e46 330i cooling system overhaul/refresh

[nirvash]

hi all,

i want to do an overhaul on my e46 pre facelift manual 330i sometime soon, and have seen kits abroad that have all the components, but would like to know where everyone has sourced their parts locally for this and what all exactly they replace,
also roughly what it would all cost,

places like ECS tuning have packages for around $500 but then there would be shipping and tax etc, not really the route i would like to take

my car currently has 173 xxx kms on the clock,

are the stealerships the way to go with sourcing the parts?

what i would like to replace is:

radiator
waterpump
expansion tank
cooling/radiator hoses
thermostat and housing

should i also add a coolant level and temp sensor?

anything else i am missing or you would add?

please let me know

thanks guys

 

[Gizmo]

hi all,

i want to do an overhaul on my e46 pre facelift manual 330i sometime soon, and have seen kits abroad that have all the components, but would like to know where everyone has sourced their parts locally for this and what all exactly they replace,
also roughly what it would all cost,

places like ECS tuning have packages for around $500 but then there would be shipping and tax etc, not really the route i would like to take

my car currently has 173 xxx kms on the clock,

are the stealerships the way to go with sourcing the parts?

what i would like to replace is:

radiator
waterpump
expansion tank
cooling/radiator hoses
thermostat and housing

should i also add a coolant level and temp sensor?

anything else i am missing or you would add?

please let me know

thanks guys

Replace the water pump and expansion bottle, monitor the rest. If you see coolant leaks on the others then replace as needed.

 

[uncle j]

hi all,

i want to do an overhaul on my e46 pre facelift manual 330i sometime soon, and have seen kits abroad that have all the components, but would like to know where everyone has sourced their parts locally for this and what all exactly they replace,
also roughly what it would all cost,

places like ECS tuning have packages for around $500 but then there would be shipping and tax etc, not really the route i would like to take

my car currently has 173 xxx kms on the clock,

are the stealerships the way to go with sourcing the parts?

what i would like to replace is:

radiator
waterpump
expansion tank
cooling/radiator hoses
thermostat and housing

should i also add a coolant level and temp sensor?

anything else i am missing or you would add?

please let me know

thanks guys

Replace the water pump and expansion bottle, monitor the rest. If you see coolant leaks on the others then replace as needed.

I agree, just do the pump and expansion bottle, those are the most common issues.

 

[applehero]

If you decide to change the hoses, you will need to buy a new o-ring for the temperature sensor in the lower hose.

 

[nirvash]

thanks for the replies,
that sounds good, will start with the expansion bottle and the thermostat,
the 0 ring in my expansion tank cap has come of as well as a bit that has broke of, so water is slowly evaporating out of there...

agents for expansion tank and thermostat/housing?

 

[Sankekur]

If you decide to change the hoses, you will need to buy a new o-ring for the temperature sensor in the lower hose.

Agreed this is also something that is a common source of leaks, though personally I would just change the temperature sensor while I am at it, as mine was faulty and I didn't even know it, only realised this after I had replaced it......and I only replaced it as one of the "while I am in there" moments.

 

[kilotango]

you might want to check on the plastic bleed screw on the top hose that goes from the thermostat to the exp bottle if you arent replacing the hose. the screw will crack and cause a hassle later. i managed to get aluminium replacement screws for this when i changed the hoses.

do you have an auto or manual gearbox? if its auto, that gearbox thermostat will break when you remove the expansion bottle...so you'll need to replace that too.

i've just done all this recently and managed to get most of the hoses from goldwagen (go for febi bilstein brand if you can). i'd recommend changing your belts, tensioners and pulleys as well if they havent been done already. when you take the belts off.. you'll find the bearings are very dry at that mileage.

btw, dont take chances with replacements of stuff on this engine. do it properly from the start i.e change everything once and for all. it will cost, but when these m54 engines overheat, its massive work. warped heads, pulled threads from block etc. its no joke... so take your time and do it properly. go online and read the horror stories of overheated m54's

 

[nirvash]

thanks for the replies,

@kilotango,
mines a manual, not auto

will start getting parts and update as i go along,
as far as i know besides the cooling system and a couple other little things, e46's are pretty solid and not that many issues so i think with the weak link cooling system its just worth it to replace for peace of mind

really want to get this done soon

seems like every now and again when i pull up to the robots or to a stop i see a small puff of steam escape form the bonnet gaps above the fenders....duno what this could mean but i assume a leak somewhere,

though i know that my expansion tank isnt sealing 100%

 

[kilotango]

besides the cooling system and a couple other little things, e46's are pretty solid and not that many issues so i think with the weak link cooling system its just worth it to replace for peace of mind

100%. the catch 22 is that there is alot that can break on the cooling system, eg.. if a tensioner goes, the belt comes off, water pump stops working >> overheat.

at that mileage the plastic on the cooling system has become extremely brittle, and almost every component is made of plastic,rubber and has a o-ring. those all deteriorate with age/heat.

have a look around the engine bay for white residue once the car has cooled down. pay attention to the areas near the thermostat, water pump, expansion bottle, top+lower hose connectors and the return hose that sits underneath the power steering hoses (same area where air filter housing is ..but lower down). if you dont see anything, then remove the electric fan and have a look at your radiator (the side and bottom area).

when i re-did the cooling system on my 330, i got the radiator pressure tested. fortunately was fine, so they flushed it, reconditioned it, and i put back into the car. everything else was replaced though.

its all worth the hassle.

 

[nirvash]

Awesome, thanks
Will do,

Just on a side note, the "steam" that I mentioned seeing before when coming to a stop,
After further inspection from what I can tell it is actually an oil leak looking like it is coming from the valve cover as on I need to replace my valve cover gasket, oil is leaking onto the exhaust manifold causing oil vapors

Lots of things to be done to the car atm....

 

[kilotango]

ahh yes... an infamous oil leak on these cars.

have a look at the block from the front of the car. if you see oil on the left side of the block (drivers side) then your gasket is shot and/or have a warped valve cover.

also, check on the right hand side of the block. look towards the back of the car from the gap inbetween the oil filter and the intake. with a torch you should see a metal 'slab' which looks like a waffle maker. if you're seeing oil on there, then your oil filter housing gasket is shot too and will need to be replaced.

unfortunately these are very common issues with this car... but nothing too hectic.

your car is around the same mileage as mine... and theres alot that happens around this mileage, but dont panic.. just go slowly and change out the important stuff first. i did it the other way round, fixed the not so important stuff, and left the major things like cooling system till later.. and thats when i nearly overheated the engine! :hammerhead: