Back to owning a BMW

[JackBean 645ci]

Hello all Bimmer owners club members

After a long time away from BMW and a long time of company car use, I have rejoined the BMW flock with a nice small, cheap, economic 2004 645ci...:-)

Quick question to all of those who may know- Every time i get back to the car a puddle of water is found underneath, quite large. The cooling system holds pressure at 2bar with engine warm without any drop in pressure...oil is clean without visable signs of water, no white smoke, engine is smooth  yet clearly it has a leak, 

Its not aircon drainage, doesnt seem to be using much water either which is bizarre

any hints before i take it to my local shylock and have my wallet bled before my eyes?

 

[Greydog]

Hi John

Welcome back to the Forum

Nice choice of car, with regard to the water leak 3 possibilities spring to mind first is water pump not unusual on the V8 starts as a weep from the bottom of the pump. Check with a mirror under the pump for signs of coolant stains, second (drove me nuts this one) the auxiliary water pump on the X5 it is mounted beneath the oil filter housing behind the near side headlamp mine had failed and developed a leak at one of the snap on hose seals. Both these left more of a damp stain than a puddle mine were at the front of the engine bay. The third is the dreaded valley pan seals though water loss with these is high (I have been told) puddles normally at the rear of the engine under the gearbox. Finally of course is check all the water hose connections and clamps, any swollen or soft hoses I would change.All the above jobs sre DIY options just depends on how handy you are with spanners or how freindly you want your local garage to be with your wallet.

Good Luck and Enjoy

Dave