coolant problem

[kirkloulk]

i have a bmw x5 which keeps saying check coolant level, i have filled and seems to empty too quick, also takes ages to go on to lpg from petrol - is this a major problem? hoping to get it looked at in next two weeks - has anyone had dealings with south east autogas in bexley? many thanks

[john_d]

If its using water that's usually a sign that the head gasket has gone, do you have any mayonnaise. On the oil filler cap?

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[redzed]

If you've just had the system fitted or had any other recent work on your cooling system you could well have air in the system which needs bleeding out.

Mayonnaise on the inside of the oil filler cap can also be created by condensation on short journeys and types of oil used so don't panic just yet if you do find some.

[Dave_G]

If your coolant keeps emptying quickly then I wouldn't be using the car very much at all until you can get it looked at, or you might find yourself with an even bigger bill. It shouldn't lose any!
Can you see any coolant leaking out anywhere after you fill it up?

[kirkloulk]

thanks for the advice will have a look at cap - need to get it serviced and see if any problems - does anyone recommend southeast auto gas in bexley?

[Gremlin]

Might be because the water pipes havent been plumbed into the vapouriser the best way....

Some car heaters work by... you want less heat in the car, you move a lever and it pulls a flap over the heater mattrix and cuts down on the amount of hot air into the car.

Other cars work that when you turn the temperature down it cuts the flow of water to the heater to the the point where it is not flowing at all if you have it set on cold.

My 1986 Mercedes 500 was great fun to plumb in.... The heater system has nice little valves that open and shut all the time to keep the temperature constant inside the car.... so installing T's in the wong place can stop the water flowing to the vapouriser...

[tommo2009]

this may not be a major problem, so far all you have had is scare stories. you have had an LPG conversion so the water pipes have been broken into, there may be a leak from where they have been broken into. if there are no overheating problems and there is no mayonaise on the oil filler cap then I think you can safely say you have a leak and nothing major.

the fact it takes a while to switch to LPG is a different matter altogether, the X5's need to be broken into (water wise) in the right place otherwise you will have problems with switch over times. take it back (if you can) to where it was converted. if you can't, then take it to a convertor who knows their onions and can tell you what the problem is.

[kirkloulk]

ok thats great thanks will take to the guy in Barking, Essex - I would have liked to have tried the lpg place in bexley but cannot get hold of them and had no reply on here about their reputation can anyone help?

[tommo2009]

there were some threads on here about a guy in bexley that were not very supportive of him. wether this is the same company I don't know

[kirkloulk]

had the vehicle serviced for £60 which was good value but not great news - guy said bmw are known for their cooling system problems and this can cause major damage to the engine - if the car gets overheated the engine will blow up - he suggested we change all sorts of things on the cooling system and basically said if it was him he would sell it on and save us all the hassle! other than that the car is great but cant afford to risk the engine blowing up with a car full of kids! have a local mechanic so will get his opinion but does anyone have knowledge of bmw's and their cooling problems - any help would be great thanks

[tommo2009]

strange, I have never heard that BMW's have cooling system problems. and i have worked with them for many a year now.

There are two ways to test it, put a pressure test on the system. if the pressure drops away you have a leak or someother underlying problem. the other option is to drain the coolant and use a vacuum fill system. If the system can create vacuum then you don't have a leak.

How much water is it using, is it going into the oil? if it is going into the cylinder then check the plugs, one will look different from the others

[redzed]

And another one for not hearing about bmw's having cooling problems and I've owned and worked on 3 in recent years.

Think you need to find yourself another mechanic as that bloke is obviously an idiot. Any average mechanic should have been able to diagnose the problem in no time at all.

You do need to give out lots more info,

You've recently had the car converted by south east autogas? If so, was the car ok before the conversion? As tommo said, how much water are you putting in? Have you looked at all for mayonnaise on the inside of the filler cap? Have you noticed the exhaust gases to be any different, ie, like steam? Have you seen any bubbles coming to the surface when topping up the coolant? What year is your X5?

[kirkloulk]

hi thanks for the comments - i did not get the conversion installed, it was done previously about 4 years ago at a reputable company and is on the register and all is fine with that - just seems we have some sort of leak somewhere it has no mayonaise on the cap, does not seem to have different gas from exhaust or bubble up but we filled up once when it was very cold the coolant and the next day it was down to hardly nothing. since then it has been fine and we have been topping it up about once a week and have not had the light coming on to check cooling level and all seems well - just the mechanic i suppose gave us the worst case scenario and just said if it was him he would have all these measures taken like replacing loads of things as so much can go wrong with bmw cooling systems - i am a bit paranoid perhaps but was hoping we could just resolve the matter but seems more drawn out that than - will take to my local mechanic and get his opinion and maybe change water pump as suggested by the lpg servicer - its a fantastic car other than that and the lpg consumption is a godsend in this financial climate

[tommo2009]

why change the water pump, the engine isn't overheating. Can you see any water coming from the casing, I guess not. Seems as if you are going to change things for no reason.
I think you are worrying over nothing, but as the coolant goes down when the car is running, get a pressure test done on the system.

Again there isn't much that can go wrong with the cooling system, it has a small booster pump, a diverter valve, heater matrix, water pump, thermostat and that is about it, much the same as any modern car.

I would think you have someone who is looking at it who has no idea what is wrong so wants to replace everything to try and fix what may be just a slight leak

[Gilbertd]

basically said if it was him he would sell it on and save us all the hassle!

He didn't offer to take it off your hands to save you the trouble of having to advertise it by any chance? I didn't think anyone fell for that one these days.....

[josht]

you need to have the coolant system pressure tested and maybe a sniff test to makesure the headgasket is ok. any desent garage will do this for you. what was done on the service? a propper service takes easy 4 hours and the parts would come to more than 60 quid think ya might have had a oil change mate

[kirkloulk]

yea will take to my mechanic who i have used for years to look at the cooling system for me - unfortunately, i know nothing about cars i am afraid but this site has been very helpful so thanks for all your comments - dont worry wont be selling it on to him but heard on here he was reputable - maybe not - for a proper service can anyone recommend a place near south london/kent?

[tommo2009]

If he is using the correct oil, £60 will only just cover the cost of the oil

[mat_fenwick]

Are we talking LPG service or a vehicle service?

[redzed]

Are we talking LPG service or a vehicle service?

Think we're talking about an lpg service to sort out the issue of the extended length of time to switch over to gas. OP, it's more than likely that your coolant loss is causing this problem especially if you have air in the system.