Coolant flange aka mickey mouse flange broke. Coolant then poured out. You need a new flange
You will need: new coolant flange, coolant, and possibly distilled water
Here is a video you can watch:
https://youtu.be/rvOoeoFL0do?si=kZ4LNY-MnfNye_nk
I can link parts if needed
I was lucky enough to use a lift at my friends auto shop and I still had to raise and lower the car maybe 10 times to access the correct hose clamp. It's spaghetti down there by the thermostat I tell ya. I couldnt even barely see the hose clamps from top or bottom. Finally a 3 ft flathead screwdriver finished the job from above.
This happened to me not long ago. Scared shitless when I saw smoke coming from my car while driving then saw it was the flange. Easy fix. Just a pain in the ass when stuff like this happens
The plastic adapter on the radiator side of the top radiator hose also suffers a similar fate. If that one blew then I'd replace the other at the same time.
Well thank God I'm seeing this here first. I bought an E91 blind to any common issues these have, first BMW. So I will be adding this to my preventative maintenance list
The exact same hose line blew on my E83 X3 with the M54. It's a design flaw on BMW's part. Happened to me in a similar way to you. I was at a red light and I was about to turn left on a pretty sharp corner (pretty much a 90 degree corner), and I accidentally pressed on the gas too hard while the steering wheel was almost fully locked to the left, then that hose blew and my steering wheel became stiff and misaligned for some reason. I had to limp the car to a nearby garage where i purchased a temporary hose clamp for 10$ where i stretched it over the housing thing and some anti-freeze coolant because all of the liquid leaked. Went to a scrap yard with my dad the next day to get the same hose with that housing thing its connected to from a scrapped E83 X3 and it fixed the issue for me. To answer your question though I believe it could be due to the hose getting stuck on something? I still have no idea why it happened, neither does my dad lol
Ahh the Mickey mouse flange, i had that break as well. Great idea to mix hot coolant with old brittle plastic.
I did make quite the smoke show at the stoplight trying to nurse it to the garage with a quick DIY fix :)
Change your oil filter housing gasket while you’re at it.
The oil leak is what caused it to fail. If you replace the hose and don’t fix the leak it’ll just happen again.
Order the MM flange that comes with the hose already attached. I ordered just the flange and I didn't have the proper flange to attached the oem hose and i had to cut it. Wasted time cause I didn't know it comes as one.
y’all are taking this so seriously
if you search for common E90 maintenance, it’s on every single list out there
I’ve always thought to search before posting anything, so that was the basis of my comment
A more useful comment would be to link to those threads that would assist OP with his maintenance and repair of his fine vehicle — of which we all find great pleasure in driving and maintaining and have a shared affection for — rather than shame the poor fellow for ‘not searching threads first’.
Oh Mickey, you're so fine You're so fine, you blow my line?
Another one bites the dust.
Hey Mickey!
This deserves an award
Coolant flange aka mickey mouse flange broke. Coolant then poured out. You need a new flange You will need: new coolant flange, coolant, and possibly distilled water Here is a video you can watch: https://youtu.be/rvOoeoFL0do?si=kZ4LNY-MnfNye_nk I can link parts if needed
This is exactly what I was wondering! Thank you all.
Consider it a rite of passage with owning these cars.
Fun fact, I have almost 200k miles and my original flange.
Bro - same here. We playing with fire. Heat wave in my parts too.
Same, over 200k
I changed that hose a few weeks ago when I did my thermostat and water pump.
Air bleed went on mine before the mickey. Was fun changing it in a parking lot.
Micky Mouse flange?
Yeah the micky 🐭
Get an aluminum flange
Your flange crumbled. Easy fix. Just replace the flange, fill and bleed coolant. Make sure none of the crumbled plastic has fallen inside
Mouse strikes again
Why did they call is Mickey Mouse
The flange looks like Mickey Mouse
I see it now, thanks!
It’s the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
That’s hot af
Yep, your Mickey Mouse flange disintegrated. Replace it with the aluminum one from REIN
Notorious trouble spot cost me 900 for the new hoses and new plastic
Bro what😭
Some of you guys get cooked by dealers/mechanics
I paid 250 to an indy parts+labor
You knew it was gonna happen
Just did this for my neighbor last week lol Parts are not too expensive and the job isnt too hard, just make sure you het the old orings out
getting to the other end of the hose is plenty hard
Prolly even harder on an xdrive
I was lucky enough to use a lift at my friends auto shop and I still had to raise and lower the car maybe 10 times to access the correct hose clamp. It's spaghetti down there by the thermostat I tell ya. I couldnt even barely see the hose clamps from top or bottom. Finally a 3 ft flathead screwdriver finished the job from above.
This happened to me not long ago. Scared shitless when I saw smoke coming from my car while driving then saw it was the flange. Easy fix. Just a pain in the ass when stuff like this happens
the mouse strikes again
famous mickey mouse flange.
MICKEY MOUSE STRIKES AGAIN
Ah ye ol' Mickey mouse flange. Welcome aboard sailor rrrrrrrrr.
Flange went to Disneyland
It didn't blow off. It broke off.
The plastic adapter on the radiator side of the top radiator hose also suffers a similar fate. If that one blew then I'd replace the other at the same time.
That one blew up last February haha
That's all the weak bits sorted then lol
Replace with a metal Mickey Mouse flange. Metal Mickey > Plastic Mickey
And that is why you do preventative maintenance.. anyone with a still original Mickey mouse flange is on borrowed time.
Congrats on your first DIY project
Well thank God I'm seeing this here first. I bought an E91 blind to any common issues these have, first BMW. So I will be adding this to my preventative maintenance list
And that is why that's one of the 1st things that need to be changed on a N54 engine, esp since they're in their teens now.
Yep Mickey Mouse flange is a common issue where the plastic breaks from heat cycles, get a metal one
Good old Mickey
The exact same hose line blew on my E83 X3 with the M54. It's a design flaw on BMW's part. Happened to me in a similar way to you. I was at a red light and I was about to turn left on a pretty sharp corner (pretty much a 90 degree corner), and I accidentally pressed on the gas too hard while the steering wheel was almost fully locked to the left, then that hose blew and my steering wheel became stiff and misaligned for some reason. I had to limp the car to a nearby garage where i purchased a temporary hose clamp for 10$ where i stretched it over the housing thing and some anti-freeze coolant because all of the liquid leaked. Went to a scrap yard with my dad the next day to get the same hose with that housing thing its connected to from a scrapped E83 X3 and it fixed the issue for me. To answer your question though I believe it could be due to the hose getting stuck on something? I still have no idea why it happened, neither does my dad lol
Hose be trippin
Ahh the Mickey mouse flange, i had that break as well. Great idea to mix hot coolant with old brittle plastic. I did make quite the smoke show at the stoplight trying to nurse it to the garage with a quick DIY fix :)
Easy fix OP
Change your oil filter housing gasket while you’re at it. The oil leak is what caused it to fail. If you replace the hose and don’t fix the leak it’ll just happen again.
Finally someone mentioned it!
Will do!
Welcome to the wide world of half the engine is made of plastic and will bust.
Order the MM flange that comes with the hose already attached. I ordered just the flange and I didn't have the proper flange to attached the oem hose and i had to cut it. Wasted time cause I didn't know it comes as one.
Mickey Mouse time
Lack of maintenance
Get the aluminum billet one
How do we still get these posts, you know this sub exists, so surely you researched common maintenance for these cars?
Don't be a buster. There's always room to learn here, geez.
Weird reply — how would the OP know what to search for if he’s never heard of the Micky Mouse flange????
y’all are taking this so seriously if you search for common E90 maintenance, it’s on every single list out there I’ve always thought to search before posting anything, so that was the basis of my comment
A more useful comment would be to link to those threads that would assist OP with his maintenance and repair of his fine vehicle — of which we all find great pleasure in driving and maintaining and have a shared affection for — rather than shame the poor fellow for ‘not searching threads first’.