E39 523i 1997 model common problems owners faced
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Adui...on the way to golf yesterday car overheated again at traffic light and cool down when car moving. When mechanic cant see any leak but notice wet spots on radiator dunno is it because overheating or leak. Top up fluid and now ok. OMG what can it be. Hoping its air lock only and nothing else. Check engine oil but looks ok. This morning open radiator cap water still there but got gush of presurrized air coming out. Hope the radiator i bought not faulty la. Fan seems moving but not as fast as I wanted it to. Any idea bro moots? Planning to take it for pressure test today during lunch time... Headache la. If air lock it should overheat same day after installing the radiator right. Drove it well for 2-3 days then only now overheat..Can it still be bcoz of air lock?
Really worried about blown head gasket. Did pressure test at radiator shop and told everything ok. Tekan just now kau kau after leaving mechanic shop with ds mode and again overheated when reach office 
I personally quite convince that the head gasket has a leak. How to know for sure?
I personally quite convince that the head gasket has a leak. How to know for sure?adui....not good bro not good.
The gush of pressurised air when the rad cap is opened in the morning is indicative of combustion gases pressurising the cooling system.I really hope I am wrong.What you can do is this :
1. do a really thorough bleeding of the cooling system.ie using both the bleed screws.also ensuring the heater matrix is also bled.and to fill the rad slowly and I mean really slowly,till full.some forums recommend positioning the car at an up incline to ensure the heater matrix is filled but I have not have to do this on my previous e39 (M52 engine) nor for my e60 (M54 engine). google and youtube will reveal.after doing all this,check the next morning if the cooling system hoses are soft or hard.it shud be soft and have zero pressure.if got pressure....see step 2
2. go do a cylinder compression test.that is the ultimate test to tell what is wrong with the engine.....head gasket...warped cylinder head....leaky valve...
good luck bro
The gush of pressurised air when the rad cap is opened in the morning is indicative of combustion gases pressurising the cooling system.I really hope I am wrong.What you can do is this :
1. do a really thorough bleeding of the cooling system.ie using both the bleed screws.also ensuring the heater matrix is also bled.and to fill the rad slowly and I mean really slowly,till full.some forums recommend positioning the car at an up incline to ensure the heater matrix is filled but I have not have to do this on my previous e39 (M52 engine) nor for my e60 (M54 engine). google and youtube will reveal.after doing all this,check the next morning if the cooling system hoses are soft or hard.it shud be soft and have zero pressure.if got pressure....see step 2
2. go do a cylinder compression test.that is the ultimate test to tell what is wrong with the engine.....head gasket...warped cylinder head....leaky valve...
good luck bro
Omg thx guys for d advice. Btw Selamat Hari Raya to all muslim members. Just returned from holiday and have not drove the car for few days now. Opened the rad cap and omg lots of pressurized air gushing out. Really worrying now. Ok bro moots will take ur advice and do the bleed again as well as the compression test. Really hope the cylinder head not cracked. Worse to worse hv to change to 528 or 530 engine kosong la
bro DR....my experience with a used engine change .....
http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/newforums/index.php?/topic/36817-m52b28-end-of-life/
http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/newforums/index.php?/topic/36817-m52b28-end-of-life/
Hi just to update. After having left my car at home for about a week, finally have the time and to courage to drive it out to the mechanic today. Found one "so called" BMW specialist. That guy felt my radiator hoses and told me pressure in upper hose far exceed the lower hose(felt lower hose not hot as it should be). Told me probably my car cooling flow impaired either radiator or thermostat. He reassured me that BMW E39 very very rarely faces gasket burn out or cracked cylinder unless abused under extreme temperature. He then used a cheap looking device, as big as a garmin gps that is wireless with another device connected to my OBD and instantly told me that my thermostat is faulty. However he said he would still do a ? pressure test on the cylinders and will flush my radiator to see the flow. Crossing my fingers hopefully my cylinder and gasket ok. Hate doing major repair on my cars. Don't feel ori anymore. Love this car alot but honestly gives me more headache than my wife. Lol
antiquer
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Happen to me before on my e34 m50.. have to open radiator cap to release the gas n open nearby valve to level the water again. Checked all the hoses thoroughly.. no leak.. did compression test.. no leak.. changed thermostat also problem persist.. changed radiator.. also problem persist.. lived with for a few month n then advised to change head gasket.. walla.. my m50 good again..
haywire
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I'm not sure what he uses but your description sounds like he used a generic OBD fault code reader.
Anyway i dont think the thermostat have any sensor that will enable it to send an error code, quite surprised that he diagnosed a thermostat fault by using a fault scanner.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyway i dont think the thermostat have any sensor that will enable it to send an error code, quite surprised that he diagnosed a thermostat fault by using a fault scanner.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Hi all. My latest update. Collected car yesterday. Mechanic told me he did overnight pressure test and notice about 20-25% drop in pressure. Hope thats normal. He told me he resetted my car and flushed my cooling system and changed my faulty radiator cap. Now working after a damage of RM95. Lower hose I feel gets hot after some drive and pressure in upper hose not as hard like before. Now no more overheating. Hope I have resolved my problem fingers crossed.
Btw is it a normal phenomenon to have a 25% drop in pressure overnight? Cant find any leaks though. Check water level today after some hard driving yesterday but water still same. Worried bout head gasket or bend cylinder head. Car feels smooth and no significant loss of power.
fingers crossed.Btw is it a normal phenomenon to have a 25% drop in pressure overnight? Cant find any leaks though. Check water level today after some hard driving yesterday but water still same. Worried bout head gasket or bend cylinder head. Car feels smooth and no significant loss of power.
bro DR....pressure drop in the cooling system?well.....we shouldn't be discussing about pressure drop coz there really shud not be any pressure at all in the hoses in the morning after the engine has cooled down....
how long have you known your mechanic?
he works on BMWs all day everyday?
experience on these marques are very important or otherwise the car gets butchered due to a person's incompetence....
how long have you known your mechanic?
he works on BMWs all day everyday?
experience on these marques are very important or otherwise the car gets butchered due to a person's incompetence....
Hi bro Moots,
He said he took out thespark plugs and do pressure aka compression test overnight for all 6 cylinders said got 25% drop. Dunno he sealed it properly or not. Honestly have not heard of overnigh tpressure test for the head like that. i thought would be on the spot thingy.
Anyway car running well , smooth as ever. By psychologically im worried after he mentioned of possible minimally bend cylinder head. this is my first time visiting this mech. a friend's friend recommended.
Now contemplating what to do next.. bro moots any test/mech u recommend for a second opinion that wont take too much time? coz im living in negeri sembilan.
Now thinking of buying a ood engine kosong from someone that is planning to upgrade his engine.
He said he took out thespark plugs and do pressure aka compression test overnight for all 6 cylinders said got 25% drop. Dunno he sealed it properly or not. Honestly have not heard of overnigh tpressure test for the head like that. i thought would be on the spot thingy.
Anyway car running well , smooth as ever. By psychologically im worried after he mentioned of possible minimally bend cylinder head. this is my first time visiting this mech. a friend's friend recommended.
Now contemplating what to do next.. bro moots any test/mech u recommend for a second opinion that wont take too much time? coz im living in negeri sembilan.
Now thinking of buying a ood engine kosong from someone that is planning to upgrade his engine.
oooooo...you meant the combustion chamber compression test....ok
well like you said....that is an on the spot thingy...either the pressure is within range or not
you in seremban?me in nilai...he he..
my previous e34 gave a somewhat similar symptom like yours tho it was an m20 engine.the coolant hoses were rock hard in the morning but no overheating and car ran fine.mine was the cylinder head gasket.top overhaul required.
i recommend optimum auto in damansara kayu ara ....ah foo 012-3081891 or ah fai 012-2115679 or their super mech faisal....have been with then for more than 10 years already.
too many a time when i have issues on my cars,i just called them and got an over the phone quick fixes.also many on the spot visits to do small things like registering the battery or resetting faults on the I drive...FOC.why i even borrowed a vanos turning tool from ah foo when i diy my vanos seals on my previous e39.
they are not cheap.build a good rapport with them and you will find that owning a BMW shud not be about having a constant breakdown fear or heartache....maybe only the occasional wallet-ache....itu misti ada punya laaaa.... you gotta pay to play mah...
gu lak and report the final outcome
well like you said....that is an on the spot thingy...either the pressure is within range or not
you in seremban?me in nilai...he he..
my previous e34 gave a somewhat similar symptom like yours tho it was an m20 engine.the coolant hoses were rock hard in the morning but no overheating and car ran fine.mine was the cylinder head gasket.top overhaul required.
i recommend optimum auto in damansara kayu ara ....ah foo 012-3081891 or ah fai 012-2115679 or their super mech faisal....have been with then for more than 10 years already.
too many a time when i have issues on my cars,i just called them and got an over the phone quick fixes.also many on the spot visits to do small things like registering the battery or resetting faults on the I drive...FOC.why i even borrowed a vanos turning tool from ah foo when i diy my vanos seals on my previous e39.
they are not cheap.build a good rapport with them and you will find that owning a BMW shud not be about having a constant breakdown fear or heartache....maybe only the occasional wallet-ache....itu misti ada punya laaaa.... you gotta pay to play mah...
gu lak and report the final outcome
Hi bro moots, wow we r so near. Must meet up sometime for TT when free. Ya have been to optimum for full car check up and service when first got the car. They really know their stuff and I would say the service and price is very very good. They make repairing BMW look easy. Our side here the mechanic seems clueless. But this guy I went seems to fix my proble. Not sure what he did.. from what I saw practically nothing. Forgot to mention the night before I send my car to this guy, I added kalimet Heavy duty K seal into my expansion tank as I was very frustrated and paranoid about the whole gasket and cylinder thingy. Maybe this thing actually works. Superb product. Never had overheating even on the way to this fella shop. May need to go down to optimum to get a 2nd opinion on my gasket and cylinder head. If there is a slightest bend or defect, I will consider and engine upgrade la.
Thanks again moots for everything.
Thanks again moots for everything.
Hi guys i am a newbie here on this forum.I do not know whether this is the appropriate place to find out more about my 39 airconditioning problem.It suddenly started blowing only air that is not cold from all the airconditioning vents.What are the likely issues and how much will it cost be to get this problem fixed.I have already had my cooling coil and valves replace about 4 years back. It cost me about rm 1300.00 for the cooling coil replacement and valves
Thanks
Any help is much appreciated
Thanks
Any help is much appreciated
