[RSVP-XCI]

So driving along, worst of all not even speeding, cruising at 55 in a 55, I catch presumably rock through the lower opening of the bumper, somehow bounced upward and hit the exposed portion of the radiator, bleeding coolant like a sieve.

Immediately smell the coolant and pull off the freeway and into a parking lot. Call BMW Roadside assistance and towed to my local dealership.

Dealership and BMW corporate both said not covered since it’s a road hazard and I call bullshit because the radiator should have been better protected. I’m not shelling out $2,700 out of pocket nor going through insurance after 1 month of ownership of a new M2 just because they provided inadequate protection. Matt Watson (Carwow) points out in his video that this is an obvious problem.

Made a big stink on social media, BMW corporate gets in contact and they take care of it.

Anyway, I painted some metal masonry mesh black and installed it behind the bumper. Highly recommend it to all

[tsn]

What is the aprox dimensions on the grillguard?

[RSVP-XCI]

Originally Posted by tommy_sn

What is the aprox dimensions on the grillguard?

I believe I cut a piece of metal mesh to 6-1/4” (16cm) x 22” (56cm)

[tsn]

Thank you.

How about making a diy protection of the bottom oil cooler? Mybe a bigger job?

[Albator_IIII]

Originally Posted by RSVP-XCI

I believe I cut a piece of metal mesh to 6-1/4” (16cm) x 22” (56cm)

Looks good. Mind doing a DIY guide for the community?

[RSVP-XCI]

Originally Posted by Albator_IIII

Looks good. Mind doing a DIY guide for the community?

Supplies:
steel lath/mesh

Rustoleum 2000 F high heat flat black (because it doesn’t say to not use on galvanized metal which the lath is)

Procedure:
Cut steel lath to size (about 22” x 6.25”)

Power wash the steel lath and let dry

Spray on the flat black, leave to dry
When dried, flip over and spray other side. Repeatedly adjust angle of spray to get all surfaces on the steel lath.

Let dry 2 hours

Bend slightly as you slide it into space behind lower opening so as to avoid scratching bumper with sharp metal edges. Do not bend so much as to create a crease in the lath, should spring back to flat.

Use black zip ties top and bottom around the vertical bars of the air opening to fix the metal lath in place

[RSVP-XCI]

Originally Posted by tommy_sn

Thank you.

How about making a diy protection of the bottom oil cooler? Mybe a bigger job?

I’m considering using the same supplies to do that. I need to get under there and see if there’s an easy way of fixing the metal lath/mesh to the underside

[DarkNight707]

That sucks! Could you share a picture of the installed mesh?

[RSVP-XCI]

Originally Posted by DarkNight707

That sucks! Could you share a picture of the installed mesh?

Photo below

[DarkNight707]

Originally Posted by RSVP-XCI

Photo below

Thanks for the photo!

[DCC]

Great idea

What about the openings on the left and right side on the front bumper?
Those need to be protected as well?

[Chet for short]

Yep, if you do one, you should do them all. Amazing number of heat exchangers on our cars!

[Axylus]

OP, thanks for the guide. Does this also work for cars with Adaptivr Cruise Control?

Does anyone know of any aftermarket solutions/products?

[DarkNight707]

Originally Posted by Axylus

OP, thanks for the guide. Does this also work for cars with Adaptivr Cruise Control?

I saw this video in youtube. It seems it can be done but need to be super careful not to scratch anything.

[VegasG42]

Same thing many of the C8 guys are doing. I never saw an instance yet of someone actually getting a puncture that causes a rupture. But many people posting pictures of several damaged and bent fins.

So a few companies make preformed mesh screens for the C8 bumper openings. And many people just do what you did - make their own screens

[Bimmerfun82]

Seems plainly obvious this was going to happen with this design, and BMW doesn’t readily admit fault? Insane.

[rangerfan94]

Originally Posted by Bimmerfun82

Seems plainly obvious this was going to happen with this design, and BMW doesn’t readily admit fault? Insane.

BMW is just following the lead of Porsche and other brands. Gotta give the dealer network some stuff to fix, and the aftermarket some 'upgrades' to sell.

[Bimmerfun82]

Originally Posted by rangerfan94

BMW is just following the lead of Porsche and other brands. Gotta give the dealer network some stuff to fix, and the aftermarket some 'upgrades' to sell.

Not buying it. Dealers aren't going to fix for free, so they're pushing cost and upsells on customers, which is BS.

[Rx-7ames]

The same thing just happened to me. I haven't talked to management or corporate yet. Hopefully it can get taken care of. Wish me luck.

https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2048502

Update: My dealership did a one time good-will repair for the radiator, but they will not do this again. So now I will work on finding a fix for this problem that BMW should have eliminated from the start.

[BMW DIY Guy]

I will be installing Zunsport screens as soon as they are available. I had them on my F87 and they were fantastic, as I even had one survive a deer strike! (wish I was kidding)

[mgrysch]

The Zunsports look really good with a nice clean install. They also have a grill to protect the under body oil cooler. Not super cheap but not unreasonable either. You would get the three lower front grills and the under body for significantly less than the underbody skidplates I had been looking at to protect the oil cooler. I found several grill materials on Amazon and ordered some samples for potential DIY. Ordered these as I will use them on another project if I don't use them here. The first two are aluminum, the last one plastic but all are sturdy enough to provide significant protection. I might go a bit smaller on the holes on the plastic one. There are a number of hole size and shape options. I will post with my final decision

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PBM1C2F...roduct_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B28636PY...roduct_details