Coolant for the BMW 1 Series

The BMW 1 Series is one of the best-selling models of the manufacturer BMW. Especially the 1-series models 116i and 118i enjoy great popularity among German motorists. Consequently, the demand for coolant for the E87, F20 and F21 models is also particularly high.

Of course, to find the right coolant for a BMW 1 Series, as with any other car, should first look in the vehicle manual. There you will see that a BMW coolant should be used for your 1 Series BMW.

BMW has here the interest that the BMW drivers with their 1 Series BMW only use the original BMW coolant. If you go to the workshop for this, you can often pay over 50 £ per liter or even more. For all 1 Series BMW drivers, however, there is the opportunity to search the Internet for the right coolant. At the same time, there is a large selection of suitable coolants for BMW 1 Series.

Which coolant/antifreeze for the BMW 1 Series?

In the adjacent graphic, we see an excerpt from the vehicle manual of an F20 118d. This is of course also used in the other F20 models, i.e. the 116i, 116d, 118i and the 120d.

Under the chapter “Coolant” you will find something about the coolant over one page along. Which coolant may be taken now exactly, is not said exactly. Only the following note is written:

“Not all commercially available additives are suitable for your vehicle. Your service department knows which additives are suitable”.

In this case, BMW is interested in car owners buying the coolant directly from BMW. However, BMW drivers have many alternatives to choose from, which at the same time are available on the Internet at much lower prices. What these are and how alternatives are found can be shown quite easily in the further course.

Original BMW coolant

The original BMW coolant concentrate can be used for the 1 series BMW models E87, E88, F20, F21. This coolant is also used by certified BMW dealers.

Here, the bottles are available in the amount of 1.5 liters. The blue-green concentrate is mixed in a ratio of 1:1 with (distilled or deionized) water and protects the cooling system at up to -40 degrees.

At Amazon, the 1.5 liters of BMW radiator antifreeze for the 1 Series BMW’s are already available for about 39 £ per 1.5 liters of concentrate. Under the page BMW coolant you will find more about this product.

BMW coolant for 116i, 118d, 120d and Co.

The term “1 Series BMW” is mostly used across the board for the E87, F20 and F21 models. However, there are many more 1 Series BMW model designations. Exactly for these, the question arises as well whether the BMW coolant is really suitable for these models. Overall, the BMW radiator antifreeze concentrate is suitable for all models of the BMW 1 Series, regardless of the year of manufacture or the engine. However, to have an overview of all models again, the following list serves

• E87 / E87 (Facelift)
• E81
• E82 / E82 (Facelift)
• E88 / E88 (Facelift)
• E82
• F20 / F20 (MUE)
• F21 / F21 (MUE)
• F52
• F40

Of course, these models also include the engines around 116i, 116d, 118i, 118d, 120i and 120d, all of which can use the original BMW coolant concentrate. After all, it doesn’t matter if the 120i runs on gasoline and the 120d on diesel. The same applies to the 1 Series 116 and 118 models, because the same BMW cooling system is always installed.

Refill coolant on the BMW

If the original coolant is used for the BMW 1 Series, you rely on a blue-green concentrate, which is also used at the factory. Accordingly, a look at the current coolant level in the car gives the same color scheme as that of the BWM coolant.

On the side of the bottle is a transparent line, through which the color can be identified. In addition, the back of the bottle shows the mixing ratio in which the concentrate should be used. After all, this should be mixed with water in a ratio of 1:1.

But how do I top up the coolant?

If the original fluid is already in the radiator, the BMW coolant can be topped up without hesitation. However, care must be taken with the mixing ratio. When topping up, you should not only refill the pure concentrate. The coolant in the cooling system is already mixed and their share of the concentrate should not exceed 60%. For this reason, a mixture of concentrate and water should always be added to every BMW 1 Series and, of course, other BMW’s as well.

Can I add more concentrate?

In individual cases, it would even make sense to dispense with the 1:1 mixing ratio and deliberately add more concentrate. Namely, if the coolant in the BMW 1 Series is significantly lighter in color than a 1:1 mixture of concentrate and water. This would indicate that there is a higher proportion of water than concentrate in the cooling system. This could be compensated for with a little more concentrate.

Who is actually the manufacturer of BMW coolant?

Anyone who thinks that the BMW brand also means that BMW itself produces its coolant concentrates is unfortunately mistaken. The concentrate for your BMW 1 Series is produced by the chemical company BASF. BASF also has its own line of coolants – Glysantin.

As you can see in the further course, Glysantin recommends Glysantin G48 for all BMW models. What is immediately noticeable is that both colors are identical. On the BMW coolant bottle there is a transparent stripe on the side, which refers to the blue-green color. With Glysantin G48 even the lid color shows directly which color the coolant has.

So if you buy a coolant for your BMW 1 Series, you can simply choose between the Glysantin G48 and the BMW radiator antifreeze concentrate and get the same product.

How Glysantin G48 tells you more about the BMW coolant

According to the manufacturer Glysantin, Glysantin G48 consists of both organic and inorganic corrosion additives. In this case, the silicate is an inorganic acid which is used for better corrosion effect.

Meanwhile, the state of coolant technology has advanced, making it possible to dispense with silicate. However, BMW still relies on a radiator antifreeze concentrate containing silicate.

Coolant for BMW 1 Series – The alternatives

For a BMW 1 Series does not necessarily have to use the original product. Other coolant manufacturers are based on the compositions of the Bavarian manufacturer and thus also present suitable coolants for the BMW 1 Series. In this case, the manufacturers Ravenol and Glysantin are considered very high quality coolant manufacturers and also offer a suitable coolant for your BMW 1 Series.

Ravenol coolant for the BMW 1 Series

The German oil manufacturer Ravenol has been convincing customers for years with its high-quality products. Especially in the field of radiator antifreeze, Ravenol offers a suitable coolant for every automobile.

With the manufacturer BMW, the search for the right coolant is very simple. Only the year of manufacture is decisive. Whether it is a gasoline engine, such as a 116i or 118i, is unimportant.

Accordingly, Ravenol recommends the following products for BMW:

• BMW with the year of manufacture 1975- 2006: Ravenol TTC Protect C11
• BMW from the year of manufacture 2007: Ravenol HTC Protect MB 325.0

Since the BMW 1 series was already built from 2004, one of the two coolants may be suitable. Just check the year of manufacture of your 1 Series BMW and you have the right Ravenol coolant for it!

Coolant for BMW 1 Series from Glysantin

The manufacturer Glysantin is one of the best known and largest manufacturers of coolants. Belonging to the BASF Group, Glysantin also fills the coolants for manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes Benz.

As with Ravenol, Glysantin only needs to be searched for the year of manufacture of the vehicle. In this case, Glysantin even offers Glysantin G48 for all BMW models from 1975 to the present. Consequently, any other BMW model can use the G48, whether gasoline or diesel. Preferably, the Glysantin G48 is sold as a concentrate, but it is now also available as a ready mixture.

My 1 series BMW loses coolant – what can I do?

Case: Only a little fluid is missing

In general, it should be considered what amount was lost and over what period of time. If the on-board computer indicates that the coolant should be topped up, it is advisable to take a direct look in the engine compartment.

There is a mark on the side of the coolant reservoir indicating the maximum (abbreviation: MAX) and minimum (abbreviation: MIN) coolant level that your BMW 1 Series should have. This marking is of course the same everywhere, no matter whether you drive a 116i, 188i, 116d or 120d.

If there is a little bit of coolant missing in the cooling system, you should have a quick look if the engine compartment around the radiator is wet or if there is any other liquid. If this is not the case and only a small amount is missing, the coolant level can first be topped up with the correct fluid for the BMW 1 Series. For this, of course, the mixing ratio with water should be considered!

If the on-board computer does not show any further indications of the coolant level, it will most likely be just that something is missing fluid.

Case 2: My BMW 1 series consumes more coolant than usual

In this case, it is possible that a pipe is leaking or that individual cracks in the cooling system are causing the loss of fluid. In the case of a leaking line, a workshop should be visited to prevent consequential damage. If the coolant drips through the cooling system and thus loses fluid, a new radiator does not have to be purchased directly.

The car can even lose coolant without directly locating the source of the loss. The culprit can be weld seams, stone chips or hairline cracks, which lead to a steady loss of coolant.