BMW Coolant

[karl1171]

BMWe34.net says I must use BMW coolant when changing the coolant, or damage to the radiator or head gasket will occur!

Is this Correct? Why is this? Can I not use any coolant?

[Mitch90535im]

Yes.

Because of the formula.

No.

[DaveVoorhis]

Any modern, high-quality coolant rated for aluminium engines and meeting manufacturer's specs (check the bottle) is fine, but you must change it every two years.

[Paul in NZ]

, but you must change it every two years.

I believe this is the most important thing

[The Bigfella]

It ain't just the aluminium issue - there's also the plastic radiator. Wrong Ph will make the plastic brittle.

You can use engine oil in your radiator if you want - just don't ask me to warrant it. Use the right stuff and be done with it. Its cheap too.

[bmwrp8]

don't mean to hijack this thread but what about those radiator flush? is it worth it? or will it damage something?

[BMWCCA1]

This is silly. You can use BMW coolant if it makes you feel good and the price isn't beyond your means. I've heard the same stuff is available from SAAB for less. But to say without a doubt that there's an advantage to doing so, or that not doing so will cause problems is just not provable. Let's take the radiator argument; just check with the E39 guys who have as many failed radiators as anyone and yet many of these cars have been under BMW maintenance program all their lives getting BMW prescribed maintenance with BMW parts and fluids, at BMW dealers since new. The radiators still fail like clockwork.

I've been using brand-name DexCool equivalents in my BMWs since 1997 when a tech in our shop did an exhaustive search for proper coolant in a Ferrari owned by a chemical engineer that was suffering from corrosion in the water-cooled intake causing the gaskets to leak. All research, and contact with manufacturers, pointed to DexCool-type products as having the proper stuff (or rather not having the bad stuff) necessary for any aluminum engine, head, or block. For ten years I've added, topped up, drained and refilled with the cheapest brand-name DexCool from Walmart without any incident of sludge, corrosion, or disaster from mixing BMW coolant with DexCool. To be honest, I don't change coolant every two years though I would recommend it. I treat the DexCool the way I treated BMW coolant when I could get it practically for free at the dealership, and my three main daily-driver BMWs have 178,000, 220,000, and 128,000 miles. Even my Plymouth van has 200,000 miles. I inherited it at 88,000 with several coolant leaks and replaced the radiator around 150,000. I'm knocking on wood here just to be safe.

While I'm sure the BMW coolant is excellent, it's not the only coolant that will work in your BMW nor is it necessarily even the best, based on BMW's own failures in cooling system components. Though the radiator problems probably have more to do with their requirement to be recyclable than what coolant is in them. Personally, I'd stay away from Peak which ate some sensors in my '84 Toyota truck, but beyond that, as long as you stick with coolant specifically for aluminum engines, I don't think you're harming your car to save a couple of bucks. If you don't mind paying BMW prices, you're probably not causing any problems by using the BMW stuff, either. But then I fill up my cars at Kroger, too. Not Shell. Not Amoco. Two kids in college makes you watch every penny.

[bmwrp8]

im using prestone coolant for 2years, no issues so far

[BMWCCA1]

It's important to remember you don't want to use the basic, cheapest, antifreeze even if it says "safe for aluminum". That means you probably shouldn't use the green stuff. You want something that's specifically low-silicate, low-pH, and phosphate-free. Valvoline has a site where they discuss the various formulas of their Zerex brand coolant, including a formula that meets BMW OE requirements: http://www.valvoline.com/zerex/

Note that the BMW equivalent and the DexCool equivalent share many of hte same features:

Zerex BMW-approved Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) chemistry:
• Utilizes hybrid organic acid technology to minimize inhibitor depletion
• Low-silicate, low-pH and phosphate-free formula
• Provides protection against liner pitting and corrosion
• Helps prevent rust and corrosion
• Protects all cooling system metals, including aluminum

Zerex DexCool equivalent:
• Organic Acid Technology (OAT) minimizes corrosion inhibitor depletion
• Patented formula contains no silicates, phosphates, borates, nitrates or amines
• Excellent rust and corrosion protection
• Protects all cooling system metals including aluminum

It's also interesting to note that DexCool is listed as indicated for VW/Audi and Porsche products from 1996-on, not the BMW-HOAT stuff. The DexCool version is available nearly everywhere. I've yet to run into their BMW-equivalent HOAT stuff to make a price comparison. Anyone seen it yet?

[winfred]

certain coolants contain plasticizers which break down the plastic when they get old, and the wonderful godlike bmw blue is one of them (when the neck snaps off the radiator or bottle crumbles you can see the intrusion into the plastic), ill see if i still have the info i posted a year or two ago that somewhat explains the different coolants and post it when i get home, bmw blue or dexcool will never grace my cars or anything in my shop, but if using factory blessed fluids blows your skirt up go for it, i hate these pissing match fluid threads and after posting the article from master tech tonight will only watch this one for my amusement

It ain't just the aluminium issue - there's also the plastic radiator. Wrong Ph will make the plastic brittle.

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