2002 540iT Radiator Drain Plug

[evabraun]

Hello,

I've got a 2002 540iT M Sports and I am attempting to flush the cooling system, however, for the life of me, I cannot find the radiator drain plug. I have watched numerous videos and looked at numerous picture how-to's and none of them look like my radiator. I read somewhere that sometimes, there is no plug and you have to remove the lower hose.

Anyone?

Thank you in advance.

[Pelican Parts]

Check out the link below to our site's DIY tech article on this process - it should give you the info you need. Best of luck!


http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech...d_Bleeding.htm


-Dmitry

[evabraun]

Check out the link below to our site's DIY tech article on this process - it should give you the info you need. Best of luck!


http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech...d_Bleeding.htm


-Dmitry

Thank you, but I've already seen that and as I wrote above; I don't have the same thing apparently because I cannot find any plug at the bottom of the radiator.

[Pelican Parts]

Thank you, but I've already seen that and as I wrote above; I don't have the same thing apparently because I cannot find any plug at the bottom of the radiator.

No worries - post your question and findings as a Comment just below the article I linked you to and our master tech may be able to shed some light and help you out.


-Dmitry

[geargrinder]

OP ignore the above... this is an easy one.

The automatic tranny V8 cars actually use the radiator drain port for the transmission heat exchanger return line.

Therefore where everybody else has a cute blue drain plug, you have a hose going to the same port.

Since it uses the same port & connection mechanism, all you have to do is twist that and pull it out just as if it was a drain plug. Its just messier to deal with honestly, otherwise it works exactly the same.

[adm750]

OP ignore the above... this is an easy one.

dude...you rock....!

Now, I don't know what your experience has been, but for us guys with the cute little blue drain plug, I've never, in my entire career, seen one seal after it is removed. Compression set was inevitable due to the heat and that would leave the plug dripping if reinstalled after a flush or repair. We always replaced it, or at least the o-ring for it. Due to a combo of age and most likely alcohol...I cannot remember how we drained the v8-auto's but your post makes me think we pulled that port, replacing the o-ring when reinstalled. Can Eva, and should Eva, have an o-ring in hand PRIOR to pulling this fitting out...?

[evabraun]

Thank you so much! I saw that pipe but for a while thought it went to the heat exchanger.

[geargrinder]

dude...you rock....!

Now, I don't know what your experience has been, but for us guys with the cute little blue drain plug, I've never, in my entire career, seen one seal after it is removed. Compression set was inevitable due to the heat and that would leave the plug dripping if reinstalled after a flush or repair. We always replaced it, or at least the o-ring for it. Due to a combo of age and most likely alcohol...I cannot remember how we drained the v8-auto's but your post makes me think we pulled that port, replacing the o-ring when reinstalled. Can Eva, and should Eva, have an o-ring in hand PRIOR to pulling this fitting out...?

Great question. I admit I had my car in my Indy for some stuff after I'd done the exchanger-delete and they insisted I needed a new drain plug when the one in there was like less than a year old at most. I was always irked about that and as I typed that post yesterday I was even remembering that, but maybe you're right.

Like you say exactly prob just set on the O-ring, can't image the plastic plug really deforms enough or anything. I keep a box of metric O-rings for whatever occasions like that so it'd be easy for me. And I def had had the exchanger-hose off and on a number of times without leak issues... but indeed would be best to have an O-ring on hand maybe.

[auaq]

Never thought that BMW designed it differently like that for certain models. Interdasting.

[geargrinder]

Honestly the auto tranny exchanger really seems like a afterthought workaround all around. Using the drain plug for one, then one of the other hoses coming off the back of the w/c alternator housing is weird too. All just seems very "oh crap we forgot about the automatic... how can we plumb that in..." Per Jicaino's excellent threads/posts even if you are rocking the autobox you are prob way better off doing a simple proper standalone tranny cooler up behind the bumper anyway...

[evabraun]

Honestly the auto tranny exchanger really seems like a afterthought workaround all around. Using the drain plug for one, then one of the other hoses coming off the back of the w/c alternator housing is weird too. All just seems very "oh crap we forgot about the automatic... how can we plumb that in..." Per Jicaino's excellent threads/posts even if you are rocking the autobox you are prob way better off doing a simple proper standalone tranny cooler up behind the bumper anyway...

As my friends and I were saying; there are some excellent engineering designs to the car then you look at some others and you say, "What the fuck were you thinking?".

Anyway, thank you again for your help.