[dilly92]

Hey guys, first time posting. I drive an '08 335i sedan. Low coolant warning has been coming on for a week now. I dropped some white cardboard on garage floor and confirmed I had a slight leak - when car sits overnight Ill have a stain the size of a half dollar next morn. I was adding distilled water and antifreeze for a few days. Yesterday I used my friends "short lift" in his garage to do brakes and to seek out leak. The plastic skid plate cover held a very small puddle of coolant. It didnt take long for me to notice a hairline crack rt below a screw (hex maybe) to some sort of cover plate. The cover was reddish brown in color and appeared to be plastic. Im not so mechanically inclined, especially when it comes to this type of motor. At first I thought it was water pump but the location doesnt make sense. This component in question is sitting pretty much on the bottom of motor. Can some one offer any ideas as to what part the coolant is leaking from? Is it the "electronic water pump"? I tried researching - found out theres been a slew a water pump failures on my model and some others. I prematurely called bmw north america without having a positive diagnosis. My cpo warranty expired 4 months ago. I told them I was leaking coolant from water pump and then requested compensation for replacement. I didnt get too far, didnt expect to - I was compelled to call though after seeing so many complaints from other owners. I asked my issue be escalated after the dude informed me they will not take any responsibility. He then told me to have car diagnosed from dealer as a means of proof. Heres where things get odd. I called my service adviser to make appointment, I leave a voicemail in a defeated tone explaining Im leaking coolant from water pump and I am in process of opening a complaint case with BMWNA. I said after research this appears to be a major issue that is being overlooked by manufacturer. I get a call back ten mins later and before I can offer any more details or ask him questions he goes into some sort of pitch telling me Ive been a loyal customer for many years and the dealership would like to show appreciation by assuming 60% of cost. Sounds real odd to me, too good to be true. So in closing does anyone know the part I tried to describe, and secondly any comments regarding dealerships generous offer?

[X_Drive]

As for the part, I am not too sure of without pictures. There is a boat load of hoses that connect the WP and Thermosat to the cooling system down there. Above that is the Expansion tank and between that is lines for the turbos. I would recommend a coolant pressure test. This should isolate where your leak is originating. With the cooling system there are many spots, even multiple spots, where a leak can take place.

As for the 60% of your bill taken care of. There is nothing fishy about that. The Dealership is willing to absorb 60% of the cost of the diagnosis and repair if you are willing to pay for the other 40% This is called a Goodwill claim in BMW terms. The best thing about goodwill, at least here in the Great White North, is that all service and parts used in the repair is guaranteed for 2 years. In other words, two year warranty on the parts replaced.

You see a BMW dealership will eat costs if you are willing to do your part and stay with that dealership. Of course that is always within reasonable circumstances. I hope that you get to the bottom of your leak. 335 sedans are beauty cars!

[stashtrey]

Paragraphs bro!!! Makes it easier to read.

[stashtrey]

Hope you get it sorted. Not sure what part that is. While you are repairing this you should check the plastic tube that runs across the top of the radiator and fan between the bigger coolant hoses. Mine ruptured on a freeway and blasted coolant all over my engine bay and crippled me.

Good luck, sir!!

[fun2drive]

OP you just killed whatever good will you might have got from the dealership. Guess what when your CPO is over the dealership and BMW is not responsible for your car problem.
I would have been grateful for the deal they offered had it been me and incapable of repairing the problem myself.

Your attitude isn't going to help your situation and posting without pictures is almost but not totally worthless...

[dilly92]

Thanks for replies guys. fun2drive - youre quick to judge me - accuse me of having a poor "attitude"??? Ya spent too much time psycho analyzing me perhaps it fogged your comprehension. My cpo warranty expired 4 months ago. How did I kill goodwill? I accepted the offer, are you kidding me? I just found it to be very odd. Sorry for no pics. Car goes in on tues for repair

[shinkamui]

I just received my first low coolant light last night. 2009 335i. I bought it used, so I don't know if this is the first time its happened on the car, though i've owned it for 2 years. I didn't know about the white sheet trick, ill try that tonight. I added about a liter of distilled water to top up. Can anyone shed some light on if this is normal on a 335i? I've been looking at forum posts all over the web all night, and I see some people claiming its normal (cooling the turbos, some evaporation), and others saying its a closed system, having to add any coolant after the inital breakin period is a sign of a leak...

Thanks guys