BMW antifreeze

[318tislug]

Sup guys?? I'm new to this forum so give me a break. I'm in the process of replacing the thermostat and radiator hoses on my 318ti. I heard conflicting Ideas when it comes to what kinds of antifreeze to run in a BMW. The dealer of course says use only bmw antifreeze. I got to reading on the internet and some people say, that you can run a different kind as long as its phosphate free. I just wanna know what you guys think?

[e36m52rocks]

You should be perfectly fine running non-bmw antifreeze. Realistically, these guys aren't back there brewing the stuff, they're just buying it and overcharging you. If you really wanted to keep it safe, you could find out what they use and then go get it yourself, or at least find out what it does and does not have in it, and make a purchase accordingly. yum... antifreeze

[Furious]

those guys on the internet are right. welcome to the forum

[bimmerfan620]

welcome brother...

[gbf1lm]

well antifreeze is just like water that dont freeze nor evaporate. i dnt think it really matters that much.

[e36m52rocks]

well actually, depending on the material that your cooling system and engine are made of, it can matter what is in it. Most anti-freeze solutions are a mix of some solvent, usually alcohol and another chemical, with water. Nowadays, it probably doesn't matter what you buy, because if its in the store, its probably OK for your system. BMW makes their stuff out of either iron or aluminum, depending on what part you're talking about. As long as you stay with a basic, phosphate-free antifreeze, you should be A-OK! But, like i said before, if you really want to give yourself peace of mind, try and find out what they use/what their solution does or doesn't have in it. Good luck man!