Running Hot; Close to overheating PLEASE HELP!

[Rellik29]

This is my first post, and I was looking all over the place to see if i could find the solution to my problem, but it looks like I got an odd one...

To sum it all up, I was on my way to work and a HUGE rock fell off of a truck in the lane next to me as It rolled around violently. The SUV behind the truck swerved to the right, nicked the rock and shot it into my lane. Needless to say, it went dead-center under my car, slammed right into my oil pan taking it out.

My whole front end of my car lifted into the air with a HUGE bang. I pulled over as fast as i can, kicked it in neutral (not a stick) and shut off the car as I coast to a safe stop on the side of the road.

I checked under the car and it smashed a hole in the oil pan where you could seriously stick your head in it and it also bent my cross member badly.

I took it to the shop, they replaced the pan, cross member, and aligned the car. I didn't kill the engine, it runs just as well as it did w/o the damage.

Now, to the heating part. I drove it home and it was perfect, took it on the highway and everything, not a single problem. Now as the days go by it seems to get warmer. I checked the fluid level on the car the anti freeze on the car smelt like soap and really bubbly. I wait for it to 100% cool off and drained the radiator, toped it off, run it, then let it sit for the night.

I go to work every morning at 6:00am with a good 20-25mins drive going about 60 on average, its cooler (i live in Arizona) in the morning so there is no need for the A/C. The gauge sits at the center with nothing wrong. Now, when i get to work and stop in the parking lot, it moves a hair over center, but just barely. I shut it off and go to work. I get out to the car at about 3:15pm-ish and start my drive home. When I am finally close to home stopping and going through the community and pull in my drive way, it starts to get warm. I pop the hood to make sure that the fan is on, and it is. I drove it all the way home w/o the AC just to see if that was one of the issues. I let it sit there running and it does not get any hotter, just sits there between the center (3rd line) and the 4th line (there are 5 lines on the water temp gauge, 1 being cold, 5 being hot)

I flushed the coolant 2 times now, each time i do it, the next day, it takes longer and longer for it to start to get warm. I don't know what to do! I am thinking that the rock did some internal damage to something simple. There is no water in the oil, no water leaking, and no coolant smell what-so-ever...

I looked everywhere, and I still can't figure it out. Maybe it did something to the stat, or something. One day i was driving with the A/C on, it started to get warm at about 70% the way home, turned the a/c off, and it got a tad cooler and stayed there all the way home till I stopped in my driveway, creped up a tad, and stayed there....

I am so lost on what I need to do! If anyone could give me advice, it would be awesome!

I have a 1997 318ti, obviously M44 engine, E36 series.

[aceyx]

Originally Posted by Rellik29

I flushed the coolant 2 times now, each time i do it, the next day, it takes longer and longer for it to start to get warm. I don't know what to do! I am thinking that the rock did some internal damage to something simple. There is no water in the oil, no water leaking, and no coolant smell what-so-ever...

1. Are you doing 50/50 mix when flushing? And are you actually flushing the system or just drain/refill? Also, burping properly (full fan/heater)?

2. Use a UV tester for coolant leaks. Your nose may not be sensitive to pick up a small amount.

3. I would check the undercarriage for frayed wires. Might just be a bad sensor.

[weezer]

My car currently will not get hot; it only gets up to the center when I'm driving in the city and during highway driving it stays around the first line on the gauge.
The 318ti's thermostat is designed to fail open, meaning that when it goes bad it does not close and preventing the car to overheat.
I had a similar problem last summer when the car overheats after I did a flush and fill.
1. Did you bleed the system after the flush and fill? There is a bleeder screw right next to the coolant reservoir. Tricky process, sometimes needed to be done several times to get it right.
2. The temp sensor, located to the driver side of the radiator could also need to be replaced.
3. Replace the thermostat.
4. Check the waterpump, as cars of our vintage may have units with a plastic impeller and needs to be replaced. (a $40-50 part)
5. Possibly the radiator needs to be replaced, as cars of our vintage have plastic radiators and corrossion plus the incident could have affected the internals and screws up the performance. (a $150 part and very easy install)
Good Luck!

[Rellik29]

Would this be the best process to 'burp' my car?

1. Wait till the car is 100% cooled off.

2. Top off the coolant with the cap and bleeder off (the bleeder next to the radiator cap).

3. Wait till the coolant/water comes out of the bleeder w/o any bubbles.

4. Screw back on the bleeder.

5. Run the car with full blast heat till it gets to the mid-mark for a while.

6. Turn it off, let it cool off and check the water level.

Now, should I fill the tank again, take off the bleeder to make sure there are no more bubbles, top it off and repeat?

[Tyler]

Sounds like to me you need to change your thermostat.

If it runs cold on the highway and warm once in the city doing stop and go then i'd say change the above.

[weezer]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Sounds like to me you need to change your thermostat.

If it runs cold on the highway and warm once in the city doing stop and go then i'd say change the above.

Yep, I've got all the necessary parts: thermo, waterpump and belts. Just needed to find time and waiting for the weather to warm up.
I have so many projects that will keep me busy into summer..........
Anyway, don't want to crash somebody else's thread here.

[Mallard]

check the viscose coupling to the fan is still working propperly

towl around the finger, and slowly stick it in the way of the blades

if the blades slow down with relatively little or no resistance, the coupling took a knock/ jammed up when u went over the stone

it might be as simple as that

[roadrash]

Originally Posted by Rellik29

Would this be the best process to 'burp' my car?

1. Wait till the car is 100% cooled off.

2. Top off the coolant with the cap and bleeder off (the bleeder next to the radiator cap).

3. Wait till the coolant/water comes out of the bleeder w/o any bubbles.

4. Screw back on the bleeder.

5. Run the car with full blast heat till it gets to the mid-mark for a while.

6. Turn it off, let it cool off and check the water level.

Now, should I fill the tank again, take off the bleeder to make sure there are no more bubbles, top it off and repeat?

Um... at some point before Step 3, you're going to need to start the car. I know... I know... I'm being pedantic and pointing out the obvious... but I couldn't resist.

JMJ

[Rellik29]

Well, a little update, I drove home today with the A/C on the whole way, and it did not move from the center what-so-ever....

I thinking something electrical or it was ssllloowwlly getting the air out of the engine, but where did it go?

I also hit almost very red light, and nothing wrong.. yet....

[aceyx]

Did you actually TRY any of the stuff posted in this thread? Nothing will get fixed if all you do is read about it.