u/dinero757

My gf bought this car abt 1.5 months ago & it has been fine so far (I had asked her numerous times to consider something else considering the high maintenance these cars have but we are past that now). A few days ago, I came home and noticed a wet spot on the driveway where the car was last parked. Later when she was driving back from work, the yellow “low coolant” light flashed. The next day when I took a look, the coolant reservoir was super low & it was clear there was a coolant leak, dripping right next to the driver’s side wheel. I couldn’t tell exactly where the drip was coming from, but I also noticed that the radiator was cracked & there was some coolant sprayed around towards the front (in the pictures). A bit of research tells me this is almosf guaranteed on these cars & an overhaul w new coolant hoses + radiator is very common. The last time anything related was done is in 2023 (62,000miles) when the coolant reservoir was replaced + radiator flushed. This leads me to my questions -
- is this a job someone with 0 experience with BMWs can tackle? I’ve done some work on American & Japanese cars but I’ve never touched a radiator, let alone a BMW. It doesn’t look overly complicated, but it does look like it will take a shit ton of time if I’m not familiar w BMWs.
- If I were to tackle this alone, will hoses & radiators for all N54s work, or is it actually different per model & year? Most cars , the drivetrain dictates what parts are needed, but online retailers are making me think that’s not the case w BMW… it’s saying there are different hoses just between the 335i & 335xi models?
- Any recommendations for a reputable, fair BMW tech near the Virginia Beach area? I really don’t want to touch the car, but money isn’t extremely plentiful at the moment, which is the only reason I’m considering doing this myself. If there’s any recommended techs that won’t overcharge for this, I’d rather take that route.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

For starters, this is not my car. I’m just trying to help someone I know, so any insight or tips will be greatly appreciated. This was bought used abt 1.5 months ago & has been running fine. However, when I got home from work yesterday, I noticed a wet spot where the car was last parked. A few hours later, on their way back from work, the yellow low coolant warning flashed. The coolant temp didn’t get too hot or anything crazy & they were able to drive over here just fine. Today I looked under the car & confirmed the coolant reservoir is basically empty. The drip is from the driver’s side, right in front / by the wheel. After looking under the hood, I couldn’t find any obvious places right above the wet spot that it was leaking from, but I noticed this (in the pic) on the driver’s side of the radiator. If any one more mechanically inclined, especially w BMWs, can think of any specific things to look at / for, or just any advice, that’d be awesome. Service record shows the coolant was flushed & the reservoir was replaced in 2023 (when the car was at 62,000 miles).

After asking for further clarification on “restricted but still shipping with a case email,” this is the response I received. Gave them a call, and they confirmed what the other guy was saying. When we place an order including any “restricted” items, the system will be flagged and an automated email will be sent. The email you receive will ask you to select “yes I will be compliant w my purchase” or “no I don’t wish to answer” (declining purchase).

So we will still be able to get parts from Primary Arms, they will just need electronic verification through their automated system that we will be compliant. Not entirely sure why they couldn’t put that in writing.

I’ve owned & shot Glocks for around 10 years now. I own gens 3-5 and honestly, they’re all abt the same when it comes to the 19s. So when the gen 6 came out, I knew I didn’t need to waste money on another Glock. Long story short, I picked this baby up yesterday. Was not expecting much at all, but as soon as I took it out the case, I fell in love. I’ve heard claims that it’s the exact same feel as previous gens, but those people likely haven’t shot a ton w Glocks. The grip angle & controls are all the same, but it definitely feels different in your hand. The new texturing is the best Glock has produced (likely after the RTF2 but no personal experience). It may even feel too aggressive for some people once they actually start shooting in volume. I think it’s perfect. If you shoot the gen 6 & hold a gen 5, the difference in feel is night & day. Shot 230 rounds through it today w 0 hiccups. Feel wise, this is by far my favorite Glock I own. We’ll see how she compares to the gen 3 in terms of long-term reliability, but I have 0 worries. A Glock is a Glock is a Glock. The COA is awesome too. No issues & it’s extremely clear.