Hey guys, I just bought my first BMW, a 2007 X3 and I have an interesting ordeal with my coolant. There is a yellow mucus colored texture in the reservoir as shown in the pictures attached. The car is at 107,000 miles and recently had an oil leak which required the valve cover to be replaced. Could this be from oil leaking into the cooling system from before the fix or is there a special lubricant type substance that BMW's use? And if it is a bit of oil, will a good flush fix the issue or is there other concerns I should be aware of?
Thanks,
John
Yes this is signs of oil mixing with coolant. Have you checked the oil filter housing gasket as well? Because thats the one that mixes the coolant with the oil when it leaks. Because coolant is used to cool the oil. So when the gasket starts deteriorating they will mix and if ignored will start dunking up the coolant system. You have the later model E83 x3. Which means you have a N52 engine with he electric water pump. There is definitely gunk in that pump so don't be surprised if you have a check engine light soon and fan starts blowing at max speed. Because the pump will be blocked. I would check for leaks on the oil filter housing gasket, they are two small gasket on of the oil cooler and one of the oil filter housing they're attached together. Repair that, then do a water pump and thermostat. Then do a complete coolant flush. *Not just BS radiator flush* I would do it twice to be one the safe side. To save money the first flush just refill with water with a cleaner. Then the second put actual coolant in there. I a bmw tech so i have seen several of these.
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Where did you buy the car?
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