E46 318i Problems

[yohannes]

Hi guys, I had just collected my E46 318i 2003 CKD model from the dealer yesterday. The car had done about 90,000 kms and was in fairly good condition. Had the car checked at M-performance in Taman Mayang and GT1 Diagnostic was performed without any problems revealed. Committed to the car on the same day. =) There were however some problems identified by the mechanic there, the first being a leaking oil sump and the second a leaking auto box. Anyway, I had the opportunity to go on a 500km road trip last night itself , and so far the joy of driving a UDM has really gotten to me. However, there are a few things/problems which I have experienced with the car and would like to consult the other bros for your opinions and advice. The first is of course the leaking oil sump and gearbox ....According to the guy who checked my car, only the gasket for both items need replacing. Secondly, as I drove in stop and go traffic today, I noticed that the air cond is not cold even at the lowest temperature and full blast. However, once I pick up speed/cruise the car, the air conditioning works perfectly. Any advice on the possible causes?Finally, the most worrying problem I had was when I was driving back down from Kedah, at the stretch around Taiping where the road is curvy and all the lorries all crawling at snails pace. Wanted to test out the cars handling so I put the car in tiptronic and drove at slightly higher speeds, alternating between gear 4 & 5 . Did not drive aggresively in fact. However, I was alarmed when the temperature needle quickly rose to the redline, and the red line indicator lighted up. I immediately cut speed to about 80-90 and after 5 minutes or so, the temperature went back down. After that, I cruised at a constant 110-120 all the way back to KL and the temperature was fine. However, I did try speeding up a little to 140-150 at certain stretches and immediately, the temperature needle inched toward the red line. Of course, I quickly slowed down to avoid making anything worse. Has anyone experience this before? Any ideas on the cause/things to rectify and cost of rectification?Appreciate the time taken to read through this naggy post from a worried new UDM owner... =)

 

[Petrus]

Last time when I first got my UDM and AB checked for me, oso they changed the gasket only for oil sump.

As for the redline temperature, there are lots of possible reasons. Can vary from mechanical failures such as water pump and radiator leaking, or even thermostat problem or even as simple as not enough coolant in your cooling system. Have you checked the coolant level?

You can start by checking your coolant level, then check to see if there is any leak at your water pump and hoses. Then you can also do a simple pressure test to radiator to ensure there is no crack on the radiator. And perhaps try bleeding the cooling system as well when topping up the coolant.

 

[aidilj]

For the temperature rising, just like bro petrus mentioned, check if the cooling system was bled properly.

For the aircon, probably your fan is getting weak or not working. See if the fan is running or if you can stop it with your hand. The fan not running may also cause the engine overheating problem. Check the fan.

Have fun with the ride!

 

[zeedo]

To have peace of mind, change the cooling system hoses (quite a number of them), expansion tank, water pump and thermostat. You can do it by phases but I had the problem with temperature going high at instances like you mentioned. In my case it was the clogged radiator and got a bit crack at the side water passage flushed it and changed the cracked bit). If you read through E46 maintenance thread you'll get the picture of the cost you need to fork out. I got my car at 60k km (5yrs old then) and by reaching 100k km, all cooling system have been changed (by preventive or reactive maintenance). Those plastics just won't last especially in our climate so rather than being stranded by the roadside, better spend a few thousand ringgit first....it's a well known fact buying a used beemer, you can't expect just to buy and drive. I do travel a lot going back to Perlis (my hometown) so don't take it lightly on cooling system.

On leaking problem, you will encounter among others:
1) Cam cover gasket
2) Vacuum pump o-ring
3) Vacuum pump itself
4) Crank shaft oil seal
5) Oil seal on g/box side
6) Oil sump
7) Solenoid valve o-ring
8) Valve seals (each individual valve has one)
9) Oil filter housing

Next good investment are those engine and gearbox mountings...it makes the car feels new. Throw in new new control arm bushes....hmmm what else...I'll continue when I can remember further. Currently my car (E46 N42) might have a leaking cam cover gasket (from description given by wifey) and I'm 10k km away from the car....aiyooohhh.

 

[yohannes]

First of all thanks for all the useful information guys. I was already mentally prepared to replace the necessary wear and tear parts after looking spending weeks on this forum. However, I thought that by getting the car inspected prior to purchase would keep it down to a minimum. However, after reading through what you guys have listed, looks like I will have to spend alot more time and moolah to get the car up and running in perfect condition.

Will probably send my car in tomorrow or the day after to get the necessary replaced first..

Btw, I was told by the mech that the expansion tank and control arm bushes are newly replaced... Finally, if there is anymore useful advice, do keep em' coming. Bro Zeedo..u must miss your UDM alot being 10k km away.. =)

 

[yohannes]

Hey guys,

Is this the expansion tank? I opened it up and cant see any coolant/water inside. Check out the attached image. Could this be the culprit? Anyway, sorry but I don't have the manual to the 318i as it wasn't provided.

 

[zeedo]

Yes, that's the expansion tank, there could be a hairline crack somewhere not visible especially when the engine is cold. That part is RM220 only, I changed it DIY....just remember to disconnect the level sensor at the bottom (check the rubber seal of the level sensor, could be just that thing if the tank is new). Or as mentioned....hoses (top, bottom, under intake manifold...check realoem website for more info)

Yaa...miss driving in general...overhere hari2 naik bas mcm budak sekolah, but Japan's public transport is just amazing, precise and super efficient.

 

[Vincent Hor]

Please don't attempt to stop the fan in front of the radiator with you hands!!!

It's dangerous because it can cut off your hands. When we give advise, please be aware and know the subject car. E46 2004 is running on electric fan and the speed is very fast.

It's unlike the older BMW models where it's a hydraulic viscous fan. You can do that with a viscous fan but never with an electric fan.

For the temperature rising, just like bro petrus mentioned, check if the cooling system was bled properly.

For the aircon, probably your fan is getting weak or not working. See if the fan is running or if you can stop it with your hand. The fan not running may also cause the engine overheating problem. Check the fan.

Have fun with the ride!

 

[aidilj]

Please don't attempt to stop the fan in front of the radiator with you hands!!!

It's dangerous because it can cut off your hands. When we give advise, please be aware and know the subject car. E46 2004 is running on electric fan and the speed is very fast.

It's unlike the older BMW models where it's a hydraulic viscous fan. You can do that with a viscous fan but never with an electric fan.

Vincent, sorry for this and hope that yohannes haven't cut any fingers. Just that last time my other car (not a bmw) had the same aircon symptom (cold only when car is moving), went to the workshop and while the fan is running the mechanic knows that it is not running at full power just stopped it with his hands. :frown: Replace the electric fan and aircon back to normal

 

[yohannes]

No worries guys. I had enough judgement not to try sticking my hand in just yet.. haha. Anyway, from the picture, can anyone judge if my coolant level is low? I cant visually see any coolant inside, and besides, the red dot is also below the edge of the expansion tank. Could this be the actual problem?

 

[aidilj]

From the picture youre coolant level is low, in mine i can see water inside when the engine is cold. The stick should potrude like in the figure next to the cap

low

good

 

[Petrus]

walau ehh... totally empty tank.. make sure u fill up the coolant bro... and bleed the cooling system when u do a coolant refill...

the picture that bro aidil showed where one screwdriver is located is the bleeder screw... make sure u unscrew the bleeder when filling the coolant...

and u might want to keep one spare bleeder screw in your car just in case... hehe..

all the best..

Hey guys,

Is this the expansion tank? I opened it up and cant see any coolant/water inside. Check out the attached image. Could this be the culprit? Anyway, sorry but I don't have the manual to the 318i as it wasn't provided.

 

[yohannes]

Hey guys,

Thanks for actually taking the trouble to post pictures of high and low levels, and to comment on mine.

Went back to M-Performance yesterday and first thing when they checked was that my coolant level was low + radiator cap seals were worn. So they filled up with a bottle of BMW coolant and water + replaced the radiator cap for me. Happy that it wasn't a big issue.

However, 3-4km into my journey, the temperature rose again. This time, I quickly sent it back and had to leave the car behind for the day. The car had three problems :

1. The radiator was blocked so they sent it for servicing and sort of like reconditioning
2. The radiator spare tank mtg part had to be replaced as there was a crack
3. Thermostat failed

They did 1 & 2 for me and I was told that it is not necessary to replace a new thermostat. Took the car back by evening and tried it out for some time. So far so good, even when pushed. As a conclusion, I was quite satisfied with the work & service. 7xx spent on my second third day with the car. And this is just the beginning.... haha =)

Btw guys, is it safe to drive without the thermostat? Secondly, now I noticed a new issue. My rpm was stable previously, but now when idling the needle is vibrating slightly.

 

[aidilj]

The thermostat was removed? Thermostat operates to get the engine to warm up faster by only allowing coolant to flow when it is hot enough. Thermostat not opening means engine gets hot or if stuck at open will make it longer for the engine to warm up to its optimum temperature.

read here : http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question248.htm

Is the RPM pulsating like below? Do diagnostic first, mine is like below and its the O2 sensor

[video=youtube;NXSGM3iJ1Mg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXSGM3iJ1Mg[/video]

 

[yohannes]

It's pulsating but not that badly.. I see, so in this case, the only ill effect of not having the thermostat is that the coolant flows immediately once i start the engine, so the engine takes a longer time to heat up right?

 

[boyburhan]

hey
im having the sam eprob now as mentioned in my post... need to ne sure whether the reservoir or the radiator is leaking... Owh we can DIY the reservoir ya?

 

[yohannes]

Haha, I'm sure we can, whether you're up to it or not. For me, I don't have sufficient technical background with fixing mechanical parts therefore I am not confident of doing a DIY on this.. but I think there are many bro's who are well skilled and equipped to do it. There are also alot of videos on youtube with DIY instructions.

However, I think it's better to get a BMW specialist to check so that they can help you identify the exact cause since there could be more than one reason your engine is overheating bro.. =)

 

[ichi82]

The thermostat was removed? Thermostat operates to get the engine to warm up faster by only allowing coolant to flow when it is hot enough. Thermostat not opening means engine gets hot or if stuck at open will make it longer for the engine to warm up to its optimum temperature.

read here : http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question248.htm

Is the RPM pulsating like below? Do diagnostic first, mine is like below and its the O2 sensor

[video=youtube;NXSGM3iJ1Mg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXSGM3iJ1Mg[/video]

wah nice background music la bro..haha mine like that also..O2 sensor.

 

[yohannes]

Now I start to think that mine is like that too.. just that the vibration not that intense yet.. When idling I can feel the car 'galloping' like a horse...very faintly.

 

[anaksarawak]

Read it here that pulsating light and idle can be caused by bad or weak alternator http://www.e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=632179&page=3