Help with my Mom's car

[Tonk]

My Mom has a 2000 BMW Z3. She babies the car and never ever abuses it or drives it hard. Yesterday she came outside and there was some kind of fluid on the ground (she thinks radiator fluid, but I can't say for sure because I didn't see it). She had it towed to BMW to service it. They said the car had a cracked overflow tank. When she asked how that happens, they said "it just happens...it's plastic after all." Has anyone else ever had this problem or at least heard of this? My mom wants to know if they're telling her truth because she's never had this happen to any other cars she's owned. Also, is there a way to prevent this in the future?

[Tonk]

bump

[juice91si]

My Mom has a 2000 BMW Z3. She babies the car and never ever abuses it or drives it hard. Yesterday she came outside and there was some kind of fluid on the ground (she thinks radiator fluid, but I can't say for sure because I didn't see it). She had it towed to BMW to service it. They said the car had a cracked overflow tank. When she asked how that happens, they said "it just happens...it's plastic after all." Has anyone else ever had this problem or at least heard of this? My mom wants to know if they're telling her truth because she's never had this happen to any other cars she's owned. Also, is there a way to prevent this in the future?

i'm not a mechanic or anything, but if they said it's plastic, it happens, and it was leaking fluid, maybe it was the resevoir, i see snow in your sig so i assume it's cold where you live, cold+plastic=cracked plastic. ask your mom if she knows what exactly broke, but maybe the temperature had something to do with it

[Tonk]

i'm not a mechanic or anything, but if they said it's plastic, it happens, and it was leaking fluid, maybe it was the resevoir, i see snow in your sig so i assume it's cold where you live, cold+plastic=cracked plastic. ask your mom if she knows what exactly broke, but maybe the temperature had something to do with it

They said it was a cracked overflow tank, and like I said, she's never had this happen to any other car, and I've never heard of this happening either. She's lived in Baltimore for 30 years now, and she's been driving just about that long too.

[Tonk]

Sorry to bump again, but this thread doesn't even stay on the page for 45 minutes. Something is wrong with these forums.......anyway, I am still trying to find the answer so I am bumping again.

[corollinout]

cold plastic + heat from engine/fluid = cracked, happened to my fourwheeler, and my windshield


heat an empty cup up in the microwave, pour water from the fridge in it, and it should crack

[Tonk]

cold plastic + heat from engine/fluid = cracked, happened to my fourwheeler, and my windshield


heat an empty cup up in the microwave, pour water from the fridge in it, and it should crack

Yeah, I understand the whole cold/heat stuff, my windshield cracked last year. Ididn't think about the hot engine on the cold plastic though. Thanks dude. So I guess there's really no way to prevent this?

[slimBoost]

plastic things have a tendency to crack hes not lying

The rx7 had a plastic AST tank that was prone to exploding after a few years

[chunky]

tell her to request to see the broken tank, i don't know about MD but in MI thay are required to show you any parts they remove if you request it.

[Tonk]

Well I just talked to her on the phone, she already got it replaced. $245. She didn't think to ask for the broken part back. Good idea though. Thanks for your guys help.