Have had slow coolant leak for past several years. Yes I know I'm a procrastinator. Now the leak is substantially faster where I must add fluid after driving it each time. (Initially I could go at couple of days without having to add fluid). The car now has 170,000 miles on it. When the car at about 70,000 miles on it and had a similar leak and turned out to be the thermostat gasket. I can actually see where it is leaking from by looking down into the engine compartment with a flashlight. It is just to the right and below the coolant reservoir where a 3/4" in diameter hose that running perpendicular to the ground clamps to a metal pipe. It always looks wet on the hose beneath where it is clamped and there's significant amount of blue crystalline deposit.

Now perhaps it's also leaking from the water pump as well because the speed of the leak has accelerated quite rapidly. There's no evidence that it is leaking from an engine gasket or the reservoir.

Given the information I provided can anyone tell me what to expect for repair costs? I tried to get this figure from the mechanic but he just doesn't want to offer me the information as he wants to look at it first. I guess the price range I'm looking for is the cost to replace a thermostat versus the water pump; or if there any other possible causes please let me know

 

The coolant reservoirs are known to fail. They tend to crack. There should be white residue on the reservoir if it is going. From what I read the best replacement would an aftermarket one.

 

Thanks for responding but I'm fairly certain that it is not leaking from the coolant reservoir I looked all the way around it and underneath that and there is no indication of leaking or blue crystalline build up. As I stated above the leak is coming from the hose where clamps to some other metal pipe.

 

the metal lines that run to the oil filter housing are the oil cooler lines.

my guesstimate is about $150 for those.

water pump is roughtly $130 + coolant and about 6 hours labor; add in a supercharger service while you do this...

T-stat housing is like $60 + $40 for T-stat + coolant and like 2.2 hours labor.

add in 0.5 hours to pressure test/fill/recheck system

 

That's exactly what I was looking for thanks a lot!

 

Just an update... The coolant was leaking from 2 places: the 4-way connector&hoses and the thermostat housing. Replace the 4-way connector with hoses and also replaced the thermostat housing and thermostat. Had the repair done by a local shop specializing in BMW / MINI. Total cost parts and labor $700.