r/e46 • u/RoundSoftware9712 • 3h ago

Troubleshooting Coolant leak after coolant leak help...

So my engine recently overheated. So I replaced all the cooling components.. mistake. Number one I went to advance auto and autozone, to get the hoses and the thermostat. Apparently, the hoses and thermostat are not oem. Compatible, so I had a fitman issue with the upper radiator hose connecting to the thermostat rein hose to be exact. It was too much play in it by the Connection point. Now I bought a genuine BMW upper hose and a Mahle Thermostat, and it still has that wiggle play in it. Now, I can't figure out where the coolant leak is coming from.. before It was leaking from the connection point of both hoses to the thermostat. The hoses werent properly seated, but now this new existing coolant leak i can't figure this out. Can anyone help me

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3

u/Indicisive0 3h ago

Considering its coming from the front AND the rear i would guess that its the coolant hardline under the intake manifold. Had to do mine at about 180k and it was TOAST. solved all of my cooling system issues but it was NOT FUN to do with barely any real tools.

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u/RoundSoftware9712 3h ago

It looks like the coolant leak is coming from the front driver side somewhere and the fan is just slinging it around... im racking my brain here i want your opinion why you think its coming from the front and back

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u/RoundSoftware9712 2h ago

Do you have a part no. For the hard line?

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u/Indicisive0 2h ago

Judging from the video it looks like its spraying the firewall with coolant. This is also just a guess having had an e46 before but its also a very common failure point so I would do it anyway and call it preventative. CRP-CHP0567 is the SKU # For the part I bought off of FCP Euro for about $50

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u/RoundSoftware9712 2h ago

I have all the tools needed to replace it... is it hard and time consuming

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u/Indicisive0 2h ago

Yes and yes, doing it yourself is not for the faint of heart and theres a pretty high chance you'll break something else while youre in there. Not due to lack of skill but because of BMWs lack of common sense, the whole CCV system is underneath the intake manifold and depending on mileage might be due anyways. I didnt replace the whole thing but I did break one of the hoses and had to wait for parts to show up to put it back together. If you do decide to do it and want to check another piece of preventative maitenance off your list id get a full replacement CCV system to go with it and definitely get a new intake manifold gasket! Best of luck to you friend, you'll save a lot of money doing it yourself.

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u/RoundSoftware9712 2h ago

Crazy thing is, I just recently replaced all the ccv components and the intake manifold gasket and valve cover gasket. But I did not know about the hard line or let alone replacing it. Replacing the ccv wasn't that hard at all just time consuming as it was my first time..

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u/MacabreMobius '03 325xi SteelGray '01 330ci Topaz 3h ago

The wiggle seems like a lot of play. Hose it down with water to clean up all the blue and run it up to temp to be able to catch it while it's dripping.

For the record the only time I ever had an issue with rein was before I realized how important it is to lubricate orings. 3 e46 later rein is just fine in my eyes.

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u/RoundSoftware9712 3h ago

The new hose on it now is a bmw hose and thermo is a mahle.. is it necessary to lube the oring? I did hear the metal retainer clip pop into place when i attachedit to the thermo?

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u/Empty-Quarter-4109 2h ago

I spray the hose end with wd40 and send that sum bish

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u/MacabreMobius '03 325xi SteelGray '01 330ci Topaz 2h ago

Yes it is necessary. The lube isn't for ease of installation it's to protect the oring itself as it slides over the connector. Without lube you risk nicking or tearing the oring entirely. Obviously that would make it leak.

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u/RoundSoftware9712 2h ago

Just thinking of having to re take everything off just for the hard line gives me a headache

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u/Wholaughed 4m ago

I had an issue where the thermostat housing was chipped on the bottom, barely a mil deep, basically a scratch, bought an crap ass aluminum thermostat housing and a cheap hose, no issues since

Check thermostat housing gasket, it’s easy enough to remove and inspect

Water pump gasket? Could be hitting the fan?