Coolant leaking, idle overheat.
 

Hey guys,

I think I found a couple threads about this but just wanted to make sure.

So we just drove home from 8hr car ride non stop. I let the woman out for bathroom break, about 10 min. I noticed that my temps was in the higher 3/4 part of the gauge. As soon as we started to drive the temp dropped to twelve o'clock. I suspect that the car is leaking something, oil/ coolant/ power steering fluid, so i park it in the garage for a few days. I go out there today and notice 2 things. 1) There is a small amount of coolant leaking from the bottom right of the radiator. 2) The power steering hose/ reservoir seems to be leaking.

After searching the forum I found 2 things.

1) The two important plastic pieces to replace

http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthrea...adiator&page=2

and

2) It might be time for a new radiator? car has about 175k miles.. not sure about this one. could it possible be a hose that is leaking?


What do you guys think? Is there anything else I should replace such as the thermostat as I'm replacing the radiator?

as of recently i have replaced:

gasket between engine block and oil filter housing, was leaking

drive shaft bearing

guido

steering wheel lock/ignition switch (dealer did that one)

o2 sensors

mas air flow sensor

muffler

cat

all oem :) and all thanks to this forum

Thanks guys

-Harri

1) Before you replace any parts, check the hose connections. They sometimes loosen over time.

2) Refill the cooling system and bleed it well. This (low coolant level) may have been the cause of your 3/4 temp gauge.

3) Check the function of the electric radiator fan. If it is not working properly, this could also be the cause of your 3/4 temp gauge.

4) Take care of this right away. You don't want an overheating car with the possibility of a damaged head gasket ($$$$).

5) Before just replacing parts left and right, I'd advise figuring out what's wrong today. It can't hurt to replace all those parts, and it could be considered preventive maintenance, but you need to be sure that you have really found the original problem and corrected it.

Vic

http://publicaddress.net/assets/img/...GuidoOompa.jpg

I think you mean guibo, with a "B" :lol:

could be the thermostat isn't opening all the way and not letting enough coolant flow through the engine, then when you start driving the airflow is cooling the engine back to the proper temp

+1 to the post before me though, make sure you know what the problem is before throwing parts at it, unless money isn't an issue

Thanks,

I will fill the coolant and check hoses. What do you mean by bleed it well?
The electric fan is working. I hope its just the hoses.

Thanks

-Harri

Here is a pic of the radiator leaking. Its gonna drip on me!!

http://www.officerage.com/bmw/radiator.jpeg

At 175k, every plastic part in the cooling system is ready to break. That includes the two water pipes, but also includes the radiator and water pump (plastic impeller). Not that any/all will, but they certainly can- and it would result in a very expensive overheat.

That leak may be a loose radiator hose- fixing it could keep you on the road for a bit longer. (Or tightening it could break the hose neck off of the radiator :rolleyes:). The leak could just as easily be a hairline fracture on part of the plastic structure of the radiator, or a deteriorated hose. A new radiator and set of hoses will fix that leak, and it's probably time to do both. The radiator on the ti could not be easier to replace, it is very straightforward.

Correct. Guidos are only found on Italian cars.

I was considering upgrading to a Guido- but I hear they're not as reliable.

Well, let me make you an offer you can't refuse ...

If you don't bleed the cooling system properly, air will remain in the system and you may have overheating and / or no interior heat. There is a specific procedure to be followed, which you can find in the archives. There is a bleeder screw located next to the cooling system cap, which is quite different than most cars.

Vic

So from the looks of it. If it was leaking from the hoses i should be able to follow the drip down from the hoses. Right? It seems to me that its leaking right in that corner of the radiator itself. The plastic above this point is very clean.

-Harrison

If it were leaking from a hose, you would be able to follow the leak to the hose (there are three- two big and one small). If it is not leaking from a hose, most likely you have a small crack in the plastic somewhere on the radiator (like near that corner). If this is the case, the radiator is done and the crack will only get worse.

Keep in mind that when the engine is at temp, the coolant is hot and under pressure (from the water pump). This means that the crack could actually be worse than it looks when the engine is cold- the heat and/or pressure of the coolant could very well be expanding it while the engine is operating.

Pelican can have a new OEM radiator on your doorstop for $155 (free shipping). But while you have the coolant drained, you may as well take the opportunity to change the water pump, thermostat, and hoses as well.

Or maybe you can buy one cheap from Guido. ;)

Here's the OEM guibo, new and used.

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/672/030d.jpg

But when you upgrade to a Guido-

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/721311398_ag87W-L.jpg

-better plan on replacing the drive shaft, too.

am I seeing things or is your driveshaft twisted completely off? :eek:

Yeah, Guido don't mess around.

Guido~ lol

I think I need to replace my Guido also!