Geniune BMW Thermostat Housing WARNING - 2020

[Braymond141]

BMW has changed manufacturers of the composite thermostat housing and that manufacturer is providing a "red" silicone gasket (there is also an orange version with the same oversized dimensions). DO NOT USE this gasket. These gaskets are oversized and will cause the housing to crack during installation or deform the mating the surface. These are the same gaskets that all the metal housings come with, do not use those either.

You need to order an original style Elring gasket. They are orange and have a pointy tapered tip on both mating sides. It's possible BMW still sells the proper gasket when ordered separate.

Toodaloo provided this pic of both. The "red" silicone gasket is installed and was included in the Genuine BMW thermostat housing box. The orange gasket on top is the original specification gasket that is known to work.

[bmwstephen]

good catch. isn't elring the oem supplier though so won't their versions be the same as the "genuine" piece?

[jayjaya29]

I bought FEBI thermostat housing and it has a red gasket, is working fine so far:

[Braymond141]

good catch. isn't elring the oem supplier though so won't their versions be the same as the "genuine" piece?

No, look at the pic and what I wrote.

[MParallel]

This really is bad business. Quality control seems non-existant these days in the E36 parts department. I'll make sure to keep my currently installed gasket, as long as it's not broken on my (2009) replacement composite housing.

Althoug looking at the old pic I took in 2009, it looks more like the red than the orange gasket. I would have to find the original size pic to confirm.



Selling a housing with a gasket that makes it crack is just beyond comprehension.

[Braymond141]

[bimmertav]

Can confirm - This explains a lot. Mine cracked during install.

[JitteryJoe]

This is the Elring from ECS using the BMW part number to search for it.
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-elring-p...531740437~elr/

It states that it is for the new aluminum housing. Is this correct for the original plastic housing?

[Braymond141]

Same thing, Joe.

[JitteryJoe]

Same thing, Joe.

Got it. Thanks!

[Boston Green M3.4.5]

This is the kind of information I love to see on forums: timely, informed, well-researched technical knowledge. Thanks, Brett.

[OmairK]

Thanks for this PSA. Stayed with OEM housing and new BMW gasket and old pictures confirmed I had the little lip. This was in 2017.

[Miclin]

That explains why my aluminum housing cracked. Went back to OEM housing. Hopefully it had the correct gasket. Not leaks so far.

[Positiveions]

Good catch. Now a days there are many manufacturers of these parts and retailers don’t have the time to decipher good from bad. Many of these parts are manufactured in Asia (China in particular) and nothing good come out of there.

[TexaZ3]

Brett, why do you not recommend aluminum housing? I was about to do the cooling system on my car, and thought aluminum housing was an upgrade over OEM plastic. I had aluminum on my S52 Z3M shoe for over 50K miles now, and no problems.