KonaGene
02-23-2017, 04:48 PM
593891Greetings... I know there are many entries already posted on this issue but they all seem to be old so I thought I would start a new thread. My Expansion Tank split making the car remain in the driveway. I ordered a "Kit" from ECS Tuning and the parts showed up last night. Very complete. Had the tank (with level sensor already installed) and the cap. Since buying this car last year I have been stupid on coolant and have added Auto Zone "Green" with tap water. (Shame on me). Well... I thought this was an excellent time to not only replace the tank but to flush the coolant and service with BMW "Blue" coolant and distilled water. I have to work in the driveway on jack stands. I was told the best way to flush without disconnecting water pump and / or thermostat was to remove the drain plug from the radiator. I got the car up; removed the lower front under-shield but could see no drain plug. I researched it a bit more and found that my car has the FMIC mounted under the radiator which blocks the radiator drain plug. The posts that I read made it seem like this was a big deal but after looking at the installation; I decided to remove the FMIC which exposed the radiator drain plug. I drained the "Green" coolant and then filled up system with distilled water and bled then ran the car for just a minute or so. I did this several times (still before replacing the expansion tank). Each time I did the distilled water flush; the "Green Color" coolant got lighter and lighter until it was almost clear. At this point, I installed the new expansion tank (Super Easy) and serviced the vehicle with BMW coolant and distilled water mix (about 60% Coolant & 40% distilled water). I bled the air bubbles out for a full 10 to 15 minutes and then ran the car to look for leaks... There were none!
I was running the car with the FMIC off making sure the exposed pipes were clear of any debris. Once I was satisfied there were no leaks; I re-installed the FMIC. (While it was out it also gave me a chance to clean out the road crap that were in the fins). I found that the use of Silicone Spray (both on the tank replacement as well as FMIC made reinstalling hoses really easy). The FMIC is held in by Two Large Hoses; 2 Mounting Bolts; It helps to disconnect the heat exchanger from the fan shroud; and a few plastic clips... Hint... Try to connect the Driver's side first on the FMIC because there is a plastic hook that must engage in a slot. Also, it helps to pull back the Hose Retention Clips prior to reinstallation; get the 2 mounting bolts started (one on each side) and be patient and don't engage the locking clips until the big hoses are completely seated. Again, make sure you are working with clean surfaces with some silicone on as a lubricant to aid in reinstalling the hoses.
Reinstalled the underbelly shield and went for a test drive and all is good. Dropping the FMIC and using the radiator drain plug with several distilled water flushes was the way to go! After you bleed your expansion tank, Don't overfill it (this may be why my tank split). Just fill it up until the top of the orange indicator sticks up about 1/2 inch or so above fill hole. You can always add more later. If you do overfill, just use a Turkey Baster to get some out.
Hope this helps... Best regards to all...
I was running the car with the FMIC off making sure the exposed pipes were clear of any debris. Once I was satisfied there were no leaks; I re-installed the FMIC. (While it was out it also gave me a chance to clean out the road crap that were in the fins). I found that the use of Silicone Spray (both on the tank replacement as well as FMIC made reinstalling hoses really easy). The FMIC is held in by Two Large Hoses; 2 Mounting Bolts; It helps to disconnect the heat exchanger from the fan shroud; and a few plastic clips... Hint... Try to connect the Driver's side first on the FMIC because there is a plastic hook that must engage in a slot. Also, it helps to pull back the Hose Retention Clips prior to reinstallation; get the 2 mounting bolts started (one on each side) and be patient and don't engage the locking clips until the big hoses are completely seated. Again, make sure you are working with clean surfaces with some silicone on as a lubricant to aid in reinstalling the hoses.
Reinstalled the underbelly shield and went for a test drive and all is good. Dropping the FMIC and using the radiator drain plug with several distilled water flushes was the way to go! After you bleed your expansion tank, Don't overfill it (this may be why my tank split). Just fill it up until the top of the orange indicator sticks up about 1/2 inch or so above fill hole. You can always add more later. If you do overfill, just use a Turkey Baster to get some out.
Hope this helps... Best regards to all...