e46 lower radiator hose replacement... Help please

Ive been trying to find a diy on this but haven't found one... I need to replace my lower radiator hose.

As I was driving home today my Lower radiator hose came off, my coolant level low light came on and I pulled into a restaurant parking lot...Drained all my coolant.

I know it is very hard for these things to come off but I noticed a while ago that it was already loose, so i was just asking for this to happen :face palm:

- Am I going to be able to do this in a parking lot with some tools?

- How hard exactly is this and is there a Diy out there?

Thanks in advance for any help

please help... I'm almost begging lol

You can probably get at it from the bottom. The hose has these metal clips that you take off and then just pull the hose off.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Bimmer

Originally Posted by m3racer007

Ive been trying to find a diy on this but haven't found one... I need to replace my lower radiator hose.

As I was driving home today my Lower radiator hose came off, my coolant level low light came on and I pulled into a restaurant parking lot...Drained all my coolant.

I know it is very hard for these things to come off but I noticed a while ago that it was already loose, so i was just asking for this to happen :face palm:

- Am I going to be able to do this in a parking lot with some tools?

- How hard exactly is this and is there a Diy out there?

Thanks in advance for any help

this thread might help..
http://m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=225208

remember, replace both hoses at the same time. they'll wear out from the inside out...

also, http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...11&hg=11&fg=35

hose 1 and 3 should replace.. good luck

Thanks for you help guys! Seems like I'm going to be able to do this... I have a 325i tho so I hope it doesn't differ too much.

Just did a full cooling system repair on my 330i and i would recommend to remove the fan to give you more room to remove the lower radiator hose as there is also a sensor to remove and clips to pry off. On my automatic, the fan shroud was blocking access to the lower hose.

My lower hose was never changed till a few days ago and was stuck on super tight. Here's an easy trick to remove the lower rad hose without using extreme brute force. After removing the fan - just grab and squeeze the hose near the end you want to remove and give it a little yank and it should just come right off - easy!

Not sure if 5-speeds are the same as an Automatic, but make sure you change the Radiator/Auxiliary Fan Switch in the Lower Radiator Hose, or you'll get a leak when you reattach the sensor. Peace of mind for $17 for new sensor or just buy a new green gasket for $1.

Originally Posted by Demon Eyes Kyo

Not sure if 5-speeds are the same as an Automatic, but make sure you change the Radiator/Auxiliary Fan Switch in the Lower Radiator Hose, or you'll get a leak when you reattach the sensor. Peace of mind for $17 for new sensor or just buy a new green gasket for $1.

Do you have a part number for the $1 gasket/o-ring? Mine is leaking, thank goodness I spotted it before putting the car completely back together...

Thanks in advance!!

PS: I'll search, but what is the total capacity for the cooling system?

thank you guys zoo much... this definitely gave me more confidence... Removing the fan was easy for me and the concept is pretty simple. in my case, the clips were broken... I replaced the hose and the new sensor. I definitely agree with that o ring !

~2 gal if you drain the engine block and expansion tank. So 1 gal BMW antifreeze and 1 gal distilled water.

^ sweet, I only bought one gal, thanks!

Found, via google, that o-ring others talked about, but was unable to find it at Lowes, Home Depot, Auto Zone or O'reilly's. I did, however find a few others that I will try, hopefully one out of many will work or else I'll be buying that new sensor just for the o-ring *rolls eyes.*

It's better to use automotive O-rings as they are rated for higher temps than the generic O-rings at Lowe's / Home Depot for general plumbing use.

The Lower Radiator Hose Aux Fan Temp Sensor o-ring is BMW p/n 13621743299

It's the same O-ring used for the IAT (Intake Air Temperature) sensor located in the intake manifold.

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...=W0133-1910235,

Autohausaz sells it for $1.27 USD

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...79&hg=11&fg=40

RealOEM refers to the O-ring as #4

I just did a mini cooling system refresh (water pump, thermostat, hoses) Sure enough, my brand new OEM lower radiator hose is leaking from where the temperature sensor is. I am going to the dealer to order the O Ring that Demon Eyes Kyo found the part number for : 13621743299. It will make me very happy if this solves it.

Originally Posted by pic27

I just did a mini cooling system refresh (water pump, thermostat, hoses) Sure enough, my brand new OEM lower radiator hose is leaking from where the temperature sensor is. I am going to the dealer to order the O Ring that Demon Eyes Kyo found the part number for : 13621743299. It will make me very happy if this solves it.

Sure enough, 99 cents later, my lower radiator hose is leak free. I was so happy about this because I had nearly re-installed everything when I discovered this leak. If you have the same problem after replacing the lower radiator hose, remember to give this a shot first. Part # 13621743299 is the little O Ring that goes to the temperature sensor.

Too late, the o-ring I bought didn't work and I ended up buying a new sensor for $25, thanks though!

And for those of you with automatics, like me, when you decide to change out your radiator fan, instead of replacing it with the same thing, convert to an electric fan. Bolts straight up and you might even gain a horsepower.