So, i found some leaks....

[liquidtiger720]

1) coolant leak...any idea where it could be coming from? There is also a leak coming out of the connection from those two hoses you can see in the picture (toward the radiator side)...i have no clue what those are.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC03231Large.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC03232Small.jpg



2)some kind of leak around the bell housing...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC03234Large.jpg


could it be caused by maybe a leaky oil pan gasket?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC03233Medium.jpg





i dont think the seals will like the m1 0w40 i just put in today. Hopefully they hold up for at least 2 weeks, and hopefully ill pass the tech inspection for the CCC.


So, wudya guys think?

oh yea. my fan clutch is a-ok.

[Kalevera]

Josh, if you can get a pressure tester on the system, you'll probably be able to find that coolant leak ASAP. Use one that does about 2 bar (~ 30psi).

Those are the auto tranny cooler lines. There should be O rings at the "screw box" that mates the cooler to the lines. Pretty easy fix if the lines themselves and the cooler itself are okay.

Bellhousing drip could be anything -- oil thrown back from the leak by the pan or a leak in the rear main. Rule out the rear main by looking up into the bellhousing -- there should be other evidence. Take a few more wider shots of the pan itself.

best, whit

[liquidtiger720]

Josh, if you can get a pressure tester on the system, you'll probably be able to find that coolant leak ASAP. Use one that does about 2 bar (~ 30psi).

Those are the auto tranny cooler lines. There should be O rings at the "screw box" that mates the cooler to the lines. Pretty easy fix if the lines themselves and the cooler itself are okay.

Bellhousing drip could be anything -- oil thrown back from the leak by the pan or a leak in the rear main. Rule out the rear main by looking up into the bellhousing -- there should be other evidence. Take a few more wider shots of the pan itself.

best, whit


Thanks for replying whit.

Do you happen to know where that screw box would show up in the bentley? I looked, and couldn't seem to find it. I figure i should know whats behind there before I start tearing it apart.


What other kind of evidence shoud i look for in the bell housing?

Yes, im a noob...and desperate. I can't afford these repairs much longer. Thanks again whit.

[liquidtiger720]

Whit, I am going to attempt to change those o-rings for the tranny cooler today...should I expect tranny fluid to come out? oil?


BTW. the leak from the front end looks brown/red...i have a feeling its a ps fluid hoses.

[shragon]

i had the same problem. oil tranny cooler was bad. just got it replaced a month or so ago.

[liquidtiger720]

i had the same problem. oil tranny cooler was bad. just got it replaced a month or so ago.
how much did that cost?

[Kalevera]

Josh: brown/red could be anything, or a mixture of things. Smell, viscosity tell a lot. But I think it'd be wise to fix what is verifiably wrong before speculative repairs begin.

One thing to do is remove the VC/fan, pop off the radiator clips and push the top of the rad away from the core support to get a good look at the coolers. If they're leaking enough down at the bottom, you'll be able to easily identify it with a quick look.

Yes, some trans fluid will empty out of the cooler and lines. It shouldn't be significant enough to merit checking the level, but you might want to get the ends of the lines as high up in the air "above" the trans as possible while they're not connected to preserve what fluid is in them. You might want to wait on replacing the O rings until you've had a look at the cooler itself, just to be certain that what's on there isn't residual.

When you're done replacing any kind of leak related part, clean the entire area (brake cleaner) and make sure it's dry. Take the car for a good drive and then check to see if the leak was fixed. It's vital to clean all visible fluid prior to driving -- I've chased phantom leaks on M50s that were nothing more than my ineptitude at cleaning all of the nooks and crannies after fixing a legitimate problem.

best, whit

[liquidtiger720]

Hehe. well..some fliud did come out...maybe 1-2oz at most. I cleaned the immediate surrounding areas and will check it out tommorow after my commute.

I was glad to see the fluid was a bright red and very clean. :)

I hope I am not low on fluid now...and I def. need a oil pan gasket.

[liquidtiger720]

Here are some pictures from today :)

Whit. Im concerned....that the whole cooler is actually leaking.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC03266Large.jpg

Oil pan.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC03267Large.jpg



and the mess i made.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/liquidtiger720/DSC03265Large.jpg

[Kalevera]

Josh, the first pic is the condensor. It looks normal, if not clean -- no rust ;)

The pan is actually quite clean, as well. You could probably just drive around with it for now, maybe bump up the viscosity of the oil you're using and see if that helps cure some of the seeping. It's a BIG job for a DIY without many tools. I don't know how others do it, but I did one two weeks ago and the engine brace was used/subframe was dropped. Resist the urge to tighten the pan bolts unless you have a torque wrench. I think the spec is ~ 90 in # or something like that. Overdoing them will bend the lip of the pan and it will leak even more.

best, whit

[Kalevera]

by the way, can you steal that grand cherokee behind your 525 in the pic and ship it out to me :D

[liquidtiger720]

Whit...so, i shouldn't be worried about how or why all that crap is there in the fins? Its some really nasty sludgey mud crap that I can't describe.

The oil pan is clean cause i wiped it off. haha.

[Chris'91'525i]

LT
While you have the front cover off, it looks like a good time to take your 525 to a spray and wash,(along with cover-all's, a can of gunk remover and the wheel ramps) to blast all that gunk out from under the car and in the condensor.
Makes it much nicer to work on a clean car, and should make the leaks easier to find too.
Try to avoid blasting electrical connectors, alternator and sealed bearings, ect... with full direct blast pressure to avoid problems.
Just a thought......

[liquidtiger720]

Yea, i plan on doing it some time soon. That, or I'll just slowly clean it peice by peice...which is really fun. haha.

[shragon]

basically, my shop said you want to check to see if the o-rings are bad. my tranny oil cooler was toast though. the tranny oil cooler itself was $213. i'm sure bma would probably be cheaper, but my car was already at shop for an inspection-II, so didn't bother checking. they charged me for 2.5 hrs labor to do the job.

[liquidtiger720]

Thanks Rob.

so which part is the oil cooler? - its that one peice right in front of the radiator right? It is suppose to be unsupported on the driverside? mine seems kind of flimy and can be pushed around.

~its funny, I always thought that was the radiator itself.

[shragon]

i believe so. since it was at the shop, i never took a good look at it. but it made a mess in that area, and they cleaned it up as best as they could. when i got it back, he told me to take it to a pressure washer to wash out what they couldn't get to. basically just sprayed through the front bumper grill. seemed to have worked, no leaks since. oh yea, the leaky tranny oil cooler caused my tranny fluid to be low, which was causing my tranny to slip.

[peterllo]

Picture one shows dreaded green antifreeze. If the hoses are tight look for dried white residue. Go the the area where it is most concentrated. The look for a wet/damp spot.

You could have the expansion tank lower o-ring leaking or like me, the actual crimp between the plastic side tank and aluminum core seeping. Mine leaked in the lower inner drivers side corner. It only leaked when cold, as the radiator heaed up and the plastic/aluminum expanded the leak stopped. To spot this leak you'll need a bright light, the leak may only show as a bright pinprick of light.

Picture two looks, and the seepage along the core support suggests, as if you have a leak at your trans oil cooler. You could try new o-rings at the cooler to raditor lines. Alternatively the cooler could be shot itself. Mine is and I have one one the way. If you pull the radiator look at the cooler, if covered in oil its' done.

The other two, I suggest you look further up on the motor or trans to see where that stuff is leaking down from. Those two really don't show enough to call it.

Hope this helps.

[peterllo]

OIl cooler last week from BMA $219. A radiator in the same ball park.

[shragon]

OIl cooler last week from BMA $219. A radiator in the same ball park.
wow, my mechanic was actually cheaper! (vs. $213) surprising!

[Kalevera]

Josh, it's sandwiched between the radiator and the condensor. The way to inspect it is pop the retaining clips off of the radiator and ease it back. Shine a light down there and you'll see it. I can't remember how PS cooling is handled on the M50/525, but I'm pretty sure the circuit lies in front of the condensor, so you can't miss the trans cooler.

best, whit

[liquidtiger720]

Okay. Well...i looked for leaks again today...and nothing really showed up. There was a couple of drops on that rubber/plastic cover, but thats about it. Hopefully I'll just pass the tech inspection this sat. for the CCC. Im going to clean it off one more time tommorow, and in the next week...I'll take the radiator back and have a looksie.


Is it possible to change the 0-ring on the bottom of the expansion tank?

Thank you everybody.


btw- yea...i know there's green coolant in there. I could have sworn it was blue-originally. When i changed my water pump/thermostat, I realized it was green. There was no time to flush it out...so, atm its mostly blue with a heater core amount size of green. Till next time.