Just had the hairline crack on my tank this evening found your video very intuitive. Getting part tomorrow and following your steps to fit. Thanks for your video.
Nice job on the video, I watched and then got the old one out in 15 minutes without any unnecessary steps and without breaking anything. That is my definition of success!
Carl Spoerer thank you so much man! Congrats on a job well done! When mine broke I searched RUclips for a how to video without any luck. I am super happy to have been able to give something back to the RUclips community...
Put it back together this morning when the part came in. Getting it to snap in was annoying, I tried for about 15 minutes no luck. Pulled it out for the 5th time and then it went in super easy. My guess is the trick is to get it line up perfectly. Other than that easy job, the work from the bottom side was a snap. Watching the video made it simple. Thanks for giving back to the community as you said was your intent! Happy Holidays to you and your family.
I have just done this job after watching this video. I found it easier to take out the radiator and then separate the expansion tank from it, as on mine it was a very tight fit for pulling up without breaking the oil cooler thermostat. The hoses can then be reattached to the new tank and the tank attached to the radiator plastic moulding, and then the whole lot refitted. There are two screws holding the radiator at the top. One of them holds the electric fan also on my car. The hoses were a tight fit and I could not pull a couple off. I carefully used leverage to pry them off. So many videos don't show how to deal with the difficult bits. Great video. Saved me a lot of money.
Thanks Carl. I bought a new overflow tank today and with the help of your guide, I was able to change it in my 330i. No leaks, and very happy with the result. So much cheaper than paying some mechanic to do it for you. Keep up the good videos.
Excellent video. You show how difficult some bits are. There's nothing more annoying than the video that glosses over the problem bits and how to solve them. Well done.
Thanks Carl, great tutorial mate, to the point, sped up where necessary, and with metric sockets!!! I will order my replacement tank on Monday and let you know how I go. Looking forward to more of your videos. Cheers
Carl Argabright Recently I had a small leak at the upper seam of my expansion tank. I had already purchased a new tank, new hoses & water pump with the plan to replace everything over the upcoming weekend. The Friday before my planned project weekend I had a catastrophic failure of my expansion tank on the way home from work. It happened on a stretch of highway where I could not stop the car or pull off. The car overheated for less than 10 minutes. Being a long time BMW enthusiast, I own 3 of them, I knew how damaging this could be to my car! This one incident resulted in a blown head gasket and a warped head which pulled the head bolt threads out of the block!! With repair estimates ranging from $2,000 - $3,000 to being told to get a new engine, I decided to do it myself. Working on it after work and on the weekends she's finally back together after 5 months. Could of done it over a couple weekends but it was summer and I took my time. I love my sexy 04 325Ci but I should have loved her more! I should have loved her enough to fix this problem when it started and not wait a week!! With the purchase of tools and parts this job still cost me around $1,500. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!! Less than $300.00 in parts should do it. Follow this video and fix this problem when it starts. Better yet, follow BMW's recommended maintenance schedule and replace cooling parts before they fail.With all the warnings about the seriousness of overheating a BMW that I've read on the forums I still let it happen & I seriously paid for it!! Good luck guys and love your ride so she loves you back!!
Marc Woodward my reservoir cracked and instantly started overheating but was able to get off the highway and get a tow to firestone... $320 for replacement and tests to check cooling system
Thanks for making this video. I just used it to prepare myself to do this replacement on a 2004 BMW 325i. There were some minor differences but it all went fine and I got it all done. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to share your knowledge and expertise. FYI, I needed to replace the expansion tank because, during a recent cold snap, I bought a cheap coolant anti freeze pipette tester and the 4" plastic tube fell off and disappeared into the bottom of the expansion tank. I was afraid it would be sucked into the engine and cause damage.
great video. while your in there, its always a good idea to replace the hoses on the upper and lower. its been my experience that when you have a chance and you are in the E46, replace as much as you can. especially if you are replacing parts due to aging. chances are everything else is aging. so in this instance, replace the hoses and also consider replacing the radiator. believe it or not, replacing the entire cooling system is extremely easy on these cars. and cheap if parts ordered online.
Really helpful diy video mate. Much appreciated. Already bought the expansion tank now its time to run the SHOW ;) Thank you so much. ~Respect from another Bimmerian
I just wanted to add a tip, something I did, that seemed to make removal of the old tank a little easier. I got under the car and used a rubber mallet and short piece of wood to apply upward force on the lower part of the expansion tank. I did not use a lot of force but doing this made removal quite easy afterwards. The thermostat still needed to be replaced but I was warned about that by ECS Tuning when I purchased the replacement tank.
Cool, this helped me with X3 expansion tank. FYI the bottom hose does not need to come out. Also when inserting it all back in, a slight smear of grease on hose fittings makes them all slip in easy. Saved some $s for sure. Cheers
Great video Carl, just one thing, the sensor you removed from the bottom of the tank is the "Fluid Level Sensor" and not the "Temperature Sensor" as you mentioned. The coolant temperature sensors are on the radiator and engine.
Great vid fella. I'm about to undergo the same job on my 328ci coupe. My local garage told me that the header and rad are sold as one?. I now know that this is not the case. Thanks for the upload.
Nice video sir. This is just where my tank had its crack as well. The recovery guy said when they crack it always seems to be there on the e46. I guess it's because that's where it joins.
Thanks for making the great instructional vid! I wish I could have found a good one like this when I replaced my clutch on my e46 330xi. That was a PITA!! In hind sight I should have videoed the job to share.
When I took my expansion tank out I noticed a piece with a spring that I think controls how much coolant is used is stripped and broken. It's located right below the expansion tank. What's that piece called and do you know if I could buy that piece by itself or if It's a part of the radiator?
thanks for the video sir. I have a 2004 320i and unfortunately have to do this repair myself soon. The only thing I am not sure of is whether i have to replace the coolant temp sensor at the bottom of the reservoir. My car is at the shop now but they want way to much to replace the reservoir so i ordered one online and am going to tackle the job myself. Thanks again
Awesome video, thank you. It will save E46 owners thousands of dollars over time. I wish there was a more durable tank out there to replace the flawed OEM version. Maybe the newer tanks are better now from BMW.
Just wanted to add that electric connections like on the MAF are simply removed by pressing the metal clip in and pulling the connector off. Prying the connector off is not necessary
Can I just ask how would you diagnose this? It's a leak I'm guessing? The reason I ask is mine (the exact same model/colour as yours) has coolant-like stains in the engine bay if that makes sense? Sort of a white stain that I'm sure is coolant, just no idea how to find where the leak could be. Changing thermostat and water pump soon so may change the expansion tank if it could be that.
Nice and detailed help-manual :) Thanks man. I have leak in my X3 but I don't think it is really different. Will do replacement tomorrow All the best to you and thanks again! 1
Many thanks Carl, from the UK You saved me a load of grief. I did break the top clip on the fan shroud when removing the old tank, like a dick :/ Thanks for you help, good work!
I noticed your new tank didn't have the bottom hose connection and bleed screw. mine didn't come with one either. do you have to remove it from the old tank?
Great video. I will be doing this repair in my 04' BMW X3 2.5 coming weeks. Where was your leakage coming from before you R&R the Expansion tank? Where did you purchased the Expansion tank from? Thank you!!
I like the '6 million dollar man' bolt undoing and doing up technique, that is: fast forwarded, lol. Oh and metric spanners in the US, bet they're rare, lol. Great vid. Am sure it's v useful. I don't own a BMW car myself, just a bike but that's air cooled.
Alex Veldhuis I know this is 2 years old but in the US standard "spanners" are more rare than metric when working on cars. US cars having been using metric for decades and foreign cars don't change to standard bolts just because it's being sent to the US.
One thing I'd like to add is: Make sure to *not* use a 2.0 bar cap for the expansion tank. Change that to the 1.4 bar one from the diesel models and you should be problem-free in the future.
Exactly the same as what happened to mine! split in exactly the same place. I know you should go genuine but I did find some aluminium replacement tanks...
hi I got same problem when I check coolant level next day it looks empty but when I remove the bleeder screw the coolant comes back to normal. I have bleed the system.
hey bro i got a 99 323i e46 ... what is that plug called connected to the sensor.. i need one and cant find in any store but the dealership but its too expensive for such a little thing. can u please help md
BMW X5 i have changed water pump thermostat expansion tank and radiator transmission thermostat. My coolant light come on i checked the water its ok can you please tell me why THANKS
+MegaAmeer15 I would take a look at the water level sensor and make sure it is functioning correctly. What year is your X5? Maybe I can find out some more info on that make/model...
Great job. Thanks i am about to do this job. Only comment would be to not use the screwdriver to pry directly against the paint; you could use a rag as a buffer between or find another surface to pry against. Could damage the paint and cause the engine bay to start rusting. But not a huge deal. Thanks!
+MLZ59 Sorry for being so late answering your question, but yes you are correct. There is only one drain plug on the bottom drivers side... Thanks for watching my video, hope this went well for you!
Great video! But on that aftermarket part of your video.. I would have to disagree.. I bought a aftermarket one (50$)and it's been problem free.. Let's not b afraid to buy aftermarket and let's save some money guys..
+Eric Meza im not saying aftermarket is bad, I have heard a lot of people using Behr replacement tanks without any problems. However, from my experience BMW uses name brand manufactures that provide good quality and when i've used cheaper parts from amazon i've noticed poor quality and craftsmanship. Especially, with the blower motor speed control that goes behind the glove box. I bought one on amazon and it failed within the first year, and I had to do the job twice.... Thanks for watching the video man, i'm glad it helped you save a ton of money!
***** no I did not... I was able to remove mine before pulling out the expansion tank... It wouldn't be a bad idea considering how much you gotta do to get at it though...
Thanks alot mam. You rock. Yea I ordered a new expansion tank amazon 2 day shipping. I ordered a new oil cooler thermostat. The one that goes inside the expansion tank. It wont arrive till next monday bummer. So imma be very carefull removing the tank. Ill let you know how it goes. Thanks again.
Raheem Foster mine was exactly the same way... I was grunting like crazy and ready to give up. Then I started pushing back and forth as if I was standing and pushing towards the firewall and it made a loud pop.. then I wiggled some more and it popped again... I then yanked it up and it came out...
Carl Argabright I ended up taking the the whole part off that it was attached to. I have to get a new one because the place where the thermostat goes was molded and completely tore.
Carl Argabright I took the radiator mounting plate off. Then the coolant reservoir tank came off but it was all molded and the thermostat broke so I have to replace the mounting plate. How much you think it is and where can I get one asap ?
you say that you reccomend original BMW part, but if you get OEM part that's just as good and usually alot cheaper. BEHR i believe is the manufacturer for those. they deliver the same quality as the original.
Firstly the expansion tank doesn't just "POP" out. Nothing on a BMW does. There is a transmission thermostat that WILL break that seats under the tank and isn't the easiest thing to replace. Before you replace the tank, buy a thermostat just in case. BMW will accept the return if you don't end up needing it. (You'll thank me later).
Yup. My tank didn't exactly pop out either, but sure, it broke the thermostat. (My 330 is an automatic as well). I saw your comment too late, so my work kinda stalled a bit now that I have to order one. It's just so typical.
When you're pulling the tank out, make sure you pull UP and not push sideways. If you push sideways you'll break the upper clip. It's a little deceiving if you watch the video.
Good video but on the removal. I didnt even have to get underneath the car. Undid the sensor, removed the top 2 hoses. prized the top on the clip out at the top of the mounting bracket and pulled, and the tank came up with the bottom hose on, then simply sprayed the bottom hose with WD40 let it soak for a minute the with a rag wiggled the hose off. and the tank simply lifted off, i did also remove the air filter bracket (the one sat on the bonnet)(Hood) with the 4 insert clips, and the single clip holding the black rounded breather box. just to give more room, took me about 20 minutes in total.. hope this helps.. 4 pot engine.. 318ci se 1895cc 2001 electronic fan.
Awesome man! Better than me! That sucker was hard to unsnap from the bottom when I went to pull it out! I can't believe the dealer charges so much to replace this thing...
+Carl Argabright To be honest with you Carl. I have been a mechanic for years ,since I was 15 and I am 46 now so had my years tinkering with cars, so obviously I know the short cuts, but not to undermine you in the slightest, your video shows the right way to do it, and it's informative and well shot in detail, Everything a Diy mechanic/maintenance guy would need. And you filmed while doing the work. Make it even better how you managed it. Top man, Top video.
+Jonathan Groombridge thanks a lot man! I am definitely no mechanic, I just happen to like to work on my own stuff... When I ran into this problem with my car there was no videos that showed me what needed to be done to fix it. That's when I realized I should give something back to RUclips and share this with everyone! I truly never expected it to get this many views! Thanks for sharing your input man!
+Carl Argabright Hey that's a really nice reply Carl. Your welcome and credit given where credit is due. Nice to see there are genuine nice people out there that want to help others, for a first video mate it's great. You should do more. Think I will do some myself too, I'm also like looking how to do stuff and always fixing things, so maybe I can help others too? All the best Carl. Take care. :)
Just had the hairline crack on my tank this evening found your video very intuitive. Getting part tomorrow and following your steps to fit. Thanks for your video.
Nice job on the video, I watched and then got the old one out in 15 minutes without any unnecessary steps and without breaking anything. That is my definition of success!
Carl Spoerer thank you so much man! Congrats on a job well done! When mine broke I searched RUclips for a how to video without any luck. I am super happy to have been able to give something back to the RUclips community...
Put it back together this morning when the part came in. Getting it to snap in was annoying, I tried for about 15 minutes no luck. Pulled it out for the 5th time and then it went in super easy. My guess is the trick is to get it line up perfectly. Other than that easy job, the work from the bottom side was a snap. Watching the video made it simple. Thanks for giving back to the community as you said was your intent! Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Carl Spoerer b
I have just done this job after watching this video. I found it easier to take out the radiator and then separate the expansion tank from it, as on mine it was a very tight fit for pulling up without breaking the oil cooler thermostat. The hoses can then be reattached to the new tank and the tank attached to the radiator plastic moulding, and then the whole lot refitted. There are two screws holding the radiator at the top. One of them holds the electric fan also on my car. The hoses were a tight fit and I could not pull a couple off. I carefully used leverage to pry them off. So many videos don't show how to deal with the difficult bits. Great video. Saved me a lot of money.
Thanks Carl. I bought a new overflow tank today and with the help of your guide, I was able to change it in my 330i. No leaks, and very happy with the result. So much cheaper than paying some mechanic to do it for you. Keep up the good videos.
Im glad that you had great success by watching this video! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Excellent video. You show how difficult some bits are. There's nothing more annoying than the video that glosses over the problem bits and how to solve them. Well done.
Thanks Carl, great tutorial mate, to the point, sped up where necessary, and with metric sockets!!!
I will order my replacement tank on Monday and let you know how I go.
Looking forward to more of your videos. Cheers
Carl Argabright Recently I had a small leak at the upper seam of my expansion tank. I had already purchased a new tank, new hoses & water pump with the plan to replace everything over the upcoming weekend. The Friday before my planned project weekend I had a catastrophic failure of my expansion tank on the way home from work. It happened on a stretch of highway where I could not stop the car or pull off. The car overheated for less than 10 minutes. Being a long time BMW enthusiast, I own 3 of them, I knew how damaging this could be to my car! This one incident resulted in a blown head gasket and a warped head which pulled the head bolt threads out of the block!! With repair estimates ranging from $2,000 - $3,000 to being told to get a new engine, I decided to do it myself. Working on it after work and on the weekends she's finally back together after 5 months. Could of done it over a couple weekends but it was summer and I took my time. I love my sexy 04 325Ci but I should have loved her more! I should have loved her enough to fix this problem when it started and not wait a week!! With the purchase of tools and parts this job still cost me around $1,500. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!! Less than $300.00 in parts should do it. Follow this video and fix this problem when it starts. Better yet, follow BMW's recommended maintenance schedule and replace cooling parts before they fail.With all the warnings about the seriousness of overheating a BMW that I've read on the forums I still let it happen & I seriously paid for it!! Good luck guys and love your ride so she loves you back!!
Marc Woodward my reservoir cracked and instantly started overheating but was able to get off the highway and get a tow to firestone... $320 for replacement and tests to check cooling system
SAME STORY on a 330ci i'm finishing up...these engines are a pain to work on. i ended up buying another one with a driving wheel reversed to swap.
Thank you for actually showing the tank removal struggle. All other videos skip that.
Thanks for making this video. I just used it to prepare myself to do this replacement on a 2004 BMW 325i. There were some minor differences but it all went fine and I got it all done. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to share your knowledge and expertise. FYI, I needed to replace the expansion tank because, during a recent cold snap, I bought a cheap coolant anti freeze pipette tester and the 4" plastic tube fell off and disappeared into the bottom of the expansion tank. I was afraid it would be sucked into the engine and cause damage.
Excellent video man , learned aloot. My beamer is constantly overheating and today we found our expansion tank had a huge leak.
great video. while your in there, its always a good idea to replace the hoses on the upper and lower.
its been my experience that when you have a chance and you are in the E46, replace as much as you can. especially if you are replacing parts due to aging. chances are everything else is aging. so in this instance, replace the hoses and also consider replacing the radiator. believe it or not, replacing the entire cooling system is extremely easy on these cars. and cheap if parts ordered online.
Really helpful diy video mate. Much appreciated. Already bought the expansion tank now its time to run the SHOW ;)
Thank you so much.
~Respect from another Bimmerian
I just wanted to add a tip, something I did, that seemed to make removal of the old tank a little easier. I got under the car and used a rubber mallet and short piece of wood to apply upward force on the lower part of the expansion tank. I did not use a lot of force but doing this made removal quite easy afterwards. The thermostat still needed to be replaced but I was warned about that by ECS Tuning when I purchased the replacement tank.
Cool, this helped me with X3 expansion tank. FYI the bottom hose does not need to come out. Also when inserting it all back in, a slight smear of grease on hose fittings makes them all slip in easy. Saved some $s for sure. Cheers
Great video Carl, just one thing, the sensor you removed from the bottom of the tank is the "Fluid Level Sensor" and not the "Temperature Sensor" as you mentioned. The coolant temperature sensors are on the radiator and engine.
Great video, Good information, good pictures, Best I have seen. Just bought a 2003 330 CI, Same problem. I feel Much better now. Thanks
Great vid fella. I'm about to undergo the same job on my 328ci coupe. My local garage told me that the header and rad are sold as one?. I now know that this is not the case. Thanks for the upload.
My tank is cracked in exactly the same spot as this one was. It appears this is a common point of failure. Good video.
WOW THIS VIDEO SAVED ME$200!!!! And was so easy as I used was a knife and grips easy THANKS!!!!!
thnx a LOT for this DIY. Changed my expansion tank thanks to You! Costs just time which I would spend by just *going* to mechanic and back :))
Thank you Carl! YOU JUST SAVED ME A TON OF MONEY and knuckle skin
Thanks a lot Carl for taking the time to make this video. Very good.
Great video! Very good explanation throughout the process. Thanks, Carl!
I'll be tackling this job this week, thanks for the vid. I'm sure you saved us some $$$ keep it up bro!
EXCELLENT!!! Took me about 2 hours! Had the same crack as yours... dang plastic! Ugh!
Nice video sir. This is just where my tank had its crack as well. The recovery guy said when they crack it always seems to be there on the e46. I guess it's because that's where it joins.
Thanks for making the great instructional vid! I wish I could have found a good one like this when I replaced my clutch on my e46 330xi. That was a PITA!! In hind sight I should have videoed the job to share.
When I took my expansion tank out I noticed a piece with a spring that I think controls how much coolant is used is stripped and broken. It's located right below the expansion tank. What's that piece called and do you know if I could buy that piece by itself or if It's a part of the radiator?
thanks for the video sir. I have a 2004 320i and unfortunately have to do this repair myself soon. The only thing I am not sure of is whether i have to replace the coolant temp sensor at the bottom of the reservoir. My car is at the shop now but they want way to much to replace the reservoir so i ordered one online and am going to tackle the job myself. Thanks again
Awesome video, thank you. It will save E46 owners thousands of dollars over time. I wish there was a more durable tank out there to replace the flawed OEM version. Maybe the newer tanks are better now from BMW.
Just wanted to add that electric connections like on the MAF are simply removed by pressing the metal clip in and pulling the connector off. Prying the connector off is not necessary
Nice video , mine split yesterday so doing now after watching your tutorial thanks
***** and mine
thank you for a straight to the point, really helpful tutorial
Carl THANKS for making this video! It helped me out a lot! It also saved me some money!
Great video. Very well put together. You should be a tech instructor.
Thanks so much Patrick, I would love to make more videos but the editing process is very time consuming...
Nice vid, thanks heaps, if you have trouble taking the tank off use a long screwdriver to lever it off at the bottom joint...
Can I just ask how would you diagnose this? It's a leak I'm guessing? The reason I ask is mine (the exact same model/colour as yours) has coolant-like stains in the engine bay if that makes sense? Sort of a white stain that I'm sure is coolant, just no idea how to find where the leak could be. Changing thermostat and water pump soon so may change the expansion tank if it could be that.
Nice and detailed help-manual :) Thanks man. I have leak in my X3 but I don't think it is really different. Will do replacement tomorrow All the best to you and thanks again!
1
Many thanks Carl, from the UK
You saved me a load of grief.
I did break the top clip on the fan shroud when removing the old tank, like a dick :/ Thanks for you help, good work!
Great feedback everyone, I appreciate all the input.
Carl Argabright .....That's the low coolant level sensor, not the ECT
You were talking about O-ring wich Oring you were talking about and where to get it. Are they standard one size or it comes with sizes. Thanks
I noticed your new tank didn't have the bottom hose connection and bleed screw. mine didn't come with one either. do you have to remove it from the old tank?
great video - you recommend changing the thermostat also ?
About to do this tomorrow. Thanks for the upload dude.
Great video. I will be doing this repair in my 04' BMW X3 2.5 coming weeks. Where was your leakage coming from before you R&R the Expansion tank? Where did you purchased the Expansion tank from?
Thank you!!
Thanks carl! And greetings from scotland!
Nice job! I plan to do this myself and your video is a big help.
I like the '6 million dollar man' bolt undoing and doing up technique, that is: fast forwarded, lol. Oh and metric spanners in the US, bet they're rare, lol. Great vid. Am sure it's v useful. I don't own a BMW car myself, just a bike but that's air cooled.
Alex Veldhuis I know this is 2 years old but in the US standard "spanners" are more rare than metric when working on cars. US cars having been using metric for decades and foreign cars don't change to standard bolts just because it's being sent to the US.
what is the part underneath where the 2 connections are next to the sensor? i need to replace that part as its all buggered
thank you very much great video. fixing to start on mine right now
great video; what about he same issue with a 525i series-1995?
One thing I'd like to add is:
Make sure to *not* use a 2.0 bar cap for the expansion tank. Change that to the 1.4 bar one from the diesel models and you should be problem-free in the future.
You can tell at which pressure yours open via the number on top: 200 indicates 2 bar, 140 equals 1.4 bar
I have a Z4 ‘05 with a 2.0 bar cap on exp tank, why is 1.4 better in this case?
Exactly the same as what happened to mine! split in exactly the same place. I know you should go genuine but I did find some aluminium replacement tanks...
The camera quality was very good!!!
how much time does this expansion tank hold? i changed mine, and after 2 years it broke again. wtf?
hi I got same problem when I check coolant level next day it looks empty but when I remove the bleeder screw the coolant comes back to normal. I have bleed the system.
Thanks, I had same problem it, will try to repair this weekend .
Funny, the crack in mine is in the exact same place.
Thanks for the video, very helpful.
Thanks for your video. It helped me a lot!
Thanks a lot , did it under 10 mins
Thanks for the great video. Really helpful.
hey bro i got a 99 323i e46 ... what is that plug called connected to the sensor.. i need one and cant find in any store but the dealership but its too expensive for such a little thing. can u please help md
wot happens if I got brown muddy gunk in ur exspantion tank an my auto transmission is not working properly
Great work.This will help me do mine now.+1 on BMW parts only.
Hello , I'm french , thank you for your vidéo and for your help !!!
When i pull the tank i saw a little cap with a spring coming out . Any idea about what it is for?
Carl Argabright Probably the automatic transmission thermostat, it's housed under the expansion tank where it connects to the black bracket.
Thanks for the video, helped me a lot
+Andri Yudatama Thanks alot man! Im glad it helped!
BMW X5 i have changed water pump thermostat expansion tank and radiator transmission thermostat. My coolant light come on i checked the water its ok can you please tell me why THANKS
+MegaAmeer15 I would take a look at the water level sensor and make sure it is functioning correctly. What year is your X5? Maybe I can find out some more info on that make/model...
Great job. Thanks i am about to do this job. Only comment would be to not use the screwdriver to pry directly against the paint; you could use a rag as a buffer between or find another surface to pry against. Could damage the paint and cause the engine bay to start rusting. But not a huge deal. Thanks!
I just bought a 2000 323i that has a slight coolant leak, I'm hoping this is it.
Same haha
Mine turned out to be a bad radiator, I fixed so much on the car I got tired of it and sold it
is there a drain plug on the expansion tank to drain the coolant? I just have 1 plug and its on the radiator. 330ci automatic, thanks
+MLZ59 Sorry for being so late answering your question, but yes you are correct. There is only one drain plug on the bottom drivers side... Thanks for watching my video, hope this went well for you!
Thank you sir. Your video is very helpful.
Mishimoto make hand welded aluminum tanks for some BMW's if you prefer shiny things.
Great video, helped a lot!
good job for the first vedio
Thank you, great job and a big help :)
Thanks great detailing.
good job that electronic sensor magnet reader you can test with magnet and multimeter at 6:00
Great guide!
Thanks!!
Great video!
great help!
Beautiful guy ))) Good job! Thanks for video))
Great video! But on that aftermarket part of your video.. I would have to disagree.. I bought a aftermarket one (50$)and it's been problem free.. Let's not b afraid to buy aftermarket and let's save some money guys..
+Eric Meza im not saying aftermarket is bad, I have heard a lot of people using Behr replacement tanks without any problems. However, from my experience BMW uses name brand manufactures that provide good quality and when i've used cheaper parts from amazon i've noticed poor quality and craftsmanship. Especially, with the blower motor speed control that goes behind the glove box. I bought one on amazon and it failed within the first year, and I had to do the job twice.... Thanks for watching the video man, i'm glad it helped you save a ton of money!
thanks a lot, helped a great deal.
did you have to replace the oil cooler thermostat?
***** no I did not... I was able to remove mine before pulling out the expansion tank... It wouldn't be a bad idea considering how much you gotta do to get at it though...
Thanks alot mam. You rock. Yea I ordered a new expansion tank amazon 2 day shipping. I ordered a new oil cooler thermostat. The one that goes inside the expansion tank. It wont arrive till next monday bummer. So imma be very carefull removing the tank. Ill let you know how it goes. Thanks again.
Thanks for the video i needed it
Need help with this 2005 BMW 325i Oil Cooler Thermostat For Automatic Transmission Models
learned a lot thanks
good stuff, mucho appreciated!
Man is so tight that when I lift up it don't even move. Any suggestions?
Raheem Foster mine was exactly the same way... I was grunting like crazy and ready to give up. Then I started pushing back and forth as if I was standing and pushing towards the firewall and it made a loud pop.. then I wiggled some more and it popped again... I then yanked it up and it came out...
Carl Argabright I ended up taking the the whole part off that it was attached to. I have to get a new one because the place where the thermostat goes was molded and completely tore.
Carl Argabright I took the radiator mounting plate off. Then the coolant reservoir tank came off but it was all molded and the thermostat broke so I have to replace the mounting plate. How much you think it is and where can I get one asap ?
great video thanks
you say that you reccomend original BMW part, but if you get OEM part that's just as good and usually alot cheaper. BEHR i believe is the manufacturer for those. they deliver the same quality as the original.
Modine is the OEM Manufacturer of the expansion tank. But OEM is what your looking for.
Firstly the expansion tank doesn't just "POP" out. Nothing on a BMW does. There is a transmission thermostat that WILL break that seats under the tank and isn't the easiest thing to replace. Before you replace the tank, buy a thermostat just in case. BMW will accept the return if you don't end up needing it. (You'll thank me later).
Yup. My tank didn't exactly pop out either, but sure, it broke the thermostat. (My 330 is an automatic as well). I saw your comment too late, so my work kinda stalled a bit now that I have to order one. It's just so typical.
great work tnks
I have the exact same car. You should do more videos I will subscribe incase you do lol.
the lower hose on my expansion tank is extremely stuck
When you're pulling the tank out, make sure you pull UP and not push sideways. If you push sideways you'll break the upper clip. It's a little deceiving if you watch the video.
Buen video gracias
Nice video
Good video but on the removal.
I didnt even have to get underneath the car.
Undid the sensor, removed the top 2 hoses. prized the top on the clip out at the top of the mounting bracket and pulled, and the tank came up with the bottom hose on, then simply sprayed the bottom hose with WD40 let it soak for a minute the with a rag wiggled the hose off. and the tank simply lifted off, i did also remove the air filter bracket (the one sat on the bonnet)(Hood) with the 4 insert clips, and the single clip holding the black rounded breather box. just to give more room, took me about 20 minutes in total.. hope this helps.. 4 pot engine.. 318ci se 1895cc 2001 electronic fan.
Awesome man! Better than me! That sucker was hard to unsnap from the bottom when I went to pull it out! I can't believe the dealer charges so much to replace this thing...
+Carl Argabright To be honest with you Carl.
I have been a mechanic for years ,since I was 15 and I am 46 now so had my years tinkering with cars, so obviously I know the short cuts, but not to undermine you in the slightest, your video shows the right way to do it, and it's informative and well shot in detail, Everything a Diy mechanic/maintenance guy would need. And you filmed while doing the work. Make it even better how you managed it. Top man, Top video.
+Jonathan Groombridge thanks a lot man! I am definitely no mechanic, I just happen to like to work on my own stuff... When I ran into this problem with my car there was no videos that showed me what needed to be done to fix it. That's when I realized I should give something back to RUclips and share this with everyone! I truly never expected it to get this many views! Thanks for sharing your input man!
+Carl Argabright Hey that's a really nice reply Carl.
Your welcome and credit given where credit is due.
Nice to see there are genuine nice people out there that want to help others, for a first video mate it's great.
You should do more.
Think I will do some myself too, I'm also like looking how to do stuff and always fixing things, so maybe I can help others too?
All the best Carl.
Take care. :)
thank it help a lot
+Glenda del toro Thank you for watching! I am glad this helped you!