Engine Trouble
 

First off...I dont know much about cars other than where to put the fluids. Here's my story:

I was on my way home from work when my engine temp peaked. Smoke started to fill my cab for a few seconds then stopped. I pulled over and everything seemed ok other than the temp guage was still in the red. I took it easy on my way home (4 miles) and Just before I puled into the driveway she stalled out on me.

I Poped the hood and saw that antifreeze was just about gone with a ton of it was sprayed throughout the engine compartment. I put some water in it and it came out just about as fast as I could put it in. With the car on ramps I stll can not see where it is comming from...other than its on the passenger side towards the rear of the engine and reletively high.

After more checks my engine oil was extremely low (no indication given). I topped off the engine oil and do not see any leaks or oil in the antifreeze. It still starts and runs great but over heats extremely fast because I can not keep coolant in it. I dont know if this means anything but after I turn off the car I can hear something "powering down" then a "click".

My mechaic is out of town for the holiday so any information would be greatly appreciated. Does it sound like I need a new engine...I hope not because I love this little car!

Ken Yetter

If it's coming out that fast, there's a couple plastic coolant hose connectors that are known to crack and break. If it looks like it's on the passenger side of the engine compartment, sounds like it could be the one on the back of the head. Check there first.
Just don't let that engine get too hot! I learned the hard way on my M42 and blew the head gasket. Very expensive fix and at that point it almost makes more sense to put in a new engine

+1.

Don't run it again until you have checked that plastic connector in the rear of the engine.

I love it when people say "the needle was in the red, but I took it easy". Lol, like driving slow is somehow going to help matters. Good luck, hope you have an extra two grand burning a hole in your pocket.

That last 4 miles likely just cost you the engine.... :(

It takes about 45 seconds to cook the head on most engines with no coolant.
I've seen guys do it to brand new engines, "I'm just going to make sure it runs before I finish hooking everything up" Lol

Dave

First thing is a compression check. Make sure the gasket is still good. Then, fix the broken plastic pipes in the back (there are two, change them both even if one still looks "good" and run it, then check for oil in the coolant. If it passes these tests you should be good.

If it is the plastic radiator hoses...Can I do it my self or do I need to go to my mechanic?

This is the ****ty part...I just dropped close to a grand in it yesterday for a new sound system! Last month another 1K+ on wheels and tires.

What is the best bang for your buck & easiest enngine swap if it is done for?

Depends on what year your car is and what your overall goal is. If you have a '95, then you'd be better off swapping a 2.5L M50 or 3.0L S50 since they're OBDI. If you have a '96 or newer, you'll want a 2.8L M52 or 3.2L S52 since they're OBDII. Of course you can always replace your engine with the same one, OBDI 1.8L M42 or OBDII 1.9L M44, or perhaps repair your current engine. I know you're new to the forum and probably won't understand anything I just said, but you can find a lot of helpful info here:
http://www.318ti.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=26
Best of luck to ya.

If you don't know much except where to put your fluids, and you don't know that it's a connector you're gonna be replacing, and not a hose...
i would suggest letting someone else do it.
But like bmvw said... you might wanna check the compression first to make sure you didn't do too much damage before you go spending too much money replacing things that will just be pulled out if you have to replace the engine...
just my 2 cents

fixing car is like eating candy to me

:confused:

? are you diabetic and cant eat candy?:wink:

No more engine trouble!
 

I just got my Ti back from the shop today. No damage was done to the engine. The plastic connector snapped off the back of the engine which caused the majority of the antifreeze dump out. $300 later I am ready to take it out for New Years Day. Thanks for all of the great information. A M3 conversion will take place later this year once I find an affordable tranny and engine.

Later this year??? There are 80 minutes left in this year. Is it done yet?

better get wrenching :lol: