[thebigman]

got bmw 316 touring, 1997 e36 model, had head gasket done last year cos it was building up too much pressure in cooling system, had gas crossing over into coolant, now i have similar pressure problem, AA say it may be head gasket, did sniff test but result was inconclusive, my mechanic thought it was water pump but it wasnt, could it be the thermostat not opening, any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Philip1972]

When you say the test was inconclusive, did the fluid change colour at all?

 

[thebigman]

fluid didnt change at all, AA man said it doesnt always change.

 

[Ronnie]

Is the lower radiator hose getting hot?

Any loss of heat from the interior vents?

You tried bleeding the cooling system since it's over heated?

How to bleed the cooling system.
1.Jack the front of the vehicle up onto stands as high as possible,
2.Turn the ignition on,engine off,heater on fan setting 1 and temperature fully hot,
3.Remove the rad cap/expansion cap,remove the bleed screw from the rad and IF you have them the bleed screw(s) from the thermostat housing/top hose, return pipe or EGR thermostat.
4.Fill the radiator up and keep pouring till there are no more air bubbles coming out from the bleeds, when good then install bleeds and tighten down(don't snap them),ensure the rubber O-rings/seals are still on the screws/on the bleed holes.
5.Suck some water out so it's not full to the brim, replace the cap and then start the car. Run her up and check for heat from the vents when warm and check if over heating still persists.
6.If good then check the water level again in the morning when cool.

 

[Philip1972]

fluid didnt change at all, AA man said it doesnt always change.

Oh. I thought that those sniff tests were very relible?

 

[EscapeReality]

Not wishing to put a downer on it but when I got my 325i it was losing coolant with no external leaks (but never overheated while I was using it) so did pressure test (when warm but not fully warmed up) with no problems showing, did chemical test (while fully warmed up) and the fluid did not change colour finally decided (after 3 months of topping up every morning) to pull the head off and found no problems with the gasket but the head was cracked between the water jacket and the combustion chamber on two cylinders so I ended up fitting a second hand head :frown

 

[thebigman]

lower hose is getting hot, no loss of heat from vents, re bled full system then it did it again, forcing all coolant out the tank, bled system as per instructions, think it may be the head this time, can they be repaired?, where can i get replacement head?

 

[Ronnie]

How long did it take to force the coolant out? And were the hoses really rock hard?

Also can you fill your car specs box out please, you will find it under your User CP :thumbsup

As for the head if gone, try these

http://www.fabdirect.com/

http://www.quarrybmwspares.co.uk/

http://www.bmspares.co.uk/

http://www.bmw-carparts.co.uk/index....now breaking

http://www.breakeryard.com/cars/engine/bmw.aspx

http://www.m3spares.com/

http://www.beemer-redeemer.com/index.html

http://breakerlink.com/

http://www.sniffydog.co.uk/

http://www.findapart.co.uk/home.asp

 

[thebigman]

dont know what a user cp is or how to fill out my car spec box, anyway, when it gets up to temp it then forces the water out, top hose was rock hard, cant say i checked bottom one, my mechanic told me today that after he installed new thermo and bled it, the top hose was cold and bottom one was hot, is that air blockage?

 

[Ronnie]

dont know what a user cp is or how to fill out my car spec box, anyway, when it gets up to temp it then forces the water out, top hose was rock hard, cant say i checked bottom one, my mechanic told me today that after he installed new thermo and bled it, the top hose was cold and bottom one was hot, is that air blockage?

Look at the top of the page, under the Bimmerforums UK banner on the left hand side it says "User CP" or click here http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/usercp.php

Then click on "Edit Extra Options", or click here http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/profile.php?do=extra.

Then enter your car details and press save :thumbsup

If the top hose was cold and bottom hot then that does sound like air in the system.

Also if you hold the revs up and look into the neck of the expansion tank does it shoot coolant out of the small hole on the inside of the neck?

 

[thebigman]

thanks for that ronnie, my mechanic has sent radiator to be checked for blockages, will let you know result when he gets it back.