E36 mysterious coolant

[TC 94' 325i]

Hello again, I have a coolant leak and seem to figure out where it is coming from, with the front of the car lifted off the ground and engine running a slow driping leak appears.

It seems to come from inside the bell housing, I am worried that it might be a cracked block I will attach a pic. I was just wondering if anyone has had a leak here before and if it was just something simple, BTW this started a couple hours after turning on the heater. Ironically I was getting ready to do a coolant flush the same day the leak appeared.

[TC 94' 325i]

here are a couple of pictures

[Jack Dabsy]

Have you checked the heater hoses?
Is the carpet damp?

No water should be present in the bell housing so it must be coming from higher up !!

[TC 94' 325i]

Thanks for the reply Dabsy,

That is what i keep thinking too,

The carpets are not wet. The heater hose i cant see any leaks around it, but there is a spot right under the cowl where the hose attatches, i am thinking maybe from there but it is hard to tell. i will try to run it again and put a light close to it and see if does leak.

since it would be higher up do think the coolant would seep through the between the bell housing and engine?, because i dont see any coolant trails going around.

[Jack Dabsy]

Try slackening a heater-hose very slightly, just to see if it weeps more !
It won't hurt, you will notice one or two gaps/view-holes in the bell-housing... Nothing to worry about.

[TC 94' 325i]

Ah, good idea, will try that today after work and see what it does.

[TC 94' 325i]

you were right there was a heater hose connected to side of the engine right under the intake manifold that would only leak when pressurized and indeed there was a view hole on the bell housing that i haven't seen before where the coolant leak into.

Thanks for you help, now onto replacing it.

[Jack Dabsy]

Well done TC... Another crime solved, eh?