My wife was driving the 318is and saw White smoke under the hood....called me and told me that it was hissing. She went to her work, and I stopped on the way there, and checked it out...I had figured it was a radiator issue, so I brought coolant, etc.
Turns out it is the AC hose. Coming from the compressor (metal) becomes rubber, then metal again as it heads in the R headlight plastic cover area and towards the radiator....
The rubber hose was touching where the battery would be in an american car (front R sheet metal under the coils), and it rubbed a hole in itself over time, and finally gave out.
I can refill the AC myself (and even get a vacuum pump to evacuate the lines) but need a part number for the proper part...real OEM doesn't seem to show a metal--rubber--metal line.
Any help, or anyone else have the same problem?
Thanks!