Disclaimer: The cooling system is essential to the correct operation of your automobile. Failure to correctly set up the entire elements of the cooling system may lead to a broken engine otherwise you being stranded. Caution have to be taken to correctly safe your automobile when working beneath it to keep away from harm (or demise). Safety discover: When working with engine coolant, precautions have to be taken. Coolant is a harmful chemical to each folks and animals. Animals are identified to just like the style of coolant attributable to it is candy odor. All efforts should be taken to make sure that coolant does find yourself in any location which could also be consumed by animals and will at all times be disposed of correctly. Never take away the radiator coolant cap whereas the engine is sizzling. Severe burns can outcome from sizzling coolant spraying out of the radiator cap or from the drain plugs. This job was being executed on a ’98 328iA Cabrio.

The rationale for doing this work stemmed from the truth that the automobile was not totally warming up within the winter time. I suspected a defective thermostat that was not closing correctly and determined to substitute it. At the identical time I selected to substitute the inventory plastic thermostat housing with an aluminium one primarily based on experiences I had learn of premature failure of the plastic half. Because the coolant needed to be drained (partially) to change the thermostat, I additional determined to flush the whole cooling system and exchange the entire coolant with new. Step 1: Perform this work with the engine chilly or a minimum of let it cool down for a number of hours. Step 2: For the reason that coolant that’s put into your automobile is diluted 50/50 with water, it is simpler to pre-combine it earlier than you begin pouring it in. To simply do that, get one or two empty four litre water jugs and utilizing a measuring cup, measure out the 2 litre and four litre marks and put these strains on the aspect of the jugs.

Step 3: comment-483223 Pour 2 litres of distilled water into every of the containers. Don’t use faucet water as this may cause issues inside your engine. For the couple of bucks it can value you to get distilled water (out of your grocery retailer), why would you not put the proper stuff in your engine? Step 4: Fill the remainder of every jug with 2 litres of BMW coolant. Generally this could offer you sufficient coolant combine to refill your automotive but when you find yourself needing extra you may refill one of many jugs once more later. Step 5: Block each rear wheels securely. Step 6: Jack up the entrance of the automobile and put each sides on jack stands. Step 7: Contained in the automotive, flip the ignition to the ON place (with out beginning the automotive) then flip the heater setting to the best temperature. Step 8: Turn the ignition off.

Step 9: Slide below the entrance of the automobile and place a bucket close by. Unscrew the radiator drain plug and place the bucket to include the coolant which comes out. If accomplished accurately, no coolant ought to spill onto the bottom. Step 10: After the radiator had absolutely drained, set the radiator drain plug apart then transfer the bucket additional in the direction of the centre of the automotive close to the oil pan to catch the output from the engine block coolant drain plug. Step 11: The engine drain plug could be very troublesome to see and might solely be accessed from beneath the automobile. It’s situated on the passenger aspect of the engine in between the exhaust headers. On the ’98 328 that I did this work on, the drain plug was situated proper subsequent to one of many oxygen sensors. Feel round along with your hand for the one merchandise on that aspect of the engine that appears like a drain bolt (just like the oil drain plug).

Step 12: On this automotive, the engine coolant drain plug required a 19mm wrench. Because it was proper subsequent to one of many oxygen sensors, it was tough to take away and took a while to get the wrench in the suitable spot to loosen the bolt. As quickly because the plug is loosened, coolant will begin to drip down so have the bucket prepared. Note: Don’t take away the engine drain plug all the best way out. If you retain the drain plug partially within the drain gap, the coolant will come out in a extra controller method. It will let you catch all (or most) of it in your bucket versus it falling everywhere in the flooring. As wanted, use rags to include any coolant which could also be dripping onto the bottom. Step 13: Let the remainder of the coolant drain from the rear drain plug. This may most likely take as much as half-hour to complete with the plug nonetheless partially in.