Yeah I decided to get the eBay o ring kit for the X5. Went to get the X rings at the dealer-specal order. Useless place.

OK any trick to burping the system? Book says fill to top where bleed screw flows. Seal, run to temp, let cool and recheck. When I recheck the float is all the way up. Heat doesn't come through unless I raise the RPM to around 1100. Then it goes cold at idle. I've done the squeeze hose trick to pump things through.

So have you just changed out the thermostat as well as a hose end or possible jus the o ring.?
As I wonder if the thermostat is not working and your system possibly, is blocked. I have standard thermo at the moment, but if I want to fill mine, I unscrew the small screw on the fill bottle, and fill as usual, and give the large hoses and good few squishes, and then if the screw is then passing water, I tightten and run it for a couple of mins, and if looking full still, I replace cap, and drive it a bit, around a mile, and return and turn off, and leave for say 6 hrs, and recheck level and fill to level, switched off. Finally rechecking after next journey and cool off. It's not advisable (my advice) to get to correct level (to trust) whilst car is running hot, as it tends to push up and over the cap exit, and loose some.
If you undo the small black screw, when hot, it tends to just p!ss out because it can.
One thing to check, I had on another make of car, the much smaller pipe to the expansion bottle become blocked by a bit of gasket material, and it couldn't vent, thus causing nasty air locks, I can't think now how this pipe is connected, but you could check that it needs blowing backwards, ie, with lips etc, (cold!)

And also, run the heater and confirm that hot air is blowing into cabin.

Thanks jonboyairey. It seems to be coming along. Just needed a bit more RPMs, cooldown and more hose squeezing. Hmmm sounds familiar.

Here is a list of the o ring sizes for the coolant hoses. Got the sizes from a seller on eBay that sells a kit.

For the coolant hoses, there are three cross sectional (CS) diameters:
1) Largest is 4mm which work for the main radiator hoses.
2) 3.5mm for most of the other auxiliary hoses. Small o-ring for temp. sensor is also 3.5 mm -- I've found this to seal better than the OEM green o-ring.
3) 3.0 mm -- (12mm, 14mm, and 16mm ID), for other auxiliary hoses like the coolant overflow hose for the expansion tank.

May have missed the real leak or there was 2. I now see a leak from behind the fan cowling I assume. You can see a drip/stream coming from the opening where wires probably clip to. Went 200 miles yesterday with no issue. Today maybe 50 miles and a 5 inch puddle. Anything under that cowling other than radiator?

Can't help identifying the leak, but watching this thread with interest as mine seems to be doing the same, although the leak is worse/more noticeable when parked nose downhill

Haven't been able to reproduce the leak. Brought engine up to temp, let it idle for 20 min, ran around the block. I've popped the plastic rivets off the cowling and pealed it back. Only see a small wet area between 2 fins but can't make it drip.

Anyone ever have an intermittent radiator leak like this? Are there any safe coolant additives worth trying?

Take off the cowling, if yours is the BEHR rad then almost guarantee it is seeping out through some hairline cracks that only open up when hot.

Most likely the coolant escapes a steam, but difficult to see. However you will no doubt see traces of coolant colour.

Same on mine - rad replaced. But then be aware that it may start to leak somewhere else as now the rad is sealed!

They do like a good old leak! Howard
____________________________________________________
2002 4.4 V8 LPG Tartarini
Have RSW AllComms in Cheshire J17 M6 - happy to help.
*Gone: Classic Vogue SE Auto V8 3.9

Is there a known fault on Behr radiators Howard ?

One of the jobs for this year is replace the rad and transmission cooler , but when I looked the rad was Behri so I figured it had been replaced at some point which pushed that project down the priority list .

As far as I know my BEHR rad was installed when car was built.

but others on here have had similar issues.

So while it does not seem to burst open and let everything out at once, it does seem to like a good old cry over a long period.

Personally I would take that as a warning it is unhappy, and change it while you can. Howard
____________________________________________________
2002 4.4 V8 LPG Tartarini
Have RSW AllComms in Cheshire J17 M6 - happy to help.
*Gone: Classic Vogue SE Auto V8 3.9

Thanks Smutt, yes I have found the apparent leak just about 3 inches down from the top. Right now it is hardly even a seep. I'd drive around 5 miles, 10 miles and check it and see only a wetness at some fins. It must open up on the highway with more pressure and wind. As soon as the outside temp hits 40 f I will clean it and JB weld it. Normally I would put a new radiator in now but its too cold. It just needs to hold about 2 months.

Thanks for posting on this thread Howard !!

One last question that may help all involved :
Is there a brand out there that is better than Behr that we should be looking out for ?
(I would hate to pay nearly double from the dealers to find out it's a Behr when I open the box)

I found fcpeuro.com does offer parts with lifetime warranty including wear items. Their Behr is $247 shipped in the US. About $50 more than the Hella I could get from Rockauto.com but it would be the last one I would need to buy.

hella behr is the same company