NOTE: Be very careful when working with your car's cooling system. Scalding hot coolant and steam can cause severe injury including death. Follow all listed safety precautions.
_Before you begin, gather the following tools and materials:_
- 10mm socket wrench
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Flat head screwdriver
- Pliers
- Coolant drain pan
- New coolant (BMW coolant or equivalent)
- Funnel
- Rags
- Safety goggles
- Gloves
1. Park your car in a safe location.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down completely.
- Engage the parking brake.
- If possible, park the car on a level surface.
2. Open the hood.
- Locate the hood release lever inside the car, usually near the driver's footwell.
- Pull the lever to release the hood.
- Prop the hood open with the support rod.
3. Prepare your vehicle for draining.
- Make sure the vehicle is off & the keys are not in the ignition.
- Find the radiator drain plug. This is usually located on the bottom corner of the radiator, and it is usually made of plastic or metal.
- Place the drain pan underneath the radiator drain plug to catch the coolant.
4. Open the air-release bleeder screw.
- This will help to prevent the radiator from becoming pressurized as you drain the coolant.
- This is usually located at the top of the radiator, and it is usually made of plastic.
5. Open the radiator drain plug and allow the coolant to drain into the pan.
- Be careful not to spill any coolant on yourself.
- The coolant may take several minutes to completely drain.
6. Once all of the coolant has drained, close the radiator drain plug and the bleeder screw.
7. Disconnect the upper and lower radiator hoses from the radiator.
- Use the pliers to loosen the hose clamps that secure the hoses to the radiator.
- Be careful not to spill any coolant that is still in the hoses.
8. Remove the radiator support brackets.
- Use the 10mm socket wrench to remove the bolts that secure the radiator support brackets to the radiator.
9. Carefully lift the radiator out of the car.
- Be sure to support the radiator with your hands so that it does not fall and break.
10. Install the new radiator in the reverse order of removal.
- Make sure to use new gaskets when installing the new radiator.
11. Reinstall the air-release bleeder screw.
- This will help to prevent air from entering the cooling system.
12. Reattach the upper and lower radiator hoses.
- Tighten the hose clamps securely.
13. Reattach the radiator support brackets.
- Tighten the bolts securely.
14. Fill the cooling system with new coolant.
- Use the funnel to add coolant to the radiator.
- Add coolant until the radiator is full.
- Be sure to use BMW coolant or equivalent to avoid damage to the engine.
15. Bleed the cooling system.
- Start the engine and let it warm up.
- Look for any air bubbles in the coolant reservoir.
- If you see any air bubbles, continue to bleed the system by squeezing the upper radiator hose until the bubbles stop appearing.
16. Reinstall the hood.
- Close the hood and secure the latch.
You have now successfully removed the radiator from your 2000 BMW 528i.
