Stupid question. e34 95 540 i atf/power steering fluid
 

Ok I was researching about fluids and my power steering fluid seems to be low since the wheel has gotten tighter and squeals( whistles) when i turn a little bit. So i think I just found that the atf is the power steering fluid. IS this true? I was trying to find out what kind to use and now im stumped. The same with the coolant, how do you know what kind. Its bright green but I heard that still could be several kinds. Thanks for the help!! ::yikes::yikes:

This thread will help you out with the power steering fluid...
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=817416

As for coolant, I just use Prestone Prediluted 50/50 from Walmart, works just as good as BMW coolant, and you can mix it with any kind of coolant you already have in your car.

OK thanks, funny I happen to talk to bmw dealership repair/parts and they said oh no you dont know whats in your car so you need to bring it. He asked what color is it. I hadnt checked due to he said different colors other that green. So I wanted to ask but I checked the coolant and it was bright green looks a little low. Is their an overflow on the coolant somewhere? Thanks

I'm not sure about the M60 but there is no overflow on the M50 (I own a 525 not a 540), but I'm sure others who own a 540 will chime in.

Yes there is an overflow on the m50 engine's radiator, its just called the expansion tank, right? Always assumed that it serves the same purpose as a more conventional expansion tank. Please correct me if I'm wrong, thanks.

Lol I feel dumb, the overflow and expansion tank on the M50 are the same thing

Remy0213, please take a look at this thread for good info about coolant :

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=504683

Alrighty then, I just read thoroughly about the coolants. So i can go buy some prestone prediluted and I wont have to add the distilled water? llool!! It is only looking a little low. Oh and I do put it in where it says coolant in the middle car at the very back right? That is the only place I see. There is no spot on the radiator as someone was saying on what they thought was on the 540. They were wrong.

Yes, you've got the right coolant tank, its right at the back alongside the windshield wipers for the 540i. Quite a dumb place to put it, but i guess they ran out of space near the front. Is prestone sweet smelling and brightly coloured? If so, use that, if not, I suggest that you get a brightly coloured sweet smelling coolant and ad it to your tank for reasons i've detailed in my thread linked earlier.

Anyway, why are you thinking of adding coolant? Are you running low there?

In any case, make sure you open the tank cap slowly if the engine is hot. Opening it slowly will allow the internal gas pressure to be release gradually, preventing hot coolant from shooting up when you finally remove the cap.

In any case, for greatest effectiveness, add coolant to the reservoir when the engine is cold.

The expansion tank you see should have a hot and cold level mark. As long as your coolant levels stick between those, you're ok.

Well I dont know where the resvoir is to put it in. I only viewed the one at the back and opened it and it looked a little light there. I was wondering also if the cap wasn't on tight could it have leaked and caused the smoke as well. Havent had any more smoke at all from it. As for the smell of sweet. Am I suppose to walk into the auto parts place and smell or match the color. Kinda funny.lol

Well also dont know if I wrote about the stomp test i did again this am. I remembered I did not plug the maf up when I got the only code that im still getting 1213. Nothing else. But it isnot allowing me to clear it. I waited and tried after the code went 2 times around and the cel stayed on i held the pedal down for the10 or more sec. As it was being held down it went thru the code again and again. Then i waited and tried again when the cel stayed on the went out for the2.5 sec pause i held it down and same thing. What the Heck am I doing wrong here. I printed out from the bentley manual what to do. But it says wait til you get code 1000. I havent yet seen this code. Not t hat I know.

The power steering tank is arrowed in the attached picture.

Attachment 259118

Please ignore the stomp test for now. Goto autozone and get them to read your car. Tomorrow will be colder (hell will be freezing over tomorrow) so its better if you go today. :)

Just ask the autozone people to get you really cheap brightly coloured coolant that smells sweet. That pretty much describes most of the stuff out that. It will only cost you a few bucks.

Again, why are you looking to top up your coolant? Do you notice a leak somewhere? No, the smoke is not from your coolant. If it was, your engine would be overheating as well and as i recall you said the temperature was normal.

Yes i saw that so actually the atf is the power steering too. So I guess Dextron I will get from the store. I had some things to do on the computer for work this morning so I will go tomorrow cold or not. Yes I need a break from stressing about this car right now. I really dont have to go out but I know I need to get auto zone to do this. Ill also pick up the prestone prediluted antifreeze and the dextron tomorrow.

Check the label. My bet is the label tells you to use Pentosin in the power steering circuit.

Well of course the green label is partial peeled so I can't see but I just opened and its way low little more than halfway and the dipstick barely shows any. So anytakers so I can run to the store and fill that up. I have no clue what they used and dont want to be too expensive or too cheap. Just want what it needs.

You can't mixed the two and won't mistake them either. Pentosin is green. ATF is red.

Read the label. You should be able to make out something. Below the label the bottle cap says ATF but do not go by that. The alternative is to do a complete flush and fill with ATF if you think Pentosin is too expensive and the car does not have self-leveling. The downside is ATF may cause some static steering noise in extremely cold weather when the car is cold. When the car is warm the symptom goes away.

Ok i got the two colors you cant mix but I thought if its green it is universal is what Iwas asking. If its universal bright green than can I use what someone suggested as in prestone 50/50 prediluted. Is that good or should I use what you stated Pentosin even if prior they used let's say prestone? I cant read nothing its nothing there to read on the cap. I dont mind using good stuff I right now just am not trying to take it in to get a flush its about 350 when I called my local dealers and I really dont want to take it to 5 and dime at the moment. ITs not that I dont have it but im in between some stuff and just purchased the car and a house for rental property that we are working on so right now I'm trying to not spend anything more to this house is finished but regular stuff. Im not really driving this car at themoment but would like to get the few things I can for it while the tiny driving I do do!!!


Oh there is already static just started in the steering. NOt too too bad so if I use the pentosin right now with whatever is in there that will be ok to mix?

Owner's psychology counts bigtime
 

Pentosin and ATF = Power steering fluid.
Prestone = Coolant.

You got this mixed up, even though the posts were relatively clear. You're being too stressed up about this car. You're probably going to make poor decisions or poor/incorrect observations, or even miss out things.

So please, just chill out. You've got a great ride, a rare 1995 540i, with fixable problems. That it came with problems is not unusual coz you didn't fully check it out with your own mechanic before you purchased it - that's a mistake. However, the problems seem to be fixable - O2 sensors, valve covers and insufficient power steering fluid, perhaps a leak there. The guys you bought this from will pay to fix (or foot the bulk of the cost ) if they didn't declare all this up front to you.

You don't need to flush things unless its really bad and the judgement for that is some distance away so you can relax. Don't assume that things are going to get from bad to worse. I realise that its difficult to be confident about a car which has a tricky engine, but once that's sorted out, you won't be able to leave the cabin, it will be that good. That's what most people on the fest feel. So take a step back, forget about the car, and come back to this tomorrow morning with a fresh pair of eyes. You'll be far more effective and your car will thank you for it. That's my advice to you.

Howdy,

Pentosin CHF 11S is what your after there, ATF is also fine.

I have had excellent results with Shell Donax TX, incidently this Donax TX can also be used on the 540's transmission (5HP30) with stunning results, and the stuff is dirt cheap. If your considering buying, buy a 20 litre and flush your gearbox as well, here its about R50 for a litre, so thats really not a lot of money.

Also, here is a scary fact, your power steering fluid is actually shared with the booster side of your braking system, called the H31 braking system.

If you are loosing fluid, it may be at the brake booster, its a very common place to leak from.

If your standing in front of your engine, on the back in the right hand side, you will see the master cylinder attached to another long cylinder, thats your brake master. Where the brake master and brake booster meets, (a little triangle), right there is where it leaks from, time and time again.

Give me a pm if you need any more information on this one.....

Imma back track..I was saying that before I knew the coolants color they said that you cant mix colors, more or less. I opened the coolant cap and its a beautiful bright green color. So when I called the bmw dealership to get their input on what I should need. He told me it should be blue and I should do a flush and put the bmw brand in their. That was before I recieved responses. My actual questions were probalby too confusing because I was intertwining 2 different questions (atf & coolant) SORRY!! the question about the coolant was this if I know the coolant is bright green, that means it already universal coolant not the specific bmw coolant, and thus am I able to use any brand like prestone 50/50 or the other one that the one gentlement recomended. Im not trying to flush and think the cap was loose when it was driven to cause the loss of fluid. (not sure tho). Thats the first question I was getting to understand. Most cars walk in grab coolant from regular autoparts shop and go. I dont want to mix the wrong kind. IF mine is green is that a prestone or anyother type green universal coolant????

Okdokie then for the atf, tomorrow i will purchase this. Im not quite sure if anything is leaking as of yet. IT was burning one day but im not sure if all the caps were tight after people probing around.It was 2 times and hasnt been, so i dont see no wetness around anything this morning. Ill know more tomorrow. Took a break but thanks...

Kewl man.

By the way, if your worried about mixing, there is a drain plug screw on the power steering pump right at the bottom, just jack up the car a bit, loosen the drain plug, and all will come rushing out. I then cranked the car for about 15 seconds with the drain plug out to get all the oil out.

Fillup is about 1.2 litres if memory serves... :)

Color on mine before and after was red....

Power steering and brake hydraulic into one? What have you been smoking?