Cooling pipe issue

Just a thought following the comments in the recent thread on cooling pipe problem. Is there any defensive methods to reduce the impact of the seals becoming brittle. My initial thought is if there is a really good anti-freeze coolant which has the ability to reduce the impact. I am sure we all have BMW's in the engine, but is there a better coolant on the market????

The BMW coolant is as good as it gets. pH balanced, nitrate free and phosphate free. The coolant is made by Glysantin (a BASF company). Valvoline manufactures it under license for BASF in North America.

The important thing is to change the coolant at recommended intervals. (or sooner)

That is true yorgi but if the seal gonna go it will just go with really no warning...

Sent from my PC36100 using Bimmer App

I agree, the seal is going to fail eventually. The OP was wondering if there is anything to help prevent the failure.

From what I've read ( Mercedes Benz white paper) non-pH balanced coolant will accelerate the failure of seals and plastic coolant tanks. This is why you don't want to use Prestone and other domestic coolants, which are very basic (opposite of acidic) and will eat plastic.

what about an additive to the coolant??? we see people using anti leak compounds and pouring them in.?

Hi, with this coolant pipe leaking due to the seals becoming brittle I asked if any of you guys knew of any additives to the coolant system which may help reduce the impact of this problem.
I have found a number of coolant additives on the market which claim to be beneficial in reducing engine temps and reducing hotspots. They also claim to lubricate the water pump seals etc. There is a lot of data but could it be advertising hype?
Does anyone have experience of these additives or any comment as to viability?

There is a waterless coolant called Evans NGp+ waterless coolant. It was recommended to me by some friends with track cars. The benefits are:

1. Boiling point of 350 degrees compared to traditional coolant (50/50 mix) of around 220 degrees

2. Because the boiling point is so high there is virtually no pressure buildup in the coolant system under normal city/highway driving. No pressure buildup means it's alot easier on our rubber hosing and plastic components and seals.

3. B/c there is no water in the coolant there is no oxidation/rusting etc. Water creates havoc in cooling systems. This coolant supposedly Extends the life of our aluminum parts.

4. B/c there's no rusting/oxidation of our metal/aluminum parts there is a longer time period in which you can leave the coolant in. The company says every 500,000 miles. I dunno if I'd leave it that long.

Bavauto sells it and they say it's fully compatible with our cars and cooling systems. I'm still doing research on this before I decide if I do it or not. Anyone else know anything about this product that wants to chime in?

Yorgi, how much of coolant do you need for a E64? Also, I've found this: http://www.amazon.com/Evans-NPG-Coolant/dp/B000JL760W and they selling a
EVANS-PREP; Evans Prep Fluid Waterless Flush and: Evans NPG-R Super Coolant - do you think that the "super coolant is better? What's your take on prep fluid flush?

My M3 takes about 2 gallons. You can get away with a single jug mixed 50-50 but I always buy 2 just so I have extra coolant for bleeding the system.

I have seen guys using Evans NPG+ waterless coolant and also RedLine WatterWetter on track cars but I don't know anyone who uses it on the street.

I did a ton of reading on this yesterday and I will stick to BMW coolant over Evans NPG+.

Some highlights of my reading:

• NPG+ boils at 375°F vs BMW coolant at 265°F - a plus since you can get hotspots in the engine block that will boil normal coolant and NPG+ will minimize the likelihood of this occurring
• The BMW cooling system was designed to run pressurized. With NPG+ there will be ZERO pressure in the system. I have read that due to the lack of pressure the cooling system will be less efficient (more likely to overheat even though there is a higher boiling point). Not sure what other consequences there are. The good thing about zero pressure is less stress on hoses/gaskets.
• You MUST remove every drop of water from the cooling system to use NPG+. Which means flushing twice with water, then using the Evans Prep Fluid (heavier than water)to push out all traces of water. It's a multi-step process that requires a lot of work. (pulling engine plugs, heater core pipes, blowing lines with a vacuum, etc...plus do all this in a certain order)
• If you have more than 5% water in the system when switching over to NPG+ you will get corrosion due to the lack of corrosion inhibitors in NPG+
• NPG+ is a lifetime fluid (100K to 500K miles)
• NPG+ is nothing but 100% propylene-glycol (normally $6/gallon) sold at $37/gallon
• If you need to add water in an emergency (ie during a road trip) you must re-flush the system with Prep Fluid when you get home and add fresh NPG+
• NPG+ is popular with racers and dirtbikes. Also with cars/bikes that need to operate at high altitudes where water boils at lower temps.
• There are no rust inhibitors in NPG+ (not required since it's waterless)

Very cool! Thanks! How much should I put in my E64? 2 gallons? I don't wanna mix.
Oh, and, how do you get to be so smart?

The 6 series cooling system has a 14L or 3.7 US gallon capacity. You will need two jugs of coolant from BMW.

You have to mix BMW coolant with distilled water 50% / 50%. If you don't add water the rust inhibitors will not activate properly.

I find the best way to mix 50/50 is to dump half a jug into another very clean container (i.e. a rinsed out wiper fluid jug) then fill the BMW coolant jug with distilled water.