E39 - Check Coolant Level indicator

hi, i was getting the "check Coolant Level" indicator after driving
for abt 15 minutes and it some times comes on just after starting the
car. The temperature indicator in the dash is rock steady in the
middle.Checked the water level and it was low. topped it up but still
got the indicator. Took the car in to the mechanic, he let topped up
the water as well and did a preasure test and there was no leak. his
comment was that it is recomended for this model to chek and top up
the water level every 2 weeks. Is what he is saying true or should I
be concerned. advice appreciated.
regards

"dark knight" wrote
> his
> comment was that it is recomended for this model to chek and top up
> the water level every 2 weeks. Is what he is saying true or should I
> be concerned. advice appreciated.

Yes, you should be concerned and looking for a different mechanic. If
you have to top up every 2 weeks, then obviously your coolant is going
somewhere - either on the ground, into the cabin (do you smell
anything?) or into the engine (how's your oil level?).

Pete

In article . com>,
dark knight > wrote:
> hi, i was getting the "check Coolant Level" indicator after driving
> for abt 15 minutes and it some times comes on just after starting the
> car. The temperature indicator in the dash is rock steady in the
> middle.Checked the water level and it was low. topped it up but still
> got the indicator. Took the car in to the mechanic, he let topped up
> the water as well and did a preasure test and there was no leak. his
> comment was that it is recomended for this model to chek and top up
> the water level every 2 weeks. Is what he is saying true or should I
> be concerned. advice appreciated.
> regards

It's amazing the excuses incompetent mechanics invent...

--
*I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"dark knight" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> hi, i was getting the "check Coolant Level" indicator after driving
> for abt 15 minutes and it some times comes on just after starting the
> car. The temperature indicator in the dash is rock steady in the
> middle.Checked the water level and it was low. topped it up but still
> got the indicator. Took the car in to the mechanic, he let topped up
> the water as well and did a preasure test and there was no leak. his
> comment was that it is recomended for this model to chek and top up
> the water level every 2 weeks. Is what he is saying true or should I
> be concerned. advice appreciated.
> regards
>

Get a better mechanic. What year is the car? If you're past about 65,000
miles, get to a GOOD mechanic quickly. The E39 has a flaw, a fatal flaw, in
the cooling system. Both the radiator and the overflow container fail at
about this many miles. Well known.

Tom

In article >,
Tom Scales > wrote:
> Get a better mechanic. What year is the car? If you're past about
> 65,000 miles, get to a GOOD mechanic quickly. The E39 has a flaw, a
> fatal flaw, in the cooling system. Both the radiator and the overflow
> container fail at about this many miles. Well known.

It's quite common with E39 V8s. Nothing like so common with the others.

--
*Acupuncture is a jab well done*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Mar 6, 10:28 pm, "Dave Plowman (News)" >
wrote:
> In article >,
> Tom Scales > wrote:
>
> > Get a better mechanic. What year is the car? If you're past about
> > 65,000 miles, get to a GOOD mechanic quickly. The E39 has a flaw, a
> > fatal flaw, in the cooling system. Both the radiator and the overflow
> > container fail at about this many miles. Well known.
>
> It's quite common with E39 V8s. Nothing like so common with the others.
>
its a 2003 model UK spec. done 47,000 km (29,000 miles) . What can i
do do preempt this "fatal" flaw.
rgds

In article . com>,
dark knight > wrote:
> On Mar 6, 10:28 pm, "Dave Plowman (News)" >
> wrote:
> > In article >,
> > Tom Scales > wrote:
> >
> > > Get a better mechanic. What year is the car? If you're past about
> > > 65,000 miles, get to a GOOD mechanic quickly. The E39 has a flaw, a
> > > fatal flaw, in the cooling system. Both the radiator and the
> > > overflow container fail at about this many miles. Well known.
> >
> > It's quite common with E39 V8s. Nothing like so common with the others.
> >
> its a 2003 model UK spec. done 47,000 km (29,000 miles) . What can i
> do do preempt this "fatal" flaw.

You still haven't said which model of E39 your car is.

A failed rad isn't a fatal flaw. Driving the car with no coolant might
well cause one. So if the red overheat light comes on stop immediately.

--
*Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"dark knight" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Mar 6, 10:28 pm, "Dave Plowman (News)" >
> wrote:
>> In article >,
>> Tom Scales > wrote:
>>
>> > Get a better mechanic. What year is the car? If you're past about
>> > 65,000 miles, get to a GOOD mechanic quickly. The E39 has a flaw, a
>> > fatal flaw, in the cooling system. Both the radiator and the overflow
>> > container fail at about this many miles. Well known.
>>
>> It's quite common with E39 V8s. Nothing like so common with the others.
>>
> its a 2003 model UK spec. done 47,000 km (29,000 miles) . What can i
> do do preempt this "fatal" flaw.
> rgds

Lets just say the cooling system is underdesigned with too many plastic
parts that can withstand just so many heat cycles. It's wise to
pre-emptively replace the V-8 rad in the 60-75,000 mile range, the I-6 in
the 75-90,000 range (less heat and fewer reports of catastrophic failure.)
The most common failure is in the plastic upper hose inlet cracks and dumps
pressure and coolant. You want to get the car off the road and shut down
the engine as quickly as possible. Two or three minutes running with a
pegged temp gauge is more than sufficient to require an engine replacement
(no "it's just 10 miles to the next exit" strategy.)

While the rad is out, replace the water pump, thermostat and its housing.
The new electrical thermostats haven't built a sufficient history to
determine if they're more reliable than the old units.

The fan has been known to fail as well, though this is not as common.

Zionsville makes a beautiful all aluminum rad and also a kit which includes
an aluminum expansion tank and two-speed electrical fan. Bulletproof, but
expensive. Around $600 for the rad, $1100 for the whole kit. By
comparison, I've seen OE rads for $160 plus shipping. If you do your own
work, it'd take a lot of miles to justify the higher cost. Then again, what
is the price of peace of mind.

R / John

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"dark knight" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Mar 6, 10:28 pm, "Dave Plowman (News)" >
> wrote:
>> In article >,
>> Tom Scales > wrote:
>>
>> > Get a better mechanic. What year is the car? If you're past about
>> > 65,000 miles, get to a GOOD mechanic quickly. The E39 has a flaw, a
>> > fatal flaw, in the cooling system. Both the radiator and the overflow
>> > container fail at about this many miles. Well known.
>>
>> It's quite common with E39 V8s. Nothing like so common with the others.
>>
> its a 2003 model UK spec. done 47,000 km (29,000 miles) . What can i
> do do preempt this "fatal" flaw.
> rgds

Lets just say the cooling system is underdesigned with too many plastic
parts that can withstand just so many heat cycles. It's wise to
pre-emptively replace the V-8 rad in the 60-75,000 mile range, the I-6 in
the 75-90,000 range (less heat and fewer reports of catastrophic failure.)
The most common failure is in the plastic upper hose inlet cracks and dumps
pressure and coolant. You want to get the car off the road and shut down
the engine as quickly as possible. Two or three minutes running with a
pegged temp gauge is more than sufficient to require an engine replacement
(no "it's just 10 miles to the next exit" strategy.)

While the rad is out, replace the water pump, thermostat and its housing.
The new electrical thermostats haven't built a sufficient history to
determine if they're more reliable than the old units.

The fan has been known to fail as well, though this is not as common.

Zionsville makes a beautiful all aluminum rad and also a kit which includes
an aluminum expansion tank and two-speed electrical fan. Bulletproof, but
expensive. Around $600 for the rad, $1100 for the whole kit. By
comparison, I've seen OE rads for $160 plus shipping. If you do your own
work, it'd take a lot of miles to justify the higher cost. Then again, what
is the price of peace of mind.

R / John

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