Which brand of coolant?

Chesty Bonds

Chesty Bonds

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#1
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#1
Hey,

Just wondering what people thought was the best coolant to put in my E30 318is radiator. I'm aware that some brands are better than others and i'm tempted to simply go to a BMW dealership and buy what they recommend but, surely, this will be at a grossly inflated price. Any ideas on what's the best and how much to pay?

Cheers.
 
E

equate

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#7
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#7
Wtf? I know oil and other fluids matter but coolant? Isnt it about the same thing no matter what? I like BMWs a lot but I dont think I would ever spend $11 and order coolant online.
I just buy that shit in the yellow bottle, I cant even Think of what its called now. lol what ever you want though, someone is more die hard than me i guess
 
andreyiv

andreyiv

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#8
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#8
Well, the shit in the yellow bottle is called Prestone or somethig like that and has a really bright green color, right? That coolant is very good at protecting, but when it comes to changing it, oh boy. I heard that it becomes this greenish goo or something if you don't change it in time. I also heard that Toyota (the brown reddish) stuff is great and thats what I got in my car.
 
E

equate

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#9
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#9
Hmm I dont know about changin it. I used it in my 325i for over a year without a problem. I changed it maybe 3 times (mostly for maintinenace) When are you supposed to change it?
 
andreyiv

andreyiv

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#10
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#10
Somebody told me that you have to change it once a year in older cars, someone else told me that 3 years would be about right and maximum so I don't know. I guess if you go over 3 years or something it desintegrates and gets gooey but don't ask me, never used it myself, just what I heard from others. Oh and I must say, you got an awesome car there, would take it any day, just the looks are worth it, not even mentioning the performance.
 
B

Big Daddy

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#11
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#11
BMW has issued a 1991 technical bulletin, 17 01 88(1743), which details problems with what is known as silicate gel precipitation in engines. This is the 'green goo' (yes, it actually says that in the BMW Tech bulletin - gotta love those German translators) that results as a consequence of an antifreeze over-concentration in the coolant, combined with hard water, and the phospates commonly used in many antifreezes. BMW factory antifreeze has been formulated to prevent this problem of silicate drop-out without any coolant performance loss. This antifreeze contains no nitrites and no phosphates. The part number for a one gallon container is 88-88-6-900-316, and it costs about $13.00 per gallon.

Pelican Parts Cooling System Flush

I only use BMW antifreeze in my BMW.
 
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