[e92kv]

My original radiator just started leaking and im debating which radiator to buy next i have heard bahle mehr radiators dont last long. Im thinking of buying do88 radiator but im not sure is it worth it since in only driving my car on the street rn and only fbo. So what radiator would be the best choice to replace my current cracked one.

Also i live in finland so csf is not an choice for its price

[mainbearing]

I had a couple years old replacement Mahle/Behr coolant reservoir that sprung a pin hole leak, not even at the seam too. I would avoid Mahle/Behr junk.

If not genuine BMW radiator (which I understand may be made by Modine), you can look at Nissens and CSF.

[lookalikehuuh]

I have used both the Nissens and Mahle/Behr... they are both ABSOLUTE TRASH, do yourself a favor and just order the BMW Genuine radiator or you will be swapping out the radiators every 6 months due to leaks where the aluminum core and driver's side plastic endcap meet.

Yes it might be more expensive but you will end up spending even more time and money on coolant with constant replacements.

I did notice that it looks like Mahle/Behr updated their radiator a couple of months ago when I put in my 6th radiator.

[StradaRedlands]

I have Nissens and three cars so far and am a satisfied customer. I have a fourth one ready to go in the '07, hopefully their quality control is up to par! Genuine is probably the way to go if you have any concerns though. I'm curious about the TYC ones Rock Auto carries. They have a pretty good reputation in other parts. Also CSF has a cheap line, and their all aluminum pricey line.

[mainbearing]

One thing with the CSF all-aluminum radiators is over cooling some users reported in cold weather. I think the problem may be the BMW's "low temperature module" design (ATF cooler) that is using the lower 3-4 inches for ATF cooling bypassing the thermostat.

+1 TYC should be good too. I am running their starter and blower motor, and have two side marker turn signals. Very satisfied.

If the cost-effective CSF (in US) is expensive in Finland, TYC might not be any better. Looking on Rockauto I also see Koyorad and Spectra Premium being popular names. But if aftermarket brands are too high in price, maybe genuine BMW makes more sense.

[GoRomeo]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

I have Nissens and three cars so far and am a satisfied customer. I have a fourth one ready to go in the '07, hopefully their quality control is up to par! Genuine is probably the way to go if you have any concerns though. I'm curious about the TYC ones Rock Auto carries. They have a pretty good reputation in other parts. Also CSF has a cheap line, and their all aluminum pricey line.

I have a very small coolant leak in my E88. Planning to go with OEMwhen ready to replace it. Not taking the risk. I ve Heard many more bad stories than goos ones.

[e92kv]

Does anyone know where to buy oem radiator in europe or can they be bought as new anymore?

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by GoRomeo

I have a very small coolant leak in my E88. Planning to go with OEMwhen ready to replace it. Not taking the risk. I ve Heard many more bad stories than goos ones.

I'm rolling the dice on this one, going Nissens + Rein hoses FTW!!!

[Ghettobird52]

I agree with StradaRedlands, if you can't get OEM, Nissens is now the way to go. I have one on my E90, no issues for year and half. Also have one on my E38. No issues for just over five years. Have used them in the past on previous E46s as well.

[jsunma]

FWIW, I totally agree with StradaRedlands and Ghettobird52. I went through multiple Mahle/Behr radiators before the Nissens, which has lasted longer than the OEM.

(Of course, now that I've put that into writing, I'll probably be buying a radiator in the next month )

Fortunately, I did buy it from FCP so at least the replacement will be under warranty.

And I'm totally fine with Rein hoses. No complaints.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by jsunma

FWIW, I totally agree with StradaRedlands and Ghettobird52. I went through multiple Mahle/Behr radiators before the Nissens, which has lasted longer than the OEM.

(Of course, now that I've put that into writing, I'll probably be buying a radiator in the next month )

Fortunately, I did buy it from FCP so at least the replacement will be under warranty.

And I'm totally fine with Rein hoses. No complaints.

Shipping the radiator to FCP would be prohibitively expensive. But the Nissens are cheap enough and relatively easy to swap a new one in if there is a problem. A lot of people have sure complained about Rein hoses lately, but I don't think they're terrible, just not as consistent as they should be. I have three cars with them, and only one minor problem, so can't complain.

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Shipping the radiator to FCP would be prohibitively expensive. But the Nissens are cheap enough and relatively easy to swap a new one in if there is a problem.

I'm pretty sure that I shipped back all of my radiators...although a couple were definitely failures under any kind of "normal" warranty, so I might have made a sufficient case for them to pay for the shipping. I can't remember.

I live about 90-120 minutes from FCP, so I've been tempted to just drive stuff back to them. It's a toss up for example as to whether or not to ship back brake rotors, or to drive them back. $20 shipping vs. gas and time?

[GoRomeo]

Last year my E90 radiator burst from top hose. I bought OEM. Same with hoses. No issues till now.

The more I work on these cars, the more I learn that you dont mess around with cheap parts.

I recently learned my lesson with cheap Vanos solenoids. I had to replace with OEM to get rid my a stupid code when cold starts in my 135. I got lucky and bought 4 OEM Vanos Solenoids for a fraction of the price. I will also going to replace these in my E90 when I replace my VCG SPARK PLUGS & COILS. 228k miles.

Cheers 🍻

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

I have Nissens and three cars so far and am a satisfied customer. I have a fourth one ready to go in the '07, hopefully their quality control is up to par! Genuine is probably the way to go if you have any concerns though. I'm curious about the TYC ones Rock Auto carries. They have a pretty good reputation in other parts. Also CSF has a cheap line, and their all aluminum pricey line.

I just realized I have the cheap CSF radiator in my 335i. Seems OK so far, just around 2 years of use so far.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

I just realized I have the cheap CSF radiator in my 335i. Seems OK so far, just around 2 years of use so far.

They seem like good ones!

FWIW I just installed the fourth Nissens in the house... one of the short plugs did not want to seat and was probably defective. Luckily I had a back up one from one of the other installs and it was fine. I did stress out for a minute there as coolant poured over me that I would have to report a Nissens failure! Well, it sorta' still is, but luckily remedied!

[e92kv]

Originally Posted by jsunma

FWIW, I totally agree with StradaRedlands and Ghettobird52. I went through multiple Mahle/Behr radiators before the Nissens, which has lasted longer than the OEM.

(Of course, now that I've put that into writing, I'll probably be buying a radiator in the next month )

Fortunately, I did buy it from FCP so at least the replacement will be under warranty.

And I'm totally fine with Rein hoses. No complaints.

Did you have any fitment issues with nissen and which chassie you installed it in?

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by e92kv

Did you have any fitment issues with nissen and which chassie you installed it in?

No fitment issues at all. E91.

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Shipping the radiator to FCP would be prohibitively expensive. But the Nissens are cheap enough and relatively easy to swap a new one in if there is a problem. A lot of people have sure complained about Rein hoses lately, but I don't think they're terrible, just not as consistent as they should be. I have three cars with them, and only one minor problem, so can't complain.

Try using pirate ship for your shipping labels, they save a ton of money over shipping directly thru USPS or UPS. I just shipped an all in one computer to my coworker, UPS wanted $128 directly thru them, I ended up buying the shipping label from PirateShip for $43 for the same package.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by lookalikehuuh

Try using pirate ship for your shipping labels, they save a ton of money over shipping directly thru USPS or UPS. I just shipped an all in one computer to my coworker, UPS wanted $128 directly thru them, I ended up buying the shipping label from PirateShip for $43 for the same package.

Noted, thanks. Quite the savings!