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      12-27-2018, 05:12 PM   #1
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Fluid Reservoirs??

Ok so our manual sucks. Is the small reservoir on the passenger side of our engine bay for power steering and the larger reservoir on the driver side for coolant?
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      12-27-2018, 05:30 PM   #2
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      12-27-2018, 06:21 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by turboawd View Post
What engine you got?
50i... I was poking around under the engine today when I was installing my brakes and my little reservoir is empty. I feel like it has to be power steering but I don't want to just guess. I can't find it in the manual, the cap isn't marked well and google is not my friend.
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      12-28-2018, 06:40 AM   #4
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The small boxy looking reservoir on the passenger side of engine bay on 50i Xdrive is for the coolant that runs through the turbocharged air water intercooler, not for the engine coolant. You may top it up with the same kind of 50/50 mix coolant that we use for engine coolant.
The large cap reservoir on the driver side of engine bay on 50i Xdrive is for engine coolant and the smaller one next to it is for the power steering fluid.
The brake fluid reservoir is on the driver side just below the windshield.
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      12-28-2018, 07:31 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by BimmerMan33 View Post
The small boxy looking reservoir on the passenger side of engine bay on 50i Xdrive is for the coolant that runs through the turbocharged air water intercooler, not for the engine coolant. You may top it up with the same kind of 50/50 mix coolant that we use for engine coolant.
The large cap reservoir on the driver side of engine bay on 50i Xdrive is for engine coolant and the smaller one next to it is for the power steering fluid.
The brake fluid reservoir is on the driver side just below the windshield.
Got it, that makes sense, thanks. I thought it was strange that the manual doesn't call it out.
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      12-28-2018, 06:34 PM   #6
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The two black screw cap tanks are for coolant, blue cap tank is washer fluid, yellow cap tank is brake fluid.

For coolant, use blue color coolant type, if not available the regular green stuff is okay. Don't use the pink stuff.
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      12-29-2018, 07:46 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikew2069 View Post
50i... ....I can't find it in the manual, the cap isn't marked well and google is not my friend.
Try newtis.info: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f...xdrive50i-sav/
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      12-29-2018, 10:41 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikew2069 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by turboawd View Post
What engine you got?
50i... I was poking around under the engine today when I was installing my brakes and my little reservoir is empty. I feel like it has to be power steering but I don't want to just guess. I can't find it in the manual, the cap isn't marked well and google is not my friend.
Empty doesn't sound good for those turbos. How many miles you at? I guess I should take a look at mine. I didn't realize there was a second reservoir. Just assumed it all fed off the main coolant system.
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      12-29-2018, 05:13 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Maverik259 View Post
Empty doesn't sound good for those turbos. How many miles you at? I guess I should take a look at mine. I didn't realize there was a second reservoir. Just assumed it all fed off the main coolant system.
I’m at like 37k but I bought it about 2k miles ago so I don’t know how long it’s beenlike that. At least it’s CPO and filled now so fingers crossed.... I compare everything to my F30 and that doesn’t have a seperate reservoir.
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      12-29-2018, 05:47 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by mikew2069 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maverik259 View Post
Empty doesn't sound good for those turbos. How many miles you at? I guess I should take a look at mine. I didn't realize there was a second reservoir. Just assumed it all fed off the main coolant system.
I'm at like 37k but I bought it about 2k miles ago so I don't know how long it's beenlike that. At least it's CPO and filled now so fingers crossed.... I compare everything to my F30 and that doesn't have a seperate reservoir.
Ya I'll need to take a look at mine tonight after this games over. You just fill with normal coolant? I think I got some 50/50 around the garage somewhere
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      12-29-2018, 06:20 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maverik259 View Post
Ya I'll need to take a look at mine tonight after this games over. You just fill with normal coolant? I think I got some 50/50 around the garage somewhere
Get the blue stuff. I got the Peak 50/50 blue cap stuff from Autozone.
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      12-29-2018, 11:12 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Maverik259 View Post
Ya I'll need to take a look at mine tonight after this games over. You just fill with normal coolant? I think I got some 50/50 around the garage somewhere
I just used the 50 50 green stuff I had in the garage. Figured that’s all I need in Texas climate.
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      02-18-2019, 04:44 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikew2069 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maverik259 View Post
Ya I'll need to take a look at mine tonight after this games over. You just fill with normal coolant? I think I got some 50/50 around the garage somewhere
I just used the 50 50 green stuff I had in the garage. Figured that’s all I need in Texas climate.
Finally decided to look at this. Found all the caps under my hood are black lol. Every last one! Luckily some have picture on them to show what they are.

Only needed maybe a couple cap fills and I was up at max level. Pretty good I guess. About 45k miles as of today.
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      02-18-2019, 04:54 PM   #14
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Yeah, I was looking at fluids the other day and annoyed the caps aren't properly labeled. WTF, BMW??? On these new cars, do they just not expect the owner/driver to do/know anything, so they don't feel the need to label them?

Also, I felt REALLY stupid after poking around for literally 10 min and unable to find my oil dipstick - as a car guy, I've never ever had that problem on a car before in my entire life. After 10 min of fruitless searching and getting mad at myself (and BMW), I finally googled it only to realize we have none, and all I can do is check it electronically via the iDrive. That is really dumb, IMO. Sensors can malfunction all the time. F this digital BS, I want a regular diptstick I can use in a cold engine so I know exactly how much oil I have.
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      02-18-2019, 05:35 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maverik259 View Post
Finally decided to look at this. Found all the caps under my hood are black lol. Every last one! Luckily some have picture on them to show what they are.

Only needed maybe a couple cap fills and I was up at max level. Pretty good I guess. About 45k miles as of today.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LeopardM3 View Post
Yeah, I was looking at fluids the other day and annoyed the caps aren't properly labeled. WTF, BMW??? On these new cars, do they just not expect the owner/driver to do/know anything, so they don't feel the need to label them?

Also, I felt REALLY stupid after poking around for literally 10 min and unable to find my oil dipstick - as a car guy, I've never ever had that problem on a car before in my entire life. After 10 min of fruitless searching and getting mad at myself (and BMW), I finally googled it only to realize we have none, and all I can do is check it electronically via the iDrive. That is really dumb, IMO. Sensors can malfunction all the time. F this digital BS, I want a regular diptstick I can use in a cold engine so I know exactly how much oil I have.
Yea I was pretty annoyed about it. The cap on the left seemed like it would be coolant but with the main coolant reservoir on the right, I was confused.... Come on BMW, at least put it in the manual so we can do our due diligence and get the info!
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      02-18-2019, 08:25 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LeopardM3 View Post
Yeah, I was looking at fluids the other day and annoyed the caps aren't properly labeled. WTF, BMW??? On these new cars, do they just not expect the owner/driver to do/know anything, so they don't feel the need to label them?

Also, I felt REALLY stupid after poking around for literally 10 min and unable to find my oil dipstick - as a car guy, I've never ever had that problem on a car before in my entire life. After 10 min of fruitless searching and getting mad at myself (and BMW), I finally googled it only to realize we have none, and all I can do is check it electronically via the iDrive. That is really dumb, IMO. Sensors can malfunction all the time. F this digital BS, I want a regular diptstick I can use in a cold engine so I know exactly how much oil I have.
The lack of a dipstick annoys me too especially since you can only check oil in the iDrive when the motor is warmed up which might be problem if you’re low on oil.... not sure what BMW was thinking.

I guess they smartened up that this is not a cost worth saving so they put it back in the TU2 update:
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      02-18-2019, 10:19 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alphaod View Post
The lack of a dipstick annoys me too especially since you can only check oil in the iDrive when the motor is warmed up which might be problem if you’re low on oil.... not sure what BMW was thinking.

I guess they smartened up that this is not a cost worth saving so they put it back in the TU2 update:
Attachment 1993782
Exactly, you have to have the engine warmed up to check it. So so so so dumb. *sigh*

And also, WHY is the brake fluid container hidden below that plastic grate cover below the windshield? I have to disassemble that whole f'ing thing so I can check my brake fluid? GTFO. I can kind of see it between the holes/slats, but not well enough.

WHY BMW WHY
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Last edited by LeopardM3; 02-18-2019 at 10:27 PM..
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      02-18-2019, 10:29 PM   #18
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And then, this conversation got me to check the fluid in the extra reservoir on the pass side:


And looks like the fluid was all the way up to the max indicator:
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      02-18-2019, 10:33 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by LeopardM3 View Post
And then, this conversation got me to check the fluid in the extra reservoir on the pass side:


And looks like the fluid was all the way up to the max indicator:
Ya that's the turbo coolant we've been talking about. Mine was below min but only a few cap fills put it to max. I think mike had to fill a lot more.
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      02-18-2019, 10:35 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alphaod View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by LeopardM3 View Post
Yeah, I was looking at fluids the other day and annoyed the caps aren't properly labeled. WTF, BMW??? On these new cars, do they just not expect the owner/driver to do/know anything, so they don't feel the need to label them?

Also, I felt REALLY stupid after poking around for literally 10 min and unable to find my oil dipstick - as a car guy, I've never ever had that problem on a car before in my entire life. After 10 min of fruitless searching and getting mad at myself (and BMW), I finally googled it only to realize we have none, and all I can do is check it electronically via the iDrive. That is really dumb, IMO. Sensors can malfunction all the time. F this digital BS, I want a regular diptstick I can use in a cold engine so I know exactly how much oil I have.
The lack of a dipstick annoys me too especially since you can only check oil in the iDrive when the motor is warmed up which might be problem if you’re low on oil.... not sure what BMW was thinking.

I guess they smartened up that this is not a cost worth saving so they put it back in the TU2 update:
Attachment 1993782
That's quite the bend in the line down at the bottom. A bit odd for a dip stick.
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      02-19-2019, 07:19 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maverik259 View Post
Ya that's the turbo coolant we've been talking about. Mine was below min but only a few cap fills put it to max. I think mike had to fill a lot more.
Yup, damn near empty.
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      02-19-2019, 09:15 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alphaod View Post
The lack of a dipstick annoys me too especially since you can only check oil in the iDrive when the motor is warmed up which might be problem if you’re low on oil.... not sure what BMW was thinking.

I guess they smartened up that this is not a cost worth saving so they put it back in the TU2 update:
Attachment 1993782
Mine does not have this.
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