High Temperature Coolant Reservoir Failure

[RB60]

BMW!

 

[TCMColorado]

Don't panic my friend!
We "self select" in terms of reporting "failures" on this enthusiasts' forum... while extremely helpful in understanding what "might" go wrong, there's also a need to put such reports into context in terms of a statistical probability. I'd venture to say that by my "back of the envelope" estimate the vehicle is far more reliable than many other marques.... (a million V8 engines in the recent GM recall, Honda and Hyundai likewise with the curse of manufacturing debris left in engine blocks)...
(Yes, my HP coolant reservoir also developed a crack...it's a BMW issue across many models).... but I'm relaxed about the Grenadier's overall reliability

We are in agreement but it is aggravating at the very least. I should have kept my Land Cruiser 200 as the reliable, never have to think about it rig.

 

[Nadir5]

I appear to have joined this club yesterday. I noted the smell of coolant after arriving home from an hour-long highway ride. Didn’t see any obvious wetness, but smell was strongest by the passenger-side reservoir (LHD).

Read the posts here and went back out and could see the white residue around the seam and then noticed dried streaks in the dust below the seam and on the chassis below.

Bought some coolant from the dealer today but found that the reservoir was full (in fact the entire yellow indicator was under fluid). This was a cold engine, btw.

Have an appointment for the dealer to examine next week - will be interested to see what they say.

 

[Tom109]

Hi folks, I also had a failure at the seam weld on my High Temp tank right off the showroom floor. Had it replaced under warranty, and then the water pump started weeping, likely due to improper coolant bleeding procedure.

That all said, I've been quite motivated to fix the classic BMW plastics issue on the engine as I accrue miles on my Grenny. I've been referencing BMW and Toyota A90 GR Supra owners/enthusiasts and learned a mountain of info that's quite helpful and reassuring that the problems can be managed over time.

Regarding, the coolant tanks: I'm currently talking to AlliSport in the UK, they've been in the business of Land Rover and similar fluid tanks for quite some time and have been upgrading plastic reservoirs with their proven aluminum tanks.

I'll keep folks updated as the project progresses. Currently I have Qty: 2 OEM Ineos coolant tanks (Hi & Low temp, respectively) on their way to them to conduct R&D on aluminum replacements.

They're also working on a slight update to the ZF plastic power steering reservoir that won't leak or have a split failure mode (similar unit)

Any update from AlliSport on aluminum expansion tanks?

 

[LazarusTheGrenny]

Any update from AlliSport on aluminum expansion tanks?

Andrew is still working on these and they're modeling & prototyping the quick disconnect fittings last I heard in an update from them about 2 weeks ago.

Agile Offroad is reportedly also working on at least the Hi-Temp coolant tank as well.

 

[theox]

Andrew is still working on these and they're modeling & prototyping the quick disconnect fittings last I heard in an update from them about 2 weeks ago.

Agile Offroad is reportedly also working on at least the Hi-Temp coolant tank as well.

Awesome, I will definitely be a customer. I basically replace these plastic tanks in every car I am able.

 

[DaneJa]

Another casualty. I caught my tank weeping a bit and it's been replaced on warranty.

 

[Mountain4x4]

Maybe Ineos could release a "GREEN" plastic free option. Say a 2500.00 option and you get all metal parts to replace the BMW plastics plus a transmission pan. Think about it, makes them look responsible being "GREEN" because non stop swapping out plastics is not green, and make there customers happy.

 

[Tom109]

Waiting for my new tanks to arrive to the dealer. Then I’ll be counting on AlliSport…

 

[RB60]

Both of mine are crusty at 4,000 miles. Come on BMW -

 

[dirtywaterbushcraft]

Yup! I noticed mine leaking at the seam last week. Going in for the repair.

 

[ItalianAmerican]

Before tackling a long trip I checked my fluid levels and noticed that the coolant in the HT Coolant Reservoir looked low. The HT Coolant Reservoir is number 1 with the blue cap in the pic below from @Rok_Dr's excellent guide:

View attachment 7903094

With the engine running, I noticed green coolant dripping from multiple locations around the middle seam of the HT Coolant Reservoir - not good. Here's a screen grab from a video I took showing one drip location:

View attachment 7903095

My dealer is Regal Ineos in Roswell, GA, and, after I brought my vehicle in, they confirmed it could not be repaired and needed to be replaced. It took approximately four weeks for the new HT reservoir to arrive after they placed the order. After it arrived, Regal installed it in short order, under warranty, and all appears good to go now.

My speculative theory on the seam failure is that whatever sealant was used between the two halves of the reservoir was not well suited for the hot and humid summer weather in Alabama, which is what I also blame for the rubber door seal delamination I experienced.

We'll see how the seam in the replacement tank holds up in August. Hopefully, they are using a better sealant these days. It's too bad they did not design the reservoir in one piece rather than pressing two plastic pieces together.

Through this process (and thanks again to Rok_Dr.'s guide!), I learned that Valvoline's Zerex HT-12 Coolant (I bought it at O'Reilly Auto Parts) is what I needed to refill my HT reservoir so I could still take my trip.

Hopefully, my reservoir's failure was a one-off, but it's worth taking a look at yours the next time you are under the hood. I did not notice a puddle under my vehicle, and it only seemed to start leaking with the vehicle running. Regal said they had not had other reports of this type of failure.

I have a 15 year old E90 and given how much of the Grenadier seems to be adapted from BMW directly or the companies who make BMW parts, I can tell you i have experienced the exact same issues with the E90 expansion tanks ever since I moved from NYC to Texas.