Engine running cool
 

- I have searched the forums, if this has been covered please forgive me and redirect me

Main problem is the heater in my 1995 318ti never blows hot, warm is not even a good description of the air that comes out. I have been to the wonderful sticky thread in the HVAC section and have followed the instructions for burping the radiator. I still have cool air (it was warmer briefly for 5 minutes after burping). After following the sticky I noticed a lot of people mentioning if the thermostat was reading correctly try going through the passenger side of the dash and fix or replace the bowden cable. Well my temperature gauge never gets out of the blue, not even after running for 30 minutes or more. I believe I have a stuck thermostat and want to proceed in replacing it.

1) Will replacing the thermostat correct the heating problem?
2) If I do need to replace the thermostat, can anyone provide a link for the correct part to replace on a 95 318ti?

Real OEM part #11537511083 for the M42 (95 ti's).

It really does sound like the thermostat is your culprit, mine acted very similar when the thermostat was failing in the open position. Try letting the car idle for 5 to 10 minutes and see if the temp guage rises at all (and you get a little heat...).

Also, depending on the mileage of your car, it might be wise to replace the water pump (part #11510393338) at the same time for some preventative maintenance insurance...

Thanks
 

Thanks so much! I have found the following
1
2
3

Not sure if any are better than the others. Do I also need to replace the housing or gasket in the housing at this time?

If you have a plastic thermostat housing, it needs to be replaced, with a new gasket for it. Definitely do the water pump also- together these are very easy to replace. If the radiator is original, it's time to replace it also- again very easy. It is time to do them. The plastic parts in the cooling system were not designed to last 15 years, and each of them is now a ticking time bomb. Do new upper and lower radiator hoses while you're at it.

Pelican or Bavauto are great sources for parts.

You can also check out www.bimmerbum.com i purchase parts from him everyonce in a while hes got good prices. I just ordered a new water pump and upper and lower radiator hoses. Purchased a new radiator from ebay for $137 good price if you ask me.