purchased a 04 mcs alittle under a year ago. have done an oil change, and keep everything looked over pretty good. the coolant tank is alittle low and now that the summer heat is creeping upon me, id like to flush the coolant system. i have the factory write up on how to do this. other than factory coolant, what is safe to use? nearest dealer is 1.5 hours away so i cant just go and pick it up. ive read the prestone extended performance coolant is okay to use, but id like some reassurance. thanks for your help andy
BMW's are sensitive to the type of coolant used due to the variety of metals employed in the engine. It should be phosphate- and silicate-free so you don't have precipitates clogging up the system. I only use factory-branded coolant - not worth the hassle of getting it wrong. For what it's worth, Valvoline Zerex G-05 coolant is known to be compatible with BMW/MINIs and is what a lot of indy mechanics use. MINI coolant is the same as BMW coolant, so is there a BMW dealer any closer? If you need to top off, just add water. Make sure to use distilled water, not tap and not deionized. And mix the coolant 50/50 with distilled water as well.
yes there is a bmw dealer in town. ill have to swing by there this weekend and grab some. thanks. here's the prestone stuff i mentioned earlier. Buy Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant (1 Gallon) AF2000 at Advance Auto Parts says it free of silicate, phosphate, borate and nitrate. so it should be okay then? thanks andy
It could be okay, it could not be okay. Is it worth the extra 15 minutes and $10 to get the good stuff for your $25,000 car? Yes. Chat up the guys at the BMW dealer and ask them, too.
thanks for your reply. im not against going to the dealership. i just try to avoid there markups. i work for a dealership, not mini or bmw obviously, but know how much items can be marked up for essentially the same item that can be had at a local parts store.. if it is vital to stick with oem branded coolant because of potential differences in product. then ill go to the dealership. thanks for your help andy
Also, the overfill reservoir should be on the low side. Keep the fins on the bottom visible, no more. When they get overfilled they overflow when you run the car hard.
coolant Andy, I am the tech manager at prestone. You can use prestone ELC coolant in your mini. It is organic acid coolant, something that BMW now uses across the board on all models. The biggest difference between the Prestone ELC and what you pay big$$ for at the BMW dealer is the dye coloring of the coolant.
Mini Cooper 2010 convertible Can someone please tell what kind of coolant I can buy at Auto zone for my 2010mini Cooper convertible please??? The coolant it has right now I believe is green.
Pentofrost http://www.autozone.com/antifreeze-radiator-additives-and-windshield-wash-fluid/antifreeze-coolant-oe/mini/cooper
Amazon will make a delivery to your door for almost anything you need. :ihih: I never got to parts stores anymore, its 2017 and I hate going out in the public shopping. Too many idiots.