Coolant top up jiggery pokery

G&T

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WTF...what a faff.

The handbook stated I had to remove the body-bound rivet. WTF is a body-bound rivet! Surely I didn't have to drill a feckin rivet out to top up the radiator. I pulled at the surrounding plastic thinking it may be a pull off like a pop rivet but no way.

I actually phoned the dealership. Yes, I actually phoned the dealership feeling like a proper twa*. Funny thing it took them 20 minutes to give me an answer which was to push the centre of the rivet with a Philips screw driver which would release the rivet and I could pull out. Nope still solid. Anyway I followed the rest of the instructions only to realise that there was enough flex in the plastic side to top up the tank. So the whole body bound rivet instruction was superfluous.

So Mr BMW, if you want me to follow your instruction, give proper instruction! And the body bound rivet can go and feck itself!
 

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That rivet caught me out as well. However, once you know its easy-peasy. I used a long scriber and a torch to see what I was doing. Very carefully put the scriber in the centre of the 'body bound rivet' and then, this is the important bit, put your hand behind the rivet to make sure you catch the pin. Then push the scriber and the centre pin in the rivet pops out. However, be careful that you don't stick the scriber in your hand. If the scriber made an indentation in the head of the rivet make sure you keep that bit on the outside for the next time. To reassemble, pop the rivet body in and ensure its through all the layers and push the centre pin back in from the outside until it is flush with the head
Or
You can leave it the feck where it is and flex the body panel out the way.:thumb2
 
Cheers rusty. That would have been helpful at the time.:thumb
 
First question that comes to mind reading this is why does the coolant need topping up? Do you have a leak?
 


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