Over heating

[Gizmo]

No doubt, but do a compression test first. If you lucky its a blown headgasket, if you not lucky its a cracked head.

 

[GPGrobler]

What engine does the car have, the M40 or a newer 1.8?

 

[Thunder]

It's the M43 1.8i motor.

Here is some pictures of the plugs. Nr 1 is on the left of both pictures.

 

[GPGrobler]

The plugs look fine to me, but please do a compression test first before you take the whole engine apart. My M40 overheated because I thought the temp gauge was faulty (yeah right on a BMW) :flyfun:

I just bled the cooling system and changed the oil, engine still runs fine, so if the compression test checks out, then you might be lucky as I was :thumbs:

 

[Thunder]

Will do as soon as I can get hold of a tester.

Plug nr 2 and 3 does look a bit burnt on the one side of the nut part but not to sure what to make of it.

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[Tris]

White smoke is actually steam, the coolant is getting into the combustion chamber and turning to steam in the exhaust. Pull the spark plugs and see which one is wet or looks different to the rest, that will tell you what cylinder has the problem.

I agree with Gizmo

What he describes happened to my e36 316i

I did do a compression test, but cant remember what the reading was but I do know we ended up pulling the head and replacing the gasket

 

[Thunder]

Does anybody have a compression tester I can borrow? Or can come through and assist with the test?

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[GPGrobler]

I wish I was not 350km away, then you could have borrowed mine, anyone closer who can help out Thunder?

 

[Ralf*]

Compression test, steam, white smoke, plugs look OK,
but

Still doesnt account for the "tractor" sound, this "tractor" sound from a non-tractor engine has got me worried ?

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[GPGrobler]

My M40 made sound that too until it cooled down, these engines are tougher than we think, I would not try that with tne newer aluminium block engines though! However if it still makes the same sound if it is cooled down it is crankshaft and/or main bearings.

 

[Thunder]

My M40 made sound that too until it cooled down, these engines are tougher than we think, I would not try that with tne newer aluminium block engines though! However if it still makes the same sound if it is cooled down it is crankshaft and/or main bearings.

It only did it the one time while it was hot. Once car cooled down the sound was gone.


Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[Ratslaaf]

I'm wondering if what you heard was the lifters? The oil probably got real hot and couldn't build up enough pressure to operate the lifters properly. Same happened to my E46. That event cracked my head but it only became apparent a year down the line.

 

[Lizzard]

Can you not make a video and post it here so we can hear the sound, sort off?

 

[Thunder]

Okay so its been a while since I updated here.

Stripped some stuff off, cleaned it out, flushed the engine with diesel and then put in new oil, car started and sounded perfect, drove down the road and it died, which I wrote of to flat battery as it stood for a month and a bit, so we put some fuel in and jump started the car, about 3/4 way back home car died again, no dashlights nothing.

I didnt drive it hard but in 2nd the max speed I got was about 40km/h water and oil levels stayed constant and nothing mixed, so the head luckily doesnt seem cracked or blown head gasket, it does seem that the compression is shot, and no oil came up to the rockers at the top.

Besides the compression rings, is there anything else I can check?

Then why would it die electrically if nothing there changed? Could it just be that the battery wasnt charged enough for running the car?

 

[Lizzard]

On my E36 I had a problem where the car would just die on me while doing nothing (meaning not changing something), I eventually figured it out that the positive red cable on the battery in the boot has been braking away (actually Afrikaner here so I cant get the English word for this :roflol: )The positive cable in the boot was loose and I had to fix that, not at the pool but about 20cm into the body.

Check that first if there is a sudden no dash lights on the car.

 

[Thunder]

On my E36 I had a problem where the car would just die on me while doing nothing (meaning not changing something), I eventually figured it out that the positive red cable on the battery in the boot has been braking away (actually Afrikaner here so I cant get the English word for this :roflol: )The positive cable in the boot was loose and I had to fix that, not at the pool but about 20cm into the body.

Check that first if there is a sudden no dash lights on the car.

Before the overheating the battery would go flat after about 2 days of the car standing, but then a jump start gets it up and going, this dead dash and car was weird for me but wrote it of to a flat battery.

But a flat or low battery cant cause a car to loose engine power can it?

And then how do I test the + battery cable for faults?

I dont really want to strip the engine and replace parts if it isnt really needed.

 

[Lizzard]

Have someone sitting in the car with the ignition on and then go to the back and pull the positive power cable left and right and see if the car does come on. that's how I figured mine out, car is full of carpet and cosmetic things

otherwise put jumpers on the front and see if your lights comes on inside the car that will also eliminate the battery connections to be a problem in the back

 

[moranor@axis]

I think you need a new battery from what you report yes engine will not run without power

 

[Lloyd09]

I think you need a new battery from what you report yes engine will not run without power

Agree. battery issues can afffect sparking.
Dont forget to get that thermostat replacement before running the car proper.

 

[Thunder]

Have someone sitting in the car with the ignition on and then go to the back and pull the positive power cable left and right and see if the car does come on. that's how I figured mine out, car is full of carpet and cosmetic things

otherwise put jumpers on the front and see if your lights comes on inside the car that will also eliminate the battery connections to be a problem in the back

How to you pull cable around with the little space in the boot?
And jumpers on front meaning from the battery to the + under the bonnet?

I think you need a new battery from what you report yes engine will not run without power

Battery was replaced last year when the car was started again. :dunno:
And battery works perfect in another car, can it be possible that the battery is to small?

Agree. battery issues can afffect sparking.
Dont forget to get that thermostat replacement before running the car proper.

Where would the best but cheapish place be? And how do you test it outside the car?