hey all! I just bought a 1996 328i. Shes beautiful and in almost mint condition. EXCEPT...the check engine light just came on as well as beeping 3 times... but it is running fine. Also the other day it beeped and then on the info panel it said "check coolant", but again it wasnt running hot....so..do I just need to get my computer reset or is there really a problem on my perfect 5 day old (to me) car? and does anyone have any tips or things I need to know about this car or being a first time BMW owner? Thanks!
New Kid here....help!
- Thread starter kellib328
- Start date
Ok listen very, very carefully......TAKE IT TO THE BMW DEALERSHIP OR CERTIFIED BMW MECHANIC!....LOL...they can put it on the machine and tell you exactly what the problem is....and most of the good places will at least tell you that for free or next to nothing...then you will now for sure.......if that doesnt work out the post back here.....just because the car isnt running hot doesnt mean it doesnt need coolant. I put more coolant in my car at the start of summer and put almost a liter in there and the "check coolant" light was not on and my car was not running hot...but it still could use more coolant....you see what i mean? The check engine light could be because of backpressure in the fuel tank or low octane fuel that basically cause the engine and software to say "yuck". Hope this helps
LOL....Me personally I go to the BMW dealership and buy the stuff they sell....just make sure you follow the directons......refer to the following statement and check the link for more info on the cooling system and other VERY informative articles about BMW maintenance.
"I'm sure one question you're about to ask is "what type of coolant should I use?" 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. Although I am always eager to find alternatives to BMW factory products, I would stick with the factory coolant for now."
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/tech_main.htm
"I'm sure one question you're about to ask is "what type of coolant should I use?" 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. Although I am always eager to find alternatives to BMW factory products, I would stick with the factory coolant for now."
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/tech_main.htm
Girls, ladies and even women are very welcome on this board even with what you think might be a stupid question............believe me they have been broken in long ago.........there is no such thing as a stupid question, what is stupid is not asking a question and then letting your BMW down by not getting proper advice or service.
i have a 1999 323is almost mint condition also cept someone (the 1st owner) put a bike in the trunk and it bounced around and geve it a few good scratches but they can be buffed out but id rather jus leave it there instead of having an uneven buff or anything and dont bother telling me o just go to an auto body place theyll do a good job on it id rather keep my mula k : ) . i use mt. sierra coolant on my 89 325ix its cheap and works perfectly. if u have any q's you can ask me also kellib328.
![[screwy]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_screwy.gif "Screwy [screwy]"){kind=icon}
and i dont necessarily mean a specific oil change place, but basically, should i do it at a dealership or does it even matter?