Over heating

[Thunder]

Not sure if there is a thread like this anywhere but thought I'd post up and ask some advice.

The witch overheated.

On my way home from work 2 weeks back the car overheated. Nothing leading to it heat gauge was always around the middle where it normally is and then just bam in the red with light on.

So I creeped to the next garage. And took about 20 mins to get the water bottle open to fill it up. Drove a bit further and stopped. About half an hour later she started fine but was still in the red but no light. Died once then started again. Car felt a little sluggish but didn't push her hard. Had to go about another 5 kilo's to get where I needed to be. At about 9vkilos car started to sound like a real tractor. Pulled over at destination and waited. After about an hour and a half with just the ignition on heat gauge was at half. Started easy and started to drive home. Within about 2 blocks needle was in the red again but still no light. Got on highway and really went at snails pace when having to stop at offramp car died. When started again the tractor was back an so was a cloud of very white smoke. Got the car of the highway and got it towed home.

So far I've suspected the oil rings but car didn't smoke afterwards again. Just that one time. Haven't driven the car again after it got towed home.

Don't think it's the head gasket as the oil and water is still normal. Oil is very dirty but not greyish or mayonnaise like.

What I did so far. I drained the water which wasn't all that much, drained the oil, suspect it being the oil pump it has been removed but not tons ure how to test it.

Any suggestions on what to look out for?

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[ET was here]

oh no, this doesn't sound good

 

[Gizmo]

Compression test first, the 8valve motors when overheated tend to crack the head from the water channel to the exhaust valve. That will explain the white smoke and engine compression is being forced into the cooling system.:blueCry:

---

Same happened to my M40B18 years back.

 

[Ralf*]

Shit squire.....so soon after getting the witch back on the road again

 

[Thunder]

Is there a way to do a compression test without a tester?

Ralf I know what you mean.

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[Coisman]

Rule 1:

When car starts to overheat.... STOP DRIVING IT!!! :RedNo:

 

[Thunder]

Can't really stop on highway if you have no way of getting car home.

The thermostat does look terrible. Could it possibly be the cause of everything?

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[danieljames]

Can't really stop on highway if you have no way of getting car home.

The thermostat does look terrible. Could it possibly be the cause of everything?

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

I'm with the Cois on this one....Eish k@k one boet.
Could very well be....also oil pump. Once drove a 323i for 200M from cold and the gauge was 3/4 to the red.

 

[Thunder]

I've got the oil pump out and it looks fine. Found a lot of gunk oil all over and water system seems to have a lot of rust in it. Not sure where to start looking for problem.

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[danieljames]

Sorry my previous post makes no sense. Was busy while typing it lol. I drove a 323i that had no oil in it and after 200M it overheated. Nd it could very well be the thermostat is what I meant to say

 

[Lizzard]

Did you bleed the radiator or did you "oh, water low. let me add some water to the radiator" ?

BMW engineers thought it was smart and made the cars so we cant just add water to the radiator like normal cars and we have to bleed the sucker when adding water.

 

[Thunder]

I bled the water as usual. Not to sure why it was low when I drained the water over the weekend. I do have a leak on the connection to the head from the radiator which makes me check the water frequently.

Can a not working thermostat cause the motor to sound like a tractor?

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

---

Just a thought. If it was the boil pump that would cause oil pressure to drop, which in turn would then cause the oil pressure light to come on right?

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[GPGrobler]

Did you bleed the radiator or did you "oh, water low. let me add some water to the radiator" ?

BMW engineers thought it was smart and made the cars so we cant just add water to the radiator like normal cars and we have to bleed the sucker when adding water.

+1, this is true even for the E30. #2 - I'd say the thermostat is toast.

 

[Gizmo]

You should have stopped on the highway, called for a tow truck or a friend with a tow rope to pull you home, continuing to drive a car that is overheating just makes the repair bill much larger!

All you need to do now is do a compression test and go from there. If the thermostat got stuck in the closed position it would cause the car to overheat.

Continuing to drive an overheating engine leads to cracking cylinder heads and broken pistons/rings on a cast iron block engine. On an aluminium block engine you can total the block because the bores turn oval.

 

[Coisman]

Exactly what Gizmo said

 

[Lizzard]

you can check the thermostat by putting it on heat inside the car and feel if you have heat coming from the vents.

Don't think a thermostat can make a car sound like a tractor, is there smoke when she sounds like a tractor?

The water system on these bmw's does work on pressure to make it work

 

[Thunder]

There was a lot of white smoke when I pulled it of the road and when the tractor noise was loud.

Buy it only physically overheated into the red with the light once. Rest of the time it was just in the over heat area.

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

 

[Gizmo]

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.

 

[Nikhil]

There was a lot of white smoke when I pulled it of the road and when the tractor noise was loud.

Buy it only physically overheated into the red with the light once. Rest of the time it was just in the over heat area.

Sent from stolen tiekiebox

anything over half is overheating

 

[Thunder]

So no matter what I would probably end up having to pull the head?

Sent from stolen tiekiebox