Check coolant level 750iL

[95E36M3]

K so on sat afternoon my check coolant level warning came on on my way home got home and next morning I checked and topped it off before leaving for the dr, on my way back from the dr the warning came back so let it sit all night and this morning I had to top it off again. I've looked every where including the oil and no leaks any ideas on why this is happening I know the v8s have issues with the valley pan but what about the v12.

[psjr]

V12 valley pan is a possibility as well.
Do a pressure test to find the leak.

[95E36M3]

Well looked under the oil Cap and there is a little bit of a mixture in there.... fml

[mboor]

Well looked under the oil Cap and there is a little bit of a mixture in there.... fml

check the engine oil dipstick, if its not milky i wouldnt necessarily worry about the oil cap. If these cars sit, its not uncommon for condensation in the engine oil to collect on the underside of the oil fill cap. mine does this if its not driven regularly. Id follow psjr's advice and pressure test the system...

[Qsilver7]

Also look around the engine bay for white specs or build up of residue. If the coolant is leaking from the water pump...it tends to be cast off (like blood in a murder scene...except it's white)...and you could be missing it if your looking for a puddle of coolant.

For example...you ca see the white residue of coolant in the pics below...a loss of coolant like this would be evident with the warning and need to refill the exp. tank...but again, you my not see a puddle:


http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=261289&stc=1&d=1294378255

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=266705&d=1297835919

[95E36M3]

Yea no white blood anywhere. Hopefully it's nothing like mentioned above but I'll have it pressure tested soon.

[95E36M3]

Mboor it's not just on the cap it's sitting inside the fill cavity and it's enough to wipe up with my finger

[mboor]

Mboor it's not just on the cap it's sitting inside the fill cavity and it's enough to wipe up with my finger

was the car sitting for a while? Mine looked the same way when i bought it, there was probably a shot glass worth of milkshake under my oil cap. 2 years and 15k miles later and no signs of oil/coolant contamination. If your really worried about it, drain the oil and see if there is a chocolate milkshake in the oil pan (run the car for a few mins first). it only take A VERY LITTLE about of coolant or water in the oil to turn all 8 1/2 quarts of engine oil into a frothy mess. I suspect you have a very small leak somewhere that is starting to rear its ugly head. By the time you see the "check coolant level" message on your dash, your cooling system is air bound. When you topped it off, it brought the level in the expansion take up to proper level, but once you start driving it the air pocket will circulate back into the expansion tank, turning you check coolant message on again. Try filling and bleeding the cooling system properly, them put a pressure tester on the cooling system. leave the tester on for an hour or two and see if it holds pressure. Look over the entire cooling system for leaks.