My 323i overheating ???
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Category: Technical & Model Specific Forums
Forum Name: BMW 3 Series
Forum Discription: This forum will deal with any issues on the BMW 3 Series (E21, E30, E36, E46, E90, E91 & E92)
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=42178
Printed Date: 05-May-2024 at 10:59
Topic: My 323i overheating ???
Posted By: shytalk
Subject: My 323i overheating ???
Date Posted: 18-August-2008 at 11:35
 Hi folks. I'm new to this forum so please bear with me. I've searched similar posts about overheating and it's made me even more puzzled. Car is 1997 323i coupe. has done 98k miles and has been maintained regardless of cost. I thought it needed a new thermostat and fitted 1 but she still overheats after approximately 1 mile of driving. She will sit on tickover all day on driveway and won't overheat. I've tried bleeding by 2 different methods now but to no avail. As soon as you think all bubbles gone...tighten up screw...run engine...no heat inside car from vents then 2 mins later switch off and undo expansion tank cap or bleed screw and it's bubble time again ???? She doesn't splutter when started from cold and is smooth as silk in every aspect. There is no trace of any white smoke or steam from the exhaust so I'm very confused by it all. Coolant appears to be circulating as it is coming back in the top of the expansion tank but bottom hose gets pretty solid. Not that it is anything to go by really but there is no oil/water mixing that I can see anywhere. I can't smell any exhaust gases in the coolant either like I could on my friend's old Peugeot 405 td when it started pressurizing hoses. Perhaps I'm just hoping in vain that it isn't the Head Gasket but I'm running out of options as I can't think of how else air would get in. Could it take it in through a tiny hole in Rad that I maybe don't know about or have I just got a monumental airlock. I don't want to believe it's the gasket (who does) as the only local Independent BMW mechanic reckons that if it is head gasket, I will need a new engine as the threads nearly always get stripped out of the block when tightening down head bolts after replacing gasket. I just want to be sure before I take it to a mechanic. I was going to do a compression test on it but my pal said if the gasket is gone between 2 cylinders that it may not show up on a compression test. Surely if the gasket was gone at all, I'd be seeing more evidence than just air bubbles in my coolant??? aagghh Please cheer me up folks  |
Replies:
Posted By: Sporty1
Date Posted: 18-August-2008 at 15:54
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Hello and welcome. Get yourself a http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8682&frostProductName=Block+Tester - Block Testing kit ------------- 
Sport Evolution Schwarz #043 |
Posted By: Dergside
Date Posted: 18-August-2008 at 16:50
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Shytalk Welcome along. Have you tried a rolled up newspaper test to see that the viscous coupling for the fan is working as it should? If a rolled up newspaper applied gently can stop the fan from turning then the coupling is goosed and needs replacing. Since you don't seem to have the classic symptoms of a head gasket failure, e.g. coolant level dropping, oil in the water or vice versa, there is a chance that its simply an dodgy electrical reading from a faulty temperature gauge sender, I think this may be located low down on the rad on these, but I'm sure someone else can confirm more precisely. Also, given the heat condition of the various radiator connected pipes you may have a blockage in the radiator itself. This isn't unknown on these engines and worth a check. Its the fact that it can idle without it showing on the gauge that makes me wonder if the problem is more likely electrical. ------------- Now: BMW 523i SE '00, 318i SE - e91 '07, 325i Coupe '93. Prev: e46 328i SE Touring, 330Ci, 318Ci. e39 523i SE. e36 325i Coupe *2, 323i SE, 316iSE. e30 325iSE 2dr, 320i Conv, 320i 2dr, 316i. |
Posted By: Issy
Date Posted: 18-August-2008 at 17:44
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Hi There I am having trouble with my 323ci using alot of water but its not overheating.......yet! I have been onto Davie at BM Motors today and he has suggested that before we look at anything else I should try this stuff....... http://www.kalimex.co.uk/section.html?secpath=01.03.&pgid=2 - CARGO Seal up Not sure if this would help you but it might be worth a look. Hope you get it sorted soon. Issy PS welcome to the forum -------------  |
Posted By: shytalk
Date Posted: 18-August-2008 at 18:47
| Thanks for getting back to me guys...nice car Sporty1...With regards to the fan, i can stop it with my hand with little or no resistance when the car is running...I'm told that it should be harder to stop the hotter the car gets. But yeah, Block Test is my next step. I hope it's not the head gasket...if it is then it's the strangest case i've ever seen of one going as the car is incredibly well behaved despite this problem. May I say what a breath of fresh air it is to finally find a decent BMW forum...I accidentally joined an American forum last week. What a disaster that was...all they were interested in was talking about making 4 door 316s look like bad M3 replicas and slating the English. So i'm glad i've found a genuine BMW forum for geniuine BMW enthusiasts. Thanks again guys |
Posted By: Peter Fenwick
Date Posted: 19-August-2008 at 08:40
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The fan coupling is obviously knackered so replace that first before worrying about the head gasket. BTW I would not recoment using your hand again. Theres a good reason why people use a rolled up news paper... ------------- Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel. |
shytalk wrote:Posted By: Dergside
Date Posted: 19-August-2008 at 10:06
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The hand test is a bad time to find that the coupling ISN'T actually knackered! ------------- Now: BMW 523i SE '00, 318i SE - e91 '07, 325i Coupe '93. Prev: e46 328i SE Touring, 330Ci, 318Ci. e39 523i SE. e36 325i Coupe *2, 323i SE, 316iSE. e30 325iSE 2dr, 320i Conv, 320i 2dr, 316i. |
Posted By: MBW1
Date Posted: 30-August-2008 at 10:29
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A car that overheats after 1 mile of driving has nothing to do with the
viscous coupling!! As he has said, it will sit and idle all day and not overheat. This sounds like either a head gasket or a cracked head. Sometimes (well, a lot of the time...) the threads will pull when the head bolt are given the final angle tighten. Using the correct BMW bolts helps prevent this Does it have the original Nikasil engine, or a replacement steel liner block? The way to tell is to look at the back of the block (inlet manifold side) with a torch - you are looking just above the starter motor. If you can see a pear shaped casting lug in the alloy block, it's Nikasil. If you can see a small steel plate with a bolt, it's had the replacement steel liner block fitted. These frankly are crap and more trouble than the Nikasil blocks! Once it's been cooked, the alloy between the steel liners sinks and the block is well and truly scrap. Does the heater blow hot air? If it doesn't, you have a massive air lock - so proceed as follows.... There is only one way to fill an M50/M52 cooling system and that is via the top hose. disconnect it from the radiator, slacken the engine end hose clip and turn the hose so it's pointing upwards. Slowly fill with coolant until you just see it at the base of the hose. Put an old towel under the hose to catch ant coolant, remove the hose and fit it to the radiator, again with the hose pointing upwards. Add coolant slowly until it appears in the bottom of the hose. The engine and radiator are now full. REfit the hose, set the heater to hot and give it a blast up the road. The key is a heater that blows out hot air - if it doesn't, you may well have a faulty heater valve. As for replacement engines, be aware that an older iron block single Vanos 325i or E34 525i engine will fit. Same capacity, cylinder head etc but a lot cheaper and more durable. Just transfer the 323i engine loom and manifolds across. ------------- I don't have a carbon footprint. I drive everywhere. |
Posted By: Fooljam
Date Posted: 02-September-2008 at 12:59
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Guys, seriously I do not mean disrespect or anything but you should be reading some BMW mechanical guides. To the OP: Get a new mechanic. Blowing a head gasket is very cheap to fix. The BMW dealership will bill you 50 euro to fix it. Yes 50 fraging euro to fix a heasd gasket at BMW dealership!!. Then 2-3 hours to actually work on the engine. A blown head gasket will not blow your engine. Do the test to make sure if the head gasket is fine or not. Now YES you should be able to stop the radiator fan with your hands! Now our cars have a weak cooling system. A complete overhaul is recommended before it hits 100k KM. Which includes Water Pump, Thermostat and Radiator. Any BMW dealership would confirm you this. Good luck with the fix <edited to make it relevent to thread> ------------- |
Posted By: Fooljam
Date Posted: 02-September-2008 at 13:10
The nickasil issue has nothing to do with overheating... ------------- |
Posted By: MBW1
Date Posted: 06-September-2008 at 12:46
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Yes is has - the steel liner engine has issues with the alloy sinking between the liners and causing head gasket failure.... The BMW mechanics advice about stripping block threads is unfortunately valid. It's happened to me on a 523i. Once the threads have gone, the block is scrap and no, Helicoils will not work because they will just pull straight out on the final tighten. And it is spelt 'Nikasil'. 
<edited to make it relevent to thread> ------------- I don't have a carbon footprint. I drive everywhere. |
Posted By: bmw1066
Date Posted: 06-September-2008 at 20:11
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I have been working on Car's BM's for enough time now to know who to believe. BMW1 is right, now showing this to a friend of mine that has worked for a BMW dealer, now head tec for 25 years could not stop himself from laffing, nor could I for that, and I have a good 5 years now my local is £125 ish an hour now lets say 5 hours + the vat It's very hard to give advice on forums as everybody thinks they're right, but being a car mechanic gives some of us a good start,
As for stopping the rad fan on a hot engine you would have to be mad to do that, fan spinning at a 1000 rpm
<edited to make it relevent to thread> ------------- Mark 735 se 1982 RED BARON A E23 is for life not just for x-mas BMW e34 530 v8 Sport kit Spelling always Bad |
Posted By: bmw1066
Date Posted: 06-September-2008 at 20:13
Good luck with you 323i , ------------- Mark 735 se 1982 RED BARON A E23 is for life not just for x-mas BMW e34 530 v8 Sport kit Spelling always Bad |
Posted By: Fooljam
Date Posted: 06-September-2008 at 20:26
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<edited due to content> ------------- |
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 06-September-2008 at 20:46
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fooljam - be nice!
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 06-September-2008 at 20:52
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Yes come on, the guy wants help not a slagging match! ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
Posted By: bmw1066
Date Posted: 06-September-2008 at 22:49
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------------- Mark 735 se 1982 RED BARON A E23 is for life not just for x-mas BMW e34 530 v8 Sport kit Spelling always Bad |
Posted By: Fooljam
Date Posted: 07-September-2008 at 09:20
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Anyway, let me post again and prove again what has been said is wrong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJXtYZeyED0 - How to stop a fan video link ------------- |
Posted By: bmw1066
Date Posted: 07-September-2008 at 10:49
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proves nothing, Cold engine easey, hot engine means smashed fingers, now ask me how I know o is it because i smashed mine
------------- Mark 735 se 1982 RED BARON A E23 is for life not just for x-mas BMW e34 530 v8 Sport kit Spelling always Bad |
even the reply on the vid says the same thing Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 07-September-2008 at 12:18
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Whilst the video shows that it IS possible to check the fan with ones fingers, I personally would use the rolled-up newspaper method as being the most sensible, and a lot safer. It's a lot easier to get a new newspaper ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 07-September-2008 at 12:20
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Anyway back to the plot.....
can anyone help our newbie 'shytalk' with his problem? ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
Posted By: MBW1
Date Posted: 07-September-2008 at 18:48
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We have been - well not Fool Jam.......let's be honest, that's the kind of
advice that does nobody any favours. 15 years of working on BMW's versus a mouthy interet hero - no contest if you really need help. To re-iterate - does the heater blow hot/warm air? If it does you don't have an airlock. If it doesn't, you do. If you have a massive airlock, you need to bleed the system out properly. It could be something as simple as a bad seal on the base of the expansion bottle where it fits into the side of the radiator. It's a long shot, but possible. Shytalk - PM me if you want. ------------- I don't have a carbon footprint. I drive everywhere. |
Posted By: dutch
Date Posted: 07-September-2008 at 21:18
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ANYWAY hi shytalk, welcome to the forum, before you go spending shti loads on yr new engine and plastic surgery for yr fingers, sounds like you have an air lock, if you check the botton hose you will find its stone cold, check the 5 series forum i think andrew rolland posted a way of bleeding these, its very time consuming but cheaper than gaskets ect. there is a small hose at the back of the engine that leaks so over a period of time (unless you fix it ) you will be back to overheating, when bleeding make sure ignition is on fan speed set to one and heat on max .good luck let us know how you get on hth
------------- e39,1200 bandit cooper S, Z3 topazbleu |