BMW E46 325Ci oil cooler hose location?

[TonyRPH]

2002 BMW 325Ci automatic.

My car a developed a serious leak. The fluid is quite slippery, seems to lack any kind of odour (which is surprising, but I am just dipping my finger in what's on the garage floor - and it seems almost clear).

My first thought was coolant, however I now think it might be engine oil.

I have looked on realeom but have been unable to find any mention of oil cooler - auto transmission cooler yes, but not oil cooler?

There is a lot of seepage around two hoses that go into the radiator area - they are highlighted in red below. I believe the part highlighted in green is the auto transmission oil cooler.

Can anyone confirm please? Thanks in advance.

Picture from realoem

[Krikkit]

Sounds like it'll be ATF from the transmission cooler.

[TonyRPH]

It looks as though the fluid is pink (I'm slightly colour blind so I got the O/H to have a look).

Coolant level has dropped, although seemingly not significantly enough to account for the amount of liquid on the floor, although I don't know how much a reduction in the header tank changes the level in the radiator significantly.

Strangely, the liquid is very clean though.

[Mr Tidy]

If it is slippery and looks pink I'd agree it's probably ATF, if not from the gearbox maybe from the PAS?

BMW anti-freeze is blue, unless it has been filled with something not to BMW spec.

[sibriers]

Believe those hoses connect to a small cooler for the power steering fluid - essentially a metal pipe that runs in front of the radiator.

[sibriers]

Power steering uses ATF on these BTW