Plastic parts rant

[Ross]

Just installed the third thermostat on the wife's E39 Saturday. Fortunately these tend to fail in the open position. The system bled easily and my pretty baby has a heater once more.
Yesterday I notice a $21/gl. blue puddle beneath the front of the car as she pulls out of the driveway.
That F$$$ing damn plastic bleeder screw had snapped off. Had I filled it with $7/gl. Prestone I know that screw would last forever. The ONE time I use the expensive coolant.....
Did I mention I hate E39s

[Jehu]

I barfed a few gallons of day old Blue stuff after having the Dealership flush and refill me so i'd be 'speced'... apparently they followed some bulliten too closely and left the upper hose somewhat undertighteded aka loose.. An hour ,high speed drive up the highway and when I pulled over most of it had gushed out. Had to go for gas station 50/50 just to get along... haven't gone back to the blue..

[BMWCCA1]

I use whatever brand of Dex-Cool walmart is currently hawking. I don't believe the Internet crap about Dex-Cool. It meets all BMW specs, has none of the harmful stuff that brought us BMW-branded coolant in the first place, I mix it with anything, and I've been using it since about 1995 with no problems. I just don't leave it in for ten years.

[Bill R.]

seen the damage firsthand on a number of customers vehicles and GM paid out on the class action suit filed against them for it. After i saw my first cooling system sludging i decide i wouldn't put it in anything of mine. I notify customers of potential problems and let them decide to keep it or not on GM cars i work on.
They may have changed the formulation because i haven't seen any sluding in the last couple of years ,but plenty of intake leaks

http://www.dexcoolsettlement.com/

I use whatever brand of Dex-Cool walmart is currently hawking. I don't believe the Internet crap about Dex-Cool. It meets all BMW specs, has none of the harmful stuff that brought us BMW-branded coolant in the first place, I mix it with anything, and I've been using it since about 1995 with no problems. I just don't leave it in for ten years.

[joshuagore]

I just filled with dex-cool. I have always used dex-cool. The car didn't have dex-cool before the head gasket, rather some yellow crap. I am considering some BMW coolant, but the car is bled well so I don't want to go through the pita to get it right again.

Josh