Okay I guess this almost 20 year old car is starting to show it's age. Now the Radiator overflow Rod in the coolant tank broke off from it's float. I tired to fish it out but no luck, even with removing some of he coolant. So I don't think it can make it past the bend in the output hose to the pump? Am I correct? Also now that it's broken off is the a way to tell for now how high the fluid should be in the tank by looking down into it? I see the float it's up against the holder for the Rod / Float. Also I'am I correct by just looking at the system I should have to drain the whole system to replace the tank?
Thanks
You have a major issue. The float is the "canary in the coal mine." It's an early indicator that you need a cooling system overhaul. If any other components fail, and you lose coolant, you will toast the engine: the I6 is VERY sensitive to overheating.
Ed in San Jose '97 540i 6 speed aspensilber over aubergine leather. Build date 3/97. Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA Nr 62319.
98 328is
02 525ita
80 528i
81 528ia
and decades of owning and driving BMWs
Well, not necessarily.
The red rod indicator may have broken because you were over-filling the expansion tank with coolant. That puts extra pressure on the whole cooling system when it heats, to the point of breaking the weakest part -the plastic rod.
So, I'd flush the coolant, refill -and do NOT overfill it- and bleed it out....and hope for the best.
Last edited by Chedley; 04-23-2019 at 10:36 PM.
Yikes! The sky is falling.
Overfilling causes the indicator rod to break? A broken indicator rod is harbinger of death?
To answer the OPs question: The rod more likely get poked down into the reservoir, usually it gets pushed too far down and that's all. In one piece it will just remain, somewhere , in the reservoir forever. If in pieces who knows.
You can change the tank without draining the entire system, just have a catch pan ready as you will spill the contents of the reservoir and some from the hoses.
Last edited by ross1; 04-24-2019 at 08:58 AM.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
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