MoCool For School
Not all owners are aware that BMWs can be different depending on which country they’re sold in. There can be dramatic changes that depend on whether the model is right-hand-drive or left-hand-drive, whether it’s a US or European specified vehicle, or if the car is going to a hot or a cold climate. It’s quite common for Australian owners to find that a part they’ve ordered from overseas doesn’t actually fit their BMW, due to the cooling system being designed for a hot climate, or because of the different configurations under the bonnet.
Hot climate BMWs tend to have a beefier cooling system, like those found here in Australia. The cars need to be able to withstand temperatures found anywhere across our country. Conversely, we also don’t have to live through months of below-freezing temperatures like in Europe and North America, so antifreeze is often unnecessary. In the lower east of this continent, frost on the windscreen during winter can be common, but if you’re in the warmer parts of the country then your car will probably never see anything close to freezing temperatures. If that’s the case, then you don’t really need to run antifreeze coolant at all. It’s more important to keep the temperature of your motor low, so as to improve the longevity of the plastic components that can turn brittle with prolonged heat exposure, and to help the overall efficiency of your engine. A cooler motor is a happier motor.
Motul has a pretty cool product available that suits our warmer climate conditions perfectly. Designed to be used instead of coolant concentrate, their MoCool radiator additive can lower the engine temperature by as much as 15°c. In very rough terms, that translates to your engine running approximately 10% cooler than normal. MoCool is so effective that it’s actually been banned in some forms of motorsport as it can give an unfair advantage during race conditions. MoCool works by improving the flow rates and heat transfer of the liquid in your cooling system, making it more efficient at what it’s doing. It also contains rust and corrosion inhibitors to help protect the insides of your motor and cooling system.
If you happen to live in an area where you think an antifreeze coolant is necessary, then you can always add a small amount of MoCool to your usual antifreeze to help lower your average engine temperature. You should perform a coolant flush on your car every two years to ensure that it’s properly maintained. We recommend using Motul Inugel coolant, which is quite possibly the best aftermarket coolant available for BMWs, and comes with BMW approvals. Performing a flush also gives you the opportunity to cast a closer eye across your cooling system components. Visually check for cracks and leaks at the radiator, expansion tank, thermostat, and water pump, and feel the hoses for internal splits. Doing this can save a lot of time and heachaches in the future. If you do find something that looks like it’s on its way out, feel free to send us an email and we’ll do everything we can to help get you the right part for your car.
Motul MoCool can be purchased here.