E36 Losing Coolant -- Ideas?

[socette@xxxxxxxxx (Juli Gumbiner)]

In October, I purchased a 94 325ica with 24,000 miles on the odometer.
I'm in love with the car, but I have one concern:  it seems to be losing
coolant.

The OBC reported "check coolant level" about a month ago.  I checked it,
it was a couple of inches below "kalt," so I topped it off.  It happened
again a few days later so I took it back to the dealership.

They found spray marks around the water pump and. although the car sat
there overnight and produced no puddle of coolant, deduced that the pump
needed to be replaced.

All was well until this morning, when the OBC sounded off and I found
the coolant low again.  Despite this, the car never budges beyond the
center of the temp. gauge, so it's not overheating -- yet.

25,000 miles seems a frighteningly short duration for a water pump...and
it doesn't seem to have solved the problem.  Do these cars "use"
coolant?  I don't think so.  Anybody out there got an idea of what's
happening?  A friend semi-facetiously suggested a cracked block:  highly
unlikely, but now I'm freaking out.

I'd really welcome your opinions.  Hope Brett's readng.  ;-)

- --jag

Juli Gumbiner -- jag@domain.elided


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