Coolant Leaking From Side of Car?

[Yeltsew7]

I've had my E30 parked for a few days because the brakes stopped working. After sitting for a while, I came home and noticed that there was a huge puddle under the side of the car. I thought it was brake fluid, but today when I rolled the car up on ramps, the brake hard lines looked fine and that's what the puddle was under.
Then I noticed it making another puddle on the boards I used to get it up on the ramps, and it was green.
It looks like there's some light green fluid leaking from the side of the car. There's a little cap there, but I have no idea what it's for.
Why would there be a (what seems like) coolant reservoir on the side of the bottom of the car.

Here's a picture of it with a little drop on it where it's leaking.

[TobyB]

I vote heater core...

t

[e30davie]

If so your carpet should be nice and wet.

[roguetoaster]

It's been more than two hours and no one has made a comment about green coolant that should be blue, amazing.

OP, surprised you didn't notice your shoes getting sticky or the mat getting stuck to the carpet as that happens frequently when the heater core/valve develops a leak.

[Yeltsew7]

It's been more than two hours and no one has made a comment about green coolant that should be blue, amazing.

OP, surprised you didn't notice your shoes getting sticky or the mat getting stuck to the carpet as that happens frequently when the heater core/valve develops a leak.

I haven't noticed either of those things, but I'll take a look.

As for the coolant color, I didn't put it in, a shop did when I got the engine swapped.

[TobyB]

green coolant that should be blue

bkuz we donut kare.

I use green in everything.
Bkuz they come to me that way,
and seem to survive just fine.
For dekadez.

t

[dnguyen1963]

How many independent shop carry blue coolant? The answer is almost none.

[cory58]

I wouldn't use a BMW specialist shop that doesn't give the option of blue coolant. "Cuz" most of the dbs that owned my cars before me "prolly" don't know jack shit about BMWs. Stance Life, bra!


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[roguetoaster]

All I can say on the subject of coolant is that the M42 makes its rear coolant outlet disappear with green, and I have yet to experience this with blue.

[e30davie]

What is most important than the color is that it has coolant in it and that it doesn't leak out.

Both of which i think have been compromised on OPs vehicle.

[dnguyen1963]

High quality coolant that was specifically designed for aluminum engine should work fine for E30, regardless of its color. Color does nothing for engine cooling or protecting.

[Kershaw]

That's not true. We all know red cars are faster and that's just the exterior paint

[dnguyen1963]

That's not true. We all know red cars are faster and that's just the exterior paint

Haha, that's totally debatable. For me, bright yellow is the fastest.

[rustneversleeps]

where in the hell is that plug located...Kinda hard to tell by the pic and turning my laptop 360* to see from every angle looks like frost plug... what ever or were ever it located Black O-ring shot....

[roguetoaster]

It's a body drain plug, the one in the driver's side floor pan. We know this as we can see the box section and a fuel line.