How to Change a Head Gasket on a 1995 BMW 525i

1. Turn the engine of your 525i off and leave it until it has fully cooled down. Pop open the hood. Remove the bolt attached to the negative battery terminal using a wrench. Lift the cable away from the terminal.
2. Place a drain pan underneath the radiator. Find the drain plug at the bottom of the radiator. Remove the plug and drain the coolant in to the pan.
3. Use your hands to pull thew coolant line, vacuum line and upper radiator hose out of their connectors. You must remove the coolant from the radiator before carrying out this step or it will cause coolant to leak everywhere.
4. Remove the bolts attached to the alternator, exhaust manifold and intake manifold using a socket wrench. Lift them from the engine. Remove the bolts which hold the rear timing belt cover in place. Remove the cover to gain access to the cylinder head.
5. Remove the bolts on the cylinder head starting in the top left hand side and working your way around in a cross-hatch pattern. Each bolt must be reinstalled in the exact place from which it was removed. Lift off the cylinder head and take out the damaged head gasket. Place the new head gasket on the engine block and reattach the cylinder head by reinserting the bolts.
6. Place the timing belt cover back in position within the engine and reattach the mounting bolts. Reattach the alternator, intake manifold and exhaust manifold by securing it place with the bolts.
7. Press the earlier removed hoses and lines back in to their connectors by pushing them in with your hands. Remove the cap off the radiator and pour coolant back inside the radiator. Place the negative cable back on the battery terminal and secure with the clamp bolt.