post nice pics if anyone is interested. thanks for all your help!

So I've got this really nice garage, but can't seem to find torque wrench and some of the other tools listed in various sources. Maybe I just don't know what they are, or they're not here. In either case, does someone have links to info on nice tools that I'll need along the way so that I can compare to see whatI have , and what I need--thanks

[dacoyote]

93 525 has the M50 engine and all, to my knowledge, also sport a not so reliable radiator with the expension tank inegrated on the drivers side (US) as shown below. The pic is from the bentley manual.

............

So far so good, it may have been a great find

Keep coming back,

Dave M

lol... had it a day and we already got screen shots of it posted... I think a new hobby would be to create one from just screen shots...

-Charles

[Dave M]

Dave, wait! Are you saying some 525s had a radiator with a expansion tank mounted somewhere else ? I have a '90, my dad has a '91 - they both have it along with the rad. And all other 525s I have seen had it like that.

I'm confused now.

Oops, sorry if my post implied otherwise. The rads are identical for both M20 and M50.

Dave M

[Dave M]

lol... had it a day and we already got screen shots of it posted... I think a new hobby would be to create one from just screen shots...

-Charles

Uhh....... how'd that get in there? I just thought about it and the URL popped into the post

Dangerous,

Dave M