Overheating Problem Need Advice

[sesat88]

Hi yoke.....

hmmm... been 2 years since you had this problem, did you get this fixed? If so, whatca did? Would like to know as currently I am facing the same issue at the moment.

Kena it yesterday, temperature went to red. SHIT! Waited for an hour, check engine, no leak, radiator still had water... drove all the home at 3/4 temp.

Yesterday, changed my thermo and the housing. Bleed the rad out.. looks fine and I took her for a spin to Sunway and back again (40mins drive). Temp was rock steady at the middle.

Temp when up when I went out for tea.. while looking for parking.

Check again, no visible leak, but water level drop an inch from the normal level....suspect maybe clutch fan or ..... the thing i am not praying.. head gasket leak.

Couldn't come at a worst time... so darn busy these days.......... AAAIYAH!!!!!

Any bro. here could give some advice? Am off to the mechanics tomorrow.... any recommendation. Going to give my regular "fren" a skip... he also penning when i called him today and explained. Can't really blame him as he more into Japs than BM.

 

[Nemesis]

Well when thermostats fail they designed to fail open so car will run cold. Also leaky head gasket will do the same.
Sounds like fan, but worth checking yr pump by squeezing the hose to the radiator and see how fast it springs back and what resistance u feel.
Oh if its hot wear gloves

 

[macgy]

yoke,
i experienced the same problem, pressure leak test on radiator show nothing, can't figure out where the leak is!, changed almost everything advised, head gasket, thermostate, water pump, cap etc but overheat problem persist.
My car only overheat in hot afternoon or when stuck in traffic jam. Finally found out radiator is leaking near the plastic water container....very slowly indeed. apparently, it only leak in hot afternoon or Jam, when the pressure build-up must be higher then. changed the radiator and problem solved, fuel consumption back to normal.

 

[jarance]

ha..ha.. i found there is another place to consider. try the water heater solenoid. it located near the fusebox.

 

[sesat88]

kuatim.... liao ler.... thanks for everyone help.

changed the following:

1) thermohousing
2) thermostat
3) expansion tank (inlet to the upper rad. hose, crack and filled with sludge)
4) electric fan to radiator sensor
5) electric fan to radiator sensor connector
6) upper radiator hose
7) top up with Toyota Long Life coolant
8) pressure test

I suspect it was the expansion bottle that cause all my headache. Anyhow, change most of the components in the cooling system just to get a piece of mind.

So far today still okay. Yesterday purposely get myself stuck in jam... also okay.
Hopefully it stay okay-loh!

Price: RM1000

 

[ICEMAN 68]

i had the same problem too a long time ago ...did pressure test and pop the water came out from the expansion tank ...change the rad and the problem still re-occur again ...dammit then it was the turn of the waterpump ... and then yet still had the same problem ... checked all the hoses and it was fine ....but then changed the radiator cap and hoolllaaa the problem went away ....

pressure test at time is disaster too as maybe when the pressure is exerted the week area tends to leak out first then the others.....

what a waste and find out t was the radiator cap ...

 

[sesat88]

pressure test at time is disaster too as maybe when the pressure is exerted the week area tends to leak out first then the others......

well, if it is weak... then it is a time-bomb loh. Ya just wun know when it will kaput.. and if it does.. it may be damn inconvenient.

I am really damn particular on the cooling system in my car. That's the first place where all hell will set foot when it decides to break loose

 

[ICEMAN 68]

well, if it is weak... then it is a time-bomb loh. Ya just wun know when it will kaput.. and if it does.. it may be damn inconvenient.

I am really damn particular on the cooling system in my car. That's the first place where all hell will set foot when it decides to break loose

yup you're right ..that is why i always flush off my coolant every 6 months,engine oil change every 45 days , axle oil , ATF every 12 months and so on .... just to keep the car healthy with lotsa vitamin A ...

 

[sesat88]

yup you're right ..that is why i always flush off my coolant every 6 months,engine oil change every 45 days , axle oil , ATF every 12 months and so on .... just to keep the car healthy with lotsa vitamin A ...

wah...... i thought i was bad... u WORST!!!

For me...
coolant every 6 months
engine oil every 5k or so (fully syn)
yearly FD axle, atf, power steering oil change

every 4 years or so... the owner will change too....
this rule i trying to break this time round.. ahhahaahahah!

 

[Lee36328]

wah...... i thought i was bad... u WORST!!!

For me...
coolant every 6 months
engine oil every 5k or so (fully syn)
yearly FD axle, atf, power steering oil change

every 4 years or so... the owner will change too....
this rule i trying to break this time round.. ahhahaahahah!

Sesat88,

Good to see someone taking good car of his ride. An example for all of us.

 

[laneza]

guys, one question...what is the normal temperature for E46 318i ? coz my temperature at half now..is it ok? im worried too...

 

[Alan Teh]

guys, one question...what is the normal temperature for E46 318i ? coz my temperature at half now..is it ok? im worried too...

mine is half though...

 

[Lee36328]

Half is ok, that's where it should be.

The needle should always be rock-steady in the middle. Even a slight flickering indicates trouble, and should be checked immediately.

 

[dopodo]

Yeap accurately by right should be middle as bmw required heat as well to make it run well. Cheers.

 

[wiramod11]

well.. i got some issue with this temp on my ride.. (mine is E36 318i)

Issue happen few weeks ago... 1st notice that the temp meter showing slight above half mark.. than stop the car (not off engine..) than temp meter back to normal (which is at half mark) it happens couple of time until i send the car to mechanic to check.. (myself check on all hoses every hoses is good, radiator cap in good condition, and no leaking - strip off the fans easier to see it.) So the mechanic suspected the thermostat.. so we change the thermostat .. and everything works fine...

until i was travelling to kuantan last week.. and comes back the next day.. my temp meter shoot up till red line... (WTF!).. stop the car totally..while waiting i release the air from the screw next to the radiator cap.. than let it cool down and fill in water... drive back in 5mins it shoot up to red line.. (luckly reach home).. so stop the car.. thats it.. dont want to drive the car anymore scared it might burn the head gasket (cause i heard the head gasket is so sensitive that if your car running at red line for temp meter for more than 5 mins.. you might get it burn and water can go into the engine - possible crack head).. Next morning tow the car with loader to my mechanic.. and we do pressure test found out leaking in the middle of the radiator.. so change the whole radiator... check the hoses everything still good.. was thinking to do compression test but feel it won't give much different as when it was red line.. i didn't drive the car.

So conclusion is - possible.. radiator leaks was small but after some stress to the engine it tend to become larger leaks.. thats my story.. now happily driving the car... next thing to do flush my rear differential.. than i can start modding the car liao... so far spend 3K for maintenance for the car when i bought it in June this year.

 

[wiramod11]

ohh.. yah to add one more thing is that make sure to use distill water instead using some pipe water... distill water will give better run for the radiator and also it keeps the inner part of radiator clean from "karat" (forget whats it means in english but that was in malay)

 

[jarance]

corrosion lah.. you can also used RO water. it much cheaper from the venting machine.

 

[wiramod11]

yup...yup.. thanks arr bro jarance... suddenly loss of word .. and lazy to find dictionary.. hehhe

 

[tc@torpedo]

Bros,

I recently had an overheating issue. Still waiting to take to mechanic to check.

Just one issue, after letting engine cool down and flushing the radiator myself, temp seemed ok.

But I noticed the engine giving a groaning sound when I rev it at idle. If I rev it slowly no groan, it only makes that sound when I blip the throttle.

Anyone can tell me what's up?

Thanks for any input.

 

[anaksarawak]

Bros,

I recently had an overheating issue. Still waiting to take to mechanic to check.

Just one issue, after letting engine cool down and flushing the radiator myself, temp seemed ok.

But I noticed the engine giving a groaning sound when I rev it at idle. If I rev it slowly no groan, it only makes that sound when I blip the throttle.

Anyone can tell me what's up?

Thanks for any input.

Go for this test
http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/trouble/engine_diagnose.htm

Also check the sparkplugs too