Suspected Leak in heater.

[rob101]

G'day everyone.
I've been loosing a fair bit of coolant recently, just yesterday i'd had enough and put her up to check the hoses. nothing. however when i turn the heater on (very rarely atm) there is a strong coolant smell (even when i use the fan without the heater) my question is this.
If you have a heater core/pipe leak can you still loose coolant even if you don't use the heater or fan?
Also what kind of fittings are best for a bypass, there was discussion of it recently and someone said about copper/brass fittings being bad for the coolant system, should I get grey iron fittings instead?

[Ross]

could also be the o-rings, PITA either way. There is still a little coolant going around with it off probably. Just a loop of hose until you fix seems fine enough.

[rob101]

could also be the o-rings, PITA either way. There is still a little coolant going around with it off probably. Just a loop of hose until you fix seems fine enough.
time to goto the hardware shoppe, don't really understand what you mean by a loop of hose, there are 3 hoses coming out of the heater. I read somewhere you can just block them off. Is this true?

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

connecting to the block, forget the heater stuff it will be bypassed.

[shogun]

Could be a broken plastic part only, see how someone on Bimmerboard solved it
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/264431

[rob101]

connecting to the block, forget the heater stuff it will be bypassed.
yeah i don't know about that theres stuff everywhere around there one hose has 4 ends on it.here's the diagram (http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD52&mospid=47375&btnr=11_1123&hg=11&fg=35) and can someone suggest why there is an auxilary thermostat which bolts into the airbox?

[DaveVoorhis]

In cold weather, the aux thermostat delivers heated coolant to the throttle body water jacket to prevent icing.

[genphreak]

Could be a broken plastic part only, see how someone on Bimmerboard solved it
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/264431Erich, I don't know why I don't hang out over there more often. That is exactly what I am after, the cores seldom go even though everyone does them when there's a leak to prevent them having to go in again.

I have to get the hang of removing the console, it was a real bugger last time... I have to put a relay on the reverse light switch and fit my old Audi gauges in there too. But its summer now, no need for the heater anyway. Time for a valve adjusmtent and check first. Always fun to be had... :) Nick