1998 BMW 540I User Comment / Complaint

I was driving down a busy street one evening and as i came to a light, smoke started coming out of my hood. fortunately it was in the evening and traffic was lighter than usual. i pulled into a parking lot off the side of the road. having known others that this has happened to, i first checked the radiator and sure enough, there was a large crack down the side of the housing. i had the car towed home and purchased a new radiator from bmw of seattle the following morning. the new radiator was about $200, a few hours of my own labor and a few more hours detailing the engine pay and headlights which had radiator fluid all over them. also from the experience of others who own e39 bmw 540s, i fully expect this to happen again in the next 50k miles. i also expect the expansion tank to go within the next few months.