maintaining e36 318 1997

[bobpuvan]

after two moths of searching finally my dream come true, i've bought 1997 e36 318i (RM 52000.00) two weeks ago in puchong- all standard eccept for the cheap pvc grey seat the use car fix. . i didnt bring any mechanic, nor sent to workshop. i test drive it the gear engages smoothly , the engine runs smoothly , and i checked the exterior for accident no sambung evident so i buy it it. now in two weeks i travelled 3500km.the engine will be running for long hours (nature of job). I'm happy with the car . what should i do next i got few question to ask u sifu's?1 ) everyday the coolant level drops by 2-3mm (around 25-30 cm in 2 weeks.) there's no sign of leekage.what could cause this ?is this normal?2 ) normally i will turn on the ignition and wait for all lights to go off and then i'll start the engine. to day the two red lights on top(both beside high beam) one light is battery and the other is showing some fuel nozzle thinngy didnt go off. but they went off once the engine is started. what should i do?3) since this is my first bmw and i've never driven a bimmer before . what should be done and where should i go?because i travel alot i want the car to be in good condition,i dont want sudden problem happen while i'm driving in and old road middle of nowhere. one thing for sure both rear suspension has to be changed and all four tyres. PLEASE ADVICE. THANK YOU

 

[bobpuvan]

sorry . correction. the coolant level drops 2.5-3 cm ( 25-30 mm) in two weeks.

 

[LCP]

Item no. 2... the battery charge and oil pressure lights are not supposed go out till the engine gets started, what you experienced is normal.

 

[bobpuvan]

thank you LCP , now i'm a bit happy

 

[1+2=3]

sorry . correction. the coolant level drops 2.5-3 cm ( 25-30 mm) in two weeks.

coolant level dropping is definitely not normal, and could be something as simple as leaking hoses. Get a mechanic familiar with BMW's to check that out for you. The leak could be happening when you're driving, so you wouldn't notice it when stationary..etc.

good luck

 

[jarance]

bob you have bought a udm that is in relatively good condition except for the slight loss coolant level. Even though the leak is small, please keep a lookout for it as you might experience loss of coolant when the hose break.

there are some water hoses at the back of the engine which are slightly obscured that might need to be changed. please change them if you or the previous owner have not done so. I think the rubber hose lifespan is relatively short as compare to other brand.

Another thing is, should you ever experienced a engine overheating due to sudden loss of coolant, please DO NOT add cold water immediately. Let the engine cool down for at least 1 hour before you add water into the radiator.

Another thing is to choose a reliable workshop. Routine maintenance like oil change, filter and etc will help you to keep the car in running condition.

If you observed carefully the area around the speedometer, there are green/red bar around it. This colour bar serve as a reminder to change the oil. Take note that you not be able to reset this "Reminder" bar even though you change the oil. You have to "reset" it.

 

[bobpuvan]

thanks guys . . i went to kedah and back today avg 140-160kmh. gear change and engine is smooth. tempreture slightly below half all the way. but since this is a used car without service history is it necessary for me to do full check at auto bavaria?eg things that need to be changed. or will it be waste of money b'coz the engine is in good running cond.restricted budget though (high downpayment ).my budget for maintanance is 1000.00 every month . if above that have to wait until next following month.

 

[mizuan]

thanks guys . . i went to kedah and back today avg 140-160kmh. gear change and engine is smooth. tempreture slightly below half all the way. but since this is a used car without service history is it necessary for me to do full check at auto bavaria?eg things that need to be changed. or will it be waste of money b'coz the engine is in good running cond.restricted budget though (high downpayment ).my budget for maintanance is 1000.00 every month . if above that have to wait until next following month.

I'm writing based on my experience. The sifus may have a different view. I guess it all depends on the amount of money you're willing to spend for full maintenance check-up. A RM1000 for monthly maintenance budget is quite generous I would say although at some point of time its quite true. I did not spend RM1000 a month but after 5-6 months using my 1996 318i e36, the gearbox change cost me close to RM5000. I would think of it as having a medical checkup...do you wanna go to GH or specialist hospital..it is obvious that they'll be checking on the same person but equipment, advise etc. will be different and the charges differs as well.

 

[bobpuvan]

today after going trough the bentley manual , it says the radiator operates in certain level of preasure (psi) . as i say the cloolant level dropped about 3 cm in 2 weeks. i opened the radiator cap today and the preasure insight released and the coolant back to 80% full again to the exact volume it was 2 weeks ago. even after going trough the manual i dont understand how the system works, but its working.

 

[ferry]

base from my experience, i have face problem with you before. during i service my udm, i check personnally and find out my radiator leaking, but very very small. it take time the coolant level become lower. better you check intensively your radiator.

or other thing you can try flush your radiator and make sure all air inside your engine comes out. how to do, open your pressure nut, fill in water until no bubble comes out at your pressure nut.

 

[meetoo]

thanks guys . . i went to kedah and back today avg 140-160kmh. gear change and engine is smooth. tempreture slightly below half all the way. but since this is a used car without service history is it necessary for me to do full check at auto bavaria?eg things that need to be changed. or will it be waste of money b'coz the engine is in good running cond.restricted budget though (high downpayment ).my budget for maintanance is 1000.00 every month . if above that have to wait until next following month.

Since you bought the car without service history and didn't get a mech to check it first, there's no harm in sending to AB for a full check. They won't do any work without your agreement anyway but will tell you what needs doing and how urgent. Some issue can be live with for a few months, some need to be attended immediately. They'll normally tell you which.

Regarding your coolant, sound like a small leak somewhere it. Small can become big suddenly and better not to risk it since you travel a lot in your work. Any good workshop can do a pressure test and find the leak for you. Coolant system leaks is common since hoses do not last forever.

 

[1+2=3]

today after going trough the bentley manual , it says the radiator operates in certain level of preasure (psi) . as i say the cloolant level dropped about 3 cm in 2 weeks. i opened the radiator cap today and the preasure insight released and the coolant back to 80% full again to the exact volume it was 2 weeks ago. even after going trough the manual i dont understand how the system works, but its working.

hi bob, yes, the cooling system works under pressure.. usually, normal cars run between 0.8bar up to 1.1bar. Water under pressure has a higher boiling point.

If what you said is correct, you probably do not have a coolant leak. Essentially, a cars cooling system is a "sealed" system, and you should not need to top up coolant unnecesarily.

 

[rubes72]

you may want to check your pressure nut 9 the one on your car of course). Could be leaking. Look for traces of dried coolant those will be signs of where you're getting a leak

 

[bobpuvan]

i could not find traces of dried up coolant. the 2 main hose is dated 2003. i could not locate ather hoses

 

[ICEMAN 68]

bob congrats on your new dream machine..i have a mate that drives a year 97 with a low millage below 90K when he first purchased....he too had faced the coolant low matter as what you have mentioned...
he changed almost eyerything etc hoses ,radiator and many other before later on knowing that he was stranded with a temp rise problem ( OVERHEATING ), and had his TOP HEAD OVERHAULed.
Not to scare you on this issue ,but i think you should sent you car in for a tirre inspection with a realible foreman...

If you need any assistance for a realiable foreman , do PM me.Will be glad to assist you further ... TQ