Bmw 118i low coolant warning

[Fausto]

Hey guys,

Back with another question/problem

Today in the morning I got a warning for low coolant (pic attached). I then stopped the engine, started it again and the message disappeared. I also had a look at the engine coolant level, and it does seem low (pic also attached).

There is no sign of leakage around the engine, or the tubes and neither on the ground, so I'm not sure why the level is so low or if this is even a normal occurrence and the coolant needs to be re-filled once every few years.

My car is a 118i from 2017 with ±138.000 km. Recently (±2 months ago) I did a service where the distribution cap was changed because oil was leaking from a seal around the distribution cover and BMW service has not mentioned any coolant leakage back then.

Could it be that some coolant was lost in the process while they changed this piece? The service DID mention some "antigel" (I think translated it means anti freeze / coolant) change that was not needed, and the total price paid was less than the original quote.

[Fausto]

This is what I meant by distribution cap (just to make sure we're talking about the same thing as I translated it word-by-word from a different language).

[Fausto]

Update: I went to a mechanics store and bought this type of coolant, the guy said it's for all vehicles including BMW and I can top-off safely, do you guys think it's OK?

[No one]

If you never added the coolant I guess it should be fine it went down in 7 years. If there's a small leak it can be difficult to notice: https://f20.1addicts.com/forums/show...&postcount=363. You can either have the car inspected for coolant leaks specifically or start with a top-off if you haven't done that recently and see if you need to repeat that any soon.

Regarding the coolant type it's apparently safest to use the BMW genuine coolant. A universal coolant won't ruin your car immediately but it might cause some harm/damage over time, depending on what it actually is. If that coolant you have has a brand name you can look it up. If it even does not it should be a cheap substitute to avoid, probably. Also see the manual, page 251.

[erickonphoenix]

I can't remember exactly the max and fill lines but your expansion tank photo does look low. It's possible the service might have lost some coolant and they didn't do the bleed procedure.

If you're losing coolant and you can't find a leak or residue of one check for coolant in your oil. If so, have a pressure test done on the cylinders.