How To Replace The Cooling Flange On A BMW N20, N52, N54, N26, & N55 Engine (X3, X5, 328i & More)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- ►The BMW BMW N52, N54, N55, N20, and N26 engines all have a common failure point-the cooling flange. Also known as the 'Mickey Mouse flange', it's located at the front of the engine next to the oil filter housing. It's extremely common that this corrodes and eventually gives way, causing a coolant leak that can potentially leave you stranded on the side of the road (like Andrew in this case).
In this video, Andrew takes you through the steps needed to replace the cooling flange and get your car back up and running. From removing the old flange to installing the new one and bleeding the air out of the system, the entire process is covered.
This is not a difficult job to complete at home (or on the side of the road) as long as you have the right tools handy.
Shop The Parts Used in This Video:
www.fcpeuro.co...
Read More On Our Blog: blog.fcpeuro.c...
SUBSCRIBE: hubs.ly/H0cDnfN0
This Part Fits These Vehicles:
BMW 330i
2006 BMW 330i
BMW 325i
2006 BMW 325i
BMW 530i
2006 BMW 530i
2007 BMW 530i
BMW 525i
2006 BMW 525i
2007 BMW 525i
BMW 530xi
2006 BMW 530xi
2007 BMW 530xi
BMW 525xi
2006 BMW 525xi
2007 BMW 525xi
BMW 325xi
2006 BMW 325xi
BMW 330xi
2006 BMW 330xi
BMW Z4
2006 BMW Z4
2006 BMW Z4
2006 BMW Z4
2007 BMW Z4
2007 BMW Z4
2007 BMW Z4
2008 BMW Z4
2008 BMW Z4
2008 BMW Z4
2009 BMW Z4
2010 BMW Z4
2011 BMW Z4
2012 BMW Z4
2013 BMW Z4
2014 BMW Z4
2015 BMW Z4
2016 BMW Z4
BMW 328i
2007 BMW 328i
2008 BMW 328i
2009 BMW 328i
2010 BMW 328i
2011 BMW 328i
2012 BMW 328i
2012 BMW 328i
2012 BMW 328i
2012 BMW 328i
2012 BMW 328i
2013 BMW 328i
2013 BMW 328i
2013 BMW 328i
2013 BMW 328i
2014 BMW 328i
2015 BMW 328i
2016 BMW 328i
BMW 328xi
2007 BMW 328xi
2008 BMW 328xi
BMW 335i
2007 BMW 335i
2008 BMW 335i
2009 BMW 335i
2010 BMW 335i
2011 BMW 335i
2012 BMW 335i
2013 BMW 335i
2014 BMW 335i
2015 BMW 335i
BMW X3
2007 BMW X3
2008 BMW X3
2009 BMW X3
2010 BMW X3
2011 BMW X3 xDrive28i
2011 BMW X3 xDrive35i
2012 BMW X3 xDrive28i
2012 BMW X3 xDrive35i
2013 BMW X3 xDrive35i
2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i
2014 BMW X3 xDrive35i
2014 BMW X3 xDrive28i
2015 BMW X3 xDrive35i
2015 BMW X3 xDrive28i
2015 BMW X3 sDrive28i
2016 BMW X3 xDrive35i
2016 BMW X3 sDrive28i
2016 BMW X3 xDrive28i
2017 BMW X3 xDrive35i
BMW 528i
2008 BMW 528i
2009 BMW 528i
2010 BMW 528i
2011 BMW 528i
2012 BMW 528i
2013 BMW 528i
2014 BMW 528i
2015 BMW 528i
2016 BMW 528i
BMW 528xi
2008 BMW 528xi
BMW 535i
2008 BMW 535i
2009 BMW 535i
2010 BMW 535i
2011 BMW 535i
2012 BMW 535i
2013 BMW 535i
2014 BMW 535i
2015 BMW 535i
2016 BMW 535i
BMW 535xi
2008 BMW 535xi
BMW 335xi
2007 BMW 335xi
2008 BMW 335xi
BMW 128i
2008 BMW 128i
2009 BMW 128i
2010 BMW 128i
2011 BMW 128i
2012 BMW 128i
2013 BMW 128i
BMW 135i
2008 BMW 135i
2009 BMW 135i
2010 BMW 135i
2011 BMW 135i
2012 BMW 135i
2013 BMW 135i
BMW 528i xDrive
2009 BMW 528i xDrive
2010 BMW 528i xDrive
2012 BMW 528i xDrive
2013 BMW 528i xDrive
2014 BMW 528i xDrive
2015 BMW 528i xDrive
2016 BMW 528i xDrive
BMW 535i xDrive
2009 BMW 535i xDrive
2010 BMW 535i xDrive
2011 BMW 535i xDrive
2012 BMW 535i xDrive
2013 BMW 535i xDrive
2014 BMW 535i xDrive
2015 BMW 535i xDrive
2016 BMW 535i xDrive
BMW 328i xDrive
2009 BMW 328i xDrive
2010 BMW 328i xDrive
2011 BMW 328i xDrive
2012 BMW 328i xDrive
2013 BMW 328i xDrive
2013 BMW 328i xDrive
2014 BMW 328i xDrive
2015 BMW 328i xDrive
2016 BMW 328i xDrive
BMW 335i xDrive
2009 BMW 335i xDrive
2010 BMW 335i xDrive
2011 BMW 335i xDrive
2012 BMW 335i xDrive
2013 BMW 335i xDrive
2014 BMW 335i xDrive
2015 BMW 335i xDrive
BMW 535i GT
2011 BMW 535i GT
2010 BMW 535i GT
2012 BMW 535i GT
2013 BMW 535i GT
2014 BMW 535i GT
2015 BMW 535i GT
2016 BMW 535i GT
2017 BMW 535i GT
BMW 335is
2011 BMW 335is
2012 BMW 335is
2013 BMW 335is
BMW 135is
2013 BMW 135is
BMW 320i
2013 BMW 320i
2014 BMW 320i
2015 BMW 320i
2016 BMW 320i
BMW 320i xDrive
2013 BMW 320i xDrive
2014 BMW 320i xDrive
2015 BMW 320i xDrive
2016 BMW 320i xDrive
& More
Get free parts from FCP Euro:
www.fcpeuro.co...
Follow FCP Euro on:
/ fcpeuro
/ fcpeuro
/ fcpeuro
www.fcpeuro.com/
Buy the upgraded flange here! www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-aluminum-coolant-hose-flange-rein-chc0609?
Why the expansion tank cap is not removed during bleeding? How can the air bleed ?
Oh wow. Thank you very much for this info!!
This happened to my car while on my lunch break. I recently moved and my local mechanic is telling me a couple more days to fix. I even looked online for a mobile mechanics and not only are they saying a extra week and a half to get to me and they’re charging me $110 just to look at it. After watching your video twice, I think I can do it myself.
You definitely can, I recommend upper rad hose at the same time - flange and upper hose plastic on oil filter housing side are both going to be cheddar cheese
@@fieldingst.pierre-porter4172 I did it the following week and am still rolling today without any issues. Thanks!
@@ellasteen nice. Could be good to keep an eye on that Upper coolant hose (other side of oil filter housing,) mine was crumbling at the same time as my coolant flange.
This aluminum flange is only a few dollars on amazon/ebay/FCP etc and definitely worth the 15 minutes it takes to put it in. I had the OEM plastic flange shatter (while the system was hot/under pressure) which created a massive mess, sent some plastic bits throughout my cooling system and left me stranded.
This is such an easy and quick swap -- worth doing as a preventative measure regardless of your N52/N55 cooling system's age. Great video!
Thanks Matt S. like you said its such a common fail point, and such a cheap easy peace of mind diy its worth doing for all N5x owners. Thanks for watching!
A good practice when doing the bleed procedure is to connect a battery charger that can supply 15 amps or so, if you have access to AC power. It's a huge drain on the car's battery. Great video, as usual! Always great to see the job done on the same car I'm driving!
Good practice to keep a charge on it for sure Doug! Thanks for watching , appreciate the insight.
Just be warned, I have the 2013 335i and there are the two oil lines to the external oil cooler that make this job a little more challenging as these have to be removed first. I was just going to do mine as preventative in an afternoon. But this is looking like a bit more of a job now. Also will need to order some of the o-rings for those external cooler lines. Still good info as always!
I had to replace this flange on my daughter's 09 X3 (N52). Fortunately for me it broke during the replacement of the oil filter housing and oil cooler housing gaskets. Ordered the aluminum flange from FCP Euro and it fit/installed with no issues.
Glad to hear the part came and installed as expected Jeff! Sounds like it was a good mistake to break while already in there, the inexpensive rein upgrade is well worth the peace of mind.
Thank you. Great instructional DIY video. I watched a few before yours and this one gave me the confidence to go ahead and tackle it. Saved me about $225 in tow and install fees. Did it in my garage with the tools you listed.
Bought my 2011 335i with 52k miles. One week later the water pump exploded. Lol I thought I was done with cooling problems! 😂😂. I'm definitely getting this upgrade as preventative maintenance. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Happy to help Chris... Hate to say it but never count out potential cooling problems when it comes to a good ole bmw 😁too many plastic pieces in there for that!
@FCPEuro yep I replaced the ENTIRE cooling system on my 97 e36 a few years back. Something BMW hasn't figured out yet.
Thank you very much! Didn't know how to bleed the system lol. Finished today with the black billet aluminum coolant flange by VargasTT and it was way easier than the belt/tensioner/pulley job I did while I was in there. Test drove and no more squeaking from the belt plus peace of mind removing the old plastic piece. (08' E93 N54)
Thanks for video! Just did my 06 330i @ 121K miles. Disintegrated like you showed. Don't have to wonder about that on some upcoming road trips!
Glad to learn about this weak point. Nice job. Thank you!
Glad we were able to shed some light on such a common problem with a cheap and easy fix for you David!
Finished the repair with ease. Unbolted the flange and when I pulled off, it broke in half! Used pic tool to remove remainder and o ring, then used channel locks over a rag to crush the band on the remaining piece, then removed band. Bent hose while doing this to prevent broken plastic pieces from traveling down to thermostat.
Thank you so much for this video. My car broke down thankfully when I pulled into my driveway. Very straight forward I think I could do this myself.
Perfect timing 😬
Do you suggest replacing this before it fails? This is the kind of item that goes bad on weekends when every repair place is closed.
Art this is something we see so frequently that we suggest replacing it as "preventative maintenance". Its also so cheap and easy to do that its a great one to do at the same time as a coolant flush.
I've seen others do the bleed procedure with cap off. Surely that way air will come out better & can also see if you need to add anymore coolant?
Thanks, great video
After watching you video several times. I did it myself and saved $$$
Great video! one question for a N55 Engine (e70 X5)
- When doing this as preventive maintenance, how much coolant are you likely to spill when disconnecting the hose?
Not that much
Perfect timing for the video, mine just starting to leak... BMW plastics! Lovely! Thanks FCP, this is a way better way to do it with the aluminum flange(people used to do it with the plastic flange); the BMW branded hose with plastic flange attached would be a real pain to replace the whole thing without removing the thermostat, especially on AWD almost no clearance.
You're welcome, Senimator!
If you do this before it fails do you have to use a dremel to cut the steel band? How do you not cut the rubber hose?
You asked the real question lol I wanted the same answer lol It's easy when it's easy...but a completely different job when it's not lol
I actually did this job, use channel locks to destroy the flange and the band will slid right out.
Make sure you tape the teeth on the channel locks so you don’t destroy the rubber !
Great video, in a pinch I see.
But don’t forget the pieces down inside the hose 😬 the electric water pumps dont take to kindly to debris in the coolant, flush it later if done in a pinch like this.
Finally a bmw repair that is cheap and easy.
We need to find more of these huh TheFlyingPLiner !? 😳
Thank you so much. Saved me a lot of money on a repair and introduced me to your online parts store!
To add, it seems you need the door closed and you need to stay in the car for the 15 minutes to keep it running. I opened the door after 5 minutes and it sounded like it stopped running the pump. Right ?
I broke mine while trying to remove the screw from the oil cooler housing that’s facing the flange. Good times considering didn’t had the part, didn’t know it’s name at the time and didn’t know how to find it. Luckily, I found it on FCP, bought it, and it got delivered really fast. Was easy to install on my N55, but not as easy as on that N52!!
Thanks for the support, JMC!
FCP Euro My pleasure!! I’m for sure a client of yours!!
I like to run the heat on the next drive to help remove any trapped air and check coolant level before the next cold start
I will say i loved your guys' replacement aluminum piece but i ended up using a regular worm gear hose clamp instead of the prrovided clamp cuz i found the clamp too difficult to put on without dmging the existing hose.
We respect your choice in using whatever clamp you see fit for the job!
I feel you, Andrew. Mine failed at work; I opted to replace the entire hose (via FCPEuro, of course) since my rubber was wearing out. Definitely an awful design.
Glad you were able to catch it quick enough Jeff, and there are worse places to do a repair than at work hopefully in a parking lot 😁Appreciate your support and ordering the parts from us at FCP Euro!
Hey there! Was in the middle of doing this repair, but I dropped and lost one of the damn bolts!
I figured theyre m6x25mm, but waas wondering if youd buy the oems vs a standard flange bolt and etc.
And if you would buy OEM, can you help me find where to purchase the housing bolts on your website?
Thank you! @FCP EURO
my car is about 70k, 7 years ago, I checked the flange today, it is still new, not broken like yours in the video, I can't even break it with clamp. Do you think I should change it? What's interval we should change it.
Did you ever change it?
Great video step by step. Easy peasy.
When this failed, how many miles on the car and what year was the car. I’m really just curious. I live in 47° latitude close to Canada border and parked in freezing temps and then obviously the engine gets hot with driving. I have a 2011 328xi 90k miles. Everything varies I know, but entirely curious. Thanks! I hope to hear from you. I do have the bullet aluminum Mickey Mouse from FCPeuro. Now my oil level has dropped and my coolant level has dropped and i’m done driving it until I can change my filter housing gasket. Regret selling my Audi A4 for the 328xi
This car is an 09', and had about 120k on it when it failed. We have seen them fail anywhere between 60k-160k. Glad you got it done!
I assume this also applies to N51 engines? Is it actually required to bleed the system after you install this let alone twice? That seems like overkill. My car just reached 100k and this was recommended to me as a preventive measure. I plan on doing it but will remove the airbox for easier access.
NVM. I lost around 1 liter of fluid and you will definitely need to top it off and bleed.
You don't have to remove the airbox that's on the opposite side of the engine bay.
Interesting. I’ll order one to swap at the same time as the oils filter housing gasket. Gotta vlees the cooling system then anyway.
An aside, is that the euro intake? And what’s the wheel/tire/suspension setup? It’s cool to see another non-Msport 128i being used like this. I love mine and run on gravel roads too.
DasWauto thats an oportune time to swap it out. In regards to Andrews setup the car has M Sport Suspension (S704) and Sport Seats (S481) but not an M Sport package (S337, S715). Current suspension is Eibach lowering springs and swaybars front and rear with Koni yellow sport dampers, Dinan camber plates, and M3 control arms front and rear. The wheels are TR Motorsport C2s 17x8.5 ET 40 no spacers, wrapped in 245/40-17 . The intake is is the Euro air box you can use part number 13717555287 or 13717552437. They can be had for around $200 with out a filter but we unfortunatly dont sell them. This the filter itself www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-air-filter-k-n-e-2022#fitment
FCP Euro FCP Euro right on, mine is the same sport suspension/seats but not the Msport bumpers and interior bits. I have Ohlins R&T waiting to go in (gotta order top mounts for the front) and the car is on 18x8.5 et45(I think) Apex Arc-8s, with 235/40 tires. I’ll probably stay away from the M3 arms with the goal of eventually running 255/40R17 for autocross, keeping the current setup for daily use. Eventually I want to do the euro airbox, 30i intake/tune, an exhaust of some sort, maybe headers and a single mass flywheel. It’s a second car so I’ll chip away at that list.
I use the car primary for autocross and HPDE. The M3 arms limit your tire width slightly but increase caster and give you about .75°of negative camber. I am currently at -2.5° up front and -1.8° out back. I think the trade is worth it. I have the three stage intake manifold, euro airbox, headers, and a tune. It puts down ~250whp and only weighs 3100lbs without me me in it. I have a set of ARC-8s with the same specs wrapped in RE71Rs for the track and autox, I absolutely love them. The 128i is one of the most underrated BMWs. I have had mine for about 3 years, it is an amazing little thing. The Ohlins are amazing I am jealous. If you are planning on getting serious about autocross I recommend an LSD as one of your first modifications. I am running a Wavetrac and it completely transformed the car.
I swapped out the flange and coolant reservoir but no upon driving my car the oil is leaking profusely near the oil filter housing…. Do you know why?
Is this an issue with the N47 (4cyl) engines? got a diesel 2013 F30 320d. Don't think the flange can be bought and replaced separately
Step 1: wait till it fails and throws coolant everywhere
Step 2: install the aluminum flange
Easy
It really is that simple and easy Garf20 😂
Do the upper rad hose while you're at it, mine blew before the flange and I replaced both... They were both turned into cheddar cheese
Fortunately for me, it happened a few minutes after I arrived from work. I had no idea how common this failure mode is.
Good save!
Does the coolant need to be drained to do this job? Mine is not broken but I’d like to upgrade it
Hi Luis, draining and bleeding the system will be necessary for this DIY.
Where can I get more of the bolts that go into that flange? Lost one and it's dripping coolant
These flanges are failing on BMWs for 30 years now when they changed from metal to plastic in the early 90s. Another Beemer same old problem. I'm glad there's a solution for the problem and you don't have to use an original part that will fail again...
Shouldn't have any future problems with the upgraded part!
Thx for the video...this is new to me...on the side note, what tyoe of wheels are those annd what size tires..if you dont mind me asking...they look 👍..thx
TR Motorsport C2s 17x8.5 ET 40 wrapped in 245/40 tires all the way around, no spacers.
Great save! What was the mileage at the time it failed? Thanks.
Damn plastic parts...
Oops, just noticed your earlier reply to the mileage question.
Er, was that 135k miles? Just want to be sure (kms in my parts...)
Yep, 135k miles.
Just received my FCP aluminum replacements yesterday. Thx FCP for the quick shipment to Canada. One each for my 1er and wife’s E84.
@@MarioDallaRiva happy to hear it Mario! Dual wielding aluminum coolant flanges!
FCP Euro aka Mickey & Minnie
Same 135k
just bought upgrade flange from you guys👍
my 335i 2007 plastic oem flange wasnt broken or leaking , but once i touched it it broke i would say on older cars you have to change asap just to avoid headache.
tried doing this on an n51 while doing OFHG since i had coolant out, after flushing and running the car for almost an hour driving around and such, smoke started to come from the engine and there was coolant all over
if you replace this before it blows will you need to add coolant and bleed?
Hi David, you will need to top off the system, and it is recommended to run the self bleeding procedure after the job with the electric pump.
Do I still need to do the bleed procedure if I'm only replacing the coolant flange preventatively along with my oil filter housing gasket?
you'll likely still lose a few liters of fluid, so a bleed afterwards is always ideal!
@@fcpeuro Thank you, I appreciate your response. I was just wondering since your N52 Oil Filter Housing Gasket replacement video didn't mention the bleeding procedure. Good to know though! I will do the bleeding procedure after I drain and re-fill the coolant!
No matter what I do I can't get mine to go in 100% at the bottom I can feel a gap on the inside at the bottom as well
2012 x3 28i
My flange won’t go in even with new Oring how do I push it in?
what do I do about coolant that has spilled when I removed the flange and has accumulated on the undercarriage cover?
either jack up the car and remove the under tray and drain it, or just drive away and wait for it to evaporate or spill out 😂
@@cooperolson1564 Hehe that’s what I thought. Thanks!
If you want to replace this before it breaks how do you get the present hose loose? Cut it?
Alan unfortunately the best way to get it off is indeed to cut that sucker right off.
What wheels/size and et you have in this 1 series
I appreciate you brother.
Where can I get that bmw antifreeze/coolant?
How do I replace the hose? It’s so tight underneath, no diy?
I know the oem rubber o’rings part number is posted on your website but what’s the size of that o’ring ?
This is what I found from ECS Tuning: Measurements: 29x2.9
I assume these are in mm. That would be 29mm diameter by 2.9mm thickness.
What's the wheel size/offset? It looks sick!
They dont look too bad a😬 The wheels are TR Motorsport C2s 17x8.5 ET 40 no spacers, with 245/40-17 tires (usually re71rs).
Is it the same procedure for a n51?
Yes!
I have a question what if some of the stuff broke off in the hose is it still ok
Hi Clay, more than likely, the plastic will find itself lodged in another part of the coolant system. If possible, we would highly recommend doing a coolant flush. We recently filmed a water pump and thermostat DIY on an N52 (which will be up soon) where that same thing happened to it when it had its flange upgraded. While not the root cause of the water pump failure (170k) we did find the plastic bits lodged in the water pump impeller.
2:24 you can just use channel locks to get the clamp off.
I keep my part in my trunk. What mileage did the part fail at?
135k
Thanks
Change out now, will save you having to leak out all your engine coolant. Mine came apart at 195k
Mine at 113k
I thought the cap needs to be open for the bleeding procedure? Where would all the air in the system go?
Thank you!!
The cap is supposed to be put back on. However the bleed screw should remain out. The electric water pump has the capacity to pressurize the air in the tank till either the rad or expansion tank explodes. Every fossil fuel car ever made needs an open system while bleeding.
What is the torque(N.m) of that 10mm bolts?
Just snug, only 8nm!
It is possible that some of the plastic pieces to fall into the hose ?
Absolutely. The best thing to do is replace this before it fails. However if you are lucky, they usually break at the neck of the flange, meaning the rest of the plastic is still clamped within the hose. Do you best to aim the hose down for plastic to fall out if you are replacing it without removing the hose.
@@fcpeuro I am assuming changing the hose with the flange will be best.
@@fcpeuro Thanks for the reply. Would it be beneficial to change the flange with the hose connected to it ?
why is that flange is rusted?
It is all plastic and they just deteriorate over time. Not sure why it has that orange color.
how much time need to change this hose ?
Under an hour
You didn't have to pull the bleed screw to fill the bottle.
First time I've seen a Mickey mouse hose fail. Even with an oil filter housing leak. The only time they break is when you remove it.
These break all the time brotha
Mine cracked at 40K miles with that Florida heat.
Distilled water was used, I hope.
He was going to use swamp water off in the woods but luckily a coworker showed up with some jugs of distilled water.
I was thinking the same thing 😂
Live saver A++++
Don’t install this adapter without replacing the garbage o ring it’s supplied with. Mine began to leak from the adapter and not the hose. It had been in the head about a year. I pulled the adapter and what was left of the oring just crumbled. Get a good quality oring on the adapter before you install it.
Great video..but this is also why I am going back to Japanese cars. Way too many cheap plastic components in German cars.
Cheap plastic cooling parts does come hand in hand with a lot of european cars unforuntatly 😒
I just did this fix 2 weeks ago and then immediately drove into a car when i went to go fill the car up with gas after doing the job 🤦♂️
Nuuuuhhhhhh that pains use to hear Eckoes. How bad was it!? Im sure more $ in damage than the new flange cost
@@fcpeuro side swiped a car while pulling out of a parallel parking space. Ripped off front bumper and dmged the fender and headlights. Dmg was more than 80 percent than cash value of car but decided to keep it as salvage and currently adding upgraded M sport bumpers and lights and gonna do a full suspension refresh
Lol man.... You're way past due on your coolant service. Your water pump probably needs service too with all that rust and crud in your engine.
9:33 LOL
We see nothing Leandro 😜
I missed the part where they put the air filter back on and I drove away without it
Mechanic was going to change $500
70€ with shipping to spain 🤣🤣😯😯😯
Who gives thumbs down? Must be Toyota fanboys
Only valid explanation !? 😂 Its all good people are allowed their opinions, never know it could be someone who hates their BMW bc of all these failpoints and takes it out on the dislike button!
@@fcpeuro Yeah I see other DIY vids getting that too. How sad of a person must you be to give thumbs down when someone is helping others? SMH