kwhelan 234 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 My 2003 e39 525 has devoloped a pinhole in the plastic pipe header on passenger side which has just ruined my long weekend planned trip ,wierd because its looks physically brand new and is mid surface and unstressed, What are the options are they repairable, part replacement or do i have to get a whole radiator Any idea of costs likely and is it an easy remove and replace, Is 2nd hand an option or are they just as likely to fail Its still only a pinhole but is it likely to just split if i keep driving it or will it be ok short trips in the meantime Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 Havent yet had cooling issues with ours but it is well documented on cooling system issues in E39's over the 100k mark. Without seeing, hard to confirm the risk of driving - obviously depends on leakage & likelyhood of letting go & dumping water. From your description - sounds probably ok for short running but obviously keep a close eye on it. If, as you say, it is in a non stressed part of the system - I would be hesitant of trying to repair & not be keen on a S/H unit either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crazy Dave 0 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 When I bought mine, it had a pinhole on the underside of the upper radiator hose. Took me a while to find and was replaced by the dealer. However the low coolant level warning light is awesome. Gives plenty of warning to check and top up. I drove it like this for a couple of weeks until I found the problem. My 2003 e39 525 has devoloped a pinhole in the plastic pipe header on passenger side which has just ruined my long weekend planned trip ,wierd because its looks physically brand new and is mid surface and unstressed, What are the options are they repairable, part replacement or do i have to get a whole radiator Any idea of costs likely and is it an easy remove and replace, Is 2nd hand an option or are they just as likely to fail Its still only a pinhole but is it likely to just split if i keep driving it or will it be ok short trips in the meantime Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zeemax 0 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 If you are talking about the small transfer hose pipe mount i think these can be switched out for a 2nd hand one. A new rad would be best, but expensive. I would not like to drive a car with a small leak for too long especially as import bmws seem to have some kind of fragile plastic disease which would suggest that the small pinhole could grow into a large problem later on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwhelan 234 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 Havent yet had cooling issues with ours but it is well documented on cooling system issues in E39's over the 100k mark. Without seeing, hard to confirm the risk of driving - obviously depends on leakage & likelyhood of letting go & dumping water. From your description - sounds probably ok for short running but obviously keep a close eye on it. If, as you say, it is in a non stressed part of the system - I would be hesitant of trying to repair & not be keen on a S/H unit either. 104km so guess its just bad design using plastic parts,have read they can just suddenly split so not prepared to risk a long trip as its obviously weakened internally and possibly brittle Because it looks brand new, physically inspecting 2nd parts must be impossible to verify a good one Like to know whether the tanks can be replaced or is the radiator a complete unit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jono51 58 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 104km so guess its just bad design using plastic parts,have read they can just suddenly split so not prepared to risk a long trip as its obviously weakened internally and possibly brittle Because it looks brand new, physically inspecting 2nd parts must be impossible to verify a good one Like to know whether the tanks can be replaced or is the radiator a complete unit good call not driving it, depends on your budget, SH or new, be wary also of new, you pay for what you get and there is cheaper options out there that work as great sives! spare no expense on a radiator, cheaper than a replacement engine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybrid 1040 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 yeah I hate to say it ... but its the start of replacing the whole system if it hasn't been done before.. I have done most of mine ... Still got a single pipe to go and my heat exchanger. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allan 295 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 Welcome to the dark side of e39 ownership hahha!!!. As Jono stated wise move, don't drive it. This could be the beginning for you of a complete cooling system Overhaul hope not. Check the whole system out hoses, plastic connections, water pump, thermostata, heater core etc etc. Is this of any help http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-...n-412983509.htm. If you have deep pockets try a crowd in America which have an aluminiun and electric fan set Zionville or some such name not cheep. Best of luck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tmase 19 Report post Posted October 7, 2011 Previous owner of my car replaced the radiator after cracking a hose attachment fitting after completing a coolant flush. He tried shopping it around to radiator repairers and was told that a replacement radiator was the only way to go. He replaced the water pump at the same time I think as a precautionary measure. Not sure of exact mileage at the time but it would have been 100k-120k ish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
